"The customer cannot be reached." Rustam Minnikhanov withdrew from the world and cannot hear Vladimir Putin

In the absence of good news, the President of Tatarstan creates those himself

Rustam Minnikhanov, the President of Tatarstan, has lost hold on reality during a session of the State Council Presidium held in Kazan. Even the voice of Vladimir Putin was unable to return Minnikhanov from the skies back on the ground. The Tatarstan media are going to help Minnikhanov to rectify this misstep – they have to create a positive image of the republic for a mere price of 1.45 billion rubles ($22.1 million). The most important thing is to send a few local newspapers to the Russian President.

Tatarian leave

The Republic of Tatarstan hosts plenty of events with oriental hospitality – from the Universiade to Russian and international forums. Recently, a session of the State Council Presidium was held in Kazan. Each Governor had prepared in advance a set of complaints against circumstances and hassle-free rationalization proposals. But the President of Tatarstan, being a seasoned politician highly valued in the Kremlin, decided to speak offhand.

 

The session was dedicated to the situation with affordable housing in Russia – no wonder that it was pretty pessimistic. Rustam Minnikhanov was so depressed by other regions’ issues that he withdrew from the world. At some point, President Vladimir Putin asked about the affordable housing in the Republic of Tatarstan – and got no response. The silence was not heavy – Minnikhanov looked surprised, as if he had no idea where he was and why.

 

The session was dedicated to the situation with affordable housing in Russia – no wonder that it was pretty pessimistic. Rustam Minnikhanov was so depressed by other regions’ issues that he withdrew from the world. At some point, President Vladimir Putin asked about the affordable housing in the Republic of Tatarstan – and got no response. The silence was not heavy – Minnikhanov looked surprised, as if he had no idea where he was and why.

Rustam Minnikhanov 

In fact, the speech of Minnikhanov could become the peak of the drama entitled “Housing problem”. It is so acute in Tatarstan that Moscow, with its renovation program, seems an ideal of the social policy. The number of hoodwinked investors is growing in the republic at an alarming rate. According to the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation, there are some 40 thousand defrauded co-investors in the country; out of that number, some 4.4 thousand live in the Republic of Tatarstan. Almost all republican developers have either abandoned their construction projects or were suspended from them.

The hoodwinked co-investors stage mass protest rallies demanding their apartments and calling for punishment of the fraudsters. The names of dishonest developers are well-known. Take, for instance, Vladimir Nikishov, a Deputy of the Kazan Municipal Duma and owner of Greit Stroy company that failed to complete the construction of Salavat Kupere Residential Complex. Kazan Production and Construction Association belonging to Ravil’ Ziganshin, Deputy of the State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan, was also involved in this project. Still, not all developers managed to get Deputies’ seats – and several criminal cases against mala fidebuilders have been instituted. The last such proceeding was commenced shortly after the departure of Vladimir Putin.

 

Deputy Vladimir Nikishov 

Deputy Ravil’ Ziganshin

The investigation believes that Faik Garaev, General Director of Stroykom company building Yash’lek Residential Complex, has embezzled 330 million rubles ($5 million) from construction co-investors. But this is not the record sum. Anatoly Livada, head of notorious Fon company, is charged with embezzlement of 1 billion rubles ($15.2 million). No wonder that Minnikhanov had nothing to say about the affordable housing. 

Delicious cream puffs 

Despite the numerous problems, the republican head somehow manages to walk in the clouds. His peace of mind has a simple explanation – in the absence of good news, the President of Tatarstan creates those himself. For instance, as it is known, Government Order – Honest Acquisitions Expo will take place in Moscow this spring. The exhibition promises to be not as boring as a session of the State Council Presidium. Rustam Minnikhanov decided to attend it, and a new tender immediately appeared on the governmental acquisitions web site.

Minnikhanov does not want to go to Moscow empty-handed. The booth of the Republic of Tatarstan will treat guests with shrimp cream puffs, Mimolette cheese (produced only in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands), juicy beef roast with paprika, and other delicacies. After appeasing their hunger with sanctioned products, the visitors will be offered an assortment of oriental sweets, French pastries, and sour cream cakes. The refreshments have been ordered for 120 guests; the Tatarstan Government believes that the number of people interested in honest acquisitions won’t exceed this limit. For the expressed interest, a jar of honey will be granted to each guest. 

The 3-day-long feast will cost the republic 14 million rubles ($213.4 thousand), including the roundtrip of Minnikhanov and his entourage to Moscow. After all, somebody has to control the slicing of the sanctioned cheese. The winner of the tender hasn't been announced yet. It is quite possible that the governmental contract is awarded to Luciano company owned by the wife of Rustam Minnikhanov. Up until 2016, had officially belonged to Gulsina Minnikhanova – but then was sold to some Cypriot investors for 2.2 billion rubles ($33.5 million). 

Spouses Minnikhanov

The company administers Luciano Spa Complex including a restaurant of the same name. Luciano chefs are more than capable of making veal shish kebab and mousse pastries. In these difficult times, Minnikhanov can safely entrust 14 million rubles ($213.4 thousand) only to his own wife or, as a last resort, to Muslima Latypova, owner of Bahetle Homemade Food Supermarket (Minnikhanov promised to deal with women baking cakes while being on maternity leave and, thus, stealing clients from millionaire Latypova). Instead, Minnikhanov promised young mothers a tekhnopark where they may “come and work”. 

If you don't blow your own trumpet... 

 

Based on the comments on public networks, the young mothers – compared with bootleggers by the republican head – are not willing to work ad the confectionery factory of Latypova. There are no ‘confectionery riots’ in Tatarstan yet – only ‘garbage ones’. In spring 2018, it was decided to build a waste incineration plant in Osinovo township not far from Kazan. The project investor is RT Invest, a subsidiary company of Rostec Corporation.

Muslima Latypova

 

In April, the republican authorities have falsified the results of public hearings held, contrary to the legislation, after the approval of the waste incineration plant project. According to these ‘hearings’, Osinovo residents are impatiently waiting for the waste incinerator. To illustrate the intensity of emotions around the ‘publicly appreciated plant’, it is necessary to note that some people, who had attended the hearings, had to address the police and seek medical aid because of injuries inflicted to them. This made the project even more unpopular – and the investor offered Osinovo residents to come with him to Switzerland and look at the local waste incinerators. The people checked the cost of a trip to Switzerland, suspected an attempt to bribe them, and refused. Nobody had tried to persuade them – but, shortly after that, the authorities have appointed a regional waste disposal operator.

One-person picket against the waste incineration plant   

The residents of Osinovo have carried out a series of protest rallies. The slogans became really hard-line, including openly proclaimed distrust to Minnikhanov. This was unbelievably brave for Kazan and totally unacceptable in the eyes of Minnikhanov. However, the republican head intends to calm down the people of Osinovo and Kazan via the press. In December 2018 and January 2019, the Agency for Press and Mass Communications of Tatarstan has held 18 tenders worth in total 1.45 billion rubles ($22.1 million) – i.e. the entire mass-media budget of the republic. The regional administration was primarily concerned about the dissemination of socially significant social and political information. This honorable mission has been assigned to the most reliable media outlets.

Tatmedia State Media Holding amalgamating 17 TV channels, some 50 periodicals, and 80 Internet news portals was recognized the most reliable one. All its subdivisions will publish panegyrics to Minnikhanov for a mere price of 1 billion rubles ($15.2 million).

319.7 million rubles ($4.9 million) are going to be spent on the socially significant information. This is not too much – especially taking that Tatarstan journalists have to present evidence of revitalizing effects of toxins emitted during the incineration of solid domestic waste and optimistically describe the homeless life of hoodwinked co-investors.

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