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I'm Maxim Polyakov, a correspondent for the online magazine '7x7'.

On December 5, Vladimir Putin appointed State Duma deputy Alexander Khinshtein as the governor of Kursk Oblast, a region partially controlled by the Ukrainian army since August. Khinshtein is best known for his denunciations; his posts on Telegram have sparked scandals, dismissals, and criminal prosecutions. In this newsletter, I will explore Khinshtein’s most notable denunciations, which highlight the Kremlin’s preference for unprincipled and brazen bureaucrats.

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

Denouncing Hotels for Opting Out of Victory Day Festivities

In 2023, two hotels in Krasnaya Polyana (Sochi) chose to “remain neutral” and declined to display decorations for Victory Day, celebrated on May 9. The management explained their decision to the guests, noting that there might be differing views on the celebration among them. Meanwhile, the Sochi administration encouraged residents on social media to lay flowers and participate in memorial events. However, this wasn’t enough for certain individuals who complained to Alexander Khinshtein. The deputy took the matter to the governor of Krasnodar Krai and later commented on Telegram, “It feels as if Krasnaya Polyana was no longer our land.”

Khinshtein also targeted the Mayakovsky Hotel in Kaliningrad Oblast. He received a screenshot, allegedly from the hotel’s corporate chat, where the manager urged employees to maintain neutrality for Victory Day, citing the “unstable political situation.”

Following the scandal in Sochi, Mayor Alexey Kopaygorodsky formed a task force consisting of representatives from military and patriotic organizations to assess how local establishments were decorated. The mayor promised that even private businesses would be required to adhere to uniform decoration guidelines for patriotic events. If an establishment lacked the resources for decorations, City Hall would cover the costs.

Denouncing Samara Oblast Official for Reposting Navalny’s Investigations

In 2015, Vera Shcherbacheva, the head of the Department of External Communications, shared videos produced by Alexey Navalny’s team about Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Medvedev, Sergey Lavrov, and Dmitry Peskov on her Facebook page. Alexander Khinshtein discovered this in 2023 and described the videos as “so-called investigations with false allegations against the state’s top officials.” Khinshtein also claimed that Shcherbacheva traveled to the United States to give birth in 2014. He labeled her a member of the “fifth column” and reported her to the police and the Prosecutor General’s Office.

Vera Shcherbacheva fled Russia after her home and workplace were searched in April 2024. She was accused of fictitiously employing her 21-year-old daughter-in-law, Anna Alexeeva, in a public sector organization under her management. Investigators estimated the resulting budgetary damage at 535,000 rubles. Amid the scandal, the regional government disbanded Shcherbacheva’s department.

Denouncing the “Gay Lobby” in Samara Oblast’s Ministry of Youth Affairs

In February 2024, environmental activist Denis Leontovich was hired as a manager at the state-run Agency for Youth Policy in Samara. However, his time there was short. In April, pro-government Telegram channels, followed by federal media outlets and State Duma deputy Alexander Khinshtein, began harassing him for being gay. Leontovich had never hidden his sexual orientation from his loved ones and posted photos with his ex-partner on social media.

Khinshtein’s involvement forced the activist to leave the country.

“He threatened to investigate me for extremism, LGBTQ “propaganda,” and just about everything else. I knew I wasn’t familiar enough with how things work within the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Federal Security Service (FSB), and other agencies. I understood I couldn’t wait and had to act fast, which was difficult since I didn’t have a foreign passport. I went home to pack — just grabbing the first things I found. I filled a small, sorry-looking bag, got in my car, and drove toward Kazakhstan. I crossed the border at night and reached Kazakhstan by April 2,” Leontovich said. 

Denouncing the Deputy Who Listened to Putin with Noodles on His Ears

In February 2023 Samara Oblast deputy Mikhail Abdalkin from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) posted photos and videos showing himself watching Vladimir Putin’s address to the Federal Assembly with noodles draped over his ears. This was a reference to the Russian idiomatic expression “hanging noodles on one’s ears,” meaning to mislead or deceive someone. “I fully support and completely agree [with Putin]; this is an amazing speech. I haven’t heard anything like that in the past 23 years, and I am pleasantly surprised,” Abdalkin commented with apparent sarcasm. 

Alexander Khinshtein reacted on Telegram, writing, “This is a strange prank, to say the least, and would be more fitting for a Ukrainian deputy than a Russian one. I hope the CPRF leadership reins in their colleague.”

Following this, Abdalkin was summoned to the police and charged with discrediting the army. The court subsequently fined him 150,000 rubles.

Denouncing Samara Oblast Vice Governor for His Son’s Emigration

Yuri Kudryashov, the son of Samara Oblast Vice Governor Viktor Kudryashov, emigrated to Georgia in 2021. In September 2023, Khinshtein cited one of Yuri’s posts, in which he stated, “Russia has taken a somewhat wrong direction since 2008.” The State Duma deputy interpreted this as anti-Russian sentiment and criticized Viktor Kudryashov for failing to condemn his son’s statement. In response, the Vice Governor commented, “Great post, genatsvale” (a Georgian term of endearment).

Khinshtein also noted that Viktor Kudryashov had previously been fined for violating information security regulations (Part 7, Article 13.12 of the Russian Administrative Code) after traveling to Georgia without notifying the FSB, despite being required to do so due to his access to state secrets.

Yuri Kudryashov was subsequently included in a State Duma list of emigrants supporting Ukraine. As a result, the Putin administration declined to extend Viktor Kudryashov’s term in office. In November 2023, security forces detained Viktor Kudryashov on charges of abuse of power (Article 286 of the Russian Criminal Code). According to the Ulenspiegel Telegram channel, the investigation was prompted by a report from Khinshtein alleging embezzlement during the construction of a metro station in Samara.

Khinshtein’s denunciations of Samara Oblast officials have triggered multiple criminal cases. His prolonged conflict with Dmitry Azarov, the governor of Samara Oblast, ultimately led to Azarov’s resignation in May 2024.

So what is the logic behind appointing the scandalous informant as the governor of Russia’s most troubled region? The answer is simple: Khinshtein has agreed to take on all the negative sentiment that the residents of Kursk Oblast have accumulated in recent months. Whoever becomes governor will inevitably face harsh criticism and a low approval rating. Khinshtein is willing to do this dirty work, knowing he will likely be rewarded with a more significant role in the future.

Russian authorities employed a similar tactic a few years ago in Khabarovsk Krai. The arrest of popular Governor Sergey Furgal, who sought more independence in his decisions, triggered weekly protests, drawing thousands of people and lasting for over six months. The Kremlin sent Mikhail Degtyarev, a young deputy from the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), to Khabarovsk. He won the gubernatorial election, though marred by violations and fraud, but served in the region for only three years. Locals dubbed him a dummy, and Degtyarev absorbed all their anger and negativity. In 2024, he was appointed Russia's Minister of Sport. Similarly, Khinshtein is likely to secure a prominent position after his tenure in Kursk Oblast ends.

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