Experts summed up the results of Governor Gleb Nikitin's live Q&A.

      The governor of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Gleb Nikitin’s direct line (live Q&A) took place on November 25. During the preparation and conduct of the event the head of the region received more than 6,000 appeals. The broadcast was on Gleb Nikitin’s page on VKontakte, as well as on local television channels. The duration of one of the main media events of the year was about three hours, during which the governor answered several dozen inquiries.

      Topics concerned questions of the economy, support for participants in the special military operation (SMO) and their families, healthcare, and the development of public transport taking into account the construction of the metro. The head of the region did not shy away from problematic and sensitive issues, related, for example, to falling tax revenues or restrictions on internet service.

      The candid and competent conversation attracted significant audience attention. The total number of viewers who watched the broadcast across all channels was about two million people.

      We asked experts to assess the event by answering two questions: “What role does this event play in governing the region?” and “What was the most important thing for you personally in the governor’s address?”

      Evgeny Semyonov, Deputy Chairman of the Public Chamber of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, head of the Nizhny Novgorod branch of FoRGO, political scientist, Candidate of Political Sciences, associate professor:

      “Governors’ direct lines are one of the modern tools for legitimizing power. They are a communicative instrument. In an information society, public actions by the authorities have a significant impact on the process of forming public opinion about the authorities, affect society’s assessment of the professional competence of officials, and become key constructs of their reputation. An important detail that drew attention was that the conversation began with summarizing the results of governing the region. Gleb Nikitin assessed the past eight years as four different eras, indicating that new tasks constantly arose before him and were successfully resolved. Such an overture poses various questions for observers.”

      Sergey Sudyin, Doctor of Social Sciences, professor, head of the Department of General Sociology and Social Work at N.I. Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod:

      “On November 25 another direct line with the governor of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Gleb Nikitin, took place. The very fact of the growing popularity of this format indicates a change in the general paradigm of interaction between authorities and society: the course toward openness has been continued, readiness to answer any questions has been demonstrated, as well as the ability to put definitive ends to protracted disputes. The idea of such meetings, of course, is not new: the direct line with Russian President Vladimir Putin comes to mind first. However, the use of this format at the regional level has its own specifics that cannot be ignored. The region is developing, the number of questions grows in direct proportion to the speed of change, problems are ripening that require solutions, and there is often not enough strength, funds, and time for many things. The governor honestly spoke about the “rightward shift” of deadlines for opening new metro stations, closed the question about the comprehensive development of the Vodnik stadium territory, and touched on the economic situation and security measures, including mobile internet shutdowns. Overall, a necessary and useful format. It should be continued.”

      Andrey Dakhin, Doctor of Philosophy, professor at the Nizhny Novgorod Institute of Management — a branch of RANEPA:

      “The fifth annual direct line of the governor of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast with the people of Nizhny Novgorod, which took place on November 25, 2025, demonstrated the adaptive resilience of the regional system of public authority in the situation of new turbulence, and also reflected new features of the current moment in the region’s life. The governor linked the new turbulence to the background slowdown of economic growth in Russia, to the post-effect of the previous several years of the Central Bank’s fight against inflation, which created, on the one hand, a limitation of organizations’ own investment financial resources and, on the other hand, limited accessibility of credit institutions’ funds. The governor’s dialogue with Nizhny Novgorod residents and his answers to specific questions showed that in the situation of new turbulence the regional government is not at a loss. On the contrary, there is determined cohesion, a focus on achieving previously set goals, readiness to make decisions in new circumstances provided by events, and a desire to take into account the interests of Nizhny Novgorod residents in those decisions.”

      Roman Permyakov, Deputy Chairman of the Public Chamber of Nizhny Novgorod:

      “Direct lines of regional heads are no longer about showboating but about getting things done — not about demonstrating openness, but about communication effectiveness. Communications are now the most important managerial competence, characterizing the effectiveness of the entire state apparatus. It is enough to recall that at the end of 2024 the president, by decree, officially enshrined the level of trust as a key performance indicator for regional heads. Today communications have evolved toward efficiency, technological sophistication and multichannel approaches. The most progressive format of such systemic communication between regional authorities and residents is direct lines with broadcasts on various platforms with the ability to ask a question both before the broadcast and during it. There is an opportunity to raise the most acute questions, and the governor answers them as honestly as possible, without embellishment and based on facts. It is obvious that such a demand for openness and utmost sincerity on the direct line comes directly from the head of the region, Gleb Nikitin. Over three hours of broadcast all the most pressing issues worrying Nizhny Novgorod residents were voiced. The region’s residents received exhaustive and detailed answers personally from the governor to the most difficult questions — the staffing situation in healthcare, housing and communal services problems, the operation of public transport, restrictions on mobile internet, the WB logistics center in Novinki, the construction of an ice palace and the reconstruction of the Vodnik stadium.”

      Elena Mozgunova, historian, Candidate of Political Sciences, associate professor at the RANEPA branch:

      “Holding a direct line with the head of state, region, or municipality has become an important tool for building communication between the authorities and society. It is a significant instrument of public policy. This was demonstrated on November 25. Gleb Nikitin engaged in an open conversation with residents, which always creates a sense of involvement and concern. This format of interaction allows citizens to directly influence the process of managerial decision-making in the region. Nizhny Novgorod residents use the opportunity to be heard, and the authorities, in turn, monitor the real demands of society. One of the advantages of increasing digitization of service delivery is the promptness of responding to arising requests. For me it is important that the head of the region did not divide questions into convenient and inconvenient, but commented on the topics that truly worry people. Nikitin answered openly, without duplicity, noting that deadlines for large-scale projects can shift, that demography cannot be corrected in 2, 3 or even 5 years, and that internet restrictions were caused by security measures. Questions were complex and sometimes provocative, and such an open dialogue not only reduces the level of social tension but also gives impetus to the work of relevant ministries and agencies, making their work transparent and accountable.”

      The material was prepared within a joint project of NIA “Nizhny Novgorod” and the federal “Expert Club.”

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