Reindeer Blog

While this story might seem more appropriate elsewhere, for the residents of Chukotka, the majority of whom are Chukchi (there are also Yupik, Yukaghir, Even and others) several thousand are engaged in reindeer husbandry, it it is important news. The collapse of the Soviet Union was a disaster for Chukchi reindeer husbandry, and the decline in herd size was more dramatic there than anywhere else in Russia (from nearly half a million to 100,000 reindeer). Abramovich’s tenure as Governor saw a enormous investment in the social and cultural capital of Chukotka as he poured millions of his personal fortune into the regions infrastructure and housing. He also prioritised reindeer husbandry and the livelhood has stabilised, been reinvigorated (See EALAT Information presentations from Chukotka) and seen substantial investment. He has not been without his critics, but noone doubts that citizens of Chukotka are better off now than they were when he started as Governor, 8 years ago.

Looking back, however, it seems that the then-34-year-old oligarch wanted to show the world how he could actually transform an isolated and neglected area into a prosperous region.

And he did just that over the next seven years of his governorship. His professional team of managers pulled Chukotka out of its state of crisis. New schools and hospitals were built, housing units were repaired and investment flowed into the region. Last year the government approved a development program for Chukotka based on the region’s mineral resources that was submitted by Abramovich’s Millhouse Capital company, which owns two gold mines there.

Already, cash revenues in Chukotka are among the highest in Russia, lagging behind only Tyumen, Yamal-Nenets and the Moscow region, and average salaries surpass those in both Moscow and Tyumen. In addition, while Abramovich was governor, the number of people who left Chukotka for other cities dropped, and both alcoholism and the crime rate declined. 
(From the Moscow Times) 

The London Independent noted that he had already tried to resign in 2006, but was dissuaded by Putin.

More was in the New York Times and the Times of London.

His resignation comes just a week before the official opening of his flagship project in Chukotka – the $750 Million Kinross gold mine, as reported in the Moscow Times,

Canadian miner Kinross Gold launched a new gold processing plant in the Chukotka autonomous district Wednesday, as the remote region prepares to more than triple gold output this year, the regional government said.

The plant will process ore from the Kupol field, owned 75 percent by Kinross and 25 percent by Chukotka, which could make Kinross the second-largest gold miner in Russia after Polyus.

Total investment in Kupol, including exploration, construction of the plant and associated infrastructure, exceeded $750 million, the Chukotka administration said in a statement. It said the plant would produce from 13.8 tons to 14.6 tons of precious metals, mainly gold and silver, this year. It will boost the amount of ore processed daily to 3,000 tons in October from an initial 1,500 tons