Most Russian Governors have Telegram Accounts but Many Refuse to Post Negative Reactions on Them, ‘NeMoskva’ Says

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Dec. 18 – All but five of the heads of Russia’s federal subjects now maintain Telegram accounts but those who do vary widely as to what kind of reactions to their words those who read these accounts can post, with some open to criticism and others much less or not at all, according to a new investigation of this phenomenon by the NeMoskva portal.

            Of the 78 subject heads who maintain a Telegram channel, 43 won’t post any critical comments at all, NeMoskva reports. At the other extreme, 13 were open to any and all comments, positive or negative. In between, some post only positive comments, while 27 permit dislikes but not comments (nemoskva.net/2023/12/18/voshishhatsya-i-plakat-i-nikakih-veselyh-kuchek/).

            These figures suggest that there is far more regional variation in the behavior of governors on this sensitive issue than many would be inclined to believe given Kremlin efforts to impose homogeneity on the sensitive issue of communications between its officials and the population as a whole.