Federal districts of Russia
Encyclopedia
The federal districts are a level of administration for the convenience of the federal government of the Russian Federation
. They are not the constituent units of Russia (which are the federal subjects
). Each district includes several federal subjects and each federal district has a presidential envoy (whose official title is Plenipotentiary Representative). The official task of the Plenipotentiary Representative is simply to oversee the work of federal agencies in the regions, although in practice this oversight is extensive and of considerable consequence.
Federal districts' envoys serve as liaisons between the federal subjects and the federal government and are primarily responsible for overseeing the compliance of the federal subjects with the federal laws.
Source:
as a part of a wider program designed to reassert federal authority. This wider program of reform included the Federation Council
becoming indirectly elected, the scrutinizing of republican constitutions and regional charters, and the President gaining the right to dissolve subjects' parliaments and dismiss subjects' governments if they disobey federal law.
On January 19, 2010, new North Caucasian Federal District was split from Southern Federal District.
In June 2011, the President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev
mentioned that a plan exists to create the Capital Federal District
which would include the territories of the federal city of Moscow
and of Moscow Oblast
.
Federal agencies, particularly in the justice system, had been "captured" by subjects' governments during the segmented federalism of the Yeltsin
period. This process is being forestalled as Plenipotentiary Representatives ensure that agencies do the work for which they are intended rather than being brought under the influence of powerful local elites with vested interests.
The Plenipotentiary Representatives are overseeing a system of rotation of federal employees throughout the regions in order to avoid them becoming dependent on local leaders.
The federal districts coincide closely with the Interior Ministry forces'
military regions and the Defense Ministry regions. This allows the Plenipotentiary Representatives to have direct access to the command structure of the military and security apparatus. This sends a clear message to the subjects that they must cooperate with the federal government, and is very useful for the Plenipotentiary Representatives.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. They are not the constituent units of Russia (which are the federal subjects
Federal subjects of Russia
Russia is a federation which, since March 1, 2008, consists of 83 federal subjects . In 1993, when the Constitution was adopted, there were 89 federal subjects listed...
). Each district includes several federal subjects and each federal district has a presidential envoy (whose official title is Plenipotentiary Representative). The official task of the Plenipotentiary Representative is simply to oversee the work of federal agencies in the regions, although in practice this oversight is extensive and of considerable consequence.
Federal districts' envoys serve as liaisons between the federal subjects and the federal government and are primarily responsible for overseeing the compliance of the federal subjects with the federal laws.
List of federal districts
| Name of district | Area (km²) |
Population (2010 Russian Census) |
Federal subjects Federal subjects of Russia Russia is a federation which, since March 1, 2008, consists of 83 federal subjects . In 1993, when the Constitution was adopted, there were 89 federal subjects listed... |
Administrative center |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Federal District Central Federal District The Central Federal District is one of the eight federal districts of Russia. The word "Central" is of political and historical meaning; geographically, the district is situated in the extreme west of Russia. The district spans an area of , with a population of 38,438,600 according to the 2010... |
652,800 | 38,438,600 | 18 | Moscow Moscow Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent... |
|
| Southern Federal District Southern Federal District Southern Federal District is one of the eight federal districts of Russia. Its territory lies mostly on the Pontic-Caspian steppe. Its population was 13,856,700 according to the 2010 Census, living on an area of... |
418,500 | 13,856,700 | 6 | Rostov-on-Don Rostov-on-Don -History:The mouth of the Don River has been of great commercial and cultural importance since the ancient times. It was the site of the Greek colony Tanais, of the Genoese fort Tana, and of the Turkish fortress Azak... |
|
| Northwestern Federal District Northwestern Federal District Northwestern Federal District is one of the eight federal districts of Russia. It consists of the northern part of European Russia. Its population was 13,583,800 according to the 2010 Census, living on an area of... |
1,677,900 | 13,583,800 | 11 | Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea... |
|
| Far Eastern Federal District Far Eastern Federal District The Far Eastern Federal District is the largest of the eight federal districts of Russia, while being also the least populated, with a population of 6,291,900 . The Far Eastern Federal District was established in 2000 by then-President Vladimir Putin and is currently being governed by presidential... |
6,215,900 | 6,291,900 | 9 | Khabarovsk Khabarovsk Khabarovsk is the largest city and the administrative center of Khabarovsk Krai, Russia. It is located some from the Chinese border. It is the second largest city in the Russian Far East, after Vladivostok. The city became the administrative center of the Far Eastern Federal District of Russia... |
|
| Siberian Federal District Siberian Federal District Siberian Federal District is one of the eight federal districts of Russia. Its population was 19,254,300 according to the 2010 Census, living on an area of... |
5,114,800 | 19,254,300 | 12 | Novosibirsk Novosibirsk Novosibirsk is the third-largest city in Russia, after Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and the largest city of Siberia, with a population of 1,473,737 . It is the administrative center of Novosibirsk Oblast as well as of the Siberian Federal District... |
|
| Urals Federal District Urals Federal District Ural Federal District is one of the eight federal districts of Russia. The district was established on 13 May 2000 by a decree of the President of Russia. The district is mostly located in the geographical region of Ural, but also includes some parts of the Volga Region; its extent is different... |
1,788,900 | 12,082,700 | 6 | Yekaterinburg Yekaterinburg Yekaterinburg is a major city in the central part of Russia, the administrative center of Sverdlovsk Oblast. Situated on the eastern side of the Ural mountain range, it is the main industrial and cultural center of the Urals Federal District with a population of 1,350,136 , making it Russia's... |
|
| Volga Federal District Volga Federal District Volga Federal District is one of the eight federal districts of Russia. It forms the southeastern part of European Russia. Its population was 29,900,400 according to the 2010 Census, living on an area of... |
1,038,000 | 29,900,400 | 14 | Nizhny Novgorod Nizhny Novgorod Nizhny Novgorod , colloquially shortened to Nizhny, is, with the population of 1,250,615, the fifth largest city in Russia, ranking after Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, and Yekaterinburg... |
|
| North Caucasian Federal District North Caucasian Federal District North Caucasian Federal District is one of the eight federal districts of Russia. It is located in the extreme southwest of Russia, in the geographical area of the North Caucasus... |
170,700 | 9,496,800 | 7 | Pyatigorsk Pyatigorsk Pyatigorsk is a city in Stavropol Krai on the Podkumok River, about from Mineralnye Vody. Since January 19, 2010 it has been the administrative center of the North Caucasian Federal District of Russia... |
|
Source:
Creation
The federal districts were created in May 2000 by Vladimir PutinVladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
as a part of a wider program designed to reassert federal authority. This wider program of reform included the Federation Council
Federation Council of Russia
Federation Council of Russia ) is the upper house of the Federal Assembly of Russia , according to the 1993 Constitution of the Russian Federation...
becoming indirectly elected, the scrutinizing of republican constitutions and regional charters, and the President gaining the right to dissolve subjects' parliaments and dismiss subjects' governments if they disobey federal law.
On January 19, 2010, new North Caucasian Federal District was split from Southern Federal District.
In June 2011, the President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev is the third President of the Russian Federation.Born to a family of academics, Medvedev graduated from the Law Department of Leningrad State University in 1987. He defended his dissertation in 1990 and worked as a docent at his alma mater, now renamed to Saint...
mentioned that a plan exists to create the Capital Federal District
Capital Federal District
The Capital Federal District is a proposed federal district of Russia.If created, it would include the territories of the federal city of Moscow and of Moscow Oblast and help move some of the governmental structure outside the Moscow Ring Road. The Plenipotentiary of the federal district will be...
which would include the territories of the federal city of Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and of Moscow Oblast
Moscow Oblast
Moscow Oblast , or Podmoskovye , is a federal subject of Russia . Its area, at , is relatively small compared to other federal subjects, but it is one of the most densely populated regions in the country and, with the 2010 population of 7,092,941, is the second most populous federal subject...
.
Function
The Plenipotentiary Representatives and their staff ascertain the extent of a subjects' violation of federal laws and norms. They also oversee the process of correction at a closer level than can the federal institutions in Moscow. They are therefore central to Putin's reassertion of federal authority. The creation of the federal districts has assisted in restricting laws and practices of the subjects which contravene federal law, for instance, the curtailment of citizens rights, the authoritarian practices of subjects' governors (or, in case of republics, their presidents), the manipulation of police and the control of the judiciary by subjects' governments, the strict control of journalism, and the manipulation of elections.Federal agencies, particularly in the justice system, had been "captured" by subjects' governments during the segmented federalism of the Yeltsin
Boris Yeltsin
Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin was the first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999.Originally a supporter of Mikhail Gorbachev, Yeltsin emerged under the perestroika reforms as one of Gorbachev's most powerful political opponents. On 29 May 1990 he was elected the chairman of...
period. This process is being forestalled as Plenipotentiary Representatives ensure that agencies do the work for which they are intended rather than being brought under the influence of powerful local elites with vested interests.
The Plenipotentiary Representatives are overseeing a system of rotation of federal employees throughout the regions in order to avoid them becoming dependent on local leaders.
The federal districts coincide closely with the Interior Ministry forces'
Internal Troops
The Internal Troops, full name Internal Troops of the Ministry for Internal Affairs ; alternatively translated as "Interior " is a paramilitary gendarmerie-like force in the now-defunct Soviet Union and its successor countries, particularly, in Russia, Ukraine, Georgia and Azerbaijan...
military regions and the Defense Ministry regions. This allows the Plenipotentiary Representatives to have direct access to the command structure of the military and security apparatus. This sends a clear message to the subjects that they must cooperate with the federal government, and is very useful for the Plenipotentiary Representatives.
Presidential plenipotentiary envoys
- Central Federal DistrictCentral Federal DistrictThe Central Federal District is one of the eight federal districts of Russia. The word "Central" is of political and historical meaning; geographically, the district is situated in the extreme west of Russia. The district spans an area of , with a population of 38,438,600 according to the 2010...
- Georgy PoltavchenkoGeorgy PoltavchenkoGeorgy Sergeyevich Poltavchenko was the Russian Presidential Envoy to the Central Federal District. He was assigned acting governor of Saint Petersburg in August 2011....
(May 18, 2000, – August 31, 2011) - Oleg Govorun (since September 6, 2011)
- Georgy Poltavchenko
- Southern Federal DistrictSouthern Federal DistrictSouthern Federal District is one of the eight federal districts of Russia. Its territory lies mostly on the Pontic-Caspian steppe. Its population was 13,856,700 according to the 2010 Census, living on an area of...
- Viktor KazantsevViktor KazantsevViktor Germanovich Kazantsev , born 1946, was an envoy of the Russian president to the Southern Federal District from 2000 to 2004. He performed primary negotiations between the Russian government and the Chechen opposition...
(May 18, 2000, – March 9, 2004) - Vladimir YakovlevVladimir Anatolyevich YakovlevVladimir Anatolyevich Yakovlev is a Russian politician, currently retired.In 1996–2003, he was the Governor of Saint Petersburg. In 2003-2004, prior to the Beslan school hostage crisis, he was Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Southern Federal District...
(March 9 – September 13, 2004) - Dmitry KozakDmitry KozakDmitry Nikolayevich Kozak , is a Russian politician, serving since October 2008 as deputy Prime minister of the Russian Federation....
(September 13, 2004 - September 24, 2007) - Grigory RapotaGrigory RapotaGrigory Alekseevich Rapota is a Russian politician and current special representative of the Russian president in the Volga Federal District . Before that he was the special representative of the Russian president in the Southern Federal District .- Biography :Rapota was born in Moscow in 1944...
(October 9, 2007 - May 12, 2008) - Vladimir UstinovVladimir UstinovVladimir Vasilyevich Ustinov is a Russian politician.He currently is the Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Southern Federal District. Until 2008, he was Russia's Minister of Justice....
(since May 12, 2008)
- Viktor Kazantsev
- Northwestern Federal DistrictNorthwestern Federal DistrictNorthwestern Federal District is one of the eight federal districts of Russia. It consists of the northern part of European Russia. Its population was 13,583,800 according to the 2010 Census, living on an area of...
- Viktor CherkesovViktor CherkesovViktor Vasilyevich Cherkesov is a Russian security services official.He graduated from the Law Department of Leningrad State University in 1973...
(May 18, 2000, – March 11, 2003) - Valentina MatviyenkoValentina MatviyenkoValentina Ivanovna Matviyenko , born 7 April 1949 in the Ukrainian SSR), is currently the highest-ranking female politician in Russia, the former governor of Saint Petersburg and the current Chairman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation...
(March 11, 2003, – October 15, 2003) - Ilya KlebanovIlya KlebanovIlya Iosifovich Klebanov is a Russian politician. He currently is the Plenipotentiary Presidential Envoy to the Northwestern Federal District of the Russian Federation....
(since November 1, 2003)
- Viktor Cherkesov
- Far Eastern Federal DistrictFar Eastern Federal DistrictThe Far Eastern Federal District is the largest of the eight federal districts of Russia, while being also the least populated, with a population of 6,291,900 . The Far Eastern Federal District was established in 2000 by then-President Vladimir Putin and is currently being governed by presidential...
- Konstantin Pulikovsky (May 18, 2000, – November 14, 2005)
- Kamil Iskhakov (November 14, 2005 - October 2, 2007)
- Oleg SafonovOleg SafonovOleg Safonov is a Russian official. In 1982 he graduated from the Border Guards Higher School of the KGB in Moscow and subsequently served for the KGB until 1991. It is sometimes claimed that for some time he served in Dresden together with Vladimir Putin. In 1991-1994 he worked under Vladimir...
(November 30, 2007 - April 30, 2009) - Viktor IshayevViktor IshayevVictor Ivanovich Ishaev has been the Presidential plenipotentiary envoy in the Far Eastern Federal District of Russia since 30 April 2009...
(since April 30, 2009)
- Siberian Federal DistrictSiberian Federal DistrictSiberian Federal District is one of the eight federal districts of Russia. Its population was 19,254,300 according to the 2010 Census, living on an area of...
- Leonid Drachevskiy (May 18, 2000, – September 9, 2004)
- Anatoly KvashninAnatoly KvashninGeneral of the Army Anatoly Vasiliyevich Kvashnin was the Chief of the Russian General Staff from 1997 to 2004, when he was dismissed by President Vladimir Putin. Kvashnin graduated from the Kurgan Machine-building Institute in 1969 and served in the armed forces from this time...
(since September 9, 2004)
- Urals Federal DistrictUrals Federal DistrictUral Federal District is one of the eight federal districts of Russia. The district was established on 13 May 2000 by a decree of the President of Russia. The district is mostly located in the geographical region of Ural, but also includes some parts of the Volga Region; its extent is different...
- Pyotr LatyshevPyotr LatyshevPyotr Mikhaylovich Latyshev was the Presidential Envoy to Urals Federal District, Russia.Latyshev was born in 1948 in Proskurov , Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic...
(May 18, 2000, – December 2, 2008) - Nikolay VinnichenkoNikolay VinnichenkoNikolay Alexandrovich Vinnichenko is a Russian lawyer and politician.From April 9, 2003, till September 12, 2004, he was the Chief Prosecutor of Saint Petersburg...
(since December 8, 2008)
- Pyotr Latyshev
- Volga Federal DistrictVolga Federal DistrictVolga Federal District is one of the eight federal districts of Russia. It forms the southeastern part of European Russia. Its population was 29,900,400 according to the 2010 Census, living on an area of...
- Sergei KiriyenkoSergei KiriyenkoSergey Vladilenovich Kiriyenko is a Russian politician. He served as the Prime Minister of Russia from 23 March to 23 August 1998 under President Boris Yeltsin...
(May 18, 2000, – November 14, 2005) - Alexandr KonovalovAlexandr KonovalovAlexander Vladimirovich Konovalov is a Russian lawyer and politician. Since May 2008, he is Minister of Justice.-Career:...
(November 14, 2005 - May 12, 2008) - Grigory RapotaGrigory RapotaGrigory Alekseevich Rapota is a Russian politician and current special representative of the Russian president in the Volga Federal District . Before that he was the special representative of the Russian president in the Southern Federal District .- Biography :Rapota was born in Moscow in 1944...
(since May 12, 2008)
- Sergei Kiriyenko
- North Caucasian Federal DistrictNorth Caucasian Federal DistrictNorth Caucasian Federal District is one of the eight federal districts of Russia. It is located in the extreme southwest of Russia, in the geographical area of the North Caucasus...
- Alexander KhloponinAlexander KhloponinAlexander Gennadyevich Khloponin was born on March 6, 1965 in Colombo, Ceylon . Khloponin was the governor of Krasnoyarsk Krai in Siberia, Russia....
(since January 2010)
- Alexander Khloponin
See also
- Economic regions of RussiaEconomic regions of RussiaRussia is divided into twelve economic regions —groups of federal subjects sharing the following characteristics:*Common economic and social goals and participation in development programs;*Relatively similar economic conditions and potential;...
, similar grouping of the federal subjects of Russia for economic and statistical purposes.