Ravil Faritovich Geniatulin was born on December 20, 1955, in Chita. From 1974 to 1976, he served in the Transbaikal Military District, in the Automotive Troops. He graduated from the Faculty of History and Philology at the Chita State Pedagogical Institute. He worked at the Department of History at the Chita State Pedagogical Institute, and later in the city committees of the Komsomol and Communist Party, and in the city executive committee. From 1991 to 1996, he served as the head of the Chita City Administration. By February 1996, he became the head of the Chita Region administration. He is a member of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.

- Ravil Faritovich, you are a historian by training, so it is logical to start our conversation with a brief overview of your region's past.

- Until the 17th century, the territory of modern-day Chita Oblast, or, as it is also known, Transbaikalia, was a sparsely populated area of harsh and wild nature. It wasn't until 1653 that Peter Beketov's Cossack explorers established the Nelyudsky (Nerchinsky) and, later, the Irgensky and Chitinsky fortresses near the mouth of the Nerch River. This marked the beginning of the region's history. By the end of the century, several more settlements had been established here: Telembinsky, Yeravninsky, Argunsky, Sretensky, and later other settlements, some of which will forever be remembered by the people as places of exile for the Decembrists in the 19th century: S.P. Trubetskoy, S.G. Volkonsky, N.M. Muravyov, and their comrades who participated in the uprising on Senate Square in St. Petersburg.

In 1851, a Cossack army was established in Transbaikalia to protect the Russian borders. It chose Chita, a small village at the time, as its capital, and Chita was granted city status and became the center of the Transbaikal region.

In the current century, our region has changed its name and administrative status several times: in 1920-1922, it was part of the Far Eastern Republic; in 1923-1926, it was a province; in 1926-1930, it was a district within the East Siberian Territory; and on September 26, 1937, it became the Chita Region based on a resolution by the Central Executive Committee of the USSR. In 1957, the region was awarded the highest state award at the time, the Order of Lenin.

Another distinctive feature of Transbaikalia is its inseparable connection with the history of the Armed Forces. Since 1935, we have been part of the Transbaikal Military District, and since December last year, we have been part of the Siberian Military District. In addition, the regional center is home to the headquarters of the Transbaikal Regional Department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Federal Border Service, and military units from other federal agencies. The region is home to units and formations from almost all branches and types of the country's Armed Forces, with the exception of the Navy.

- Is such a neighborhood burdensome for the civilian population of Transbaikalia?

- You know, I don't tend to divide the population of the region into civilians and military personnel. We are all citizens of the same country. Therefore, we must share the difficulties and hardships that have befallen us equally.

We, I mean the administration of the region and the command of the Siberian Military District, headed by Colonel-General Nikolai Kormiltsev, and other regional administrations, have established close cooperation for all possible situations. There are countless examples of the military being the first to come to our aid in dealing with natural disasters and their aftermath, displaying true courage in the process. Despite facing financial and material difficulties, they shared their last resources with us.

In February of this year, due to severe frosts that forced groundwater to the surface, there was a risk of flooding in several settlements in the region. If it hadn't been for the selfless and skillful actions of the soldiers from the engineering and sapper units of the Siberian Military District, led by commanders Alexander Pronin, Anatoly Yurchenko, and Sergey Kotenkov, approximately 200 residential buildings, social and cultural facilities, particularly in the village of Dosatuy and the village of Bolshevik, would have been flooded.

In turn, my deputies and assistants have often had to act as mediators in disputes between the military and local energy companies, who tried to cut off entire military towns from electricity for non-payment, as well as disputes between the military and railway companies and other regional organizations. It's no secret that we occasionally face problems in our relationships, but these problems are not artificial but rather arise from life itself. Therefore, when both sides are willing to cooperate rather than confront, these issues are usually resolved quickly and efficiently.

- Does all of the above mean that you were not among the supporters of the transfer of the headquarters of the newly formed Siberian Military District from Chita at the end of last year? And if so, what were your reasons?

- Not only did I not belong to it, but I was categorically against such a transfer. When the issue was being resolved, I used my status and capabilities as a member of the Federation Council and a member of the military council of the former Trans-Baikal Military District to meet and have lengthy conversations with the Minister of Defense, the Chief of the General Staff, and other military leaders, and I defended my point of view as best I could. I must admit that I am very pleased that the headquarters of the Siberian Military District remained in the capital of Transbaikalia.

Why do I consider this decision to be the only correct one? Look at the map and you will see that the Chita region is the only one in the Siberian Military District that has a long border with our most powerful neighbor, China. I want to make it clear that I do not want to downplay the importance of the recent processes of rapprochement and warming relations between our countries. However, consider what is happening in the world. Just a year ago, the same could be said about the United States and NATO countries. And today?..

The reality, alas, is that as soon as geopolitical and economic interests come to the fore in relations between states or groups of states, such concepts as friendship and good-neighborliness are often simply forgotten. It is impossible to idealize the improvement of the international situation, and we must always remember that the factor of deterrence has played and will continue to play a paramount role in the modern world.

Yes, we are friends with China, and we are developing trade and exchanging cultural programs in Transbaikalia. However, we cannot ignore the fact that our neighbors have been actively modernizing their armed forces and increasing their presence in the region in recent years. Therefore, we must have sufficient forces and resources in the easternmost region of the Siberian Military District to respond to any potential threats.

- Ravil Faritovich, as far as I know, you are a frequent guest at the military units of the Siberian Military District during your business trips around the region. People probably share their concerns with you. Which of today's army problems would you consider to be urgent?

- Financial. The situation, where there is no money for combat training, educational work, maintenance and combat readiness of equipment and weapons, and the payment of salaries to military personnel, is not just abnormal, but catastrophic. In recent months, the situation has improved somewhat, but it is still insufficient. The army must receive everything it is entitled to, down to the last penny, and, I emphasize, on time. Only in this way can we seriously discuss maintaining the combat capability of units and formations at the required level.

- It will probably be difficult to find an officer or warrant officer who would not agree with these words. Especially considering that the vast majority of people in uniform have only recently started receiving their salaries on a more or less regular basis. The only question is where to find the money for all the required payments...

- This is the Government's responsibility. As you know, the lower and upper chambers of the Federal Assembly approve the country's budget, which is submitted for consideration by the Cabinet of Ministers. The figures included in the budget are not taken from thin air; they are based on preliminary calculations and forecasts of the overall economic situation in the country. If we encounter serious problems with the implementation of the budget, it means that either the project contains erroneous parameters or the Government is unable to achieve the desired results.

Whatever the sectoral, clan, or corporate interests of the members of the next cabinet of ministers may be, whoever may be at the head of it, there must be priorities that are common to all without exception. One of these priorities is the strengthening of the country's defense capabilities, its Armed Forces, and the improvement of the combat readiness of military units and formations. For some reason, we have begun to forget in recent years that without a strong and combat-ready army, there can be no strong state that is respected around the world. I think NATO's aggression against sovereign Yugoslavia should make us remember this.

- I'm sorry, Ravil Faritovich, but you can't cut off a bigger piece of the budget pie for someone without cutting off a smaller piece for others. What if increasing military spending directly affects the subsidized regions, which includes Chita? In this case, will the interests of the governor, Geniatulin, take precedence over your position as a member of the Federation Council who cares about the well-being of our country?

- No, and here's why. It's true that our region is subsidized, which means that we rely on the same "pie" as the security forces. However, this does not mean that increasing defense spending is disadvantageous for us. On the contrary, as I mentioned earlier, our region is closely connected to the Siberian Military District, and if the SibVO receives adequate funding, we will benefit from it.

First of all, the military will be able to pay for electricity, heat, food supplies, and so on on time. Consequently, enterprises in the Trans-Baikal region will receive additional incentives and real means to increase production. Isn't that great?

Secondly, military personnel and civilians employed in the military will receive their salaries and wages on time. This will increase people's purchasing power, resulting in higher tax revenues for the regional budget from commercial enterprises. Is this a plus? Absolutely.

Here's an example. For several years now, the Siberian Military District's officer training courses have been operating in Chita, established with the direct involvement of the district's commander, Colonel General Nikolai Viktorovich Kormiltsev. Every year, these courses produce dozens of junior officers for the military, addressing the shortage of junior officers in the army. The majority of students are local young men, many of whom have struggled to find employment after completing their military service. It turns out that the district, on the one hand, helps us solve the problem of employment of the population, and on the other hand, given that most of the officers will serve in the Siberian Military District, and after its completion will return to their native places, it prepares good specialists for the region. And shouldn't I be interested in the normal financing of the district?!

By the way, more than ten former career officers currently work in the regional administration alone. All of them are exceptionally conscientious and responsible individuals who can be entrusted with any task. In my opinion, their best qualities are a result of the excellent life lessons they have learned in the military.

I have deliberately focused on issues that are directly related to the region's life, in order to demonstrate how a well-funded military can positively impact the well-being of a particular region. In terms of higher-level considerations, increasing defense spending also means allocating funds for the development of advanced technologies in the defense industry. Additionally, it can be used to combat the criminalization of society. After all, there's no point in being hypocritical. For many young people who haven't found a place in life due to widespread unemployment, the question often comes down to joining the army or a "brigade," and then being sent to prison.

Therefore, I believe that those regional leaders who put private, short-term interests above the national interests, which is the comprehensive strengthening of the country's defense capabilities, are making a serious mistake. I can personally assure you that I have always voted and will continue to vote in the Federation Council to address issues in the interests of the Armed Forces.

- You have briefly touched upon the problem of the choice facing young people: whether to join the army or "get involved in crime." Few people consciously choose the army, including in the Trans-Baikal region. Don't you think that the most important issue today is to strengthen the military-patriotic education of the younger generation, especially in the border region of Chita?

- There is no doubt about it. Moreover, we need not just to hold more frequent events, but also to develop a comprehensive state-level program for military-patriotic education of young people. I believe that we should start by increasing the prestige of military service. After all, look at how modern officers, warrant officers, and soldiers are portrayed in the media. They are often depicted as criminals, drug addicts, or alcoholics, or even a combination of all three. What normal young man would voluntarily want to serve in the military if he only read and heard about hazing, bullying, shootings, and escapes every day?

There are more problems in the army than there are people, and no one disputes this. However, there are also many positive examples of people's honest and conscientious approach to their work, and sometimes even acts of true heroism. Unfortunately, these facts are not of interest to the media, as they prefer to focus on "hot" topics that will capture the reader's attention. As a result, everyone knows about the flaws in the army, but only a select few subscribers of military newspapers and magazines are aware of the positive aspects.

Next. In my opinion, a serious mistake was the abolition of basic military training in schools. By doing so, we deprived teenagers of the opportunity to use their excess energy productively, to satisfy their inherent interest in everything related to the military, and simply pushed them into the streets and alleyways. Now, we are reaping the consequences of this ill-conceived decision in the form of rampant street crime.

Three years ago, we decided to return basic military training to our schools. Initially, 36 schools were identified to introduce this subject again, and today, 117 secondary schools are working on the program to prepare young men for military service. In addition, five schools in Chita have opened lyceum classes, where graduates with excellent academic performance are eligible for preferential admission to military schools. Last year, 95 young men were admitted to military universities, and four more were admitted to the Suvorov Military School.

If we talk about military-patriotic work in the region as a whole, I would like to emphasize that we actively cooperate with the command of the Siberian Military District, the Zabaikalsky District of the Federal Border Service, and military units of other federal agencies. Here are just a few examples. Representatives of military units, military registration and enlistment offices, and veterans of the Great Patriotic War and the Armed Forces regularly hold lessons on courage in all schools of the region. Conscription days and open days at military units have also become traditional. For several years, the Siberian Military District's District Training Center has been hosting training sessions for young Cossacks. The region's youth regularly participates in military sports games such as Zarnitsa, Orlenok, Granitsa, Rubezh, Yuny Razvedchik, and others, as well as in pre-conscription youth sports competitions. Specialists for the Armed Forces are trained at the region's ROSTOV educational institutions, including three auto and radio engineering schools.

The command of the Siberian Military District provides us with constant assistance in improving the educational and material base of initial military training, as well as in organizing and conducting classes with schoolchildren. At its initiative, several years ago, military music classes were opened in two garrisons located in the Trans-Baikal region. The first students in these classes were gifted children, usually from single-parent families and orphans. Most of the graduates of these classes are now well-established and have found their place in life.

There is a lot more to say about what is being done in the region to promote military-patriotic education among young people. However, there is still much more that needs to be done. Only then can we be confident that our young men will be willing to serve in the military and fulfill their duty with dignity and honor.

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