The governor of the Vologda region in northwestern Russia, Georgy Filimonov, has urged billionaire Alexei Mordashov to “make amends” and collaborate for the greater good of the region, amid ongoing disputes regarding local investment.
Filimonov, who was appointed by President Vladimir Putin in 2023 and is considered a political outsider, has been in conflict with Mordashov’s industrial company Severstal over alleged failures to fulfill investment promises within Vologda’s wood processing sector.
The tension escalated last year when Filimonov publicly dared Mordashov to a physical confrontation, causing the businessman, who is among Russia’s wealthiest individuals with a fortune of $28.6 billion, to refute any personal discord with the governor.
Since then, Filimonov has sparked various political controversies, including proposals to completely ban abortion, which has led to calls for his resignation from over 120 members of the ruling United Russia party. A Change.org petition seeking his removal has garnered over 30,000 signatures.
In an interview with RBC published on Tuesday, Filimonov asserted that he is not in conflict with anyone and emphasized that his priority is economic progress for the region.
“It’s time for Severstal and Mordashov to make peace and prioritize the welfare of the Vologda people over mere profit,” he stated. “Alexei Mordashov and I shouldn’t be like Beavis and Butt-Head, always blaming one another.”
However, the governor seemed to criticize Mordashov for his lack of patriotism and his opposition to the Kremlin’s conservative ideological stance.
“Before we showed up, the ideology of patriotism and support for Russia’s actions in Ukraine was effectively suppressed,” Filimonov claimed, suggesting that Severstal’s leadership held a “quasi-liberal stance” that benefited “Western interests.”
“Even though the firm is facing sanctions, this might reflect the personal beliefs and views of its owner,” he added.
In March, Filimonov issued a decree prohibiting migrants from working in the construction sector in the Vologda region throughout all of 2025. He later rescinded the ban after Severstal cautioned that it could threaten its investments in the area.
