Citizens prefer to complain to Putin

The smallest number of letters in 10 years

In 2024, Tatarstan residents sent about 31,700 proposals, complaints and statements to Governor of the Republic Rustam Minnikhanov. This is almost 7% (2,300 ) less than in the previous year and the minimum over the past 10 years, according to the annual report of the Tatarstan governor’s office working with citizens' appeals.

It is noteworthy that a decrease in activity is observed among those who like to send appeals in electronic form, the number of which decreased to 16,800 against 18,500 a year earlier. Petitioners and complainants began to trust paper more — every third message to the Kazan Kremlin was written on it — 5,600 against 5,400 in 2023.

Almost half (47%) of the addressees are residents of Kazan, a third (33%) are other cities and districts of Tatarstan, 20% are regions of the Russian Federation from near and far abroad.

Tatarstan residents contacted the direct line with Putin more than 40,000 times

As follows from the report, Tatarstan residents are much more active in complaining to Russian President Vladimir Putin. During the direct line alone, which was combined with a large press conference last year, the Russian president received over 40,000 requests from them. And in addition to this, Tatarstan residents quite often write to the Moscow Kremlin, which in response sends instructions to the Kazan Kremlin. In 2024, the presidential administration of the Russian Federation sent officials in Kazan about 7,100 instructions on citizens' requests, which is 7% more than in 2023.

The number of direct appeals from residents to the ministries and departments of the republic is also growing — by 12%, to 88,400, as well as to local governments — by 11%, to 86,400.

The peak of appeals occurred during self-isolation

Over the past decade, the surge in appeals from citizens to the first person of the republic occurred in 2020, when the coronavirus was raging and people were in isolation. Then the number of letters to the Kazan Kremlin increased by 11% — to 43,100, and to the Moscow Kremlin — by 47%, to 7,800. At the same time, the number of appeals on the topic of healthcare almost doubled — to 4,000: people were concerned about issues of treatment and provision of medical care (863 appeals), provision of medicines (416), sanitary and epidemiological well-being (785), and the quality of medical services (613). 136 medical workers and social workers then sought additional payments for special working conditions and increased workload. 62 people were worried about the COVID-19 vaccination.

In 2024, the topic of healthcare left the top — it worried the authors of only 1,600 requests (in 2023 — 1,800). In particular, issues of treatment and provision of medical care were raised by 413 people (542), the work of medical institutions and their employees — 355 (398), provision of medicines — 304 (241).

What those involved in the special military operation complain about

In the third year of the special military operation, military personnel began to write to the governor of Tatarstan noticeably more often: One in 20 of those who indicated their social status turned out to be such (in 2023, there were only 2% of military personnel). 198 requests were received from them. The administration of the district administration rather vaguely names the topics of these letters: payments to military personnel, social support for their families, issues of military service under contract, provision of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the work of military commissariats and draft boards, etc.

Commissioner for Human Rights in Tatarstan Sariya Saburskaya shared a little more detail about some of the complaints of former soldiers in her report. According to her, former prisoners who fought under contract often report problems with employment. “Despite the expunged criminal record, employers are reluctant to hire them,” the ombudsman writes. She notes that the reason often lies in the lack of education, work skills, and sometimes the desire to find a job or study in this category of those involved in the special military operation.

In general, on defence, security and legality last year, the governor received almost 3,800 messages, a significant part of which concerns the special military operation: humanitarian aid, assistance in finding military personnel, awards, the absence and improper condition of bomb shelters, etc. Civil defence issues were raised by more than 2,000 people who contacted the governor.

“The Tatarstan governor’s office working with citizens' appeals has organized close work to consider letters from citizens concerning the special military operation with the Tatarstan Military Commissariat, the Kazan Garrison Military Prosecutor's Office, and ministries and departments of the Republic of Tatarstan,” the report notes.

The increase in appeals from military personnel has affected the social profile of Rustam Minnikhanov's addressees: the share of workers has decreased to 50% (it was 52% a year ago) and pensioners to 20% (it was 23%).

Only 12 petitioners were seen by Minnikhanov

Those who contact Rustam Minnikhanov seek a personal meeting with the governor. Last year, 729 people insisted on a personal meeting with him, and 12 petitioners had this opportunity (in 2023 — 18). For the remaining appeals, meetings were held by the heads of the republic's departments. For example, head of the administration of the governor Asgat Safarov held 48 personal receptions (in 2023 — 44), assistants to the rais and heads of structural divisions of his administration considered 57 oral appeals. The bulk of visitors — 2,500 people — were heard by employees of the department for working with citizens' appeals. In total, about 2,600 people were able to get to the administration of the governor and the apparatus of the Cabinet of Ministers of Tatarstan for a personal reception last year (in 2023 — 3,500). At the same time, the number of appeals regarding the work of officials of state authorities themselves last year increased by one and a half times. It is unclear from the report whether this was criticism or gratitude addressed to them, but it is indicated that in 2024, over a thousand such letters were received from citizens against 681 in 2023.

In general, one in three or four letters written to the governor (8,600) concerned issues of the state, society and politics. Among them, the share of appeals on the topic of the constitutional system increased — almost 3,100 (2,900 in 2023), in which the majority — 2,200 — in one way or another spoke about the activities of public and religious associations, political parties.

Problems of security and law and order worried 1,300 authors of letters to the governor (2023 — 1,400). Among them, the number of those who are especially concerned about the situation with personal safety increased — 565 (550 in 2023). Issues of justice faded into the background — 194 (224). 98 appeals (372) were devoted to the work of the prosecutor's office, 232 (251) to the justice authorities, including complaints about non-enforcement of court decisions, appeals against court decisions, as well as complaints about the activities of bailiffs.

Complaints about roads are at the top

The champion in terms of complaint growth can be considered appeals about the construction and reconstruction of roads: the number of such letters increased by 57% at once — to 605 (in 2023 — 383). It can be assumed that they were related to the introduction of toll roads in Tatarstan. The number of appeals about street lighting increased by 30% — to 138 (in 2023 — 106). 571 times, citizens complained about the condition of access roads and sidewalks, which is 2% more than in the previous year (556).

The number of correspondence on issues of preferential provision increased by 32% — 1,300 against 981 in 2023.

Residents of the republic also began to express dissatisfaction with transport services more often: increased fares, changes in traffic patterns or cancellation of bus routes, delays in public transport, and the actions of drivers and conductors. 439 requests were received on this topic during the year (417 in 2023). However, as noted in the report, citizens also expressed gratitude, in particular for the updated trolleybus fleet in Kazan.

In 2024, there were slightly more requests on economic issues — almost 7,700 (an increase of 2% compared to 2023). At the same time, the number of letters on the topic of ecology increased quite sharply — by 14% — to 1,700 against 1,500 in the previous year. In particular, according to the report, the complaints concerned the chemical smell at Salavat Kupere residential complex and in residential areas of Zelenodolsk District, the stench from Kamsky Bekon pig-breeding complex in Tukay District of the republic and also contained a protest against the construction of a waste processing complex in the Pestretsy District.

At the same time, the number of applications on information and informatization issues decreased significantly — 68 (in 2023 — 519). There were only 211 requests on the topic of the agricultural sector, compared to 330 in the previous year: almost half of the letters were with requests to support gardening and vegetable gardening (101), the rest mainly concerned issues of management of the agro-industrial complex (42) and farming (18). The number of questions related to finances also significantly decreased — by 12% — 249 compared to 283 in the previous year. As Realnoe Vremya wrote, payments to those affected by the activities of Tatfondbank have not yet been received by the affected clients, now the situation does not seem as painful as in previous years.

Response measures

Following the review, 473 positive decisions were made. 10 requests were reviewed on-site. Over 26,400 requests were forwarded according to their competence to other authorities, which in turn provided 13,600 responses. “Explanations” were given for 3,300 requests. The Tatarstan governor’s office working with citizens' appeals monitored the execution of over 8,300 instructions during the year (in 2023 — 8,000).