By now it is cold at nightfall and I have forgotten my gloves. I try to find the dimly lit cobblestones that lead me to the House of the Soviets, around me, the recent excavations that have unearthed the foundations of the majestic Königsberg Castle. In front of me, however, wrapped in a thin fog, stands the "Buried Robot", this is how the imposing building is called, now dilapidated and never finished, which, in the Soviet period, should have housed the government offices of the Kaliningrad region . Its construction began in 1967 right on the ruins of the Prussian castle razed to the ground by British bombing during the Second World War, but was never completed, first for lack of money, then for the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Born from the idea of the Ukrainian architect Yulian Shvartsbreim, whose project included 28 floors of which only 21 were completed, the House of Soviets in Kaliningrad dominates a large part of the city and represents a typical example of Soviet brutalist architecture.
At the foot of the "Robot", Governor Anton Alikhanov is waiting for me. He agreed to indulge my curiosity and to carry out the interview while visiting the House of Soviets. With him, in addition to the driver, who will wait for him on board a black van, there is the guardian of the site, now inaccessible, partly due to the poor conditions of the building, partly because the demolition work will begin shortly. , and Andrey Tolmachev, General Manager of the Corporation dedicated to the development of the region, who closely follows the transformation works of the facility planned for this year.
The project relating to the House of Soviets well reflects the wave of change that has been sweeping the region for some years, that is, since the young Governor Anton Alikhanov, born in 1986, sits at its head.
Nominated directly by President Putin as interim Governor in 2016 at the age of 30 (then the youngest in the entire Russian Federation), Anton Alikhanov was officially reconfirmed by the Kaliningrad population a year later, achieving 81 % of preferences.
The young Governor, by year of birth and by the blood that flows in his veins, embodies the very essence, multicultural and multiethnic, typical of what was the Soviet Union and which, still today, is Russia. Of Russian and Georgian roots on his mother's side and, on his father's side, Russian (descendant of the Don Cossacks) and Greek (Pontus Greeks), Anton Alikhanov was born in Sukhumi, on the Black Sea, in the then Socialist Republic Autonomous Soviet Union of Abkhazia.
The nationalist uprisings following the dissolution of the USSR, especially in the Caucasus area and their resulting in multiple conflicts, including the bloody Georgian-Abkhaz war of 1992, forced the Alikhanov family to flee hastily to Moscow in search of shelter.
The Governor of Kaliningrad is not a politician of the "nomenklatura", he does not belong to the establishment and he has not relied on high-sounding names of the Russian political class for his professional and political rise. On the contrary, it proposes a progressive, dynamic and innovative self-image.
Since childhood, in the madness of Moscow and Russia in the 90s, his path cannot be considered privileged. Arriving in the capital, the Alikhanov family was forced to start from scratch, with little means and even less certainty. Young Anton is said to have studied and trained in martial arts day and night. His stubbornness and resolve guided him to the post of Governor of Kaliningrad.
Mentioned last year in the Young Global Leaders (WEF) list of 127 leaders under 40 years of age committed to changing the world, Anton Alikhanov has a remarkable track record.
Graduated in finance and law from the Moscow Russian Federation Government Finance University, he immediately began working in the Ministry of Justice. In 2012 he defended his doctoral thesis in economics. Since 2013 he has been appointed first Deputy Director, then Director, within the Ministry of Industry and Commerce for matters relating to trade with foreign countries. In 2015, shortly before being assigned to the far west of the Federation, Anton Alikhanov became a member of the subcommittee for trade policy of the Trade Advisory Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission.
Ambitious and perfectionist, the young man originally from Sukhumi has recently joined the ranking of the 20 best governors of the Russian Federation (there are 85 in total) and among the top 10 of the so-called nouvelle vague of the big country's politics, due to his proximity to citizens, for the speed of problem solving and efficiency in the management of work.
Energy, determination, firmness are traits that I recognize as we climb the stairs of the 21 floors of one of the towers of the House of Soviets. Between one question and another Anton Alikhanov makes sure that I don't put a foot wrong, that the flashlight on his and Andrey Tolmachev's cell phone is able to perfectly illuminate the path we have to travel to the top, so that I don't have to worry nothing.
And this is how we talked about his work, about Russia today and above all about the future of the Kaliningrad region.
He who travels by bicycle, prefers to move without bodyguards, plays the guitar when he wants to relax and never shuns if some citizen asks him on the street, he had no hesitation in answering direct questions about his path and his choices of life:
Why after having successfully completed their studies the choice of the state and not a career in the private sector?
«I simply decided to try, to start with the state. I would have always had the possibility to change direction if necessary, but already after the first times I realized that I liked what I was doing. Progressively, I advanced. From the Ministry of Justice I moved on to that of Industry and Commerce, then came the proposal to come to Kaliningrad, to make myself useful here. The salary aspect, initially perhaps more attractive in the private sector, has never been preponderant in my choices, for me it was more important to do, to fulfill something valid ».
Grit and confidence seem to be the hallmarks of his character. When asked how to become Governor at age 30, he replies: “Do you want to be Governor? Become Governor »as if it were a simple matter of will….
“Evidently it is not simply a matter of willpower. Equally relevant are elements such as luck and coincidences, but no goal, no level can be reached without passion and ambition in wanting to grow, advance and show the result. Ambition alone is insufficient and for this very reason it is important to build solid foundations, such as appropriate training. As far as my work is concerned, it is essential to work hard and well, constantly. Professionalism always pays off ».
There does not seem to be any hesitation in his words. How much did the experience of having to leave his hometown, the disastrous collapse of the USSR, the despair of the 90s and the consequent deprivations in daily life influenced his outlook on the future?
«I am convinced of the fact that the more difficulties a person goes through, the more they will make him strong. In the formation of my personality, of my character, my childhood was not very easy, it was certainly incisive. The experiences lived by my parents were even more for me. Thirty years past they have been forced to leave everything, to start from scratch in Moscow in a very difficult historical moment for Russia. And they did it. Professionally they have found the success they had before leaving Abkhazia. They were for me a very important example of how to never give up. Regardless of the adversities that life may present, it is always possible to catch up ”.
Sukhumi-Moscow-Kaliningrad. In addition to the personal success achieved in the regional elections in 2017, it is undeniable that there have been many improvements since his arrival in Kaliningrad. ..
“It should not be assumed that the projects carried out in Kaliningrad in recent years are new. These are ideas and plans that have existed for decades. Most of them go back to the 90s or 2000s. We have limited ourselves to putting them into practice, to implementing them. The idea of relaunching the SEZ, the economic zone with a special status or that of creating an offshore zone (SAR), had been discussed for a long time. We made proposals and we were supported. I often joke that it's hard to be "creative" in Kaliningrad. Many projects formulated in the past remained on paper long before they saw the light. For my part, I simply had enough conviction, confidence and faith to make it happen. Obviously, it was a process in which the support of the President and the regional government were fundamental. Now it is important to complete all that we have set ourselves already before the elections, such as the construction of the Cancer Center, the Regional Children's Hospital, the modernization of equipment and machinery for hospitals, but also the construction of roads and bridges particularly important to improve road traffic and industrial parks, where to optimize production, logistics, transport and manufacturing processes ».
Kaliningrad also has among its objectives that of attracting foreign investors and residents, who, by establishing and developing their activities in the region, can benefit from numerous advantages, which are the most interesting?
“Relations between Kaliningrad and foreigners and, in particular, with our European neighbors, are long-standing. Many foreign companies have been working in our region for years, I am thinking of the HIPP baby food company, but also of BMW, HYUNDAI and many others. A French-American company has recently appeared and will be producing cheese here.
It was a great pride for me to welcome the prestigious Swiss-Swedish company ABB, a world leader in industrial automation and development of energy solutions, to Kaliningrad in 2019. ABB has opened its first engineering center in Russia right in our region. It employs more than 50 people and intends to intensify its presence. Companies that decide to settle in Kaliningrad can enjoy the incentives offered by the Special Statute Economic Zone (SEZ), first of all, the tax one. In the first six years of operation, profits and property taxes are 0%. In addition, you can count on simplified procedures for obtaining visas by foreign personnel, as well as grants to support the labor market and other protection measures. In addition to the SEZ, an offshore area (SAR - Special administrative region) is now present in Kaliningrad, on the territory of "Oktyabrsky Island", near the new stadium. The area has a hundred hectares and was initially conceived to facilitate the return of Russian capital leased to other jurisdictions, but it is obviously also open to foreign companies. By investing 50 million rubles (about 600 thousand euros) it is possible to establish one's own business on the "Island of October". The attractive benefits in terms of taxation and infrastructure are consequent. To date, 34 international companies have established themselves on the island and for the future we can only be optimistic ».
Kaliningrad can boast an unparalleled historical and cultural heritage. The testimonies still present of the very rich Königsberg are numerous. In addition, the entire coastal bathing complex and an ecosystem of flora and fauna unique in the world make it a particularly interesting region from a tourist point of view. What is expected and how important was the introduction in July 2019 of the 8-day tourist e-Visa?
“The idea of the e-visa in order to facilitate the arrival of tourists in Kaliningrad has been around for some time. We are happy to have been among the first in the country to make it a reality. Our tourism potential is great, we have an average of 1,5 million visitors a year, Russian and foreign, not to mention the real boom in domestic tourism experienced during the pandemic. From the introduction of the electronic visa and up to the closure of the borders due to Covid-19, more than 70 foreign tourists have come to our region. Kaliningrad can count on over two hundred hotels, more than a thousand restaurants and bars, many cultural events, including music and film festivals.
From a historical point of view, the region represents a unicum in Russia for the events that have seen it as a protagonist. The legacy still visible is multiple and extraordinary: Russian, Soviet, Prussian. In fact, there are numerous monuments, castles, forts, churches and cathedrals that preserve a timeless beauty. The reconstruction and conservation of buildings are an important part of the political agenda of our region also because the connected tourist importance is undeniable. We recognize that we have real pearls linked to the past. There is no shortage of work and we will try to involve more and more people in the revaluation of this historical wealth spread over the whole territory ».
Kaliningrad, Russian and open to Europe, stands out for its initiative and dynamism. As a young Governor she too stands out for initiative and dynamism, but she is not the only one in the Federation. The choice of young representatives is in contrast with many European realities where the political class is often elderly. In your opinion, in addition to giving more space to the new generations, can Russia also be considered fertile land in terms of possibilities and growth?
«The choice to test young politicians in the regions, therefore on the ground, is neither new nor unique to Russia. It was already present during the Soviet Union and is often found in Asia as well. It is essential to engage in different contexts, far away and at the same time in direct contact with the population. In this way we are able to compare, to perceive the details. What is believed to be the best project prepared in one's Moscow office behind a desk has a completely different impact once one decides to adopt it in a specific region, because the perception in reality is completely different.
I cannot call Russia an economic locomotive. It is difficult to make comparisons with other countries, it would be a meaningless exercise, but we advance, doing our best, according to our abilities and at our pace, which must not necessarily follow pre-established or already existing models. Unfortunately, compared to other contexts, I am thinking of the United States or Asia, Europe has fallen behind in terms of innovation. I firmly believe that today more than ever it is essential to create and invest in new technologies, new ideas, without fear or reticence ».
President Putin tests young politicians in the regions, preparing them for future challenges. Economic Russia is opening up more and more to the world, intensifying exchanges and cooperation. Governor Anton Alikhanov looks positively and confidently at the future development of Russia's most European of all, Kaliningrad. And it is precisely from the top of the House of Soviets, when finally walking on the roof we admire the breathtaking view over the whole city, I think that perhaps the Governor is right and maybe even the famous French actor Gérard Depardieu, a Russian citizen since 2013, when he says that today , La Dolce Vita, is located in Russia.
