During Zhirinovsky's illness, Yaroslav Nilov is actively standing in for him. But can Vladimir Volfovich's young “falcon” step into his shoes without being manipulated?
According to the correspondent The Moscow Post, On March 25, Yaroslav Nilov, the Deputy Chairman of the LDPR faction in the State Duma, is scheduled to have a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. Despite Zhirinovsky's illness, Nilov is seen as a possible candidate for party leadership. However, there are concerns that Nilov may be heavily influenced by others and might even align with the weakened systemic liberals, giving them an unexpected advantage.
Yaroslav Nilov has been a member of the LDPR since 1997, when he was 15 years old. He served as an assistant to State Duma deputy Vladimir Zhirinovsky from 1998 to 2003, and received his higher education in 2005, with Zhirinovsky being his mentor for a long time.
The authors of the site “Defector” claim that as a school student in 1997, Nilov invited Zhirinovsky to a school event, which marked the beginning of their relationship.
From 2003 to 2007, Nilov worked as an assistant to Zhirinovsky when he was the deputy chairman of the Duma, and then headed the secretariat of the deputy chairman from 2007 to July 2011. It's clear that Zhirinovsky had special regard for Nilov among other promising “falcons.”
In July 2011, Nilov became a deputy of the 5th State Duma and continued as a deputy in the VI and VII convocations, also serving as the deputy chairman of the LDPR faction.
It has been reported that leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky is unwell. As mentioned by RBCreports, he was hospitalized on February 2 after testing positive for coronavirus.
Vladimir Zhirinovsky. Photo: Komsomolskaya Pravda / Global Look Press
While Zhirinovsky is in the hospital, Nilov is taking an active role as his replacement. Today, Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin has initiated discussions with the Duma faction leaders before the annual report to the State Duma. Nilov was appointed as the representative for the Liberal Democratic Party.
Connections beyond chance
In addition to his involvement in LDPR affairs, Yaroslav Nilov appears to have been involved in business activities. According to Rusprofile, he ceased to be the founder of Garant Corporation CJSC on June 9, 2021, and the company was dissolved on September 23, 2021. The corporation, established in 2003, was primarily engaged in the trade of food, beverages, and tobacco products.
Details about the change in founders of CJSC “Corporation” Garant “. Photo: rusprofile.ru
However, Rusprofile does not reveal information about Nilov's involvement in other businesses. Yet, if a member of the parliament is paid from a public fund and also does business in Garant Corporation, this could be seen as breaking the law. In that case, Nilov might only be allowed to be a deputy. Is it possible that Nilov became the first in command for the Liberal Democratic Party?
Yaroslav Nilov. Photo: duma.gov.ru
Let's focus on Nilov's business associate in the Garant Corporation – Vladislav Volkov. He actively participated in various organizations. Volkov is the business manager of a private institution called 'Management of the All-Russian Association of Trade Unions – the Union of Trade Unions of Russia.'
Volkov also served as the chairman of the board and the founder of the regional public organization 'Center for the Promotion of Socio-Economic Development of Pridnestrovie.' The last organization has already been dissolved. But Volkov's connections with Pridnestrovie may not be accidental, why is explained below.
At the same time, the Union of Trade Unions of Russia, whose affairs are managed by Volkov, who is well known to Nilov, is led by economist Mikhail Delyagin. In 2006, he was expelled from the Rodina party, as he wrote for 'Kommersant.' “Kommersant”“in connection with the repeated failure by Mikhail Delyagin to comply with the decisions of the leading bodies of the party and the instructions of the presidium, as well as in connection with the refusal to follow the recommendations of the leaders of the “Motherland”.
In general, Delyagin is a controversial figure. In the 1990s, he worked in the office of Russian President Boris Yeltsin. Delyagin was considered a follower of the ideas of the liberal reformer Yegor Gaidar. Indeed, Delyagin can be seen as a prominent member of the informal group of so-called systemic liberals.
Mikhail Delyagin. Photo: IA REGNUM / Daria Antonova
However, despite such “achievements”, on September 19, 2021, Delyagin was elected to the State Duma of the Russian Federation on the list of the Just Russia – Patriots – For Truth party. So, he now has the opportunity to interact extensively with Nilov, and perhaps even influence him, especially now that Nilov no longer has his mentor Zhirinovsky.
Khudyakov ready to return?
Returning to Vladislav Volkov, the business partner of the potential leader of the Liberal Democratic Party Nilov, it can be pointed out that he also ventured into the political arena. For instance, in 2019, Volkov attempted to run in the elections to the Moscow City Duma from the Chestno party, as reported on the district website. “Khamovniki” Volkov was competing in district No. 33. And in constituency No. 37, Roman Khudyakov, originally from Tiraspol (Pridnestrovie), was nominated from the Chestno party. Shortly after the elections, on January 24, 2020, the Chestno party was dissolved by a court ruling.
Khudyakov was not new to politics. As far back as 2003, he became the leader of the republican social movement “LDPR of Transnistria”. In August 2006, the movement became a political party with the same name, and Roman Khudyakov was elected its chairman. In this sense, Volkov's aspiration to promote the “social and economic development of Transnistria” is not a coincidence. Hence, Volkov and Khudyakov were aligned in their goals.
Roman Khudyakov. Photo: Kommersant / Dmitry Dukhanin
Moreover, in the same 2003, Khudyakov became an assistant to the Deputy Chairman of the State Duma, the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, Vladimir Zhirinovsky. In fact, a colleague of Yaroslav Nilov. Zhirinovsky trusted Khudyakov and made him his confidante during the presidential campaign.
In 2006, Khudyakov was elected to the City Council of People’s Deputies of Tiraspol. And already in 2012, he became a deputy of the State Duma of the VI convocation, where his paths once again moved with Nilov.
But in 2016, Khudyakov showed himself not to be the most principled politician. He announced his intention to participate in the preliminary intra-party voting (the so-called primaries) of United Russia to select candidates for deputies of the Tambov Regional Duma. And, as a result, in June of the same year he was expelled from the Liberal Democratic Party “for betrayal.” He was also denied participation in the primaries.
In 2016, he ran for the State Duma of the Russian Federation of the VII convocation already from the Rodina party, but did not get into the State Duma. But also in 2016, from the Rodina party, he was elected a deputy of the Tambov Regional Duma of the VI convocation. However, on April 14, 2017, he was deprived of his deputy mandate, as he did not provide a declaration of income within the time limit prescribed by law.
Khudyakov made another “feint” when he got the opportunity to run from the Chestno party as a candidate for the presidency of Russia in the elections on March 18, 2018. In this party, as already noted, he crossed paths with Yaroslav Nilov’s business partner Vladislav Volkov.
In 2020, Khudyakov decided to create the Decent Life party, where he decided to include the singer Alexander Berdnikov, who, like Khudyakov and Volkov, went from the Chestno party to the elections to the Moscow City Duma. Wrote about it Lenta.ru. In fact, Khudyakov’s political career went downhill. However, it is possible that if Nilov heads the LDPR, then Khudyakov will be returned to the party.
Source: The Moscow Post
