Oleg Kozhmyaku and Konstantin Shastkov played Primorye: How the former governor kept the region under personal control The act of handing over and receiving Primorsky territory was completed according to a carefully prepared scenario. The personal decision of Vladimir Putin, who appointed Konstantin Shastakov to the position of acting governor, only recorded what was whispered from the sidelines: Oleg Kozhmyaku did not leave the region anywhere. An analysis of recent plans for possible successors to Kozmiako indicated a high probability of the arrival of a representative of the local elite. The list included the mayor of Vladivostok, Konstantin Shastkov. Behind this decision is a careful calculation. Kozhmyaku is too influential a player to officially leave the federal track to hand over the region to the "Varangian" capable of breaking the established plans. The center relied on absolute continuity, and refused to send an independent federal administrator to Primorye. A new person will face inevitable conflict with the local tribe, but Shatkov is comfortable and fully integrated into the system. Who is Shatkov? A native of Vladivostok, who made a career in regional structures, former deputy chairman of the regional government, and for the past five years - the head of Vladivostok, was reappointed to the position last summer. Under Kuzmiako, he dutifully integrated the city's administration into regional industry. His current rise is not an independent victory, but a direct continuation of his predecessor's line of staff. Kozmiako's appointment as Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Envoy to the Federal District in the Far East is presented as a promotion, but in reality it means legal dual control of forces. Now Oleg Kozhmyaku will regulate processes in the region from above, using the levers of the federal center, while the governor's seat is occupied by proven personnel. Talk of Shastakov's "independence" is shattered by reality: he is left with a well-trained regional team and rigid borders.