General’s dreams about Glaucus

While the St. Petersburg Economic Forum was going on and the whole country clung to the screens listening to the first person of the state, in small Samara, quietly and imperceptibly, the head of the local Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs announced his resignation – Alexander Vinnikov. The very same general who, back in the winter, was expected to replace the head of the St. Petersburg Main Directorate – Roman Plugin.

holy place

Samara news is disappointing. As it became known to the editors of the online publication Kompromat Group, the former deputy Sergei UmnovHead of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Samara Region, General Alexander Vinnikov leaves his chair. Alexander Ivanovich announced the future personnel reshuffle at a local conference call on Friday, June 17th.“I have decided to leave the service”, – said the lieutenant general during the meeting. Back in December, he was predicted as a possible new head of the St. Petersburg headquarters. In addition to the old and boring candidates, none of which completely suited the governor Alexandra Beglova (or, to put it even more simply, the Rottenberg brothers), the news about Alexandra Vinnikova breathed life into those tired of reformist undertakings Roman Pluginfaces of St. Petersburg policemen. Familiar to many from his work in Glavka, a native of Leningrad, who gave 30 years to the bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the general was seen by many as an ideal option in the role of chief of police of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region.

His appointment was expected this spring, immediately after the March meeting of Minister Kolokoltsev. “After the distribution of elephants”,– as they say on the sidelines. But in March, the life of the country turned on more important tracks. Everyone forgot about personnel changes and the quiet St. Petersburg war with the unloved General Plugin. We don’t know if Roman Yuryevich’s heart was relieved, but he clearly had something to do in recent months, rather than think about flying to Moscow.

Information from Kompromat Group:

Alexander Vinnikov has been working in the system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs since 1983. He went from being an operative of the criminal investigation department to the deputy chief of police of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region. Before being appointed to the Samara Region in 2017, Alexander Vinnikov, for two years, headed the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Magadan Region. He has the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 2nd class.

Waves of history

It cannot be said that the Samara public treated the St. Petersburg general in the same way as the locals treat the Moscow-Ryazan one. It can be said that

Alexandra Vinnikova well received in Samara. Local budget newspapers regularly published letters from residents of the city thanking Alexander Ivanovich personally for the work of his subordinates. Grandmothers, pensioners, etc. wrote, in a word, those who received real help from the Samara police.

Despite the old disgrace of the minister, in which Vinnikov had to visit all the autumn of 2021, on the sidelines he was called Plugin’s “replacement”, and the fighters of the old guard of Umnov-Piotrovsky were already ready to throw a grand feast, on the occasion of the return of the high-ranking “chick of Petrov’s nest” on the banks of the Neva. And indeed, from the side it may seem that since the spring Alexander Ivanovich has been favored by those in power. In March 2022, he was presented with a Special Achievement Award.

Alexandra Vinnikova awarded the Order of Honor by decree of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. The award was presented by the Minister of Internal Affairs of Russia, Police General

Vladimir Kolokoltsev. The local Samara “Komsomolskaya Pravda” then even wrote:

“Note that this distinction is awarded for exceptional high achievements in state, cultural, social and charitable activities”

.

Then, in April 2022, the Governor decided to encourage the Head of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Samara Region.

Dmitry Azarov signed a decree that the chief security officer was awarded the badge of honor “For work for the benefit of the land of Samara.” In addition, the Samara head encouraged

Alexandra Vinnikova governor’s award

120 thousand rubles, which was also reported by the local media. Why not signals about the imminent return home?

And suddenly, suddenly, on June 17, the general announced that he was leaving his post.

The breeze of retirement or the flame of scandal

Opinions about Alexander Ivanovich’s resignation differ. Some see it as an echo of the recent oil scandal and arrest in Samara Denis Zubov – son Igor Zubov, State Secretary of the Minister of the Interior. As well-known telegram channels have already written, he is suspected of stealing “black gold”. They also wrote that Vinnikov was a protégé of the Deputy Federal Minister and that Igor Zubovpersonally came to Samara to introduce the new chief to the personnel.

Others believe that even without this scandal there were enough claims against Vinnikov, and that he was simply merged, because “his time has passed.” On the sidelines, they even whisper that Alexander Ivanovich always knew how to keep his nose to the wind and this time “dumped in time so that they would not be imprisoned,” and that a pension is much better than interrogations and sharp questions.

But there are opinions that history can still be replayed and the hour is not even for this tactical retreat in order to lull the vigilance of the Moscow-Ryazan clan. Knowledgeable people say that all this time, the Piotrovsky clique must have been on the alert and was able to turn something in the direction necessary for St. Petersburg. The St. Petersburg policemen really want to see their boss in the chair, Leningrad, mustachioed and dear – in other words, an analogue of the former. But all these dreams are still covered with real St. Petersburg fog. Today, on the sidelines of Suvorovsky, the idea of ​​a sudden change in leadership is skeptical. Like, the situation in the country, as well as possible, played into the hands of the general Roman PluginAnd he doesn’t want to leave his office.

About in what capacity Alexander Vinnikov will return home, whether he was sent to an honorable pension or this is a curious castling – we will find out in the next couple of weeks. After all, it was not for nothing that there was a rumor in the ministry about major reshuffles during the summer and autumn of this year. The editors of the Kompromat Group online publication will closely monitor the development of events.