By The Moscow Times | Created at 2025-03-18 14:40:24 | Updated at 2025-03-20 17:23:24
2 days ago
The governor of Russia’s Nenets Autonomous District, Yury Bezdudny, announced Tuesday that he is stepping down ahead of the region’s indirect gubernatorial elections later this year.
Bezdudny was among five governors expected to be replaced ahead of September’s regional elections, the Vedomosti business newspaper reported last week.
“New work awaits me… I wish the tundra region development and prosperity,” Bezdudny, a member of the pro-Kremlin United Russia party, said in a short video address.
As of Thursday afternoon, a presidential decree confirming Bezdudny’s resignation had not been published.
Nenets, Russia’s least populous region with just 44,000 residents, was the only region to oppose the 2020 constitutional reforms that allowed President Vladimir Putin to extend his rule until 2036. It also handed Putin his lowest re-election margin last year, with 79% of the vote.
Putin appointed Bezdudny as acting governor in April 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. He was formally elected by the regional legislature that September under Russia’s indirect election system.
Early in his tenure, Bezdudny pushed for a merger with the neighboring Arkhangelsk region, but the initiative was overwhelmingly rejected in a referendum that also saw Nenets residents vote against Putin’s constitutional reforms.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Continue
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.
