Cable Viewer

Currently released so far... 13918 / 251,287

### Articles

Brazil Sri Lanka United Kingdom Sweden 00. Editorial United States Latin America Egypt Jordan Yemen

### Browse latest releases

2010/11 2010/12 2011/01 2011/02 2011/03 2011/04 2011/05 2011/06
2010/11/28 2010/11/29 2010/11/30
2010/12/01 2010/12/02 2010/12/03 2010/12/04 2010/12/05 2010/12/06 2010/12/07 2010/12/08 2010/12/09 2010/12/10 2010/12/11 2010/12/12 2010/12/13 2010/12/14 2010/12/15 2010/12/16 2010/12/17 2010/12/18 2010/12/19 2010/12/20 2010/12/21 2010/12/22 2010/12/23 2010/12/24 2010/12/25 2010/12/26 2010/12/27 2010/12/28 2010/12/29 2010/12/30
2011/01/01 2011/01/02 2011/01/04 2011/01/05 2011/01/07 2011/01/09 2011/01/10 2011/01/11 2011/01/12 2011/01/13 2011/01/14 2011/01/15 2011/01/16 2011/01/17 2011/01/18 2011/01/19 2011/01/20 2011/01/21 2011/01/22 2011/01/23 2011/01/24 2011/01/25 2011/01/26 2011/01/27 2011/01/28 2011/01/29 2011/01/30 2011/01/31
2011/02/01 2011/02/02 2011/02/03 2011/02/04 2011/02/05 2011/02/06 2011/02/07 2011/02/08 2011/02/09 2011/02/10 2011/02/11 2011/02/12 2011/02/13 2011/02/14 2011/02/15 2011/02/16 2011/02/17 2011/02/18 2011/02/19 2011/02/20 2011/02/21 2011/02/22 2011/02/23 2011/02/24 2011/02/25 2011/02/26 2011/02/27 2011/02/28
2011/03/01 2011/03/02 2011/03/03 2011/03/04 2011/03/05 2011/03/06 2011/03/07 2011/03/08 2011/03/09 2011/03/10 2011/03/11 2011/03/13 2011/03/14 2011/03/15 2011/03/16 2011/03/17 2011/03/18 2011/03/19 2011/03/20 2011/03/21 2011/03/22 2011/03/23 2011/03/24 2011/03/25 2011/03/26 2011/03/27 2011/03/28 2011/03/29 2011/03/30 2011/03/31
2011/04/01 2011/04/02 2011/04/03 2011/04/04 2011/04/05 2011/04/06 2011/04/07 2011/04/08 2011/04/09 2011/04/10 2011/04/11 2011/04/12 2011/04/13 2011/04/14 2011/04/15 2011/04/16 2011/04/17 2011/04/18 2011/04/19 2011/04/20 2011/04/21 2011/04/22 2011/04/23 2011/04/24 2011/04/25 2011/04/26 2011/04/27 2011/04/28 2011/04/29 2011/04/30
2011/05/01 2011/05/02 2011/05/03 2011/05/04 2011/05/05 2011/05/06 2011/05/07 2011/05/08 2011/05/09 2011/05/10 2011/05/11 2011/05/12 2011/05/13 2011/05/14 2011/05/15 2011/05/16 2011/05/17 2011/05/18 2011/05/19 2011/05/20 2011/05/21 2011/05/22 2011/05/23 2011/05/24 2011/05/25 2011/05/26 2011/05/27 2011/05/28 2011/05/29 2011/05/30 2011/05/31
2011/06/01 2011/06/02

### Browse by creation date

66 72 73 75 79 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10
1966/12
1972/02 1972/08
1973/04
1975/03
1979/08
1985/03 1985/05 1985/06
1986/05
1987/06
1988/01 1988/03 1988/07
1989/12
1990/01 1990/07 1990/08 1990/10
1991/05
1992/01 1992/03 1992/06 1992/09 1992/12
1993/01 1993/10
1994/12
1995/04
1996/07 1996/11
1997/06 1997/10 1997/12
2000/05 2000/06 2000/09 2000/11
2001/02 2001/03 2001/06 2001/07 2001/09 2001/10 2001/11
2002/01 2002/02 2002/03 2002/04 2002/07 2002/08 2002/09 2002/11 2002/12
2003/01 2003/02 2003/03 2003/04 2003/05 2003/06 2003/07 2003/08 2003/09 2003/10 2003/11 2003/12
2004/01 2004/02 2004/03 2004/04 2004/05 2004/06 2004/07 2004/08 2004/09 2004/10 2004/11 2004/12
2005/01 2005/02 2005/03 2005/04 2005/05 2005/06 2005/07 2005/08 2005/09 2005/10 2005/11 2005/12
2006/01 2006/02 2006/03 2006/04 2006/05 2006/06 2006/07 2006/08 2006/09 2006/10 2006/11 2006/12
2007/01 2007/02 2007/03 2007/04 2007/05 2007/06 2007/07 2007/08 2007/09 2007/10 2007/11 2007/12
2008/01 2008/02 2008/03 2008/04 2008/05 2008/06 2008/07 2008/08 2008/09 2008/10 2008/11 2008/12
2009/01 2009/02 2009/03 2009/04 2009/05 2009/06 2009/07 2009/08 2009/09 2009/10 2009/11 2009/12
2010/01 2010/02

### Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
Embassy Athens Embassy Asuncion Embassy Astana Embassy Asmara Embassy Ashgabat Embassy Apia Embassy Ankara Embassy Amman Embassy Algiers Embassy Addis Ababa Embassy Accra Embassy Abuja Embassy Abu Dhabi Embassy Abidjan Consulate Auckland Consulate Amsterdam Consulate Adana American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embassy Bujumbura Embassy Buenos Aires Embassy Budapest Embassy Bucharest Embassy Brussels Embassy Bridgetown Embassy Bratislava Embassy Brasilia Embassy Bogota Embassy Bishkek Embassy Bern Embassy Berlin Embassy Belmopan Embassy Belgrade Embassy Beirut Embassy Beijing Embassy Banjul Embassy Bangkok Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan Embassy Bamako Embassy Baku Embassy Baghdad Consulate Belfast Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Copenhagen Embassy Conakry Embassy Colombo Embassy Chisinau Embassy Caracas Embassy Canberra Embassy Cairo Consulate Curacao Consulate Ciudad Juarez Consulate Chennai Consulate Casablanca Consulate Cape Town Consulate Calgary
Embassy Dushanbe Embassy Dublin Embassy Doha Embassy Djibouti Embassy Dili Embassy Dhaka Embassy Dar Es Salaam Embassy Damascus Embassy Dakar Consulate Dubai
Embassy Freetown Consulate Fukuoka
Embassy Guatemala Embassy Gaborone Consulate Guayaquil Consulate Guadalajara
Embassy Helsinki Embassy Harare Embassy Hanoi Consulate Ho Chi Minh City Consulate Hermosillo Consulate Hamilton Consulate Hamburg Consulate Halifax
Iran RPO Dubai Embassy Islamabad Consulate Istanbul
Embassy Jakarta Consulate Jerusalem Consulate Jeddah
Embassy Kyiv Embassy Kuwait Embassy Kuala Lumpur Embassy Kinshasa Embassy Kingston Embassy Kigali Embassy Khartoum Embassy Kathmandu Embassy Kampala Embassy Kabul Consulate Kolkata Consulate Karachi
Embassy Luxembourg Embassy Luanda Embassy London Embassy Ljubljana Embassy Lisbon Embassy Lima Embassy Lilongwe Embassy La Paz Consulate Lahore Consulate Lagos
Mission USOSCE Mission USNATO Mission UNESCO Embassy Muscat Embassy Moscow Embassy Montevideo Embassy Monrovia Embassy Minsk Embassy Mexico Embassy Mbabane Embassy Maputo Embassy Manila Embassy Manama Embassy Managua Embassy Malabo Embassy Madrid Consulate Munich Consulate Mumbai Consulate Montreal Consulate Monterrey Consulate Milan Consulate Melbourne
Embassy Nicosia Embassy Niamey Embassy New Delhi Embassy Ndjamena Embassy Nassau Embassy Nairobi Consulate Naples Consulate Naha
Embassy Ouagadougou Embassy Ottawa Embassy Oslo
Embassy Pristina Embassy Pretoria Embassy Prague Embassy Port Of Spain Embassy Port Louis Embassy Port Au Prince Embassy Phnom Penh Embassy Paris Embassy Paramaribo Embassy Panama Consulate Peshawar
Embassy Quito Consulate Quebec
REO Basrah Embassy Rome Embassy Riyadh Embassy Riga Embassy Reykjavik Embassy Rangoon Embassy Rabat Consulate Rio De Janeiro Consulate Recife
Secretary of State Embassy Suva Embassy Stockholm Embassy Sofia Embassy Skopje Embassy Singapore Embassy Seoul Embassy Sarajevo Embassy Santo Domingo Embassy Santiago Embassy Sanaa Embassy San Salvador Embassy San Jose Consulate Strasbourg Consulate St Petersburg Consulate Shenyang Consulate Shanghai Consulate Sapporo Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis Embassy Tripoli Embassy Tokyo Embassy The Hague Embassy Tel Aviv Embassy Tehran Embassy Tegucigalpa Embassy Tbilisi Embassy Tashkent Embassy Tallinn Consulate Toronto Consulate Tijuana Consulate Thessaloniki
USUN New York USEU Brussels US Office Almaty US Mission Geneva US Interests Section Havana US Delegation, Secretary UNVIE Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Embassy Vilnius Embassy Vienna Embassy Vatican Embassy Valletta Consulate Vladivostok Consulate Vancouver
Embassy Windhoek Embassy Wellington Embassy Warsaw
Embassy Yerevan Embassy Yaounde
Embassy Zagreb

### Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
ASEC AEMR AMGT AR APECO AU AORC AJ AF AFIN AS AM AFFAIRS AG AA ADM ALOW ACOA APER ARABL ATRN AID AND ADANA APEC ADPM ADCO AL ABLD AADP AMED AY AORG ASEAN ABUD AROC AE AO APCS AINF AGAO AODE ARF ACABQ AX AMEX AZ ASUP ARM AQ ATFN AMBASSADOR ACBAQ AFSI AFSN AC ASIG ASEX AER AVERY AGRICULTURE ASCH AFU AMG ATPDEA ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG AORL AN AIT ANET AGMT ACS AGR AMCHAMS AECL AUC AFGHANISTAN ACAO
BR BB BG BEXP BY BA BRUSSELS BU BD BK BL BH BM BTIO BP BO BE BILAT BC BX BIDEN BF BBSR BT BMGT BWC BN BTIU
CPAS CA CASC CS CBW CIDA CO CODEL CI CROS CU CH CWC CMGT CVIS CDG CD CV CG CF CHIEF CJAN CBSA CE CY CM CONS CW CN CDC CT CONDOLEEZZA CICTE CYPRUS COUNTRY CBE COUNTER CIVS COM COPUOS CR CTR CARSON CFED CKGR CHR CVR CLINTON COUNTERTERRORISM CITEL CLEARANCE COE CARICOM CB CSW CIC CITT CARIB CAFTA CACM CDB CJUS CTM CAN CONSULAR CLMT CBC CIA CNARC CIS CEUDA CAC CL CACS CAPC
DR DJ DHS DAO DCM DO DEFENSE DA DOMESTIC DK DOD DE DPRK DEPT DEA DISENGAGEMENT DOE DTRA DS DEAX
ECON ETTC EFIS ETRD EC EMIN EAGR EAID EU EFIN EUN ECIN EG EWWT EINV ENRG ELAB EPET EN EAIR EUMEM ECPS ELTN EIND EZ EI ER ET EINT ECONOMIC ENIV EXIM ES ECONOMY ERNG ELECTIONS ENERG EK EPA ENGR ETRC ENVI EXTERNAL ELN EAIDS ECA EFTA EINVEFIN ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS EUREM EFINECONCS ECOSOC ETC ENVR EAP EINN EXBS ENGY ECONOMICS EIAR EINDETRD ECONEFIN EURN EDU ETRDEINVTINTCS ECIP EFIM EREL EINVETC ECONCS ETRA ESA EAIG EUR EUC ERD ETRN EINVECONSENVCSJA EEPET EUNCH ESENV ENNP ECINECONCS ETRO ETRDECONWTOCS ECUN
FI FR FOREIGN FAS FTAA FREEDOM FAA FBI FINANCE FM FJ FTA FARC FAC FAO FINR FDA FOR FOI FO FMLN FISO
GM GG GERARD GT GA GR GTIP GLOBAL GV GH GL GOV GOI GF GTMO GANGS GCC GAERC GE GZ GAZA GY GUILLERMO GASPAR
HR HO HA HYMPSK HK HUMAN HU HILLARY HI HURI HSTC HEBRON HUMOR
IZ IN IAEA IS IMO ILO IR IC IT ITU IV IMF IBRD IWC IRAQI INDO IDB ISRAELI ITALY ITPGOV ITALIAN ICAO ITRA IPR INMARSAT ID ICRC INTERNAL ICJ IIP IRS ICTY IQ IO ILC IEFIN IA INTERPOL IEA INR INRB IAHRC ISRAEL IZPREL IRAJ IF ITPHUM IL IACI IDA ISLAMISTS IGAD ITF INRA INRO IBET INTELSAT IDP ICTR IRC
JA JO JM JP JUS JAMES JOHN JOSEPH JOHNNIE JIMENEZ
KOMC KNNP KFLO KDEM KSUM KIPR KFLU KPAO KE KCRM KJUS KAWC KZ KSCA KDRG KCOR KGHG KPAL KTIP KMCA KCRS KPKO KOLY KRVC KVPR KG KWBG KMDR KTER KSPR KV KTFN KWMN KFRD KSTH KS KN KISL KGIC KSEP KFIN KTEX KTIA KUNR KCMR KMOC KCIP KTDB KBIO KU KIDE KSTC KICC KIRC KIRF KSEO KSAF KR KNUP KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KOCI KTAO KMPI KCRCM KNUC KPAONZ KHLS KPRP KHDP KHIV KCSY KTRD KNAR KWAC KJUST KTBT KNPP KMRS KO KBTS KSCI KPWR KACT KFSC KENV KAWK KHSA KPRV KBCT KMFO KNNPMNUC KCFE KX KCOM KAID KTLA KPOA KNDP KERG KVIR KVRP KRCM KCFC KNEI KCHG KPLS KREL KFTFN KTFM KLIG KDEMAF KRAD KBTR KGIT KGCC KICA KHUM KSEC KPIN KESS KDEV KPIR KWWMN KOM KWNM KRFD KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KRGY KREC KIFR KSAC KWMNCS KPAK KOMS KFPC KRIM KDDG KCGC KPAI KID KMIG KNSD KWMM
LY LE LABOR LA LI LTTE LO LG LH LAB LT LU LOG
MARR MX MASS MOPS MNUC MCAP MTCRE ML MR MRCRE MTRE MASC MY MK MAS MO MTCR MIL MAPP MG MZ MD MAR MP MU MA MOPPS MTS MLS MILI MEPN MEPI MEETINGS MERCOSUR MW MT MCC MIK MAPS MV MILITARY MARAD MDC MEPP MASSMNUC MUCN MEDIA MI MQADHAFI MPOS MPS MC
NZ NATO NI NO NG NL NU NPT NS NA NATIONAL NSF NDP NIPP NR NSSP NP NE NGO NAS NZUS NH NSG NAFTA NC NEW NRR NT NASA NAR NK NOVO NATOPREL NEA NSC NV NPA NSFO NW NORAD NPG
OTRA OECD OVIP OREP OPRC ODC OIIP OPDC OAS OSCE OPIC OMS OPCW OEXC OPAD ODIP OVIPPRELUNGANU OIE OFDP OFFICIALS OHUM OSCI OTR OMIG OSAC OBSP OFDA OVP ON OCII OES OCS OIC
PGOV PREL PARM PINR PHUM PM PREF PTER PK PINS PBIO PHSA PE PBTS PL POL PAK POV POLITICS POLICY PPA PCI PA PREZ PTE PAS PALESTINIAN PROP PAIGH PO PROG PJUS POLITICAL PMIL PG PARMS PGOF PDOV PSI PRAM PREO PTERE PAO PRGOV PORG PP PS PKFK PSOE PEPR PDEM PINT PMAR PRELP PREFA PNG PFOR PUNE PGOVLO PHUMBA PNAT POLINT PGOVE PHALANAGE PARTY PECON PY PLN PHUH PEDRO PF PHUS PTBS PU PARTIES PCUL PGGV PSA PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA PGIV PHUMPREL POGOV PEL PINL PBT PINF PRL PSEPC POSTS PAHO PHUMPGOV PGOC PNR PROV
QA
RS RP RU RW RFE RCMP RIGHTSPOLMIL RELAM ROBERT RICE RM REGION RO ROOD RSP RF RELATIONS RIGHTS RUPREL REMON REACTION REPORT RSO
SZ SENV SOCI SNAR SY SO SP SU SI SMIG SYR SA SCUL SG SW SR SYRIA SPECIALIST SEN SC SF SL SAARC SNARIZ SARS STEINBERG SCRS SWE SN SAN ST SIPDIS SSA SPCVIS SOFA SENVKGHG SANC SHI SEVN SHUM SK SH SNARCS SPCE SNARN SIPRS
TRGY TBIO TSPA TU TPHY TI TX TH TIP TSPL TNGD TP TW TZ TF TN TC TL TV TS TT TK TERRORISM TD TWI TO TRSY TURKEY TINT TFIN TAGS TR TBID THPY
UK UNSC UNGA UN US USTR UZ USEU UV UG UP UNAUS UNMIK UY USPS UNHRC USUN UNESCO UNCHR UNHCR UNEP USAID USNC USOAS UE UNVIE UAE UNO UNDP UNODC UNCHS UNFICYP UNDESCO UNC UNPUOS UNDC UNICEF UNCHC UNCSD UNFCYP UNIDROIT UNCND
VE VM VT VZ VTEG VTIZ VTPREL VENZ VAT VC VI VN
WHTI WIPO WTRO WHO WS WTO WZ WI WMD WBG WWARD WHA WITH WTRQ WEU WMO WA WFP WB
XA XR XW XX XK XL XM XS XF XG XT XH XB XU XY XV XD XC XZ XE XQ XI XTAG
YI YM YMCS YE
ZU ZI ZP ZR ZOELLICK ZF ZL ZB ZJ ZO ZEALAND ZN ZA ZK ZANU

### Browse by classification

CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN SECRET SECRET//NOFORN UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

### Community resources

Follow us on Twitter Check our Reddit Twitter this Digg this page Contact us on IRC

courage is contagious

### Viewing cable 09MOSCOW2651, VOLGOGRAD: STING OF FINANCIAL CRISIS SOFTENED BY

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:

- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.

To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.
Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #09MOSCOW2651.

Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
09MOSCOW2651 | 2009-10-26 14:32 | 2011-02-18 00:00 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Moscow
Appears in these articles: http://rusrep.ru/article/2011/01/11/volgograd/

`

    VZCZCXRO0077
    RR RUEHDBU
    DE RUEHMO #2651/01 2991432
    ZNY CCCCC ZZH
    R 261432Z OCT 09
    FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5201
    INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
    RUEHXD/MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
    RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
    RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

` `

    C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 MOSCOW 002651

    SIPDIS

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/23/2019
    TAGS: PGOV KDEM PREL PHUM PINR KCOR RS
    SUBJECT: VOLGOGRAD: STING OF FINANCIAL CRISIS SOFTENED BY
    DECADES OF ECONOMIC DECLINE

    REF: 08 MOSCOW ...

    C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 MOSCOW 002651 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/23/2019 TAGS: PGOV KDEM PREL PHUM PINR KCOR RS
    Governor: Fourth Term may be a Bridge Too Far
    ¶2. (C) Volgograd Governor Nikolay Maksyuta is waiting to hear Moscow's decision, expected on October 22, about his political future. With his third term expiring on January 22, 2009, Russian law mandates that the post's future occupant be selected three months in advance (Note: The deadline for selection has passed with no news reports of a decision. End note.). Eager to curry favor with the Kremlin and win a third term he had twice delayed the opening of a new bridge, 15 years in the making, over the Volga River in the hopes of attracting Putin or Medvedev to the ceremony. The bridge was finally opened on October 10, one day before elections when the streets and riverfront were covered with United Russia banners allowing ample photo-ops. The only other bridge crosses the dam of a petroleum refining plant and requires a 15km drive North of the city and back. Residents have been justifiably frustrated by months of delay in opening a bridge that was clearly completed in order to curry political favor and maximize publicity.
    ¶3. (SBU) A Nezavisimaya Gazeta article on October 5 quoted Kremlin insiders stating that Maksyuta's chances of keeping his post are slim. While none of our interlocutors in Volgograd were willing to suggest potential replacements, Nezavisimaya Gazetta reviewed the four top candidates. State Duma Deputy Yuriy Isayev has until recently served as an advisor to Federal Security Service (FSB) Deputy Director Sergei Pronichev and has strong support from the siloviki in Moscow. Former Agrarian Party Leader Vladimir Plotnikov is reportedly supported by members of Maksyuta's team associated with agriculture. Current Vice Governor of Volgograd Region Anatoliy Brovko formerly worked in a pipe factory in the area, and like Isayev has strong backing from a major economic sector in the region. Either Isayev or Brovko could be counted on to maintain the status quo, but would be unlikely to take on their own vested interests. Regional Just Russia head Oleg Mikheyev is considered a long shot. However, the article argues, if United Russia is indeed using growing Just Russia popularity to buttress its own support in the financial crisis then Mikheyev may be strongly considered.
    ¶4. (SBU) Pundits are debating the delay in decison making from Moscow in filling the Governor's post. Compilation of a Presidential 1,000 Cadre List from which to draw leaders for posts across the country is not yet finished. Medvedev has compiled a list, but it has not been reconciled with a similar list from the Prime Minister's office. In the absence of a list agreed upon by both from which Medvedev would draw names for -- among other positions -- governorships, Medvedev may be forced to rubber stamp present Putin appointments. Some speculate, perhaps prematurely, that Medvedev may therefore be delaying appointments with the hope of better positioning his own candidates vice those of the Prime Minister's Office.
    Volgograd City Duma: Donations Appreciated
    ¶5. (C) Duma Deputy Chair Aleksandr Mordvintsev admitted that industrial production has fallen 17 percent during the financial crisis. The city budget is relatively small and focused almost entirely on social services, which he claimed MOSCOW 00002651 002 OF 004 are of a much higher quality than in rural regions of the Oblast. Though acknowledging that the city is facing a significant budget deficit, he offered no clear policy responses other than requesting aid from the Oblast and Federal governments. The City Duma has 48 deputies, though four positions are presently vacant as previously elected members had stepped down. Elections took place October 11 to fill those vacancies, and Mordvintsev had predicted that United Russia's majority would increase by at least two to three from its present 34. Though unofficial results will not be published until the end of the month, the Central Election Commission website lists United Russia candidates taking all four single mandate seats. Mordvintsev also predicted that a new Governor will be announced, citing as proof the attendance of Vice Premier Ivanov and Minister of Transportation Levitin and not Putin or Medvedev at this month's delayed bridge opening.
    ¶6. (C) Mordintsev is a Cossack from the village of Mixalovka in Volgograd Oblast. He has been a member of the Duma, and the United Russia party, since 2004 when he was elected from a single mandate district. Until 2008 he was Chair of the Budget Committee before taking on his present leadership role. He studied radio-physics at the Gorkovsky University in Nizhny Novgorod before beginning his previous career as an engineer at a local tractor works, rising to the level of General Director.
    Volgograd City: Impractical Plans Differed
    ¶7. (C) Volgograd Mayor Roman Grebennikov was elected in May 2007 to a five year term. First Deputy Mayor Sergey Sokolov argued that a foundation of good governance in Volgograd was the election of all Duma members from single mandate districts to ensure that they are clearly accountable to the electorate, and not just the compilers of their own party lists. The city's budget deficit presently sits at ten percent, with seven to ten percent of the budget coming from the Oblast and 12-15 percent of the budget coming from the federal government. Sokolov proudly laid out the city's ambitious plan to grow from approximately one million residents to three to five million over the next ten years. A third bridge will be built to the South of the city to mirror the bridge to the North, allowing for the construction of a ring road, spurring development of the East bank of the Volga. (Note: With the continuing financial crisis, these plans are unlikely to be realized soon. Even without the financial crisis, however, estimates of a tripling of the city's population over the next decade are farfetched given Russia's demographic trends. End Note.). In the short term, Sokolov confirmed that preparations were underway for the winter, with road and factory winterization expected to be completed by the end of October.
    Economic Decline Leads to High Unemployment
    ¶8. (C) Vyacheslav Yagubkin, a political observer with the daily Gorodskiye Vesti "City News" and former head of International relations at the Volgograd Academy of State Administration, noted that historically Volgograd has never been a prosperous town, even during the oil boom of the last eight years. Unwilling to give figures for the unemployment level, United Russia's Bulgakov did acknowledge that businesses were closing and the jobless rate was rising. Unemployment has remained around 10 percent, and Mordvintsev acknowledged regional administration has done little but request aid from Moscow. Sokolov stated that officially only 6,000 people are unemployed in Volgograd, less than one percent of the population, and that everyone registered as unemployed was receiving support under a 20 million ruble appropriation from Moscow. (Note: This number is at least ten times too low, compared to figures from other sources.) While the financial crisis has certainly affected the area, all contacts agreed that the region has been in constant economic decline since the fall of the Soviet Union, dulling the pain of the present, sharper fall.
    United Russia as a Ladder to Success
    ¶9. (C) Multiple conversations during our visit stressed that membership in United Russia was, primarily, a career opportunity for local politicians. United Russia dominates the regional Duma with 25 of 36 members. The Communist Party MOSCOW 00002651 003 OF 004 holds six, Just Russia three and LDPR two. Parshin and Mikheyev both stressed that Mayor Grebennikov and Governor Maksyuta, both former avid communists, had walked away from their party in favor of political survival. Maksyuta, a longtime Communist, made the transition to United Russia after campaigning on an independent ticket in the last election five years ago. Communist Party Regional Duma Fraction head Nikolay Parshin commented that the Governor has significantly distanced himself from his former colleagues and operates well within the Moscow vertical of control. While widely regarded as ineffective, their newfound loyalty to Moscow ensures, to an extent, their short-term political future. None of our interlocutors felt that there was any strong ideological pull to United Russia. Instead, United Russia's leverage appears directly linked to its promise of stability and upward mobility.
    ¶10. (C) Sergey Viktorovich Bulgakov, United Russia party member and Deputy Secretary of the Duma, appears to have been courted by United Russia as a candidate with "the right stuff." He confidently stated that United Russia has seen no loss in popularity over the course of the financial crisis. He also stressed that the agricultural, manufacturing and refining sectors of the economy were in immediate need of investment and Western technology. Bulgakov has been a United Russia party member for two years since joining to run on a party list for his present position. United Russia took 65 percent of the vote. Previously he was a Colonel in the Soviet Army before serving as head of Stavropoltavsky Kray within Volgograd Oblast for 12 years.
    The Opposition
    ¶11. (C) Communist Party Regional Duma Faction Head Nikolay Parshin supported Bulgakov's claims of consistent popular support for United Russia through the financial crisis. He lamented that government propaganda, a lack of political activism among the population and self-censorship had greatly diminished his ability to take advantage of the economic decline politically. He gave as an example the Srednya Oktubinsky region of Volgograd Oblast, where unemployment has grown 3,000 this year alone among a population of only 25,000. There is a myth of calm, as people in the regions survive on their own produce, but in his opinion there is serious potential for turmoil. He cited corruption as the single greatest obstacle to overcoming the financial crisis, as it undermined rule of law and the appropriation of funding to support policy directives. Parshin is 37, from the city of Volzhsky on the Volga. His mother is Ukrainian and much of his family is still living there. He is a lifetime member of the Communist Party and a professor of economics.
    ¶12. (C) Oleg Mikheyev, local Chair of the Just Russia Party, began discussions by stating that there was no real opposition in Volgograd. He predicted that Sergey Mironov would remain national head of the party, and confirmed that Mironov receives both support and policy directives from the Kremlin. When asked about the extent of Kremlin influence, he responded that Mironov was still head of the party and elections were free. He stressed that the financial crisis was boosting support for Just Russia (Note: Kremlin support for Just Russia may be tied to their ability to catch an electorate that would otherwise be lost to the real opposition. End Note.). He observed that for 70 years Volgograd was communist, and all of the local leaders worked together. There may be different political parties on the ballot now, but none of the leaders have changed; neither had the regions economic legacy, he lamented.
    ¶13. (C) Galina Boldareva, Chair of the Yabloko Regional Branch, stressed a need for ecological protection and the lack of her own party's influence with an ineffective local government. She estimated that the regional budget will be reduced in the near future by 20 percent, and staff by 10 percent - the second such cuts this year. Industrial production has dropped by 27 percent, worst among processing plants at 35 percent. There is little that the government is able to do to address such drastic decline. She brought with her Nadezhda Beyedina, an economist formerly working in the local chemical industry. Beyedina now organizes full time against the ecological damage to the region from its growth as an industrial center. She stressed that environmental activists are often threatened, and even accused of treason, by local authorities.
    Comment MOSCOW 00002651 004 OF 004
    ¶14. (C) The Volgograd region appears politically stable despite continued economic decline. United Russia's popularity, supported by aggressive campaigning and the undermining of any serious political opposition, has remained high. However, the region has also seen minimal serious investment over the last two decades, and the prospects of near-term growth are slim. Volgograd may be representative of regions where the potential for political unrest is increasing as local United Russia-dominated governments run out of options other than requesting more funds from Moscow. Major wins for United Russia, especially in the Volgograd City Duma, are unlikely to increase pressure on the party to push for short-term reform.
    Beyrle

`