There are no plans to change the leadership of the presidential department for ensuring the activities of the State Council

Alexander Kharichev, head of the Presidential Department for Supporting the Activities of the State Council (UGS), remains in his post; his departure from this post was not seriously discussed. This was told to Vedomosti by two interlocutors in the presidential administration (AP) and three sources close to the AP.

Meduza (recognized as a foreign agent by the media) reported on November 25 that Kharichev was allegedly leaving his post, and Andrey Polosin, political strategist, director of the department for interaction with the regions of Rosatom, and Boris Rapoport, deputy head of the UGS, are being considered for his position. They called Polosin “the most likely replacement” because “Kiriyenko knows him well” and because “he begins to speak at presidential administration events and on electoral topics.”

“Nonsense, of course,” said the source of Vedomosti in the AP when asked if it was true that the head of the UGS was planned to leave his post. According to him, every time before the start of the “election campaign” he is “fired”: in particular, there were similar rumors before the Duma elections in 2021. Presidential elections will be held in 2024, and the UGS is preparing them. Two Vedomosti interlocutors close to the Presidential Administration say that Kharichev, as head of the UGS, will participate in organizing the 2024 elections.

Information about the departure of Kharichev is also denied by the former employee of the UGS Maria Sergeeva. In her Telegram channel, she wrote that her “high-ranking source in the leadership of the UGS laughs merrily and says “they won’t wait”.” “Every time before the beginning of the presidential (and often before the Duma) elections, rumors are launched about the departure of top managers of domestic politics. Or nowhere, or for a promotion, ”she wrote.

Alexander Kharichev worked in 2006-2009. Deputy Head of the Presidential Department for Domestic Policy (UVP), when this bloc was supervised by Vladislav Surkov. In 2009, he became the executive director of the Russian Communal Systems company, and from 2013 to 2017. worked together with the current curator of domestic policy Sergei Kiriyenko at Rosatom as head of the department for work with regions.

In 2017, he returned to the presidential administration when Kiriyenko became the first deputy head of the presidential administration. Kharichev took the position of deputy head of the UVP, and in 2018, after the presidential elections, he was appointed head of the UGS. This department is engaged in holding elections, interacting with expert organizations, monitoring and analyzing social processes.