Aisen Nikolaev: the bridge across the Lena will give Russia another outlet to the Pacific ocean

The project of the bridge across the Lena has already received the support of the government and the decision on its construction can be made before the end of the year, said the head of Yakutia Aisen Nikolaev. In an interview with RIA Novosti he said that when the bridge can drive the first cars, how is the life of Yakutsk on the background of the shallowing of the Lena and what proposals the authorities of the region have prepared for developing the strategy of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. Interviewed By Daria Uraeva.

— S. Aisen, you have represented the Yakut innovative projects at the forum “Open innovations” in Moscow. Please tell us what projects were presented and in General, developing this sector in the region?

— Forum we brought eight innovative projects in various fields, it and IT-technology, and biotechnology, and composite materials. In particular, we brought the project to find people lost in the taiga, which is important for the country with such distances as we do. The project is actually quite low. The point is that the rescuers are left in the taiga devices that are served from time to time far enough audible siren sound. Accordingly, the man who lost out on this sound. On the device there is a red button, clicking on which, via satellite, we determine the coordinates of lost. And, accordingly, have lifeguards arrive at this place. Thanks to this device in the taiga of Yakutia this summer has found eight people.

In addition, in Yakutia has been developed and is now produced supplements for the treatment of osteoporosis. This disease is now, unfortunately, is quite common, especially among elderly women. This dietary Supplement is primarily consists of the bones of the Northern fish, it is environmentally friendly and allows you to recover well without taking drugs.

— You are looking to take their projects to the international market?

— Of course, it is the products that in the future we will expand into international markets. In recent years, Yakutia is well known as a region producing IT products, primarily computer games. If earlier the indisputable leader was the company MyTona, now, for example, the company produces a Fntastic game Radiant One, which is already available for all Apple devices. I believe that this is in General not only for Yakutia, but for the Russian IT-industry is quite a serious achievement.

— The main issue for Yakutia now – the construction of a bridge across the Lena. The problem is solved for a long time, what is the status now? Were you able to convince the government and in particular Vice-Premier Yuri Trutnev in the economic viability of the project?

— The history of the construction of this bridge stretches for decades, since Soviet times. But, unfortunately, due to various objective and subjective reasons at the time of my meeting with President Vladimir Putin in August last year, the status of this project was absolutely zero, that is, it was postponed for implementation after 2030 and never appeared in the programs of our country. But after the orders of the President to revisit this issue over the past year our team and the government have done a very great job.

Today we have a positive conclusion about the feasibility of the construction of this bridge not only from the ministries and departments already have a solution project office for the Deputy Prime Minister Maxim Akimov that this project be useful to include in the comprehensive plan of modernization of the transport infrastructure of the country. There is a decision of the Plenipotentiary of the President in the far East Yuri Trutnev about the support of this project. The construction of the bridge is today one of the basic in the national programme for development of the Far East, which should be signed by the President in November.

In General I would say that we are in complete understanding with the government on the appropriateness of the project approaches construction. Of course, there is the perennial question: where to take money? But we hope that jointly with the government, including with the first Deputy Prime Minister, Anton Siluanov, we will be able to solve this issue and the bridge will be built. And we believe that if politically, shall we say, the decision about bridge construction will be made in the course of this year, in 2025 actually already on the bridge will pass.

— The bridge across the Lena river need first and foremost to solve the problems of life support of Yakutsk, which is cut off from most settlements in the region. Do you have the calculations, which means from regional and Federal budgets are spent on transporting products in a city in the navigation? And do you have calculations that can pay off the bridge?

— Understand that at the moment you generally do not transfer across the Lena river, because the river freezes. Such a huge river as Lena, freezes long enough. Accordingly, we have a movement capacity of up to 40 tonnes will open in January-the month of February. And until that time will go to small machines. So at this point in Yakutsk it is impossible to smuggle anything, except aviation.

— That is, navigation on the river is now gone?

— No. Only when accompanied by icebreakers can walk to the ferries, but this carries a very high risk, respectively, the transportation cost is very large. Now intense, and carried only goods of first necessity.

— Lee managed to move all the cargo in navigation, will not be any difficulties with the livelihoods of the city this season?

— All imported. All that was needed, we brought, despite the silting up of the Lena river, which created of course a number of problems. But overall, I say it again, we all goods 100 percent delivered.

— Next season is projected shoaling of Lena? There are some concerns that, again, difficulties arise?

— For the fourth year is so called natural 12-year cycle with the water on the river Lena, so a few years will be strong enough shallowing and we will have bad conditions for navigation.

— Tell, and in what form the bridge project now? It will be a road bridge?

Yes.

Without the train part?

Without the train part.

— Then, is there any sense to start such a complex and expensive project, unless a railway line and bridge will not solve all the problems of the city?

We are building the bridge to Yakutsk. Is believed, unfortunately, that the bridge built for one city and, accordingly, that is why this problem is never solved. The bridge actually is built to the huge territory of the Western Yakutia has been linked with the country. In the long term this should lead to a 2030-year-old from Irkutsk by road you can reach to Magadan. Our country will get another car out to the Pacific ocean. Once again, this project is not to provide one city, it’s a project that needs to develop a huge area in million square meters and to connect the three Federal and four regional roads.

— You said earlier in an interview with us that the bridge project is of interest of foreign investors, but did not disclose details. What is the situation now, the interest saved? Can you name any specific interested parties?

We are a number of limitations in this part. I can say that Yes, foreign companies are showing great interest in the framework of participation in the competition for the construction of the bridge.

— In July opened the passenger transportation from railway station “Nizhniy Bestyakh”, which is located on the right Bank of the Lena river, 30 kilometers from Yakutsk. This reduced the costs of the region for the transportation of goods? How significant are the savings?

— The average cost of freight after the opening of the railway has decreased by 25-30 percent. That is a very significant figure.

— What is the situation with regional waste operator now? Earlier, the authorities of the region, bought a controlling stake in the operator, all staff? Are you satisfied with the operator’s work now?

—We have, first, on the territory of the Republic of five regional operators, as the territory of the Republic is huge. Each of them has questions. Unfortunately, the industry of waste management, we have in Yakutia is practically absent. Now we are faced with the fact that the majority of landfills for waste are generally not registered. Many municipalities urgently needs to take away lands, and these lands are in use of the forest Fund, that is, must withdraw to register. There are problems with the new site of Yakutsk — Rosprirodnazdor appeared to claim him in the part of bogging. There are also problems, as well as throughout the country, with a low collection rate. Now the level of payments in the Republic is about 60 percent, this suggests that the population is still not very understand why it has to pay, particularly those in the private sector.

— As the regional authorities have addressed these issues?

— We decide these issues on a regular basis, we have a working group, the issue of promoting junk reform in the Republic is considered on my level with regularity every two months. There are questions of a tactical nature, which are in the daily mode, there are issues is strategic — the creation of large polygons, the establishment of a waste processing industry.

— Is there some sort of work with the population on this issue?

It is the duty of the municipalities, we demand that they still participated in advocacy for this reform, explained to the people of new approaches to the treatment of waste. Also working with budget organizations, and with commercial enterprises. I think about a year and a half need to the whole system settled.

— What proposals have you prepared a region for developing the strategy of development of the Arctic? And how do you personally see prospects of development of the Russian Arctic?

— The Arctic is a vast region. For Yakutia it is generally a question of further development, because the territory of the Yakut of the Arctic is 1.6 million square kilometers. We are here are working very actively with the Ministry for development of Russian Far East and the Arctic, are actively cooperating with the government Commission headed by Yury Trutnev sent their proposals are different. Our approach is, of course, support for industrial projects in the Arctic, which can now begin its implementation. However, of course, we understand that the implementation of these projects, we must do everything to those people, who today live and work in the Arctic, including indigenous peoples, public sector workers, experienced improvements in quality of life. The most important thing.

Actually quite a lot of time is waiting until these projects will earn and will give large gains in the local and regional budgets. Need some decisions, including at the Federal level to improve the quality of life, advancing the construction of social infrastructure, tax incentives. Yakutia, for example, freed the inhabitants of the Arctic zone from a number of taxes more: vehicle tax, tax on property of individuals. All these losses of local budgets was compensated.

— Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed the government to prepare proposals to ensure households and organizations in the far East broadband Internet access, including hard-to-reach areas. As this is the situation in Yakutia and the suggestions for the government to prepare the regional authorities?

— Work is proceeding very actively. We see that today we probably are one of the leaders of the country on the emergence of new lines of high-speed Internet. Arctic links over the last year, we had laid almost two thousand kilometers of cable. And it is our task in the coming years to increase the coverage of the population enjoys high-speed Internet to 90 percent.

It should be understood that if the Central, southern and Western Yakutia, this work is almost in the final stage, in the Arctic, where vast distances and a small population, we have serious issues. So much of the economic feasibility for large scale operators in laying these lines no. We will work on further spreading of a fibre optic connection. Still believe that these projects need to be implemented, including in connection with the development of the Northern sea route. There, where the remains of satellite Internet, we will ask Federal agencies about the possible introduction of subsidies for its users.

— It is known that in the coming three years in the country will be reduced by 30 percent of civil servants. For today their number in the region is slightly less than three thousand people. Also the changes planned in the social sphere. What measures will be taken by Yakutia to relieve tension on the labour market and employment of unemployed citizens? It does not hurt on the background of the reforms the population of the Arctic areas?

— In fact, in the Arctic the state and municipal employees very little. This is largely a problem of Yakutsk, where it is concentrated the largest number of public servants. And here we should not just automatically cut from all ministries in equal shares, we must look from the point of view of the effectiveness of ministries, from the point of view of possibility of their transformation. More broadly must be applied digitization to on the basis of new approaches, we have created a new structure of state and municipal management. I believe that this will allow us to fairly painless to resolve these issues, and that there is a transition period, that’s good. I think that we do according to, because, to be honest, from the reduction of the number of officials, especially at this size, we have some serious shocks in the labor market will not occur.

— Loud story of recent weeks – an attempt Yakut “shaman” Alexander Gabysheva go on foot to Moscow. He was arrested, prosecuted for incitement to extremism. You follow this story?

Well, first, he is not a shaman. He proclaimed himself the shaman. Second, this person quite a hard life, associated with the loss of loved ones, he is emotionally unstable, has problems with health. In this case, apparently, there is a group of people, and largely of a criminal nature, which just use it. Someone for political purposes, someone in order to earn money. A huge amount of bills to aid is created, what makes any sane person a number of questions. Where and to whom is this aid? Because he exists in very simple terms, is living with relatives in Yakutsk. He was not arrested, I repeat, is with relatives. Now there is a consequence. I don’t think there will be taken some tough measures, but in any case, it is the prerogative of law enforcement.

— The Gabyshev has not asked you for help?

— No. It is not public authorities, need more medical care. The person is not detained, he himself admits that the investigation should render some verdict. So I see here the attempt of some forces to dramatise the situation, to make him a prisoner of conscience. I extremely dislike that the forces, which are outside Russia, are trying to use him as a political puppet. They do not think about human health, about the consequences for him.

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