Novokhopersky District Leaders 'Know Nothing,' Residents Say
Viktor Korolyov has been leading the district since late 2021
Novokhopersky District is located in the east of Voronezh Oblast. With an area of 2,333.93 square kilometers, it is one of the largest in the region: only Rossoshansky and Kantemirovsky districts are larger. It borders Volgograd Oblast.
The district was established on 30 July 1928. The district center is the Novokhoperskoye urban settlement with a population of 15.6 thousand people. Read about the district«s history and its leadership in the new material from our series »Who Has the Power Here?«
A rally in Novokhopersk in November 2012
The Desman and Nickel
Viktor Petrov with the former governor of Voronezh Oblast Alexei Gordeyev
The history of Novokhopersk began in the 17th century, when Cossack settlements appeared on the banks of the Khopyor River. In the early 18th century, by order of Peter I, an earthen fortress and a shipyard for building small vessels were established by the river. In the 1770s, by decree of Catherine II, about 30 ships of various types were built and launched here. Novokhopersk became part of Voronezh Governorate in 1802.
In recent history, Novokhopersky District has become particularly famous for two things. First — the Khopyor Nature Reserve, partially located in the district. It was created in 1935 to preserve the desman. The reserve continues this work to this day, as well as — preserving and restoring the ecosystems of the Khopyor River valley.
The second thing that made Novokhopersky District famous across the country — is nickel. Nickel ores were first discovered here back in the USSR, with the largest deposits being Yelanskoye and Yolkinskoye. However, the issue of their development only arose in the early 2010s. The right for geological exploration was granted to the Mednogorsky Copper-Sulfur Combine (MMSK).
The prospect of nickel deposit development did not meet with approval from residents of Novokhopersky District or neighboring districts. In 2012–2013, mass protest actions took place under the general name «Movement in Defense of the Khopyor.» Participants included local residents, eco-activists, and Cossacks. It even came to arson at the geologists« shift camp.
The cause of the protests was concern for the district«s ecology. The fact is that in Novokhopersk, nickel was planned not only to be mined but also to undergo primary processing. That is, in addition to quarries, a purification plant would appear, bringing a huge amount of ore processing waste. Part of this waste — toxic, for example, mercury and uranium.
Rallies and arson did not stop plans for deposit development; geological exploration continued. It was completed by 2017, but everything has paused for now. In 2024, MMSK«s license for developing deposits in Voronezh Oblast was terminated. And for now, nickel mining in Novokhopersky District has been postponed indefinitely — but hardly forever.
Sugar and Non-Repayable Millions
The administration of Novokhopersky District is headed by Viktor Korolyov. There is little information about his biography online. It is known that he was born on 5 November 1962 in the village of Verkhny Mamon. From 2001 to 2008, he held various positions at the sugar-producing Novokhopersk OJSC «Yelan.» There, he held positions up to deputy general director for supply, sales, and transport.
From 2008 to 2014, he worked as deputy general director at the Yelan-Kolenovsky Sugar Plant, which operates to this day. From 2014, Viktor Korolyov entered politics — became deputy head of Novokhopersky District. He has headed the district since 30 November 2021: first as acting head, then fully.
He is married and raises two daughters. According to publications «Kommersant-Chernozemye» and «Bloknot Voronezh,» he has relatives in Ukraine.
Before Korolyov, Novokhopersky District was headed for 25 years by Viktor Petrov, who died in 2021. Under him, 22 settlements in the municipality were transformed into 11, and his resignation was demanded by protesters against nickel mining in the region in the early 2010s. In particular, he was accused of transferring land over the deposits to his relatives — sister and son.
Also, the former head was criticized for lacking a clear position on nickel mining in the district. This was explained by an agreement that the Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company (UGMK) — the parent company of MMSK, which was to handle subsoil development — concluded with the administration of Novokhopersky District. According to the agreement, UGMK provided non-repayable assistance to the municipality in the form of transfers to the local budget of millions of rubles. At least three transfers are known: 18 million rubles (approximately $240,000 at current rates) — in 2013, 25 million rubles (approximately $333,000 at current rates) — in 2014, and 16 million rubles (approximately $213,000 at current rates) — in 2015. The money was directed to district needs.
Who Earns How Much?
At the end of 2022, Russian officials stopped publishing income declarations. The corresponding law was signed by President Vladimir Putin at that time.
Therefore, the latest data on the income of the current head of Novokhopersky District, Viktor Korolyov, dates back to 2021, when he was still deputy head. Then he earned 1.98 million rubles (approximately $26,000 at current rates) — that«s about 165.5 thousand rubles (approximately $2,200 at current rates) per month.
He owned:
1/24 of a land plot (739 sq. m, approximately 7,950 sq ft);
a land plot (642 sq. m, approximately 6,910 sq ft);
a residential house (192.1 sq. m, approximately 2,068 sq ft);
an apartment (84 sq. m, approximately 904 sq ft);
1/2 of a garage (29.7 sq. m, approximately 320 sq ft);
an Audi Q5 B9 car.
Korolyov«s real estate was used by his spouse. She earned 146 thousand rubles (approximately $1,950 at current rates) in 2021.
The previous head Viktor Petrov earned 4.2 million rubles (approximately $56,000 at current rates) in 2020, and he owned only a small land plot, an 83 sq. m (approximately 893 sq ft) apartment, and a garage.
«Satisfied with Them Are Few»
On Yandex Maps, the administration of Novokhopersky District has nine reviews, all written in the last six years. Positive and negative are equal in number.
«The leadership of the Administration of Novokhopersky District and the urban settlement of Novokhopersk — incompetent, focused only on reporting. Look at local social networks, satisfied with them are few, mostly continuous dissatisfaction with their activities. Constant interruptions in water supply in Novokhopersk and the district, almost no fire safety measures in villages at risk of fires, not all settlements in the district are served by mobile food shops, on the cadastral map there are a huge number of errors, old data not changed, almost all inquiries receive formal replies. In general, they know nothing and are responsible for nothing. Why did they come to work here, they should sit somewhere else, where they don»t have to think, make decisions, and work,« — thinks Olga P.
«The administration does nothing! Engages only in formal replies,» — complained a user with the nickname tvorchestvo 2013 mix.
One of the positive reviews concerns the work of the former head:
«Everything is at the highest level thanks to the head of the district Viktor Tikhonovich Petrov and other employees of his apparatus,» — wrote Vitaly O.
«All employees of the administration responsibly perform their work. Well done!» — noted an anonymous resident of the district.
Where to Come, Call, and Write
The district administration is located in Novokhopersk on Sovetskaya Street, 14. Nearby — the prosecutor«s office, local history museum, park, and an architectural monument, the house where Czechoslovak revolutionary and president Klement Gottwald lived.
The administration works from Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 17:00, break — from 12:00 to 13:00. Saturday and Sunday — days off.
To call the administration, use the number +7 (47353) 3-15-98, and to write a letter — to the email address novohoper@govvrn.ru.
On the administration«s website the numbers of almost all employees are listed. You can also call head Viktor Korolyov directly: +7-47353-3-15-98.
