“I’m going with the cross on his way”: 10 facts about the former head of the Mari El Republic

“I’m going with the cross on his way”: 10 facts about the former head of the Mari El Republic


  • Leonid Markelov 53. The Republic of Mari El, he led in 2001, although the first time participated in the elections for the presidency in 1996. About those elections to the state Duma Deputy Galina Starovoitova in a note to the then head of the presidential administration, Anatoly Chubais wrote: “the situation in the country is extremely tense. Supporters of Leonid Markelov go to the villages and threatened to burn the village, if the village will vote against it. Expected clashes between supporters of Leonid Markelov and Vladimir Kislitsin in Yoshkar-Ola”.
  • During the presidential election in 2004, Markelov has received the population the nickname “Lenka — blue screen” for an aggressive election campaign and the lack of media reporting on other candidates.
  • In 2009, Markelov was nominated for the presidential party, United Russia, which joined in 2007. Prior to that, was part of the liberal democratic party.
  • Before the election in 2015 around Markelov was a scandal. Arriving at the opening of the support of feldsher-midwife station in the village Shemshura, the head of the Republic, in a speech, said: “I was so bad the first time take. Nowhere was to grumble. Perhaps I should turn to the place, and how you turned to me. Yes? Close everything and leave. And dig up the road. You grumble that you don’t like?” He later called his words a joke.

    • 5. Leonid Markelov is a fan of Italy and of the Renaissance. During his reign in the Republic in the main square, a monument to Lorenzo de ‘ Medici head of the Florentine Republic of the Renaissance.

    Photo: Alexander Yakimov / Photobank Lori

    6. In 2005, the European Parliament issued a resolution “On violations of human rights and democracy in the Republic of Mari El Republic of the Russian Federation”. The text of the resolution to local and Federal authorities were accused of violating freedom of expression, intimidation of journalists and infringement on the rights of the Mari people. The authors of the resolution pointed out, in particular, to the fact that “representatives of the Mari minority face considerable difficulties in obtaining education in their native language, as in the Mari language there is neither a secondary nor higher education, and the publication of textbooks on Mari in recent years greatly reduced”.

    7. According to the materials of anti-corruption investigation, which was conducted by the Public Committee on fight against corruption in the Mari El Republic, in 2013, the head of the Republic got divorced to hide his involvement in the companies by his wife Irina. The annual income of these companies, according to the Committee, in 2012 amounted to more than 2 billion.

    8. Markelov is a poet. In 2013, at a meeting with journalists, read his poem dedicated to the “detractors”: “And to whom begging me to go / And ask: what and why? / The familiar and the stone face, /And I don’t need anyone. /I go with the cross on his way / Under a grey, prosaic barking tirades And my life is intertwined with anxiety / Work turning to hell.” In a conversation with after his resignation, he said that he now intends to rest and continue to write poetry. In a conversation with after his resignation, he said that he now intends to rest and continue to write poetry.

    A new poem of Leonid Markelov Video: REN TV

    9. In 2016 Markelov received from the hands of Patriarch Kirill the order of Holy Prince Daniel of Moscow I degree for “contributions to the revival of spiritual life in Russia.”

    10. In 2009 experts of the Ministry of economic development and trade released a report “Investigation of quality of life index in Russian regions”, in which he noted ineffective policies of the President. Then, she took the 79th place in Russia by the index of quality of life. Experts highlighted the low level of incomes, the annual growth of the budget deficit, the difficult situation with state debt (as of 1 July 2009, he was more than 2 billion rubles, which is five times higher than when joining Markelov in the post).

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