This year Russia is preparing for another record grain harvest - 128 million tons - and expects to regain first place in the world in wheat exports. On the eve of the main agro-industrial exhibition “Golden Autumn – 2017”, the Minister Agriculture Alexander Tkachev spoke in an interview with Izvestia about how much the state will allocate to finance agricultural development programs in the new budget, about increasing sales of Russian agricultural products in the EAEU, about the discussed refusal from December 1 from the import of meat and bone meal from sanctioned countries and how to double contribution of agriculture to GDP.

This year the level of grain production exceeded last year's figures. In addition, its exports have increased. What is this connected with? What are the main reasons?

Two factors contributed to this growth. Firstly, unprecedented government support. Secondly, the use of modern production technologies, provision of the necessary amount of equipment and fertilizers. There are no miracles. We moved towards this gradually, consciously. And not just for one year. This season we plan to harvest 128 million tons of grain and hope that Russia will regain its leadership in wheat exports.

- Can we say that the quality of Russian grain is growing?

This is a controversial issue. On the one hand, as of September 27 of this year, the share of food wheat in the total harvest reached 70%, slightly higher than the level on the same date last year. By the end of the year, we will harvest about 60 million tons of food wheat, or 75%. To understand, in the USA, Canada and the European Union the share of food wheat is 90%, but their situation is different, they do not need fodder, their livestock is fed corn and other feed crops. In Russia in force weather conditions Other traditions of farming and feeding farm animals developed.

- Exports of Russian food products to the EAEU countries have increased this year. What is this connected with?

The countries of the Eurasian Economic Union are our strategic partners and neighbors; we have a lot in common and, of course, among the main priorities for export development is increasing mutual trade with the countries of the EAEU. So far, the union countries account for only 15% of the total exports of Russian agricultural products. Following the results of seven months, exports to the EAEU countries increased by 22% and reached $1.6 billion. In general, food exports are growing at the same pace and amount to $11.5 billion. If the growth rate continues, by the end of the year exports will exceed $20 billion. Imports from EAEU to Russia. It turns out to be such mutual cooperation.

- How can this affect our domestic market? Will this lead to higher prices?

It won’t, because our domestic market is already saturated in a number of areas: sugar, grain, vegetable oil, pork, poultry. We are interested in dumping “surpluses” that can put pressure on the domestic market and thereby make the production of agricultural products unprofitable for agricultural producers. This is very important because there must be profitability, profitability, an incentive to invest in agriculture.

- Will subsidies for the agricultural sector change in 2018? In what areas and how?

On behalf of the president and government, funding for the industry will remain at the current year level - 242 billion rubles. There is no final distribution by area yet, the draft budget is in the State Duma. But it is already clear that such an amount will allow maintaining the volume of funding in most areas of support (for example, for a single subsidy - 39 billion rubles, for programs for the development of rural areas - 16 billion rubles, for the development of land reclamation - 11 billion rubles), as well as to ensure servicing of funds issued in this year preferential loans in full.

- Maybe the preferential lending will change in some way?

- We launched a preferential lending mechanism for the first time this year to enable Russian agricultural producers to receive cheap and long-term money for the development of their enterprises. We don't want to slow down. The activity of agricultural producers today is quite high. Everyone wants to re-equip, modernize their enterprises, build new enterprises, buy new equipment.

Now the share of the agro-industrial complex in GDP is 4%, there are prospects for growth to 5%. How to double this share, bring it to 10%? Does Russia need this?

Of course it is necessary. European countries, as well as the United States, produce much more per capita. What do they do with the "surplus"? Of course, they sell and earn good money from exports. If our export volume is $20 billion, then America’s is many times more. The share of the agro-industrial complex of 4% is a very good indicator, and it is impossible to achieve 10% in one year; this must be done gradually. Thus, over the past seven years we have noted an increase of one third. At the beginning of the 2000s, it seemed that agriculture would never escape the “black hole” label. But thanks to the efforts of Alexey Vasilyevich Gordeev and Viktor Alekseevich Zubkov, the support of the president and the government, a national project was launched, which kicked off the revival of the industry. At that moment, the foundation was laid for the development of agriculture, and now we are reaping the fruits of the seeds that these people sowed. As a result, over ten years, poultry meat production has tripled - to 4 million tons, pork production has doubled - to 3 million tons. The level of self-sufficiency for these types of meat reaches 90%, and this is serious progress. And, of course, the task is not only to maintain the height that we have gained, but also to increase the achieved results. We can not only feed our own country, but also become the world's leading agricultural power, so we need to strive to double the share of the agro-industrial complex in GDP.

From January 1, electronic veterinary certification will be introduced in Russia. To simplify the transition to this system, a list of food products has appeared, certificates for which can be issued not only by employees of the State Veterinary Service, but also simply by authorized persons of enterprises. Will this lead to low-quality products entering the domestic market?

This is out of the question. Firstly, authorized persons of enterprises will issue certificates only for processed animal products and fish. Provided that such products or raw materials have already passed the safety confirmation procedures established by veterinary legislation. In addition, we focus on successful global practice. Accredited experts will work - veterinarians who value their reputation. During certification, they are presented with a whole list of requirements based on their education and work experience. Rosselkhoznadzor is currently holding a series of seminars for them in the regions. This is a progressive approach, aimed primarily at ensuring veterinary safety through traceability of raw materials and products at all stages of production.

- What is the certification procedure for such specialists?

Everything will happen with the assistance of the Ministry of Agriculture, as well as representatives of industry unions. Of course, only experienced people will be involved in the procedure.

The Ministry of Agriculture has even created a special operational headquarters for the implementation of an electronic veterinary certification system. What kind of work does he do? Will it help manufacturers switch to the new system?

The deadline for the widespread introduction of electronic veterinary certification is approaching, so the Ministry of Agriculture has created an operational headquarters for its implementation. It's already working. This is not an easy process a large number participants. The task of the headquarters is to help market participants painlessly and step by step transition to the preparation of veterinary accompanying documents in in electronic format. We have positive dynamics: the number of certificates issued in electronic form is growing exponentially every week, especially in the Volga region, Siberia and beyond the Urals. The leaders are Chelyabinsk, Kuban, Bashkortostan, Tatarstan and Novosibirsk. In addition, the headquarters monitors the situation, looks at what problems exist and how they can be solved.

This year it was planned to introduce a ban on the import of meat and bone meal. It turns out that Russia is now ready to completely abandon the import of these products? What is the volume of such production?

Yes, I'm ready. We propose to completely limit the import of these products from sanctioned countries from December 1. Over the past 10 years, the production volumes of meat products, primarily pork and poultry, have increased exponentially in Russia, and thanks to the development of deep processing, the production volumes of meat and bone meal have also increased. Russia produces about 370 thousand tons of such flour (82% of total consumption), including for non-productive animals - 40 thousand tons.

This year, the Ministry of Agriculture even created a working group on meat and bone meal. What exactly does she do? What are the interim results of her work?

This working group appeared under the Ministry of Agriculture in May. She monitored the situation and studied whether we could completely get rid of imports. There were quite a few rumors and arguments that we would not be able to replace the import of meat and bone meal. Many people said that with the introduction of the embargo, prices on the domestic market would increase, but this is not the case, because the share of meat and bone meal in the total cost of feed is no more than 10%.

Enterprises included in the top 20 largest pork producers plan to increase the production of meat and bone meal from pork and the level of organization of meat and bone meal production at large poultry farms in Russia is no lower than abroad, which will allow them to completely replace imports by the end of 2017. As for meat and bone meal from chicken raw materials, about 60% of the total demand will be provided through domestic production. If necessary, supplies can be made from the EAEU countries, including Belarus, which now accounts for a third of imports.

Exports of agricultural products by the end of the year could reach $17 billion, surpassing the volumes of exports of the military-technical complex. In agricultural exports, wheat supplies are a separate line - Russia has become a world leader this year and plans to maintain this leadership in the future. Minister of Agriculture Alexander Tkachev spoke in an interview with RIA Novosti about what Russian farmers have achieved in the past year, how to meet the country’s needs with domestic milk, reduce prices for agricultural products and increase wine production in Russia.

Alexander Nikolaevich, initially the budget for 2016 was supposed to include 237 billion rubles for the state program for the development of the agro-industrial complex, but this amount was eventually reduced. And the budget for 2017-2019 provides even less funds for these purposes. What industry growth rates can we expect given lower-than-expected support for the agro-industrial complex?

We are closing this year with good results. We have a record grain harvest - more than 117 million tons, which was an absolute record modern Russia. We collected more only back in 1978 - 127 million tons of grain. But if today we had the same areas under grain as then (the area under grain in 1978 was 78 million hectares, in 2016 - 47 million hectares), we would be able to collect more than 200 million with the current yield of 26 centners per hectare tons of grain. And today we are working to return 10-12 million hectares of lost farmland.

We see that the state has the industry as a priority, and it cannot be otherwise, since agriculture feeds the country in every sense - both food and revenue from the sale of food to foreign markets. I would like to remind you that in 2005 we imported more than 60% of our food. Ten years have passed, and we are almost completely self-sufficient in basic food products. And in the long term - in five to seven years, I think we will be able to fully provide for ourselves with the exception of tropical fruits, which simply do not grow here.

- What tasks will be a priority in the industry in 2017?

We have real plans and tasks for next year- We are counting on good growth dynamics in horticulture. Last year, the volume of subsidies for planting and maintaining gardens was increased more than fivefold. And today the pace of planting gardens has increased by an average of 30%. In order to completely abandon imports by 2020, it is necessary to establish about 72 thousand hectares of gardens or annually increase their area by 14 thousand hectares. Then in five years we will be able to increase fruit production by 500 thousand tons.

Restrictive measures on the import of certain products that the country introduced in 2014 also produced a positive result; our farmers were able to take advantage of this window of opportunity. For example, greenhouse farming began to actively develop. According to our forecasts, the production of greenhouse vegetables will increase to 840 thousand tons. By 2020, it is necessary to increase the production of greenhouse tomatoes and cucumbers to two million tons. To do this, over the next five years we plan to build and modernize at least two thousand hectares of greenhouse complexes.

There are also good indicators for meat products - we think that livestock and poultry production will exceed 14 million tons, which is 5% more than last year’s results. They began to export more meat - 60% more than a year earlier.

- You have raised the topic of imported wine materials and options for ousting them from the Russian market many times...

More domestic wines have begun to appear on the shelves, which is encouraging, especially on the eve New Year's holidays. But in order for us to completely replace imported wine materials, we need to create 50 thousand hectares of new vineyards by 2020, thanks to which we will receive 200 thousand tons of grapes.

It is known that due to the recent increase in outbreaks of African swine fever, the meat industry has suffered serious damage. What are your predictions in this regard?

Yes, today there is a serious threat to both the growth of meat industry production and the development of meat exports. The damage from ASF outbreaks in Russia has already exceeded 1.2 billion rubles, which is 13 times more than in 2015.

Just imagine that since 2006, the state has invested 317 billion rubles in the development of pig farming in the form of subsidized loans. Thanks to this support, today there is a serious increase in production volumes in this industry; we have increased exports, as I mentioned above.

And all this work can be canceled out due to elementary violations of keeping animals in private farms, since this is the main reason for the spread of the virus.

Today, 3.8 million pigs are kept on private farms, or 16% of the total livestock of 23.3 million animals. Therefore, it is necessary to strictly combat the spread of the virus. It is important to ensure safe conditions for keeping pigs among the population. We have prepared an action plan to combat ASF. The primary measure that needs to be implemented is to introduce a system of objective accounting of pig numbers, controlled by authorities local government and the state veterinary service of the region.

What is the current situation with milk? When will we be able to provide for ourselves and stop purchasing from neighboring republics?

We still have some difficulties with milk production. Based on the results of this year, we expect an increase in production, albeit a small one - slightly less than 1% or about 30 million tons. But at the same time, we manage to maintain the previously achieved growth rates in agricultural organizations and farms at the level of 3%.

And in order for us to stop importing milk, we need to increase its production by 5-7 million tons by 2020. To achieve the planned indicators, it is necessary to increase the number and improve the quality of reproduction of cattle. Today, the genetic potential of dairy cattle is only half used, but with proper organization of feeding and maintenance, we can easily obtain more than 35 million tons of milk annually. And to improve the situation in the industry, starting in the new year we will strengthen support measures. Thus, the size of grants for farmers engaged in meat and dairy cattle breeding will be increased from 1.5 million rubles to 3 million rubles, and for family livestock farms - from 21.6 to 30 million rubles.

- What about the fight against counterfeit goods, which are regularly detected?

We need to protect domestic producers from unfair competition from counterfeit manufacturers, including foreign countries. Today we are working with the Customs Union on amendments to technical regulations that tighten the market’s approaches to such producers, amending the Code of Administrative Offenses to increase fines by a multiple, and regulating the balances and volumes of dairy products imported into Russia.

Do you consider dairy interventions as a mechanism to support farmers? And in your opinion, are there other food markets in Russia where interventions are possible or even necessary?

We really consider them as a measure of establishing fair purchase prices for milk and reducing seasonal fluctuations in its cost. We are now making changes to the legislation in order to launch interventions in this market if necessary. Their implementation will stimulate the purchase of raw milk from producers in the summer, which will allow them to maintain a positive economy during the so-called “big” milk season.

I would also like to say that work is also being done in other areas to maintain a balance in prices for agricultural products. Today, with government support, it goes active development logistics and commodity distribution infrastructure in the agro-industrial complex. This work is aimed at reducing the cost of agricultural products for the end consumer and balancing the provision of the population. Once these issues are resolved, the need for interventions in other markets can be considered.

When dairy interventions in the Russian Federation are launched, how much does the Ministry of Agriculture estimate the costs of their implementation - for the creation of infrastructure, the organization of tenders itself? Are increases in the costs of these interventions being considered in the future?

In the first quarter of next year, we will assess the situation in the dairy industry, including prices and raw milk production volumes. After this, we will decide on procurement interventions. The amount of costs for their implementation will depend on this. The main costs are servicing purchased supplies, storing them, insurance, and so on. The interventions are supposed to be carried out in raw milk producing regions, which are characterized by high seasonal fluctuations in production and prices.

At the World Grain Forum, it was noted that the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation considers it necessary to lift restrictions on the transportation of food within the country to eliminate inequality between regions and improve distribution channels for products. Is the Ministry of Agriculture preparing any specific proposals on this issue?

We discussed the possibility of reducing tariffs for the transportation of fruits and vegetables by rail from the regions of the European part of the country to the regions of Siberia and Far East. At this working meeting there were representatives from the Ministry of Economic Development, the Federal Antimonopoly Service, Russian Railways, and experts, for example, from the Association of Refrigerated Rolling Stock Operators.

The fact is that, due to their territorial location and natural and climatic conditions, the regions of the Far East have enormous potential in the field of fishing and fish processing. At the same time, they have low self-sufficiency in vegetable and fruit products, which, according to Rosstat, averages 53%.

It is clear that the main problem in increasing the volume of supplies of vegetables and fruits from the European part to the regions of Siberia and the Far East is the rather high cost of delivering goods, including by rail and special large-capacity refrigerated containers. Therefore, we propose to consider the possibility of providing seasonal (from August to December) tariff discounts for the transportation of fruits and vegetables to the regions of Siberia and the Far East and fish products in the opposite direction by rail and refrigerated containers.

In addition, as I said earlier, we are working on developing a network of wholesale distribution centers. And I would like to note the importance of infrastructure development. For example, in 2002, when grain exports had just begun, the capacity for transshipment in Russia was at the level of 5 million tons per year, today – 45 million tons, and this does not take into account the capacities under construction and design. Now we are faced with the task of developing grain infrastructure within the country in order to eliminate the imbalance between regions located near ports and remote areas.

There is an opinion that China is delaying the process of negotiations with Russia on the admission of our products to the Chinese market, because the Chinese authorities want to protect their manufacturers from competition with our companies. Is this really true?

During the year, we repeatedly met with colleagues from the Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China and the Chief government controlled for quality control, inspection and quarantine of the republic. We jointly resolved the problems of access of our agricultural products, including meat, to the Chinese market. Negotiations are always a complex process, and each of the parties involved wants to get what they want with minimal concessions, so finding a balance is not always easy. The issue of access for our products to one of the most promising world markets is, of course, one of our top priorities. Competent Russian services are actively working to resolve it, but it is too early to talk about specific dates for a breakthrough in the negotiation process.

Meanwhile, we have already achieved some success. Last December, the phytosanitary services of our countries signed protocols on phytosanitary requirements for the supply of five types of grain crops to China: wheat, soybeans, rapeseed, corn and rice from some regions of Siberia and the Far East. An agreement was reached on the possible expansion of the list of Russian regions that have the right to export wheat, corn, soybeans and rapeseed, and to include the Chelyabinsk and Amur regions. The protocols that regulate the supply of other types of grain and processed products from Russia to China (oats, buckwheat, sunflower and flax seeds, oat flakes, buckwheat and others) are in the process of being agreed upon.

Today we are actively working to promote Russian poultry meat and offal to the Chinese market. And we have already made progress in resolving a number of technical issues within the framework of the Chinese procedure for the approval of our products. We have agreed with our Chinese colleagues to organize an inspection of our enterprises for their specialists in the near future to assess Russian system supervision. After receiving positive results from this inspection from the Chinese side, our companies will be able to begin organizing supplies of poultry meat to the PRC.

— Alexander Nikolaevich, one of the latest decisions regarding the food embargo was the easing of restrictions for baby food manufacturers. Tell us, what was the reason for such measures and are there any prerequisites for changing the list of prohibited products for other manufacturers?

- You know, this was a targeted measure. We did this primarily to support baby food manufacturers in Russia who use organic products. We do not yet have standardization of organic products, norms and regulations.

And the law on organic food, which today, including at the initiative of the Ministry of Agriculture, is being approved by all interested departments, I really hope will be adopted this year.

After this, we will be able to produce organic food products in our country, and thus there will be no need to supply imported products. But I want to say that in terms of easing the embargo, we are talking about only 700-800 tons that are supplied from abroad. This is a completely insignificant amount.

— So this was done only for individual manufacturers?

- Yes, measures have been taken because we must feed our children the right food. quality product. But after the law comes into force, I think we will close this niche in the future, although it will not be soon. Market organic products is in its infancy in the country. If we take world practice, the share of organics is divided approximately in half. More than 50% is made in America, and most of the rest is in the European Union. In Russia, maybe about 1% is produced, which is negligible, because we are at the beginning of the journey. But I am sure that our environmentally friendly products, without GMOs, will be in demand as soon as we create a precedent in the market and adopt a legal norm. We have businesses that want to do this. The demand for organic products is still low, but it will grow, especially when our goods are exported, I have great hopes in this regard.

— Are there any forecasts on how large the market for organic products in Russia can be?

— It’s difficult for me to evaluate it now, I have already said that we now account for only 1% of the world market, and the total volume of organics is about $100 billion.

But in five years the world market will already be $200-250 billion.

In Russia everything depends on many factors. First of all, we must feed ourselves with simple food products, close all the scarce niches in meat, milk, we don’t have this yet. After all, those countries that are engaged in organics have long fed themselves and, in general, it’s great last decades fed you and me. And we, so to speak, gave up our regiments to them, fled from the battlefield and gave in to the enemy, figuratively speaking. And of course it's unhealthy. That's why we are now regaining our positions. When we master this level of production, we will actively think about organics.

— By the way, if we are talking about food quality, then the issue of falsification of products and lack of labeling is acute. When will there be a decision on this issue?

— This issue is now being actively discussed with the EurAsEC countries. We must give them their due, we have no big contradictions, we understand each other. Our colleagues, partners in the union, are also concerned about the fact of falsification. And they are concerned that would-be entrepreneurs, especially in the dairy industry, are very actively using non-dairy fats.

I really hope that we will adopt technical regulations in the fall. The new labeling, which will appear on dairy product labels, will increase market transparency and the competitiveness of producers who make dairy products from real milk.

This regulation will support them, and our agricultural producers have been waiting for it for a long time.

— Will the new standards affect the cost of products?

- You know, these are cheap things, because everyone is interested in it, and I’ll tell you why. Conscientious commodity producers and milk processors are interested in showing the composition of the product so that the consumer knows what the milk is made of. And we hope that the labeling will help the consumer choose real milk and not milk with added palm oil, coconut oil and so on. People will see and say: “Listen, there’s some kind of palm tree here,” and they will be a little disgusted, they will look for clean products on the shelves.

— What will happen to the key problem, the fines for counterfeiters?

— They will face quite large fines, up to 1 million rubles. for legal entities. This will largely sober up the market and unscrupulous manufacturers.

— A million rubles for the first violation or is this the maximum fine?

“Then there will be a suspension of activities.” These will be tough measures.

The budget will be exported

— As you know, discussion of the budget has already begun. Alexander Nikolaevich, in the current difficult economic conditions, to what extent can optimization of budget spending affect the agricultural sector?

“We really hope that there will be no layoffs.” Moreover, there is a favorable factor, which is that the commission on the agro-industrial complex is headed by the prime minister and the leadership will directly participate in making such decisions, control the expenditure of funds, and, naturally, it will be easier for us to inform the head of government about our potential, maybe lack of funds and some other problems.

I believe that agriculture is growing better than other sectors of our economy, so it is a sin to somehow cut, trim and stop this development. Because it's not just 3% growth, there's something behind it great amount people, enterprises, tax base, and thereby we secure people in the countryside.

— It is clear that the Ministry of Agriculture does not want funding for the program to be cut...

— I assure you that the country’s leadership also does not want to reduce the Ministry of Agriculture’s program, because it is not easy for the ministry to do everything directly, but then it is our agricultural producers. Why cut a branch on which there will be growth, on which there will be movement, there will be development.

Agriculture also develops related sectors of the economy: mechanical engineering, agricultural machinery, and manufacturing. We buy a lot of fuels and lubricants (fuels and lubricants - Gazeta.Ru), a lot of metal, we build a lot in agriculture, all sorts of complexes for keeping animals, we buy equipment in the end. All over the world, such a driver of the economy is agriculture.

— Support is certainly needed, but we have industries that are already very well developed, such as pig farming, poultry farming, and there are industries that are just beginning to emerge, such as vegetable growing or aquaculture. If funding is cut due to difficult conditions, will it be cut evenly for each industry?

— As for pig farming and poultry farming, we are discussing support for these areas, because we are already saturating our market. We have in our plan both vegetable growing and the production of fruits, fruits, milk, beef - these are things that we will have to increase for another five to seven years and thereby close this deficit.

But on the other hand, we have a very good export component for pork and poultry meat, and it would be a shame to reduce production.

We must increase (exports - Gazeta.Ru). The whole world exports, every country in the European Union or America, everyone is fighting for exports. Therefore, having fed ourselves, we must move on. Earn foreign currency to the country.

— Import substitution in wine is also an important industry for Russia. Not long ago, the Ministry of Agriculture calculated that the area of ​​vineyards in Russia is shrinking and the grape harvest is falling. What measures will be taken to support the industry?

— We have enough regions in the country that are ready to cultivate grapes and make wine of excellent quality. This requires two components. First: we must continue to support the planting of new vineyards and uprooting of old ones, and support the purchase of trellises. There are only about three or four areas where we need to support manufacturers.

And second: to some extent it is necessary to restrain the market for imported wine materials. Because we import 30% of wine ready-made in bottles, 30% we produce our own wine and 30% we import in wine materials in holds through ports.

Then it all goes to wineries, and here we bottle it under our own brands. Of course, this is already unfair competition, and this is also why we have a small supply of grapes, which hinders growth. Because you have to plant grapes and wait five to seven years for them to grow. And so he came, bottled it, sold it, made a profit, and so on. We will work in these areas, and I hope that we will have a very serious effect.

— Are foreigners interested in localizing wine production in Russia? For example, the French or the Czechs?

— We have Czech investments in the south of the country. This is an investment in grapes. They planted the grapes, and we, in general, support them, they are conscientious. We perceive them as Russian investors; they are also building their own processing plants.

The fact is that due to such factors, the production of grapes and wine has low margins, low profitability - extremely low. Therefore, there is no queue of investors. We need to create the preconditions for people to invest their money, make investments, and earn money. This is a labor-intensive and difficult-to-return process, but it must bring income to people, then it will be interesting. Then we will increase our grape acreage two to three times, increase our processing plants tenfold, which means we will create Russian wine. It's possible. Crimea, Caucasus, southern Russia.

– Alexander Nikolaevich, today a Presidential Decree was issued appointing you to the post of Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation, and today you had a personal meeting with the head of state. Is this appointment expected or unexpected for you? How did you feel about this? And do you have any idea why the president made this decision?

– The president and I have met several times, I won’t hide it. For some time now—it’s not a month or two—the transition to federal work has, of course, been discussed. I am grateful to him for his trust, and I understand that this is a great responsibility, given today’s difficult times: sanctions, the geopolitical situation is difficult. And, of course, the experience of the Krasnodar Territory in the field agro-industrial policy will be useful at the federal level. Issues of import substitution: we must feed not only our country with tasty, environmentally friendly, inexpensive products, but also, of course, develop new markets, including exports. And many many others. Therefore, I will do everything to justify the president’s trust.

– I think, not least of all, the decision was made due to the fact that you were in charge of the agricultural region?

- Of course, of course.

– And this experience will come in handy. Let's round the number to 15. After all, this is a whole era. The state has changed during this time, a new generation of voters has grown up. You became governor, you were 39 years old, you leave this position - you are 54. Many only “grow up” to such positions at this age. It is clear that it is still difficult to analyze in detail, but, nevertheless, let’s look at these 15 years, at your generally long experience of leading the region by political standards. You can already give an assessment - did everything work out?

– I think economists, historians, publicists, and experts should talk about this objectively. Some time must pass in order to objectively assess the period when I worked as head of the administration of the Krasnodar region. Yes, indeed, you are right, at 39 years old, I was at that time the youngest head of the region, subject Russian Federation. It was a difficult time for the country and for our region. And during this period of time Krasnodar region has become a leading region, this is talked about and recognized by all opponents, critics, opposition, and people who represent expert opinion in the country.

– The Krasnodar region is now finally being recognized, otherwise they were constantly confusing it with Krasnoyarsk...

– You are right, the Krasnodar region and Krasnoyarsk have always been confused before. And journalists, especially federal media. We have turned from a subsidized region into a support region. If we take the harvest, today 55 centners per hectare is already the norm. In area housing construction we are second after the Moscow region. About 4.5 million square meters is a huge achievement. Do you understand that tens of thousands of people work in this industry and receive salaries. This industry has become a budget-generating industry in many areas of our region. The region's budget today is more than 200 billion rubles.

– What number did we start with?

– From 13.5. And, of course, it has grown exponentially, and we have opportunities. Opportunities to build, invest, develop the social sphere and much, much more. Look how our cities have changed. Starting from Krasnodar. The program “Krasnodar - a capital appearance” is working. After the Olympics in Sochi, as I already promised and said, we poured ourselves in to transform the city and make it absolutely exemplary, European. We also see in the quality of life. Even international, independent assessments, the same Forbes magazine, talk about Krasnodar as a city with a fairly high quality of life. I am aware that not all 100% of the city’s population, and indeed the region, fall under this high quality, this is natural, but, nevertheless, this number is growing every year. We feel it.

The edge, of course, does not stand still. This is a subject of envy, naturally, for many, a subject, perhaps, of criticism: “here, they have everything, but we have nothing,” and so on. However, I state the reality that exists today. And not only residents of our region speak about this, but also those who come. We see what the birth rate is like. In 2000, about 53-55 thousand babies were born per year. Today this figure is already 75 thousand. Can you imagine how tall it is? Medicine, high technology.

– Complex operations, again, are the norm today.

– I believe that our doctors work simply miracles. Heart and other organ transplants, not to mention thousands of heart surgeries. What does this mean? This means prolongation of life, quality of life, age. Development of sports: a huge number, hundreds of sports facilities - large and small. All this has affected life expectancy – in our country it is 72 years. This is 2.5 years more than in Russia as a whole. Not to mention the Olympics, which became the brightest event not only in the life of the region, but also in the country. We really worked all seven years, and for me it was a great honor and opportunity, from the very beginning of the application and ending with the entire Olympic project.

Of course, there were mistakes, there were also objective reasons why we didn’t do something, weren’t able to do something, didn’t make it somewhere, but that’s life, that’s normal, natural. Taking this opportunity, I would like to thank my fellow countrymen and voters for supporting me for many years and giving me the strength to work one hundred percent.

- Let's talk about who is after you. I know that you are a supporter of continuity, although perhaps not everyone shares this, but, nevertheless, this was also visible in your attitude towards your predecessor, Nikolai Ignatovich Kondratenko. Now, in your opinion, can we count on the same continuity?

– I believe that our achievements – both of the elites and the heads of enterprises, the entire deputy corps and the people as a whole – are that we do not have big political fights or confrontations. A fairly stable political and social situation. I have always said that this is the key to attracting investment. And money and investments go where it is calm, where the investor understands the predictability of power, he understands the rules of the game. In my opinion, this is extremely important. Kondratenko Nikolay Ignatovich - this is really great person, we often talked a lot, synchronized watches. People are accustomed to the fact that we have a calm political situation in the region; the mayor of the city does not fight with the parliament, the parliament does not fight with the governor, as is the case in most other territories, regions, and so on. It always interferes with normal life. And I think we succeeded. Of course, continuity - who will come after Tkachev - is also very important. And I accepted the candidacy of Veniamin Ivanovich Kondratyev with great support and enthusiasm. I think he is quite an experienced person. Most importantly, he is not a Varangian, he is local.

I supported this choice from the very beginning. I will not hide that we consulted with the head of state. And I am sure that this person will be able to lead the region forward and not stop there, this is very important. He is a very decent, honest man, a real Kuban.

– As a minister, you will probably have a sneak peek from Moscow to see how it is in the Kuban?

– Of course, I will do everything possible within the ministry and not only, as you understand, in order to support the economy of our region and maintain stability in the region. You know, for me this is my native region, this is my home. And, as I already said, and perhaps I will repeat, my heart belongs to Kuban. These may be pompous words, but that’s how it is. I love my small homeland, and, of course, I want to grow old here. Because I was born here, studied here, was baptized, got married. In general, my whole life was spent here. And, as I already said, close people and relatives, the graves of my ancestors, my father, and, of course, I hope to return when I complete the tasks that the president set for me.

Having asked Father Andrei Tkachev to answer as quickly and as accurately as possible many different questions, starting from what he means by the concept of “love” and ending with it in And deniya current state Ukraine.

- Father Andrey, what does the word “love” mean to you? What is your personal understanding and definition of it?

This is a word that should be uttered less often in public. Rubbing it and even trampling it is easy. It’s also not worth the effort to confuse it with something false, but sweet, emotional, and dizzying. Love does not have a comprehensive definition. If only because it is the name of God. Its presence or absence will be checked by the presence or absence of the victim. Where there is no sacrifice, there is no love. The greater the sacrifice, the more genuine the love.

Unfortunately, man, according to Scripture, is capable of replacing truth with lies and loving lies and serving lies. That is, love sacrifice can be misdirected. All this is extremely confusing and requires caution. Look at the crucified Christ. Where is love here in the worldly sense? She doesn't seem to be here. But the crucified Christ is the highest expression of true love.

Under the cross is my grave,
On the Cross my Love...

If a conversation about love does not eventually come to the foot of Calvary, then this, to put it mildly, is something wrong...

- Do you have rules for life?

In the English sense, in terms of daily routine, taste preferences, appearance There are practically no places for recreation, etc. I love books and on Sunday, if I am not sick, I always serve the Liturgy. That's all my rules.

- What will you never do?

Make a wish for the future. That's for sure - it's none of our business.

- Which book most influenced your coming to faith?

I can’t name anything more grandiose than The Brothers Karamazov. But the first book that opened the gallery of adult reading was Remarque’s “Three Comrades.”

- What is happiness?

A very subjective and unstable state, based on acute pleasure in the moment, a nagging feeling of fragility and fear of losing this pleasure. A very worldly, burning feeling that does not reach the sky. Happiness is a blessing that can be stolen, lost or destroyed. Bliss, unlike happiness, is more durable.

- Why did you decide to become a priest?

This priesthood decided that I should join it. I didn’t decide anything, I just agreed. We have One High Priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek. He decides everything, and we resist Him or agree. There are other behavior options, but they are even worse.

- The most vivid memory childhood?

Not facts (there are many of them), but a strong feeling that the life ahead is long and very good. There is an almost religious feeling that “all good is bad.”

- What do you value most in people?

Deep intelligence with everyday simplicity, as well as hard work and sighted generosity.

- What is your favorite quote from the Bible?

There are a lot of them. But as we remember now, “Christ will not break a bruised reed, nor will he quench the smoking flax” (Matthew 12:20). And also the voice of the prophets: “How long, O ignoramuses, will you hate knowledge?” (cf. Proverbs 1:22).

- What is a feat in the modern world?

Find your place - once. Don't despair - two. Serve God quietly and daily - three. Know about great people, but don’t compare yourself to great people. The most sacred thing in the Church is to honor the liturgy and measure everything by it.

- Do you have a hobby? What do you do in your free time from work?

I used to have a lot of hobbies. Now there is only one thing left - to go to bed early, if possible.

- What do you expect from the coming year?

I don't expect anything from the year or years. It is commanded not to even worry about the next day. And I know that one day can be so busy that it is difficult to get through it. I try not to measure life by numbers.

-What is your favorite service of the year?

I love everything. Most of all Easter and Transfiguration. I love night services. I love it when the whole church sings, when everyone takes communion. I love it when people don’t want to leave after the service, they communicate and share news.

- Do you know foreign languages?

I know a few with a dictionary. Everything is half-dead, but comes to life once you get into the appropriate language environment.

- Favorite song?

Recently, everything has been supplanted by Psoy Korolenko’s song “Keep your mind in hell.” This is strength and an accurate hit. Foolishness in a good way. In general, I listen to a lot of things, love and know them.

- Do you know the feeling of loneliness?

Due to my lifestyle, I am in public almost all the time. And I'm a family man. That is, I don’t have typical loneliness at all. God bless! But if we are talking about inland deserts, then they are familiar to me. I go there. Walking in those places suffocates a person just as he is tormented by loneliness in outer life. It tries to strangle you, and you slip out of its strangulation. Here's a song on the theme (from the film about Stirlitz): “I ask, at least not for long, my pain, you leave me...” Poems by Rozhdestvensky, music by Mikael Tariverdiev. Very clear words for me.

- What is the main problem? modern world?

- “All who remove themselves from You will perish.” The air of modernity smells of the death of those who doomed themselves to destruction with their stubborn atheism - theoretical and practical. Many of these people cannot be helped. The Lord knows and protects His own, like Lot in Sodom and the Jews in Egypt. But those for whom the word about the Creator and Redeemer is an empty phrase make life rotten and unbearable from the inside. Peace to those who love Christ and maintain unity with His Church. For their sake, spring and summer, sowing and harvest have not yet ceased.

- In what historical time would you like to live if you had the choice?

I'm afraid to fantasize. At any time he would have howled like a wolf. I bless my days, I don’t want or demand others. In addition, the mind and moral sense, with the help of the Holy Spirit, make it possible to feel different periods of history closely and to feel oneself within them. And books, according to Descartes, are a kind of travel, and in time.

- What consoles you?

Christ and His mercy, also, of course, family, some people and their warmth. More books. But books are also people and their warmth. Also, the glorious works of God in the souls of individual people, which, fortunately, I often see. Also a good movie (but this is also a type of book). Still a relatively large number good people like lilies among the thorns or apple trees among the trees of the forest. The list is, of course, not complete.

Father, there are many rumors about your statements addressed to Ukraine and its people. Your readers in Ukraine would like to receive information first-hand. To all those who are waiting for your sermons, words, texts, books, what would you say today?

We don't know the future. And we know the past, but we evaluate it differently. For me, everything that happened in Ukraine is a test of humanity, which Ukraine passed in a negative sense. That is, she called a lie the truth. When I say “Ukraine,” I do not at all mean all the people living in it, but those who have loved darkness more than light, and are still in voluntary blindness.

Let's not talk about the foreign and native culprits of the disaster. The massive scale of blinding causes terrible offence. With frightening ease, the dirty broom swept away both educated and ignorant, Russian-speaking and Ukrainian-speaking, believers and non-believers. From this scale of evil action, sometimes you will give up. But it’s worth knowing for everyone who earned some money on the Maidan, who smeared sandwiches, uprooted cobblestones and brought them to the “heroes”, shouted chants, walked around with a saucepan on their head... - they are accomplices of a historical crime. They have no right to criticize reality, which, like the future, has been spoiled with their personal and direct participation and approval. Only repentance can change the situation. It is necessary to talk about a personal share in collective guilt, and it is absolutely clear that for such speeches they will not wish you “many years of life.”

But I ask you to forgive me generously: when talking about the Truth, it is impossible not to offend anyone. What cannot poison cannot be cured. Any medicine has poisonous properties. Saying what everyone likes means working in the program “Visiting a Fairy Tale.” According to the Apostle Paul, the same words are the fragrance of life for some people and the smell of death for others. The same words! And Alexey Fedorovich Losev in correspondence told one of the addressees that there are always enough people in the world who are ready to hate you, as soon as you draw inexorable moral consequences from an obvious fact.

So I say what I see and what I understand, and if I am guilty, it is rather in the tone of my speech, which I myself often regret.

But let us leave the offended and enraged. My heart is with those who are innocent in the current trouble, for which there is no end in sight, with those who immediately saw the hooves under the robes of “peacekeepers.” They, who saw and understood everything, did not jump and did not shoot. They were left alone with events that have no name. Listen, after all, a lot of people were blatantly robbed of their homeland. And they can't influence anything. They have only tears, faith and disgust for television lies. Well, that's a lot. “Do not be afraid of a strong thunderstorm, but be afraid of a weak tear.” These sufferers are the most Dear people, remaining in Ukraine. As in the vision of Ezekiel: you see abominations, you cannot influence them, but you sigh with contrition - you will be saved. God will collect your sighs and offer them as a sacrifice.

But nothing has been decided yet. The people and their history are not exhausted state life. Especially in such short periods. If grass can break asphalt, then the soul of the people, that genuine, deep soul that does not need EU membership at any price, will find its way in the labyrinths of life.

It is important to remember that the main thing is not what people think about their country in time, but what God believes about it in eternity. If you wish one thing for your country, and God another, beware lest you become an enemy of the One who is stronger than all.

I believe that God’s thoughts about Ukraine are diametrically opposed to the expectations of those people who perpetrated the famous pandemonium or approved it. I am sure that time has already proven and will continue to prove the correctness of this point of view. There is an Eastern Orthodox-Slavic civilization that does not dissolve in the realities and categories of the Western post-Christian formation. Ukraine belongs to it along with Russia. Failure to understand this is like a sad diagnosis.

P.S.

We need to preserve and spread the living and right faith.

Peace to all who do not call black white and white black.

May the Lord protect all who love Him and His True Church, and not its counterfeits.

Strength of spirit to everyone whose conscience has not died.

May all the saints from Vladimir of Kyiv to the Metropolitan and martyr Vladimir and to this day save Ukraine from the abyss on the edge of which the promises of earthly blessings have placed it. Yes, they will save it so that later there will be something to restore.