Nepotism and Family Dynasties Widespread in Putin’s Russia, ‘Proekt’ Documents

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Nov. 10 – Three out of every four officials who hold key positions in Putin’s Russia now have relatives elsewhere in the regime, an indication, Proekt.Media says, that they either inherited these positions or were helped to obtain them by relatives who were already part of the power elite.

            In a detailed new investigation entitled “Fathers and Grandfathers,” the investigative portal examined the family ties of 1329 people who hold key positions in the Russian Federation. I found that 1012 or 76 percent of them had relatives already employed in Russia’s public sector (proekt.media/guide/otsy-i-dedy/).

            The portal concludes that “this is a huge proportion – as it shows that three out of every four Russian leaders either inherited their positions from other officials or were put in place by them” using public money rather than selection on the basis of merit. And in some parts of the government, this use of family ties is even more widespread.

            In the Russian Supreme Court and the defense ministry, Proekt says, “every high-ranking official has relatives employed either in public administration or state-linked companies” while “in the Federation Council, this index stands at 86 percent;” in the State Duma, 84 percent, and at 68 percent in the Presidential Administration.”

            The portal also identified 25 “ruling dynasties,” consisting of a senior official who has put his family and closest friends in positions of power below him. Chechnya’s Ramzan Kadyrov is the leader in this: he has appointed 96 of his family members and close friends to top jobs. Putin in contrast has found public sector positions for 27 of his relations.

            Proekt investigators say that this pattern is far more common in the Russian security services, involving 29 percent of all top jobs, while somewhat less in civilian agencies where the figure is closer to 21 percent.  In this way, the study concludes, “the Putin regime is reproducing itself as the old guard is replaced by descendants and even by descendants of descendants.”