Natalya Tolokonskaya: the esoteric world of the first lady of the region. Clans and clanning

The wife of Krasnoyarsk Territory Governor Viktor Tolokonsky returned to social networks with a provocative post about sanctioned cheese.

Natalya Tolokonskaya, the wife of the current governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Viktor Tolokonsky, returned to the social network Instagram.

On July 17, Tolokonsky’s wife wrote a post, after which she had to delete her Instagram account. The First Lady of Krasnoyarsk published a photo of fresh fruit and captioned the photo: “Good morning, country! The day always starts with clean water and fruits!”

Several users then answered her that it would be better to start the day with clean air - the “black sky” regime was once again in effect in Krasnoyarsk, and the townspeople tried to draw the attention of the governor’s wife to this sad fact.

However, in response to Krasnoyarsk residents, Natalya Tolokonskaya wrote the following: “When there are more pure thoughts in the head, the dirty air will cease to be dangerous! I can teach like a doctor! This is my area of ​​responsibility and competence!” Such a cynical comment caused a flurry of indignant comments from most users.

Moreover, after this, a petition appeared to Russian President Vladimir Putin asking for Tolokonsky’s resignation. “The Governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory Viktor Aleksandrovich Tolokonsky shows no interest in the problems of the population! And his wife also mocks the residents of the region on social networks - what is the value of the phrase: “It’s not the black sky, but your thoughts”?!” wrote an indignant resident of the regional center Andrei Sukhvalov, the author of the petition for the resignation of the governor.

In early August, the Internet newspaper Znak.сom, citing its sources close to the presidential administration and the cabinet of ministers, reported that a new series of personnel changes was coming in power. Including the name of Viktor Tolokonsky - his term of office expires in 2017. It is reported that since 2010, the governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory has not been able to find a common language with the local elite, has not created an efficient team and has organized a bunch of environmental problems in the region.

And now Natalya Tolokonskaya has returned to social networks again with a provocative photo - probably to completely ruin her husband’s reputation.

On August 31, a photograph of her appeared on Tolokonskaya’s Instagram, captioned: “Good morning, country!!! Summer brings hot days! I'm eager to catch! A cup of cocoa and a piece of delicious cheese from Croatia! And the heart comprehends the most vivid impressions of summer! For example, the Aivazovsky exhibition! Event! And suddenly my discovery! It’s those pictures where the sky and sea are together – not separated by the horizon line – that amaze you! And the light from within!!! I wish you joy! We haven’t talked for a long time!”

It is noteworthy that cheese from Croatia, which is part of the European Union, is prohibited for import into Russia and is a sanctioned product. In addition, the Aivazovsky exhibition is currently taking place in Moscow.

Former governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory Viktor Tolokonsky seems to have fallen into disgrace. Over the past two weeks, several federal and regional publications have published devastating articles about Tolokonsky and his family. We decided to inquire about the fate of the former and find out what was happening to our ex-governor.

At the end of May, long-lived Siberian political figure Viktor Aleksandrovich Tolokonsky lost two significant positions at once: on May 22, the former Krasnoyarsk governor was fired from the Siberian Institute of Management, where he held the position of a full-time expert, and on May 24, his name disappeared from the list of possible members of the board of directors of Russian Railways.

Immediately after this, on May 25, a devastating article by Ilya Ukhov “Nepotism 2.0” was published on the Life.ru portal. The text is dedicated to Viktor Tolokonsky’s wife, Natalya, and tells that the governor’s wife, being in fact the head of the Gubernskie Pharmacies enterprise, received, with the help of her husband, multi-million dollar contracts from the government of the Krasnoyarsk Territory.

“All this, in essence, is a special case of a conflict of interest, at the center of which is Viktor Tolokonsky,” concludes Ukhov.

Following Life, well-known pro-Kremlin bloggers Armen Gasparyan and Maxim Kononenko post negative posts about Tolokonsky. Both authors, in similar terms, accuse the former governor and former plenipotentiary representative of being a “swindler,” covering up his machinations with opposition activities and comparing Tolokonsky with Khodorkovsky, Chichvarkin and Navalny.

The same theses are repeated in the article “Why Tolokonsky went all-in” in the newspaper “Novye Izvestia”.

“There are plenty of examples of the appearance of such dissidents. Khodorkovsky declared himself exactly the same political dissident, who did not pay taxes and traded around the world some kind of “well fluid”, and not oil at all. And he announced everywhere that he was an honest businessman. Navalny did the same thing, who, being tainted by the affairs of Yves Rocher, Kirovles, etc., declared that this was political persecution against him,” says the author of the text, political scientist Oleg Matveychev.

“We need to send an investigation team there and do a very tough cleansing of all these comrades. Moreover, the third generation of Tolokonskys is already growing up there. There, the son is already involved in business schemes, and there are scandals around him,” says Matveychiv.

Both articles by political scientist Matveychev were published as a response to Tolokonsky’s interview, published on the NDN portal on May 15. In an interview, the Krasnoyarsk ex-governor sharply criticized the Acting Governor of the Novosibirsk Region Andrei Travnikov:

“I affirm that the Novosibirsk region is experiencing the crisis that exists in Russia today more difficult than many other regions. This is reflected in the fact that we have almost no investment. What is being built today - be it the private economy, be it the state budgetary sphere? There is no infrastructure, no construction, no investment, no development,” Tolokonsky said in particular.

The interview also included personal attacks on Andrei Travnikov, whom Tolokonsky accused of being unable to make decisions.

“We talked to him more than once, he seems to know how to listen, nods, but there are no consequences, no reaction. He can't think of anything. He waits and constantly violates the paradigm.”

Novosibirsk analysts associate this behavior of Tolokonsky with the support of the current mayor of Novosibirsk Anatoly Lokt, who intends to compete with Travnikov in the upcoming gubernatorial elections in September. Today Tolokonsky works as the chief adviser to Lokt. At the same time, Lokot is a member of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, and Viktor Tolokonsky himself has represented United Russia since 2005.

Viktor Tolokonsky and Anatoly Lokot. Photo BC

Now, according to the statement of the head of the United Russia faction in the Legislative Assembly of the Novosibirsk Region, Andrei Panferov, Tolokonsky may be expelled from United Russia.

“Now this whole situation will be sorted out by the General Council of the party. I think that he will instruct the presidium of the Novosibirsk Political Council to consider the issue of Viktor Tolokonsky being in the ranks of United Russia. And, judging by the responses of members of the political council and ordinary party members, it is possible that the toughest decisions will be made,” Panferov said in an interview with the Club of Regions.

According to experts, this will effectively mean the end of Tolokonsky's long career. In 1996, Tolokonsky was elected mayor of Novosibirsk; in 2000, governor of the Novosibirsk region, a position he held for 10 years. In 2010, by decree of President Medvedev, he was appointed plenipotentiary representative to the Siberian Federal District, and in 2014 he was elected head of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. In 2017, he resigned at his own request.

The meeting with the Governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory Viktor Tolokonsky at the editorial office of Komsomolskaya Pravda-Krasnoyarsk was timed to coincide with Family Day, which was celebrated on July 8. It's no secret that the head of the region and his first lady have a strong and friendly family. We asked Viktor Alexandrovich to reveal a few secrets about how he manages to lead a large region and at the same time be a good family man.

Viktor Alexandrovich, it’s already the end of the working day. Is this the last item on your schedule today, and then go home to your family?

To the family, but not home. Afterwards, my eldest grandson Sasha and I (he has been living with us in Krasnoyarsk for a year and is studying at the university) go to football, our football team “Yenisei” is playing with an updated lineup. The day before I went to their training session. I hope that my wife Natalya Petrovna will join us.

- Are you a passionate fan?

I am an experienced fan, this comes from my father. I remember Natasha and I were still at school and went to football together; she was my potential bride then. Then we got married, had children, grandchildren, work, worries - the passion for sports subsided, but did not disappear. For me, it is important to root for sports, and I usually root for the team of the city in which I live. And Sasha is a fan of the spectacular game. By the way, tonight we watched the World Cup final. First, the wife and grandson sat down in front of the TV. At first I didn’t want to get out of bed, but how can you not support society? By the way, I was rooting for Portugal.

- Your wife Natalya Petrovna actively maintains pages on social networks. And you?

Unfortunately, I can’t - I don’t have time for this. And entrusting someone else with managing your pages would be dishonest. The wife has gotten used to social networks. At work, sometimes she spends 3–4 hours communicating on Skype; she can write joint articles or teach. By the way, he tries to work while I’m away. On Instagram, the wife often posts photos and signs: this is her husband, this is her grandson, this is her granddaughter... I won’t say that she gets too carried away. Everything in moderation.

You just cited lack of time. Tell us a little about the working day of the governor of the second largest region of the country?

I plan my schedule. This is very disciplined and helps you feel time. For example, today I knew that I had two meetings in the morning, at 11 o’clock a meeting with the mayor of the city. At 12 o'clock I had deputies of the Legislative Assembly, then I met with the director of the Zheleznogorsk Mining and Chemical Combine. At 2 p.m. there is an operational meeting to prepare for the Universiade. At 15.30 a number of current issues were discussed with the Deputy Prime Minister. At 16:00 we met with the Israeli Ambassador to Russia. At 17.10 I arrived at your editorial office and I know that at the latest at 18.30 I must leave you. Because at 19.15 my family will be waiting for me at the stadium. The game will end at 21.15 and we will be home at 22.00. And so - every day.

- What about the weekend?

Usually on Saturday I try to finish everything before three o'clock, then I do my mail. And on Sunday I rest. But this time there was a problem; things fell on Sunday. Yesterday was a difficult day. I received hunger strikers in Boguchany (they are on hunger strike for the resignation of local authorities - editor's note), and talked with them for a long time. We finished at six o'clock, then went to meet our football players. And in the evening he received a reprimand from his family for breaking the tradition of family dinner.

Continuation, full text of the exclusive personal interview – tomorrow, in the weekly Komsomolskaya Pravda

In the photo is the Governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory Viktor Tolokonsky. Photo from the press service

A petition has appeared on the Internet asking President Vladimir Putin to remove the governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Viktor Tolokonsky, from office. The authors of the appeal accuse the head of the region of not solving the environmental problems of the regional center. At the time of writing, more than 9 thousand people spoke for Tolokonsky’s resignation. The reason was a scandal, somewhat unexpectedly provoked by a post by the governor’s wife Natalya Tolokonskaya on her Instagram page. In response to complaints from Krasnoyarsk residents about the poor environment, she replied that “when there are more clean thoughts in the head, dirty air will cease to be dangerous. I can teach like a doctor!”

The advice provoked a storm of indignation both on social networks and in local media. Tolokonskaya imprudently got involved in a skirmish, taking, in particular, under the protection of her high-ranking husband: “My husband is a Man with a capital M, rare purity and dedication, the highest professionalism!” Some townspeople doubted this. “The governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory shows no interest in the problems of the population! And his wife also mocks the residents of the region on social networks, as in the phrase “it’s not the black sky, but your thoughts,” the authors of the online petition are indignant. Tolokonsky's wife deleted the account.

Environmental problems have long irritated many residents of Krasnoyarsk. In July they complained about smoke from forest fires. This week, a regime of unfavorable weather conditions was declared in the city again. Petitions from the greens demanding a fight against Krasnoyarsk air pollutants appear regularly. Environmental performances have become fashionable in the regional center. Recently in Krasnoyarsk, 17 street sculptures were fitted with respirators, symbolizing the “black sky” regime, which has been regularly announced recently in the capital of the region.

The authorities are trying to respond to challenges. In June, a regional environmental headquarters was created in Krasnoyarsk, headed by the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Alexander Uss. Among the priority tasks, the new public structure sets itself the coordination of the efforts of the authorities and the green forces to prepare a program for the environmental rehabilitation of Krasnoyarsk and relevant bills.

The Green party is becoming more and more visible in the political arena of the region. “Other parties, if they remember environmental problems, limit themselves to general words and slogans. We are dealing with the topic systematically and are already offering concrete solutions. In July, we made more than 50 proposals for amendments to the draft regional law “On the Protection of Atmospheric Air,” Sergei Shakhmatov, head of the regional branch of the party, told NG. – Environmental issues are among the top three most pressing issues for Krasnoyarsk residents. Of course, the problem is the youth of our party. Not all voters know about us, so we are not setting any grandiose goals for these elections. The minimum task is to gain 3% in the State Duma elections. The maximum goal is to overcome the five percent barrier. And we will set big goals for the next election cycle.”

Observers, however, are not inclined to overestimate the chances of parties and candidates who have relied on environmental issues in the upcoming elections. “United Russia has adopted environmental protection at the federal level in this campaign, perhaps in order to prevent its opponents from gaining points on it,” notes political scientist Sergei Komaritsyn. – But sociology clearly shows that in the region this topic is at the bottom of the top ten in the list of problems that truly concern Siberians. The noise that is observed around the “black sky” of Krasnoyarsk on social networks will not have any particular electoral impact. In this regard, the prospects for the Greens in the elections to the Legislative Assembly and the State Duma do not seem too rosy to me.”

It would not be a great exaggeration to say that many of our regional leaders, being themselves, if you believe their public declarations, almost unmercenary, raise many “successful and effective” entrepreneurs in their circles. There are also enough heads of subjects whose immediate relatives, and often spouses, become such entrepreneurs. This is understandable, practically native blood, because not everyone can be entrusted with overseeing multimillion-dollar government contracts. The ex-governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, who was previously also the presidential plenipotentiary in the Siberian Federal District and the long-term governor of the Novosibirsk region, Viktor Tolokonsky, was no exception to this series of owners of wives with a suddenly awakened business spirit.

For many years, Tolokonsky was considered a kind of eminence grise in Siberian politics. In recent years, he headed one of the key regions of the country - the Krasnoyarsk Territory, thus exerting a significant influence on the development of both the region and the largest federal district in the country. However, if you take a closer look at the business of Viktor Aleksandrovich’s wife, the image of a wise and experienced public manager breaks down and at least allows you to ask several extremely unpleasant questions.

Victor Tolokonsky with his wife Natalya. Photo: © RIA Novosti / Alexander Kryazhev

So, let's get acquainted: Natalya Petrovna Tolokonskaya. As follows from publications in the Krasnoyarsk media, she is a doctor of medical sciences, a professor and works at the Krasnoyarsk regional perinatal center; she also managed to work as a TV presenter on regional television. And Natalya Tolokonskaya is a co-owner and president of the interregional public educational organization "Institute of Man" (IOPO "Institute of Man"), as can be clearly seen from this extract from the SPARK-Interfax database.

It is interesting that this same MOPO "Institute of Humanity" (together with LLC "Novosibirsk Medical Corporation"), in turn, is a co-owner of another organization - the private educational institution of additional professional education "Institute of General Medical Practice".

We have before us a standard “matryoshka” scheme of ownership and co-founding of various legal entities, which often makes it difficult to verify the final beneficiaries. It’s with this Institute of General Medical Practice that the fun begins. In 2016, without competition and at the maximum price, he received two government contracts for the provision of educational services to the state enterprise of the Krasnoyarsk Territory "Provincial Pharmacies" (let us just recall that Natalya Tolokonskaya is a professional physician and was tightly integrated into the regional medical environment when her husband was the governor of the region).

The total amount of contracts is about three million rubles. At the same time, the founders of the customer are the State Property Management Agency of the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Ministry of Health of the same region. Both government agencies report to the governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory - in 2016, this position was held by Viktor Tolokonsky. Here, in particular, is a government contract for 1.6 million rubles.

And this is already a purchase for 1.4 million.

What can be said about the situation in which an organization established and headed by a structure where the president is the wife of the then governor Tolokonsky receives uncontested government contracts from government agencies under the jurisdiction of the head of the region? And the fact that all this, in fact, is a special case of a conflict of interest, at the center of which is Viktor Tolokonsky.

I just want to remind you of the very definition of a conflict of interest - as it is interpreted by the federal law “On Combating Corruption”:

In this Federal Law, a conflict of interest is understood as a situation in which the personal interest (direct or indirect) of a person holding a position, the filling of which involves the obligation to take measures to prevent and resolve conflicts of interest, affects or may affect the proper, objective and impartial performance of his duties (official) duties ... personal interest means the possibility of receiving income in the form of money, other property, including property rights, services of a property nature, results of work performed or any benefits (advantages) by the person specified in part 1 of this article, and (or) persons who are closely related or related to him (parents, spouses, children, brothers, sisters, as well as brothers, sisters, parents, children of spouses and spouses of children), citizens or organizations with whom the person specified in part 1 of this article, and (or) persons who are closely related or related to him are related by property, corporate or other close relations.