Russian Governors Ever More Alike and Interchangeable, Expert Says

Paul Goble

            Staunton, May 30 – The latest batch of new governors are so similar in appearance and style, Polina Gruzdova says, that they could be “clones” of one another, a reflection of a longstanding trend under Vladimir Putin who believes that all of them perform essentially the same functions and that there are no fundamental differences among the regions they lead.

            This similarity extends to the clothes they wear and their demeanor, the MBK journalist quotes Kseniya Obukhovskaya, a leading fashion commentator.  They all wear black or blue suits and have ties with decorations, “most often with red colorations” (mbk.media/suzhet/konservatizm-len-otsutstv/).

            This style reflects both their own personal experience and the preferences of Putin’s style. “In the final analysis, everyone wants to be like the president.” It reflects either their conservatism, their laziness or “the lack of a sense of personal style.”  Few are prepared to violate this organization man approach.

            One who did, the governor of Kaliningrad Anton Alikhanov, rapidly got in trouble for doing so. Others have learned from his experience and so they are likely to become even more alike in their dress and behavior. And that similarity is likely to carry over into their style of rule as well.