Putin received the governor of Sevastopol with a report on the city’s development over the year

President Vladimir Putin received Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhaev in the Kremlin. He presented a report on the results of the city’s development for 2023. He proposed making payments to those awarded medals for the defense and liberation of Sevastopol, as well as creating an organizing committee to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the city. Mr Putin approved both ideas.

Mr. Razvozhaev said that at the end of last year, the budget of Sevastopol increased to 86.3 billion rubles. According to him, the budget’s own revenues increased by 67.5%, to 27.8 billion rubles. According to the governor, in fact, the city “has already doubled its budget over the past three years.” Among the reasons for this, he cited the legalization of the tourism industry during the coronavirus pandemic and a simplified taxation system. The unemployment rate in Sevastopol dropped by 1.4% year on year to 2.6%, the governor added.

Mikhail Razvozhaev recalled that this year on May 9, Sevastopol will celebrate the 80th anniversary of its liberation from the Nazi invaders.

“I would like to ask you to instruct the government at the federal level to create an organizing committee following the example of Leningrad… So that you also give an instruction – payments for the residents of besieged Sevastopol and those who were awarded medals for the defense and liberation of Sevastopol, there are very few of them left, from the Presidential fund,” he addressed the president.

Mr. Putin answered in the affirmative: “Okay, we’ll do that. That’s right” (quote from website Kremlin).

In addition to the presidential elections scheduled for March 17, a major campaign is expected this year on a single voting day on September 8. In Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria and Crimea, new heads will be elected through voting in parliament. Crimean governor Sergei Aksenov is now finishing his second term; he has held office since 2014.

Details – in the material “Kommersant” “Governors of the second stage”.

Laura Keffer