Trutnev Yuri Petrovich was born on March 1, 1956 in Perm in a family of oil workers. In 1978, he graduated from Perm Polytechnic Institute with a degree in mining engineering. Since 1978-engineer, junior researcher at PermNIPIneft. From 1981 to 1988, he worked in the Perm city and regional Komsomol committees, the regional sports committee. In 1988, he created and headed the sports and recreation association "Kontakt". Since 1990-General Director of EX LIMITED, since 1996-President of E. K. S. International JSC, which united the EX Group enterprises. Since 1994-Chairman of the Committee on Economic Policy and Taxes of the Perm Regional Legislative Assembly and Deputy of the Perm City Duma.

Since December 1996-Head of the city of Perm. In 1998, he was awarded the Order of Honor.

- Yuri Petrovich, you once headed the defense and sports department of the Komsomol regional committee. And although you didn't serve in the army yourself, you are familiar with the problems of the army. What is your personal attitude to the needs of today's army?

- Indeed, I did not go through military service. But, like many students-graduates of Perm Poly, I spent three months at training camps in one of the military units in the Novgorod region. After them, we were promoted to officer ranks, and now I am a reserve officer. If we talk about the army as a whole, then for me this concept is very closely related to the concept of "Homeland". Today, it is hard for Russia - it is also hard for the Armed Forces. This is due to economic difficulties and changes in the defense potential of our country. The positions that it held thanks to the power of the Armed Forces are largely lost. Russia has become less reckoned with. And I, as a Russian, am certainly not happy about this state of affairs.

I would like Russia to be able to perform on our planet the function that it has always performed. Namely, the power balance function. In my deep conviction, the world cannot be defined by any one military bloc, one power. And if, let's say conditionally, NATO and the United States today have balanced positions in relation to Russia, then it is not at all indisputable that such positions will continue in the future. Understanding that the loss of Russia's influence in the world is a negative process, I naturally have a negative attitude to everything related to the weakening of the Russian Army's positions.

- What can be done in these difficult economic conditions in which the country is located to ensure that the army, at least, does not lose its position?

- The situation when the state does not pay its obligations cannot persist for a long time. These are elementary things. When any budget is drawn up - for an individual enterprise, city, or country - everyone tries to understand how it will be executed for each item. For example, there is an article on the maintenance of the municipal police of the city of Perm. So, my task is to ensure that this article is funded, and that the people who protect public order in the city are dressed, shod, and equipped. And it should be the same when it comes to people defending the country as a whole. This line of the budget must be balanced and fully implemented. The state cannot be non-binding in relation to the people who serve it. In this issue, both economics and common sense are closely intertwined.

The State is obliged to finance the expenses of the Armed Forces.

Decent people have always served in the Russian Army. And when military personnel do not receive money for several months, most Russians have a natural question: what is happening? We try to explain to people that these difficulties are temporary, that they will be overcome. I will say frankly: the very fact that such questions are raised shows that the public is rooting for what is happening with our Armed Forces. But this, of course, is not enough. It is necessary that every city, every region, no matter how difficult it is, help the army to the best of their abilities and capabilities.

Perm is a typical Russian city. A city of large defense industry enterprises. Of course, their condition is closely related to the state of affairs in the army. As the head of the city, I took part in meetings at various levels: with the leadership of the Russian Government and the Ministry of Defense, Rosvooruzhenie, etc. And everywhere there is only talk of obligation and responsibility. The heads of our defense companies have been asking the same question at such meetings for several years: can you tell us the volume of the defense order? Today, the question is not even worth asking: what funds should I use to convert? But they give up when they have to destroy defense products worth many billions of rubles.

For its part, the city administration has taken several concrete steps to help the Perm defense industry. We have created a specialized department for working with industrial enterprises - the department of industrial policy. The main directions of industrial policy have been developed. In order to stabilize the socio-economic situation of the largest defense enterprises, such as JSC Perm Motors, JSC Perm Instrument-Making Company, and a number of others, multilateral agreements have been signed, the debt of defense enterprises to the city budget is being restructured, and their social and cultural facilities and housing stock are being taken into municipal ownership.

- As the head of the city, you obviously have to provide assistance to parts of the Perm garrison. Tell us about this aspect of your business.

- We strive to ensure that no appeal for help from law enforcement agencies, parts of which are stationed in Perm, remains unanswered. Despite the fact that we are in a difficult budget situation and it is not easy for us to cope with our own problems, we do not divide our tasks into local and federal ones. Whether or not we are responsible for financing military units, we are restoring armored vehicles that were damaged during the fighting in Chechnya at the city's expense. One of the units, for example, received 100 million non-denominated rubles from the city budget for this purpose. We help with the repair of barracks premises, and in subscribing to periodicals, and in perpetuating the memory of those who died in the performance of military duty.

Another area of our work is participation in the implementation of the State Housing Certificates program. Six former officers who received them have already been allocated housing. There is a positive trend in the city - getting housing for retired officers. If in 1997 they were allocated 17 apartments, then in the first nine months of 1998 - already 42 apartments. In November, another 29 were allocated. I have good business relations with both the military district command and the regional Military Commissar, Major General Anatoly Samoilov. As a result of cooperation in the city, the percentage of those who evade conscription has decreased, and cases of unauthorized abandonment of a unit in the Perm garrison are disappearing. In addition, we do not forget about the Permians who are currently serving in the military. In October 1998, the city administration and the regional military commissariat signed an agreement to provide patronage assistance to the Kotelnikov Far Eastern border outpost. The administration, in particular, undertook to provide sponsorship and humanitarian assistance to the outpost with the support of enterprises and organizations of the city. In a word, the work is underway.

- Readers of our magazine will be interested to know that you are the owner of the 2nd dan in kyoku-shinkai karate, a former member of the national team. In short, by nature - a fighter. Don't you worry that today's young people have somehow moved away from sports and are losing their fighting qualities in many ways?

- Each person has their own social circle. Wherever I go when I go to training, I see young guys who train, work, and achieve high results as selflessly as my peers. I can't help but say that in Perm today, if we talk about martial arts, it is difficult to find a sport in which there would not be masters of international class, prize-winners of world championships. The city has some of the most powerful classical wrestlers and judoists in the world. I like the young guys I talk to. In addition to sports, they graduate from universities, study computers, foreign languages, and develop strong-willed qualities. There is, of course, unfortunately, a part of young people who are idle and drink. Of course, we would like to see more of the former and fewer of the latter. Whenever possible, we try to influence the process of educating young people with deeds.

- Taking advantage of your presentation in our magazine, what would you wish to the Permian guys who are wearing shoulder straps today?

- I would like to wish all my fellow countrymen to be worthy of the title of Ural citizen. I would also like to wish them to come home mentally prepared for civilian life, for the difficulties that will meet them. The mood of the guys returning from the army will depend not only on their own fate, but also on how quickly our region, and therefore Russia, will get back on its feet.

- Thank you for an interesting and frank conversation. I wish you further success in your work.

Senior permanent correspondent of Orientir magazine for the Ural Military District, Colonel Alexander KERDAI

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