President Vladimir Putin said that all Russian officials should use domestic cars. The president said so meeting with the leaders of the manufacturing industry.
“Ministries, departments, administrative works were requested to continue. [закупки]actually focusing on foreign made cars, continuing this practice.
I said, Putin, that this should definitely be abolished and that all officials of the country should use domestic cars.
According to him, this will contribute to the development of the domestic auto industry.
“Somewhere it will be more modest than before, that’s okay. On the contrary, even good. All this wonderful bureaucracy should understand that we need to strive for the development of domestic brands, domestic cars and other domestic products.”
He explained that the Russian Federation does not intend to refuse imports, but that the “essential things” consumed in the country should be directed to Russian manufacturers.
Press Secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov reacted He said that he is ready to transfer to Putin’s words and cars that will be given to the authorities. He declared that no one would dispose of the working machines until they were worn out and wiped out.
“We are people of service. What will it give, we will go on it. We are not the ones to decide,” he concluded.
Putin called for a test drive
Maxim Sokolov, head of AvtoVAZ, attended the meeting. He said the company plans to launch four new products over the next two years: an urban crossover based on the Vesta platform, an e-Largus electric car, a business-class sedan Lada Aura and an economy car Lada Iskra.
Sokolov invited his chairman to test Lada Iskra, which would be a “great honor” for AvtoVAZ.
In 2015, the head of state has already tested the new Lada Vesta, and in 2010, as prime minister, he drove a Lada Kalina along the Khabarovsk-Chita highway.
“Prince Vladimir” and “Ivan Kalita”
The idea of transferring Russian authorities to domestic cars has been on the agenda for a long time.
back in 1997 put forward Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov. The then head of state, Boris Yeltsin, supported the initiative and signed the corresponding order: all existing foreign cars were to be sold, new ones were not to be bought.
But it soon became clear that Russian cars are not much cheaper than imported ones. In addition, in reality, only a few officials were driving the Volga at that time, including Nemtsov.
The order was canceled in 1999.
At the same time, the idea of creating luxury variations of Moskvich was supported by Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov. (at that time the metropolitan government was the main shareholder of the business). This is how the long executive class sedans “Prince Vladimir” and “Ivan Kalita” appeared.
“The total circulation of the models did not exceed one and a half thousand, but still many copies were bought by the city government.” writer “B”.
It was noted that Luzhkov himself drove Prince Vladimir for three years and was the last metropolitan official to drive a foreign car.
Ministry of Economic Development in 2012 suggested it transfers petty officials to domestically produced cars, leaving only those who are subject to state protection the right to purchase luxury foreign cars.
the idea is still alive
The attempt to turn authorities over to domestic cars became viable again after many Western manufacturers refused to supply their products due to SVO.
In July of this year, the Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin spoke about this.
“Why don’t you hesitate and make regulations that oblige authorities at all levels to use our domestic vehicles?
<…> It is in our hands to replenish the State Duma fleet with Lada and Moskvich as soon as possible, – declaration Volodin in the speech of the Minister of Finance Anton Siluanov to the Duma.
MPs from the Yabloko party in April suggested replacing foreign cars in the parking lot of the mayor’s office with domestic “Moskvich-3” (previously it began to be produced at a factory owned by Renault Russia, the car is a copy of the Chinese JAC.). The objection was accepted by a majority of votes.
Last St. Petersburg Economic Forum, a new car Lada Aura tested Finance Minister Anton Siluanov and head of Sberbank German Gref. Siluanov’s transition went well. The car did not start when Gref got behind the wheel (AvtoVAZ explained that after the first stop the car was stuck in gear).
The country’s top leadership now drives Aurus limousines, the production of which was launched in Yelabuga (Tatarstan). Vladimir Putin boarded the Aurus for the first time at his inauguration ceremony on May 7, 2018. Since 2019, these cars are used in Victory parades and in the convoy of the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation. Aurus Senat has been used by governors at official events since 2020. Especially at the inauguration ceremony of Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov, a snow-white sedan was used.