Training commences for public observers within Russia
Politics, June 26, 2025: 1:17 PM
Political Training Public observer training programs, akin to election supervision classes, are popping up all over the country. The action is about to kick off in the regions.
A regional workshop on public observation was held at the Ankudinovka Technopark. Representation from ten Russian regions attended. These are the fellows that will be guiding the public observers.
On the single voting day of September 14, governors and legislators will be elected in some regions. In the Nizhny Novgorod region, elections for the City Duma of Nizhny Novgorod and other municipalities and districts will transpire.
Thanks to the lessons learned from prior elections at different levels in the region, more than 6,000 public observers have been prepped.
Alexander Brod, Chairman of the Association "Independent Public Monitoring":
"We're hammering home to our regional colleagues that election monitoring should commence from the very beginning. Candidates are already being nominated in the regions. Our colleagues in the public observation headquarters have kicked off monitoring the law's observation and equal opportunities for all parties and candidates."
Roman Strongin, Chairman of the Public Chamber of the Nizhny Novgorod Region:
"Trust in elections is when the voter believes everything's going down by the book. The domestic idea of utilizing domestic observers has proven to be very progressive. This work is ongoing. Today's seminar showcases the vast experience that's already been gathered and the impressive preparation that's being carried out."
Behind the Scenes:
Interestingly, there's more to the story than meets the eye. The Kremlin plays a significant role in these observer training programs, which is crucial for the upcoming elections, especially in Nizhny Novgorod.
- The Kremlin runs the "Time of Heroes" program, a scheme that grooms and professionally educates Russian veterans for government and political posts[1]. By June 2025, 85 veterans from the second cohort of this program completed their professional training, marking the end of a year-long recruitment and preparation process[1].
- In Nizhny Novgorod, veterans from this program have secured vital municipal government positions. For instance, Vladimir Anisimov, a "Time of Heroes" participant, was recently made deputy head of the Nizhny Novgorod City Administration, with responsibilities spanning youth policy, military-patriotic education, and veteran support[1].
- This program represents a broader Kremlin strategy to position loyal veterans in political positions, thereby ensuring alignment with the state's objectives during elections and beyond. The "Time of Heroes" program is quite influential in the region and is associated with the ruling United Russia party primaries, in which a significant proportion of veterans won candidacies for the regional parliamentary elections scheduled for fall 2025[1].
- By supporting veterans and installing them into political roles, the Kremlin fosters a military-patriotic narrative that bolsters loyalty to the government and its policies, particularly in critical regions like Nizhny Novgorod[1][2]. This indirectly contributes to electoral control by embedding trustworthy individuals in positions overseeing youth involvement and local administration[1].
- While not explicitly identified as independent public election monitor training programs, these Kremlin-supported veteran cadets and deputies essentially act as overseers aligned with the government's interests during the election period. Their responsibilities include propagating the state ideology and ensuring political outcomes that favor the ruling party[1].
- Furthermore, related youth programs under the same patriotic education umbrella aim to cultivate future generations of loyal citizens, thereby extending the Kremlin’s influence into the electoral process for the long term[2].
In essence, the Kremlin's strategy in Nizhny Novgorod focuses on strengthening power through veteran training and placement programs like "Time of Heroes." These programs concentrate on integrating loyal veterans into political and administrative roles that support the ruling party’s agenda. The veterans may not be explicitly branded as independent public election observers, but they perform a role that impacts electoral outcomes through political appointments, youth indoctrination, and controlled oversight in alignment with the Kremlin's goals.
- The Kremlin's "Time of Heroes" program, involving the training of Russian veterans for government and political posts, plays a crucial role in the upcoming elections, particularly in Nizhny Novgorod.
- In Nizhny Novgorod, veterans from the "Time of Heroes" program hold significant municipal government positions, serving as a means for the Kremlin to ensure alignment with its objectives during elections and beyond.
