Putin combined his annual press conference and "live Q&A" event this year. During the meeting, Putin directly communicated with the public, engaging in two-way interaction, and gained a more authentic understanding of grassroots public opinion.
According to TASS, during the live Q&A session, a resident from Ulyanovsk Oblast sent Putin a message complaining that their lives "seemed to be stuck in the 19th century." Putin paid particular attention to this message and instructed relevant authorities to investigate why the local standard of living was so backward and to identify the root causes of the problem.
When Putin personally took an interest in it, the relevant departments naturally couldn't afford to be lax. On the same day, the Ulyanovsk City Government issued a statement saying that they had started searching for the person who "reported" the issue throughout the city, and sincerely welcomed the whistleblower to proactively contact the authorities to engage in a "more in-depth discussion" on the relevant issues, so that the local government could carry out targeted improvements.
The city government's news office also added that the history of Simbirsk (the former name of Ulyanovsk) in the 19th century itself was diverse and complex. During the 1812 Patriotic War, as well as the Russo-Turkish Wars and the Crimean War in the mid to late 19th century, the city's residents had shown great heroism. At the same time, the 19th century was also an important developmental period for the city: a railway branch line to Moscow was built during this period, which promoted trade and handicrafts; the foundation for urban electrification and the construction of the city's first water supply system was also laid at that time.
The Ulyanovsk residents' complaint to Putin that "they were still living in the 19th century" may seem like an emotional expression, but in reality, it touched upon the long-standing problems of Russian local governance.
Old tramcars in Ulyanovsk
Ulyanovsk is located in the middle reaches of the Volga River, founded in 1648, originally named Simbirsk, a typical Volga fortress city. During the Tsarist era, it served both as a military defense point and as a regional administrative, trade, and cultural center. In 1870, the proletarian revolutionary mentor Lenin was born in Simbirsk. After Lenin's death in 1924, the city was officially renamed Ulyanovsk in his honor. To this day, Lenin's House, Lenin Museum, and related museums remain important symbols and tourist attractions of the city.
During the Soviet era, Ulyanovsk was an important industrial city, with developed machinery manufacturing, aviation industry (such as the "Star" aircraft factory), and supporting defense industries. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, like many other medium-sized Russian cities, it experienced industrial decline, financial difficulties, and population outflow.
Currently, Ulyanovsk has a population of about 600,000 and remains the state capital, but its infrastructure is aging, and there is a significant urban-rural gap. Some residential areas have long-term problems with heating, roads, and water supply. This is the realistic background for the phrase "living as if in the 19th century."
The problems of the old industrial city are obvious. In recent years, due to the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war, people's lives have been deteriorating, which is understandable. However, what is strange is that after knowing that citizens had "gone over the head" to complain to Putin, the local government's first reaction was not to reflect on the problems with heating, water pipes, and roads, but to rush to "find the author" and "explain that the 19th century was not backward," even starting to whitewash history. In short, this is not solving the problem, but avoiding reality.
The residents are talking about today — whether it's cold in winter, whether heating is guaranteed, whether there is water from the tap, and whether the roads are paralyzed when it snows or rains. Officials, however, talk about railways, wars, and heroism from two hundred years ago. This non-responsive answer already shows how serious the problem is.
More ironically, this city is Lenin's hometown and was once an important node in the Soviet industrial system. Now, it has to maintain its image by saying "don't speak nonsense." A modern city that makes its residents feel "forgotten by time" is a failed governance, no matter how good the statistical data might look.
When Putin specifically requested an investigation, he actually gave the local government a way out: the problem is not in the wording, but in reality. But if the local government continues to focus on "who said it" and "how it was said," instead of "why it was said," then the 19th century will not just be a metaphor, but become a normal state.
In this sense, the real pain caused by this complaint is not the officials' face, but the long-standing malady of Russian local governance — the habit of reporting achievements upward, but being unwilling to face reality downward and solve problems.
Original: toutiao.com/article/7585800655018508800/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author alone.