There is no doubt that Primorsky Krai, as a constituent entity of the Russian Federation, has every reason to be considered a special region in military and strategic terms. The fact that the Pacific Fleet headquarters is located here speaks for itself. In this context, it is noteworthy that Captain 1st Rank Evgeny Nazdratenko, the Governor of Primorye, gave an interview to the magazine "Orientir" while on board the large anti-submarine ship "Admiral Panteleyev" at sea. The interview took place during a military training session for the heads of municipal entities in Primorye.

Evgeny Ivanovich Nazdratenko was born on February 16, 1949, in the city of Severo-Kurilsk, Sakhalin Region. In 1951, the family moved to Primorye (the city of Dalnegorsk).

From 1968 to 1970, he served in the Red Banner Pacific Fleet. Later, he returned to Dalnegorsk and worked for more than ten years at the Bor Production Association, where he worked as a welder, foreman, mechanic, and department and workshop supervisor. While working, he graduated from an industrial college and, in 1983, from the Far Eastern Technological Institute with a degree in economics. In the late 80s, together with a group of like - minded people, he created the Vostok mining and prospecting artel, which was soon transformed into the Primorye Mining Company, which produces products at the level of world standards.

In 1990, he was elected People's Deputy of Russia. In May 1993, he was appointed Head of the Primorsky Krai Administration by a decree of the President of the Russian Federation. In December 1995, Evgeny Nazdratenko won the election for Governor of Primorye.

He is married. He has two sons who are university students in Vladivostok.

- Evgeny Ivanovich, it is only natural to ask you about your impressions of the military exercises right here on board a warship.

- Every man has a genetic craving for weapons. Therefore, at the army training ground, the heads of district and city administrations of Primorye fired a lot and enthusiastically from small arms and artillery systems. The sea excursion was also impressive. However, this should not be our main focus. Let's leave the emotions aside.

What they saw will allow the heads of administration to navigate the military issues in a normal, state-like manner. It is always a good idea to see the army's daily life firsthand and get to know the commanders of army divisions and regiments, naval units, and ships. By the way, the regional administration is the patron of the BPK "Admiral Vinogradov," and the cities of Kavalerovo and Dalnegorsk are the patrons of the large anti-submarine ships "Admiral Panteleev" and "Admiral Tributs."

Previously, such training sessions were held only in the field, but later we also developed maritime combat training areas. We can already say that we have established traditions, and many regions are adopting our experience.

We were the first in the country to wake up from the democratic hangover. Five years ago, when we first held military exercises, the newspapers were screaming: "Nazdratenko is arming Primorye! He wants to separate the region from Russia!" It was nonsense... And the first possible attacks by the aggressor and the panic among the population - how many lives could they take if the government didn't respond correctly? Where is the government, and what can it do in a critical moment without conducting military exercises? I am a peaceful person, and I really don't want a war. At the same time, I don't want the ignorance of the authorities to put the lives of millions of people at risk. I want all the structures to work smoothly in the first minutes of an emergency, and for everyone to know the mobilization plan, where to call, and what to do. And we will strive for this. I want the authorities to show no confusion. Authority is, first and foremost, order. Military drills are a sign of the state's readiness for self-defense. Tell me, after ten years of "American charm,"quot; over?

Today, the bombs are falling closer to Russia. New weapons and technologies are being tested in Western Europe. NATO has become too arrogant.

We don't brandish our weapons, but we have a reliable sword and shield in our hands. I am pleased to report that today, the crew of the BDK "Admiral Panteleev" under the command of Captain 2nd Rank Nikolai Ozirny successfully completed all the missile, artillery, and torpedo firings. This demonstrates the high combat readiness of the ship, whose armament, by the way, is still in line with the global standards of advanced nations. Such ships are a testament to our country's strength and serve as a warning to potential aggressors.

- Evgeny Ivanovich, thirty years ago, you were a sailor in the Pacific Fleet. What memories, thoughts, and feelings does today's trip to the sea evoke?

- My service began at the communications school on Russky Island. Now it's a well-known place. The school was disbanded in the early 1990s. I don't understand why. Was it to combat dystrophy? If there were any shortcomings, they should have been corrected, and the responsible individuals should have been punished, rather than the school being destroyed. Additionally, recall the challenging times for the Armed Forces, where funding was almost completely cut off, and officers had to bring toothpaste from home for their subordinates. There was some kind of eclipse in the highest echelons of power with regard to the Armed Forces. At the same time, the special services were also disbanded. Can a state function properly without an army, navy, and special services?

It seems to me that Russia's problem is not a lack or an excess of reformers, but rather the inability to pursue a consistent policy. Whether it was a tsar, a general secretary, or a reform-minded minister, everyone wanted to make a difference in history. However, history also shows that Russia thrived best under cautious leaders who were hesitant to disrupt the country's way of life. But let's return to the Pacific Fleet: if the communications school and other training facilities have been closed, where can we train specialists? And yet, these were magnificent schools with a well-oiled machine. When I served there, I didn't always get enough sleep, but I had no idea about any kind of year-long service. The sailors were well-fed. I enjoyed my specialized classes, military training, and singing in formation... And then I loved the ship, and I loved serving in Combat Unit Four. Although our Project 56 destroyer was smaller than the BPK Admiral Panteleev, it was still a formidable vessel... They were based in Strelok Bay for a while, and then in a brigade on Russky Island. Today, the entire brigade has been "cut up" for scrap metal.

- So there's no emotional attachment to a ship or a military unit?

"My heart belongs to the entire Pacific Fleet and the entire region."

- Evgeny Ivanovich, the biased efforts of the central media, especially television, may have led to the public perception of Primorye as an unfavorable region. However, this is a strategic region, the oceanic gateway to Russia's Far East.

In general terms, how do you see the socio-economic future of the region? Is there a worthy place for the navy and the army in this future?

- There is no doubt that the future is there. In comparison with many other regions of the Federation, Primorye is a stable and developing region. Over the past four years, the region has risen from 72nd to 26th place in Russia. The Ministry of Fuel and Energy, after reviewing the situation in the region's fuel and energy sector, removed it from the list of the fifteen most disadvantaged regions in terms of fuel supply in 1999. There has been a revival in agriculture, and last year's gross agricultural production exceeded that of 1997 by 15%. A program for the construction of socially important facilities has been implemented, and twenty-eight schools have been commissioned in the past five years, twice as many as in the entire Far East.

In general, the younger generation, young people, and training of personnel are our priorities. I personally monitor the implementation of the program to support talented young people. Our school graduates with gold medals can study at universities in Primorye for free. Primorye is almost the only region in Russia that has allocated a separate line in its budget for higher education: 12 million rubles per year. Despite the pressure from the central government, none of the universities has been closed. In other words, Primorye is not only capable of surviving, but also of becoming a growth point and a strong foundation for the entire eastern part of Russia. And I don't see my country without a navy or an army. Look at the "scissors": on one side, we have 1,127 kilometers of border with China, and on the other side, we have 1,200 kilometers of border with Japan. While we can clearly define our land borders, the sea is the sea. We need to be realistic and expect any potential threats.

The Kuril Islands are a special case. This is a large potential theater of military operations. Therefore, I take any reduction of naval forces in the Primorye region very seriously. This is a maritime shield for our shores. It is no secret that the Far Eastern radar coverage has almost collapsed. The long-range detection systems in the Kuril Islands have been dismantled, disarmed, and looted. It is easy to imagine how the role of the Primorye naval group has increased. For us, it is our entire life.

The Far East needs the Armed Forces very much. If they leave, the region will become a different country in six months. Russia has managed to destroy the foundations of state life in an incredibly short time. It's time to stop. We have destroyed and continue to destroy our economy, science, culture, global influence, and military. The only thing left is our territory. If we give it away, we will cease to exist as a state. Rulers come and go, allies appear and disappear, but our homeland remains. And I will defend it, no matter what it takes.

In 1997, we managed to defend Russian land on the border with China. For me, the struggle against the so-called "Tumanang Project," which we, the residents of Primorye, waged for our piece of territory, was not only about the spiritual significance of these hundreds of hectares, but also had a practical interest. I believe that if we lost this land, the transit and transportation future of Primorye would be doomed in a few years. We fought not only for the right to be considered true citizens of Russia, but also for the economic future of the region. And we won this battle. They preserved the future of the Trans-Siberian Railway and the future of the seaports.

- In which areas does the regional government work most closely with the Pacific Fleet command?

- We interact normally on all major issues. If we talk about everyday problems, there are "more than enough of them...". The main point is that we help the fleet, and the fleet helps us. Every winter, the region survives on the fuel provided by the Pacific Fleet. When the boiler houses stop working at a critical moment, three to five thousand tons of fuel are invaluable. The fleet provides significant assistance during the winter. We are equal in terms of both assistance and debts. The fleet owes the region for two years' worth of agricultural products. We support each other.

- Evgeny Ivanovich, do you often visit the troops and provide direct assistance to the command, as you did in Chechnya?

- Very often. And Chechnya is a special case. There is a part of my state guilt there, because as a governor I sign orders on every conscription, on the creation of medical commissions for the examination of conscripts. As a state official, I am involved in the conscription of the boys who were thrown into Chechnya. We were on the airfield when they were sent. And these eighteen-year-old boys were thrown against thirty - forty-year-old militants. What was I supposed to feel in my heart? I didn't bring any shells there, and I didn't want this war, but something in my soul was triggered. We assembled three planes with two hundred tons of cargo, including warm clothes and additional supplies. After the ninth battalion of marines stormed one of the towns, I remember the remarkable care and attention shown to the boys and their lives by Sergei Konstantinovich Kondratenko, the deputy commander of the division, and Alexander Mikhailovich Fedorov, the regiment commander. I had to be close to my own men.

- A significant part of the country's defense complex is located in the region, and there is a high concentration of military and naval structures. What do you think are the most pressing issues in this area?

- First of all, the wild non-payments of the federal budget, which are dragging the economy of the region to the bottom. Today, all special consumers - the Ministry of Defense, border guards, and others - owe one billion rubles (new) to Dalenergo alone, and the same amount to defense enterprises. If we could pay at least a third of the debts for the products consumed for 54 million rubles, the village would revive.

At a meeting with army officers in Sergeyevka, a major asked me:: "What do you do to make the army release food? Our debts to the village are not grounds for stopping food supplies." It seems to be a natural question, because on television there is always information that it is Nazdratenko who cannot fulfill the budget and pay doctors and teachers... And Primorye cannot receive three billion new rubles from the Ministry of Defense - from the federal budget. Hence-taxes, regional budget, salary. Direct dependence.

It's not the Armed Forces' fault, they serve and live on the funds allocated by the state. There's no need to talk about grand theft in the Armed Forces. If anyone was "stealing" money and creating the conditions and technologies for it, it was the young reformers... We have an excellent officer corps. Only Russian officers live by tradition, duty, selflessness, and love for their country. NATO officers would have left within a week under such conditions. When our ammunition depots were exploding, I saw our officers in action. There was no panic, they were valiant and calm, and everyone was doing their job...

- Evgeny Ivanovich, when you and your colleagues discuss the problems of the army and navy in the Federation Council, do you consider them in general or do you detail them down to the level of specific districts and fleets? Is the voice of the Far East heard?

- In the Federation Council, I think my voice can be heard well. We discuss both specific and general issues. For example, I would like to find out whether the country needs such huge internal troops, quantitatively equal to the land forces? And in this regard, is the budget "stretched" ? We keep saying: we need to reduce the army. At the same time, we have "swell" divisions of the BB, the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Why should I?..

The division of responsibilities is not very clear. Why is the airspace being protected by the army?

land borders are guarded by border guards, and water borders are guarded by both the Navy and border ships? Without humiliating or offending anyone, we need to figure out who is responsible for what. We need to figure out who is duplicating whom, in order to have a clear budget and clear objectives.

Why keep huge corps of the Ministries of Emergency Situations and Internal Troops? In any region, a group of 100 people is enough. If there's an emergency, the group notifies the Minister, and the Armed Forces are immediately deployed. With the appropriate technical equipment, the army always comes to the rescue, whether in India, China, or the United States. Today, the Ministry of Emergency Situations conducts extensive air transportation. However, it might be more effective to utilize the Armed Forces' aviation. This would provide military pilots with valuable flight hours, experience in the air, and potentially save thousands of lives in the future. The army can work and participate in rescue operations. This is life, and these are my views.

We have separated the Armed Forces from the state, and now we don't know what to do with them. I think we will return to these issues.

- How does it affect the economic trends in the region, and what does the seaside defense industry do?

- "Defense industry" is slowly starting to come to life. The issue of repairing Varshavyanka - class diesel submarines of the Russian Navy and the Chinese Navy at the Zvezda plant in Bolshoy Kamen has been practically resolved, and we will place some orders at Progress and Dalzavod-three Kita submarines. The remaining plants will "trailer" to perform related functions. This will significantly boost the region's economy.

- There are more than three and a half thousand homeless families of reserve military personnel in Primorye today. In addition to housing, people need jobs. What are the prospects for this category of population?

- The defense industry will start working, and many people will find themselves. The region cannot live separately from the rest of the country. As the economy improves, all aspects of life will return to normal.

- Evgeny Ivanovich, what would you wish for all military personnel, their wives, and children?

- I wish you to serve successfully, live long and happily, and when you retire, to settle in... the Far East. This is our land, just love it!