The Governor of the Slobbers changed his last name. The federal media are preparing Igor Albin (Slyunyaev) for resignation. Igor Albin: biography of his early years
How ex-head of the Ministry of Economic Development Igor Slyunyaev, married to Svetlana Medvedeva’s cousin, became vice-governor of St. Petersburg Igor Albin
Vice-Governor of St. Petersburg Igor Albin advised city residents not to wait until utilities begin removing snow. “Instead of waiting for manna from heaven, it was worth inviting friends, taking shovels and putting things in order, at least in your yard.” “It’s good for your health and puts your thoughts in order... Work ennobles a person,” the official added.
I don’t quite understand this person’s wit. If you believe city administration website, then Igor Nikolaevich’s area of responsibility includes, among other things, “resolving issues of urban management, ... housing and communal services, improvement.” That is, speaking in Russian, if snow falls in St. Petersburg, then citizen Albin is responsible for ensuring that snow removal equipment goes out on the streets of St. Petersburg, snow melting stations are operational, street cleaners begin to clean the yards, etc. This is exactly why he is needed in the city, this is why the residents hired him. Yes, yes, they hired. And if a given servant of the people does not understand this, he lives. as long as he benefits the people in the position that he was entrusted with, then this is very bad.
By the way, about the last name. Until last year, the current vice-governor of the Northern Capital bore the surname Slyunyaev. Albin from St. Petersburg is the former governor of the Kostroma region and the former head of Rosavtodor. Igor Slyunyaev. And also a former minister of regional development...
Regional underdevelopment
The two-year tenure (2012-2014) of Igor Slyunyaev as chief of the regions was repeatedly overshadowed by high-profile scandals. At the end of February 2013, at a meeting on housing and communal services tariffs, Vladimir Putin publicly scolded Slyunyaev. “We analyzed the situation with the increase in citizens’ fees for utility services in January 2013 and found out that they increased in 49 regions. In particular, tariffs increased in 21 regions, standards increased in nine, and both tariffs and standards increased in 19. We are looking a little ahead, trying to understand what will happen from July 1, 2013, because the growth of tariffs for all utility bills is at the forecast values,” Slyunyaev told Putin at that meeting. “Wait a second! - the president interrupted. “Let’s take a closer look, what happened since January 1 of this year?” “Payments for utilities have increased in 49 regions,” Slyunyaev repeated. — Maximum growth in the Murmansk region and Altai — 225%. "Wow!" - Putin was surprised. “If we talk about the picture of the cost of utilities, there are three main factors that influence the price situation,” Slyunyaev began. “Listen, what are you telling me? Citizens are not at all interested in this,” the president stopped the minister. “After all, when people come to pay, they receive such a payment.”
In St. Petersburg, in some areas, rents have increased by 40%, Putin says. “Here they are, the bills. Go and explain to people why there is such a jump,” he called on Slyunyaev. — And this is in St. Petersburg, in some areas. And in Murmansk, you say, in some municipalities it’s more than 200 percent. Are you crazy, or what?!”
It would seem that after such criticism from the President, Slyunyaev should have immediately given up and ran to solve housing and communal services problems in the regions of the Russian Federation. However, instead, the Minister of Regional Development of the Russian Federation, Igor Slyunyaev, went not to Murmansk or Altai, but to Cannes, France! For while the whole country was waiting for concrete decisions from Slyunyaev in the housing and communal services sector, he soon left for the 24th International Real Estate Exhibition “MIPIM 2013” and “represented Russia there.”
Kostroma, mon amour!
Igor Slyunyaev’s attitude towards Kostroma is clearly not warm. And the Kostroma residents themselves cannot reciprocate Slyunyaev’s feelings. The region did not shine with economic success under Slyunyaev: during his tenure, the region’s debt increased fourfold and amounted to 10 billion rubles. “Slyunyaev promised to make roads of the European level in the Kostroma region, but he could only change the curbs in the regional center, produced at his own factory...”, they say in the city.
Slyunyaev could not ensure the elections of the President of Russia. Vladimir Putin received only 52.78% of the votes in the region. “Putin scored a smaller percentage only in the Kaliningrad and Oryol regions,” notes Igor Dachenkov, vice-president of the All-Russian public fund “Fund for Perspective Planning”. United Russia also failed - 30.74% of the votes in the Duma elections. Only family connections saved the governor from final disgrace: his wife is the cousin of Dmitry Medvedev’s wife.
During the crisis of 2009, unlike other regions, the Kostroma region did not minimize social obligations, continuing to implement high-profile and costly projects in the field of culture and youth policy (the Constellation film festival, the Patriot camp, an exhibition of Faberge products, a theatrical production " Khovanshchina").
In Kostroma, Albin-Slyunyaev received several nicknames. “Curb” is not the ex-governor’s only nickname. The designation “Gosh the Magnificent” is slightly less popular. And on social networks the official is sometimes called “Chicken Lover.” As Internet users explain, this started from the moment his son, Alexander Khotin, posted an ironic video on his page about the carnal love of a man and a chicken.
“In essence, Slyunyaev has done nothing in the region during this time. There were some projects to attract investment, but then, based on the results of an audit by the Accounts Chamber, it turned out that this was a waste of government money. Information about the audit, carried out approximately six months before Igor Nikolaevich’s resignation, was not reported to the media,” the Company magazine wrote then.
Love for Ancestors
Until October 2014, Igor Nikolaevich lived under the name Slyunyaev. In his own words, as a child he was a little complex about this, although he respected his father extremely. And it’s true - remember how in the film “About the Poor Hussar ...” the hero Oleg Basilashvili with contemptuously trembling lips pronounces the name “Me-me-me-merzyaev”. “Slyunyaev”, “Merzyaev”... consonant and offensive. Even if it's about business.
But one day Igor Nikolaevich ordered genealogical research. For money, of course. And cunning genealogists quickly found out that, it turns out, our hero’s surname sounds more than noble - Albin. This is for you, really, not just any Slyunyaev.
I don’t know which of the countless “genealogical” offices tickled the ego of the former Kostroma governor so pleasantly. Agree, Tambov resident Albin sounds, at least, funny. Is it a derivative from the Spanish Duke of Alba? But Slyunyaev says that his ancestors bore the noble surname Albina for 200 years, from the mid-17th century to the 19th century, when the Volkonsky princes “foolishly” changed it.
The question immediately arises: only serfs could change their surname, and certainly not “their lords.” There is a second option: the surname comes from the word “Gelbein”, in Yiddish. There was certainly no nobility to be found here.
Finally, the surname could come from the dialectic “olaba”, flatbread. And the corresponding nickname “Olaba/Alaba”. But this is all too far-fetched. Although many people are now tempted to invent a beautiful past for themselves - especially when there is nothing to brag about in the present.
Be that as it may, what is important is not why Slyunyaev, with the haste of a converted Bolshevik or an aging cocotte, changed his surname. The consequences of his words about “let them remove the snow themselves” are important.
Deputy Governor of the Northern capital Igor Slyuneyav-Albin may not understand one simple thing. With his cynical and arrogant phrase, he, firstly, showed the residents of St. Petersburg how the current government treats them. Let it be in his face. But - it applies. She doesn’t consider St. Petersburg residents to be people. This is the first thing.
Secondly, and this is much more important, such statements by an official cultivate protest sentiments in people’s minds that are much purer than any Maidan. Albin is doing everything to undermine the foundations of state power. And this is not hyperbole.
“St. Petersburg residents on social networks massively expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of street and sidewalk cleaning in St. Petersburg. To this, Vice-Governor Igor Albin advised the townspeople to take shovels themselves and clear the snow from their yards. Moreover, the vice-governor now promises that he himself will go out into the street with a shovel to dig up his car. It would seem, what is there to talk about…”: - Head of the “Political Expert Group” Konstantin Kalachev comments on the situation. “But as for the initiative itself, before reproaching the townspeople, the vice-governor should have waved a shovel himself. Before, not after. He is still a new person in this place. Therefore, the readiness of public utilities for snow emergencies did not depend on him. It is premature to make it extreme. But his previous work experience was not successful. That’s why proof of effectiveness is extremely important for him now. Instead, he enters into polemics with the townspeople according to the principle “they are fools themselves.” Such a start in a new place does not inspire optimism,” the expert concludes.
And think for yourself. They tell you: clean the roads and yards, there will be no help from the state. Okay, you say, buy a shovel and clean up the yard. What's next? Then, let’s say, the Minister of Agriculture, following Albin’s example, says: why are you waiting for food in the stores? Look, you have a dacha, take the land, plow it into vegetable gardens and feed yourself! You plant potatoes, cucumbers, have chickens, goats, and some cows. And why, dear Russians, does the head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov tell you, for example, cars? Ride carts. They are not difficult to build. You, cursing, remember the experience of your ancestors and build carts. And then suddenly you catch yourself thinking: if so, then what the hell do I care about all these vice and other governors, officials, ministers, presidents? I can somehow live without them. Why do I need this state at all?
This thought: “Why do I need this state at all?” and Igor Slyunyaev-Albin forges in the brains of Russians with his actions. And if neither he nor his superiors understand what such steps are fraught with, then this is very bad. In March 1917, Petrograd already tried out Slyubyaev’s scenario...
Semyon ARTEMYEV.
Based on materials from Obshchaya Gazeta
The letter with the list of members of the government of St. Petersburg arrived at the Legislative Assembly on a routine basis; nothing foreshadowed any special news. The day before, the governor of St. Petersburg confirmed that he would like to see Igor Slyunyaev and Vladimir Kirillov as his deputies. “There are no secrets, you’ll see tomorrow,” the mayor good-naturedly told reporters.
The list, as Georgy Poltavchenko promised, arrived at the Legislative Office’s office desk on time - November 30. However, one of the names of the vice-governors turned out to be unfamiliar. “The new faces in the government team are federal-level managers who, at the same time, are well aware of the regional specifics. Igor Albin worked as the governor of the Kostroma region, the minister of regional development of Russia,” the official newsletter of the government agency reported.
No error. That's right: Albin Igor Nikolaevich, born in 1966, former security officer, the same children, the same wife left by Slyunyaev. The corresponding changes appeared on the former minister’s Facebook page, as well as in a Wikipedia article dedicated to the politician. Changes to the electronic encyclopedia date back to October 12.
Next is better. It turned out that the official, following the example of Georgy Poltavchenko and other vice-governors, decided to spend his vacation in Greece. He gains strength by visiting Mount Athos monasteries and posting photos on social networks. Also on his wrist appeared the corresponding attribute of the “Russian Athos Society” - a rosary.
The photo report about the trip alternates with portraits of figures of the Fatherland - the ideologist of "People's Will" Lev Tikhomirov, Empress Anna Ioanovna and General Wrangel. All this is supplemented by small reference materials: “1888. The miraculous rescue of Emperor Alexander III in a catastrophe”, “1961. The XXII Party Congress decided to remove Stalin’s body from the Mausoleum”, “1941. By order of L. Beria, a former revolutionary, one of organizers of the execution of the Royal Family Sh. Goloshchekin" - "inscribed" on the virtual page of the politician.
Also the day before, the newly minted Igor Albin posted another photo in his album. Protocol shooting. Vladimir Putin surrounded by clergy on Mount Athos. Remark from the author of the Facebook page: “He is often called Tsar Vladimir, to be honest, I also like this address. Tsar, he is the Tsar!” The signature of the former Mr. Slyunyaev was accompanied by only two “likes”.
“Those who have chosen monastic life are given a new name. But they change their first name, not their last name. Apparently, there was some personal motivation here - this is a secular procedure and has nothing to do with religious sacraments,” commented St. Petersburg.ru "Representative of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Associate professor and doctoral student of the Department of Political Psychology at St. Petersburg State University Alexander Konfisakhor, in a conversation with Sankt-Peterburg.ru, took the news as a joke - if not from a journalist, then from a politician. “Is this the same person?” the political scientist was perplexed. “Perhaps he is disguised or encrypted? Of course, this is not a correct act - at best, a woman changes her last name when she gets married, a criminal when he is hiding from justice, or a migrant worker who has committed mischief. But For a politician to change his last name like that - this is the first time I’ve heard of it.”
Political scientist Dmitry Travin shares a similar opinion: “It used to be that revolutionary figures changed their names - Lenin, Stalin. But I don’t remember this in the modern history of Russia.”
As a similar case, experts recall the “night governor” of St. Petersburg - Vladimir, first Kumarin, and then Barsukov. As follows from the biography of the crime boss, he took his mother’s maiden name after there was an attempt on his life. The leader of the Tambovites remained alive, but investigators became interested in him. Now Kumarin-Barsukov is serving time in a prison in the Northern capital.
Top 6 St. Petersburg figures who changed their last names.
1. Lenin (Ulyanov) Vladimir
Creator of the world's first socialist state. Marxist, publicist, ideologist of the communist international. Author of a number of works on the theory and practice of socialist revolutions. Time magazine ranks him ninth on its list of Time 100: Heroes and Idols of the 20th Century in the category of leaders and revolutionaries. It's between Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King. (List in alphabetical order).
Embalmed.
2. Zinoviev (Radomyslsky) Grigory
Revolutionary and ally of Lenin (Ulyanov). The first head of the Petrograd Soviet. An outstanding speaker, but, according to Trotsky (Bronstein), a mediocre military leader. According to his idea, Kamenev (Rosenfeld) proposes Stalin (Dzhugashvili) for the post of party leader. He was repeatedly expelled from the party and accepted back.
Shot.
3. Kamenev (Rosenfeld) Lev
The first head of the Soviet state, then this position was called Chairman of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. From his office in Smolny he led the state for ten days. Soon he left for Moscow and headed the Moscow City Council. He was repeatedly expelled from the party and accepted back.
Shot.
4. Trotsky (Bronstein) Lev
Second chairman of the Petrograd Soviet, organizer of the October Revolution, organizer of the Red Army, founder and ideologist of the Comintern. On his initiative, the Petrograd Military Revolutionary Committee was formed, which organized the Revolution in Petrograd. He fell under British sanctions and spent about a month in an internment camp. According to the Rotenberg law. At the request of the Petrograd Soviet, the British authorities released Trotsky (Bronstein). Trotsky (Bronstein) also had to face accusations of allegedly receiving ten thousand dollars in New York from the State Department from an unknown source, to which he ironically remarked that he was “cheaply valued.”
Killed by an ice pick in Mexico.
5. Kirov (Kostikov) Sergei
First Secretary of the Leningrad Regional Party Committee and the North-Western Bureau. He paid great attention to the development of industry. He collected a huge personal library and helped Gorky (Peshkov) in his publishing activities. He enjoyed the support of Stalin (Dzhugashvili), was a member of the Central Committee of the Party, but almost never went to Moscow.
Killed by a shot in the back of the head in Smolny.
6. Barsukov (Kumarin) Vladimir
A reputable businessman, some publications called him the “shadow governor of St. Petersburg.” Born in the Tambov region, he worked as a freight forwarder, bartender, and doorman. According to some media reports, he organized the Tambov organized crime group. In 1995, he changed his surname to his maiden mother's. He was vice-president of the St. Petersburg Fuel Company and assistant to a State Duma deputy.
Serving his sentence.
“I just now saw the news about Igor Slyunyaev. The guy seems to be an adult,” marvels the disgraced businessman Vitaly Arkhangelsky, who personally knew ex-minister Slyunyaev. “He had young secretaries, in my opinion, one of them had the last name Albina. Maybe he married her or received a new citizenship? Probably trying to hide loose ends in the water: with changed data, it is subsequently difficult to trace bank transfers or real estate reporting."
“Such a “secret” always becomes obvious, given its publicity,” argues Alexander Confissachor. “There is a risk that this will attract unnecessary negative attention to his person. If a person changes his last name, it means that he is dissatisfied with something about it: he feels bad in it a trace at a minimum. The exception is the Pope, who takes a new name when ascending the throne. But I don’t think that our politicians have risen to the level of a pontiff.”
Director of the Institute of Contemporary State Development Dmitry Solonnikov also does not connect the change in Slyunyaev-Albina’s surname with problems with the law. “A week ago, PR people discussed the need to position Mr. Slyunyaev in St. Petersburg. Two problematic points were raised: the combination of the housing and communal services industry under his jurisdiction and the surname Slyunyaev. It was clear that all this would not be perceived very well by the population. It can be assumed that one of these difficulties was resolved in this way, - the specialist laughs. - Believers sometimes do this. They “cut off” the trail of their previous activities, clear their karma and start all over again.”
Along with the new position, Igor Albin will most likely receive additional powers. Thus, according to the order of Georgy Poltavchenko, he will oversee not only the “municipal” sector, but also issues of transport, environmental management and labor protection. These industries are still under the jurisdiction of Oleg Markov and Mikhail Mokretsov.
“Undoubtedly, the transition from the post of Minister of Regional Development to the post of Vice-Governor is a demotion. Such a redistribution can, of course, be considered compensation. So that formally it would not be so offensive. But again, these are completely different things - the chairman of the government of the second region of the country or a hodgepodge of responsibilities several vice-governors,” says Dmitry Solonnikov. At the same time, it is still unclear who will oversee the financial block: the committees on industrial policy and innovation, tariffs, and entrepreneurship, the expert adds. Another department, the KRTI, whose budget for 2015 is 49 billion rubles, also remains lonely.
The relevant committees were also shuffled among the other vice-governors. Igor Divinsky got GATI, Alexander Govorunov - committees on information and communications, on issues of legality and security, on interethnic relations and politics.
While the public was unraveling the new balance of power in Smolny, ex-Slyunyaev explained the decision to put an end to the past. “My ancestors were Albins, and in the middle of the 19th century, against my own will, my family had to change their surname. When I became acquainted with the research, I had a desire to restore historical justice to my family,” RIA Novosti quotes Albin as saying.
Igor Slyunyaev also made his mark with a post on the bankfax.ru website forum, which dates back to 2006. “As a child, I was a little complex. My mother’s maiden name is Lyudmila Porfiryevna Vasilyeva. I didn’t change my last name, as it could offend my father Nikolai Vladimirovich Slyunyaev, a man whom I respect, and a worthy person in all respects, who went from motor mechanic to manager large trust "Surgutneftegazstroy" with secondary technical education." However, it is quite difficult to understand whether this recording was made several years ago or recently.
According to historical references, the surname Albin geographically originates in the vicinity of the Urals. This is what the Ural Cossacks were called. According to another version, the surname is based on the male name Albin, which is of Latin origin and goes back to the word albus - “white”.
St. Petersburg Vice-Governor Albin Igor Nikolaevich is a very popular person. During his long career as a politician, he was able to make both positive and negative impressions on his voters. So, some see him as a wise and responsive deputy, ready to help those in need, while others see him as a cunning and prudent entrepreneur who wants to profit from others. Which one is right? Who really is the Vice-Governor of St. Petersburg Igor Albin? And why do some call him Slyunyaev?
Igor Albin: biography of his early years
The life story of the vice-governor begins on October 4, 1966. It was on this day that Igor Slyunyaev was born in the city of Isilkul (Omsk region). This is exactly what his surname originally sounded like, which he bore until 2014. Almost all of Igor’s childhood was spent in the Vozvyshensky district, North Kazakhstan region. The boy’s parents were not rich people, and therefore, after graduating from school, he immediately went to work at Karaganda State University. This allowed him to attend evening courses, which were conducted specifically for university employees. Thanks to the skills he acquired, he quickly changed his position as a simple worker to the position of a university laboratory assistant.
In 1984, Igor Albin was drafted into the army. The future politician paid his debt to his homeland while serving in the airborne troops. After demobilization in 1986, he began studying at Moscow State University. Lomonosov. Here he mastered the specialty of a chemical technologist, however, he did not want to work in it. In 1988, he got a job, which gave him access to Moscow higher education. In 1992, Igor Albin successfully graduated from this educational institution and became secretary of the All-Union Leninist Communist Youth Union (VLKSM). From 1994 to 1996, he served as Chairman of the Board of Mossibinterbank. The period of life becomes fateful in the life of the future vice-governor, since it was during these years that he decided to go into politics.
Beginning of a political career
Igor Albin's first significant victory was his appointment to the post of Deputy Minister of the Russian Federation for cooperation with the CIS countries in 1996. Such an impetus led to the fact that the newly minted politician entered the Russian Academy of Public Administration, which he successfully graduated from in 1999. From 2000 to 2004 he worked as First Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation. In addition, he is a member of the federal government commission dealing with issues of the agricultural sector. In 2006, he received the position of representative of the executive power of the Altai Territory. He was also lucky to take up the position of a member of the Federation Council commission working with
As governor of Kostroma
In October 2007, Russian President V. Putin invited deputies of the Kostroma Regional Duma to consider Igor Albin (then Slyunyaev) as a candidate for the post of governor. He received excellent references from his colleagues. And already on October 25, 2007, Igor Albin became governor. Alas, the new head of the region did not live up to the hopes placed on him. While the crisis was raging across the country, Albin allowed his region to live in grand style. Frequent concerts, exhibitions, cultural events and folk festivals completely devastated Kostroma’s already depleted budget.
Another reason for the people’s indignation was the fact that Albin invested a lot of money on replacing curbs. At the same time, the concrete “curbs” were produced at his own plant, which clearly indicated the governor’s financial interest. But the biggest downfall for Igor Albin was the presidential elections held in 2012. Thus, in his region, V. Putin received the smallest percentage of votes, which cast a shadow on the reputation of the Kostroma politician. That is why in April 2012, Igor Albin voluntarily resigned as governor and left Kostroma.
Position of Minister of Interregional Policy
But, despite the failed election campaign in Kostroma, Vladimir Putin did not turn his back on the former governor. In October 2012, he appointed Slyunyaev as minister. In this position, Igor Albin showed himself to be an average politician. However, in 2013, he still received a public reprimand from the President of Russia. The reason for this was the too rapid increase in tariffs. It was possible to avoid it, but the politician did not make the necessary efforts.
Metamorphosis of Slyunyaev to Albina
According to the future vice-governor, the Slyunyaev surname brought him a lot of trouble from early childhood. For example, at school, because of her, young Igor often had to endure insults from his classmates. And even in his later years he was often embarrassed when he said it out loud. For a long time, Igor Nikolaevich did not dare to change his last name. The politician argued that this was his father’s legacy and he would not give it up just like that. And yet, in 2014, Slyunyaev turns into Albin, which immediately attracts public attention. However, this time Igor Nikolaevich has strong arguments in favor of such a metamorphosis. According to him, he conducted genealogical research, in which it turned out that Albin is the historical surname of his family.
Igor Albin - Vice-Governor of St. Petersburg
In November 2014, Albin became Over the past two years, he has received both positive and negative reviews about his work. For example, many were pleased with the fact that the new politician began to fight unscrupulous contractors who defraud shareholders. Nevertheless, negative criticism was also addressed to Igor Albin. In particular, residents of St. Petersburg are very dissatisfied with the way the housing and communal services work today. But it is this department that is controlled by the current vice-governor of the city.
Before his St. Petersburg period Igor Albin, then he had the last name Slyunyaev, worked as governor of the Kostroma region and minister of regional development of the Russian Federation. At the same time, as the expert community notes, the Ministry was disbanded during this period, unnoticed by the entire country, and the Accounts Chamber revealed violations amounting to 367 million rubles. In addition, there was also information about the acquisition by officials of the disbanded department of 15 apartments worth a total of 128 million rubles. According to many, incl. and a number of media outlets, the legality of this event is questionable.
Changing landmarks
After moving to the Northern capital, the official decided to change his last name and hired 2 teams of PR specialists. At the same time, as journalists note, some people in these teams have remained with him from earlier times. For example, the official secretary of Slyunyaev-Albin is Elena Mikhina, who worked with him back in the Ministry of Regional Development. The second team is led by Ivetta Andreeva, which the Vice-Governor for Housing and Communal Services and Construction of the Leningrad Region called from Kostroma. He pays her team, according to media reports, from his own funds. Moreover, they work quite actively, carrying out competent campaigns through various popular platforms. And against this background, many experts and public activists have a logical question: what is hidden behind the official’s personal PR?
Memory of the past
Albin is the father of a young man named Alexander Khotin. The son, according to the media, hid behind his father for quite a long time, was interested in strange erotic videos, and published corresponding pages on social networks. As a result, the whole city knew him. When Albin-Slyunyaev was the governor of the Kostroma region, his son often visited various bars and there tried to make an “impression” on the local residents. The result was a fight that raged throughout the region with the participation of a resident of Kostroma Alexandra Belova. At first Belov, as journalists note, was beaten by Khotin, and then arrested as the instigator of the fight. At the same time, the young man claimed that the police used intimidation methods against him. All charges against Belov were dropped exactly along with Slyunyaev’s dismissal. When the governor of the Kostroma region resigned, the media interviewed residents of the region. It turned out that Kostroma residents remembered the head as an incompetent leader who spent a huge amount of budget funds on meaningless and expensive festivals.
Petersburg period
St. Petersburg can also note a number of “achievements” of the official. Thus, experts and the media noted that almost immediately after Albin’s appointment as vice-governor for housing and communal services and construction, rolling blackouts began, which went unnoticed. And this despite the fact that, for example, on November 6, 2015, about 1,200 houses and 24 thousand residents of the Northern capital remained without electricity for more than an hour. A day earlier, there were also blackouts in five districts of the city, when more than 17 thousand people complained about the lack of electricity.
Later, problems with heat also appeared: in less than six months - from October 1, 2015 to February 1, 2016, about 1,400 minor accidents and breakdowns of heating systems were recorded. The official responsible for eliminating these problems and normal functioning of the networks at this time went on a tour to Italy, where he participated in divine services. According to experts, such a trip cost him 10 million rubles. Naturally, this whole situation caused a serious scandal, after which the housing and communal services sector was given away Vice-Governor Bondarenko.
Arena Battle
Albin also had problems in his relations with the management of Transstroy, the company building the Zenit stadium. The expert community and the media literally unanimously claim that the official “squeezed” the contractor out of the site for six months - carried out surprise inspections, incl. and with the participation of the Migration Service, led many colleagues to the idea of changing the contractor, etc. When the stadium was 80% ready, and the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg gave the go-ahead to increase the cost of the facility by 4.3 billion rubles, the construction was suddenly given to Metrostroy. At the same time, Albin, who was present at the transfer of the facility, stated that the stadium would be ready by December 2016, which is simply physically impossible. The transfer of such a large construction project requires the signing of an almost countless number of papers, and for safety reasons it is necessary to comply with technological deadlines. The new developer should purchase and install equipment, hire new subcontractors, etc. Just the purchase of building materials, as experts have calculated, may take at least 3 months. Testing and testing the equipment takes another six months. This means that, in the best case, the object can be commissioned no earlier than June 2017.
In a recent interview with the media, Albin noted: “Officially, construction of the stadium will end in December. Construction deadlines are being met. But all the work will not be completed by this time.” Now the stadium is surrounded by barbed wire and guarded by dogs. Today, Albin is the only source of information about the situation at the Zenit Arena facility.
Experts believe that Metrostroy already has enough to do and do. And the security forces also have complaints against the company. Thus, on May 12, 2016, FSB officers conducted searches in the Directorate of Transport Construction. The media noticed that in the area of interest of the security forces there were contracts for the construction of the continuation of two metro lines in St. Petersburg. At the end of August, special forces carried out investigative actions in the main building of Metrostroy. Today, a situation is emerging where Metrostroy cannot deliver old facilities on time (some of them are already in a deplorable state - the ground is falling through them), aggravates its debts and is additionally forced to look for labor and finance to complete the construction of a landmark for the Northern capital of the object. This, according to experts, will certainly affect the quality of construction and cause technology violations, which could cause a serious man-made disaster.
In addition, as the media note, Albin is planning another change of contractor. He is going to unilaterally terminate the contract for the Yuzhnoye depot. At the same time, a slightly different scheme is planned than was the case with Zenit. They first raised the cost of the contract, and then changed the developer. But here everything will be the other way around - first a change of developer, and then an increase in the cost of the contract.
At the same time, Albin himself is sure that the position of a regional official is already “too small” for him. And today, the media say, he considers himself an effective manager and statesman at the federal level. At the same time, Smolny has already begun to think about how to return Transstroy back to the site.
Changing a surname by a man is a rather rare event, especially if it occurs in the 5th decade of life. For this you need really good reasons. For a federal politician, such rebranding is generally unacceptable due to the riskiness of the act. The Russian electorate, which is not particularly interested in politics, can easily be confused.
Former Kostroma governor and Minister of Regional Development Igor Slyunyaev, before his appointment to a new post in St. Petersburg, boldly took such an extraordinary step. He explained his decision by the results of research by specialists who, in the darkness of centuries, tried to restore all the branches of the family tree of a high-ranking official. The investigation was generously paid for from the purse of a passionate desire to establish the true roots of Slyunyaev, who was inflamed with an interest in history during his five-year tenure as the head of the original Russian region, which, due to circumstances, became the cradle of the history of the last Russian reigning Romanov dynasty.
The statesman's curiosity was completely satisfied. On the male line, his ancestors bore the historical noble surname Albina. So the modern Russian official, former Komsomol member Slyunyaev became the nobleman Albin. His strange initiative was not supported by his own son, who preferred his mother’s surname – Khotin. The prevailing opinion among the people was divided between two versions. The first is based on the obvious dissonance of the former surname Slyunyaev for the Russian ear. It is worth recalling the cinematic masterpiece of director Eldar Ryazanov, “Say a word for the poor hussar,” where the state councilor Merzlyaev, to his great displeasure, turns into Merzyaev at the end of the film. You can’t make a career in Russia with such a terrible last name. Another thing is the euphonious noble surnames Mikhalkovs or Konchalovskys!
The second version is more based on the biography of Igor Nikolaevich Slyunyaev, who, according to many, did not quite successfully go through the distance from his youth to full maturity. Starting life from scratch is the natural desire of many losers. The surname of the minor hero of the immortal novel by Ilf and Petrov “The Twelve Chairs,” the brilliant locksmith Viktor Mikhailovich Polesov, whose numerous undertakings ended in inevitable failure, is best suited for Slyunyaev.
Through the Ministry of Internal Affairs
It’s actually difficult to classify Igor Albin as a loser. It is better to characterize his life as rather unpredictable, with unexpectedly sharp turns, but never leading to disaster. Albin-Slyunyaev can justifiably be proud of his unsinkability. A former paratrooper sergeant originally from Western Siberia was able to pass the entrance exams at Moscow State University and begin studying at the Faculty of Chemistry.
Just 2 years later, he decided to radically change the direction of his life and, instead of the prospects of becoming an engineer, he chose to apply to the Moscow Higher Police School. The country lived through the turbulent late 80s. Cadet Slyunyaev established himself as an active social activist, heading the Komsomol committee of the educational institution. It is worth recalling that in those years, the leaders of the Komsomol from the lowest to the highest echelons were a vile, odious layer, consisting entirely of potential scoundrels, sincerely despised by ordinary people.
In 1992, Slyunyaev received the shoulder straps of a lieutenant of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but did not rush into the fight against criminals. A couple of years later, he surfaced on the board of an unnoticeable, but still bank - Mossibinternetbank. The thirst for new knowledge led the aspiring banker to the Academy of Public Service, from which he graduated in 1999 with a degree in Finance and Credit. A decade later, practical experience in the banking sector provided unique material for a candidate’s dissertation on the topic “Criminal Transfer of Capital,” which the applicant for the degree of Candidate of Legal Sciences successfully defended at the Omsk Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation.
Government official
The next steps that Igor Slyunyaev overcame were the Ministry for Cooperation with the CIS Countries, where he became a deputy minister, and the Federal Road Service. At the end of the 90s, with the emergence of Vladimir Putin, a native of the special services, in the highest positions of the state, former and current employees of law enforcement agencies became in great demand. One of the Komsomol members I knew remembered the policeman Slyunyaev. The police lieutenant, who retrained as a banker, quickly earned the title of senator, representing the interests of the Altai Territory in the Federation Council.
Following the wishes of President Putin, in 2007 Igor Slyunyaev was approved by the regional assembly of deputies as governor of the Kostroma region. Slyunyaev did not respect the word “region”, constantly replacing it with “province”. For residents of Kostroma and the surrounding area, he remained in memory under the names Border or Gosha the Magnificent. The provincial capital of Kostroma completely decorated its roads with curbstones produced at one of the enterprises, the owners of which were the current governor.
The centuries-old history of the province so blinded the newcomer Siberian with its significance that, paying tribute to the events that took place on the ancient land, he devoted all his efforts to popularizing its spiritual and historical heritage. Cultural and entertainment events in Kostroma in those years took place in an endless series - the Constellation festival, an exhibition of Faberge factory products, the Susanin Trophy motor rally, the Romanov Festival, the Star of Bethlehem festival, governor's charity balls, the Northern Hope sled dog race ", expensive productions of the classical operas "Boris Godunov" and "Khovanshchina".
Regional debt
The first person's passion for the rich historical heritage was generously paid for from the regional budget. It became a practice to adjust it monthly to suit the wishes of the governor. As if Ivan Susanin had risen from the grave, Igor Slyunyaev led not the Poles into the wilds of dense forests, but the region entrusted to him to economic collapse. The annual regional budget deficit reached almost 3 billion rubles, which amounted to more than a quarter of the subject’s own income. The size of the region's public debt exceeded the entire volume of funds from the regional budget.
The governor initiated the rather controversial use of the Avangard commercial bank in a scheme for transferring utility payments from the population according to an inexplicably complex scheme through the Kostroma sales company to the accounts of OJSC Management Company Rusenergocapital. At the same time, the all-Russian rating of Governor Slyunyaev’s management efficiency has invariably risen steeply over the years, moving him to the top of the list. The hangover came after the next Duma elections. Slyunyaev habitually topped the regional list of candidates from the ruling United Russia, acting as a “political locomotive.”
The irresponsible Kostroma electorate, who thinks more about their own stomach and not about the lofty and eternal, “lowered” the governor and fellow party candidates to one of the last places in Russia. Just over 30% of those who voted for EdRo indicated the reality of the governor’s inflated ratings. Igor Slyunyaev resigned from his post of his own free will, presenting President Putin with a petition for his resignation.
Verdict to the Ministry
The President accepted it and entrusted a new front of activity to a valuable employee from his point of view. Igor Slyunyaev headed the Ministry of Regional Development in order to become the gravedigger of this state structure in 2 years. While heading the ministry, its walls were rocked by a huge scandal involving the use of funds for a targeted state program for the socio-economic development of the Republic of Ingushetia.
The control authorities revealed a horrific waste of budget funds. The president's patience has also run out. He publicly criticized the minister and blamed him for the enormous increase in tariffs for housing and communal services in Russian regions. The verdict was signed by the ministry, but not by Igor Slyunyaev.
Under the new name Albin, he showed up in St. Petersburg as vice-governor in charge of housing and communal services and transport. The former Slyunyaev met the governor of St. Petersburg Poltavchenko during his work as the presidential representative in the Central Federal District and somehow charmed him. Immediately after taking the new leadership chair, Albin stunned St. Petersburg residents with his initiative to clean up courtyards and streets using the residents themselves. Due to heavy snowfalls, the city was covered in snow, and utility services and their managers demonstrated complete powerlessness in the face of the elements. Subordinates spread information on social networks that the vice-governor picked up a shovel and, setting a personal example, like a reincarnated Vladimir Ilyich at a cleanup day, cleared an entire alley in the historical part of the city. The initiative to collect signatures for his resignation was never avoided. So far, the new surname does not really help Igor Albin.
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