Olga Abramova, the new leader of the Republic of Udmurtia, has a background in agriculture

On 29 July, Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, appointed Olga Abramova as Acting Head of the Republic of Udmurtia, in a move that came as a complete surprise to the public. He had previously relieved Aleksandr Brechalov, who had led the republic since 2017, of his duties. Brechalov reportedly stepped down of his own accord. A week before writing his letter of resignation, Aleksandr Brechalov was still delivering speeches and holding meetings, which gave no indication whatsoever that he was about to step down as head of the republic. It has even been claimed in the press that Brechalov learnt of his dismissal via social media.

On 30 July, Igor Komarov, the Russian President’s representative for the Volga Federal District of the Russian Federation, introduced the newly appointed head of state to the Parliament and Government of the Udmurt Republic. He noted that among Olga Abramova’s forthcoming tasks is ensuring the republic’s socio-economic stability and protecting the interests of its population. However, Komarov emphasised that it is particularly important to support those taking part in the ‘special military operation’ and their families. In her response, Abramova stated that she intends to focus on the republic’s most important asset: human capital. It is this that she plans to develop, noting that it encompasses the economy, infrastructure, living standards and a sense of security about the future.

Olga Abramova

So who is Olga Abramova? She is the first woman in history to have been appointed or elected as head of the Udmurt Republic. In fact, no woman has ever led a Finno-Ugric republic within the Russian Federation.

Olga Abramova was born in 1981 in the village of Sigayevo, in the Sarapul District. She has been described in the press as a ‘native Udmurt’. Whether this is actually the case, however, is unknown. She herself does not speak of it, nor have Udmurt national organisations made any mention of it. She studied economics at Moscow State University, graduating in 2003. In addition, as is typical for senior civil servants in the Russian Federation, she has undertaken further training in law and management.

Professionally, she has been primarily involved in agriculture. She considers herself first and foremost a country person who must be familiar with all farm work. For example, she is able to milk a cow, plough with a tractor and harvest grain with a combine harvester, not to mention other tasks.

Early in her career, she held senior positions in various agriculture-related companies, until she became Minister of Agriculture of the Udmurt Republic in 2018. In 2021, she was promoted to Deputy Head of the Government of the Republic of Udmurtia, and in 2023 to First Deputy Head, with responsibility for the economy. In 2024, she unexpectedly resigned from her post to take up a position as an adviser to the Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation. She held this role until her appointment as head of the republic.

Abramova’s image

It has been written that Olga Abramova is not a typical civil servant. For example, on work trips to rural areas, she was usually seen wearing overalls, rubber wellies or boots, and was generally make-up-free. In photographs, too, she is usually depicted naturally, without a broad smile or striking a pose. Unusually for a Russian woman, she drives herself and is raising two daughters on her own. Also, she is physically fit, and swims for kilometres almost every day.

Journalists and local people have high hopes for her because she is a local: a native of Udmurtia who has herself said that her homeland is Udmurtia, to which she always returns. It is difficult to predict how she will fare in the upcoming elections to the State Duma of the Russian Federation. The elections are due to take place in September. The local United Russia party list is headed by Aleksandr Brechalov.

Russian power structures

In the Russian Federation, the head of a republic has the power, within the republic’s borders, to appoint and dismiss the government and its ministers. Abramova is currently acting head. She must also be elected by the people in an election.

At the same time, it is not uncommon for heads of republics or oblasts to resign unexpectedly or simply be replaced. Leaders elected by the people are often not allowed to serve out their full term. This is a sign that, if the Russian President so wishes, he can replace a leader whenever he chooses. In June, for example, the heads of the Kursk and Belgorod oblasts were also replaced.

Furthermore, a number of power structures, such as the defence industry and the prison service, do not report to the head of the republic. The Ministry of the Interior is a federal ministry, and the republic’s Minister of the Interior does not report to the head of the republic. A representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation also operates in the republic with his staff. All matters concerning the republic’s foreign policy are coordinated with the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Whether it’s sending a folk ensemble to Hungary or an agricultural enterprise’s contract with a collective farm in Belarus.

Republican-federal relations

Each republic of the Russian Federation has a plenipotentiary representative of the President of Russia. Thus, everything can be controlled and co-ordinated by the central government. The overall development and situation of the republic are overseen by the head of the federal district. This is appointed by the President of Russia. The Republic of Udmurtia belongs to the Volga Federal District (Приволжский (ПФО)), which is administered from Nizhny Novgorod.

However, the head of the federal district is not directly the superior of the republic’s head. He is responsible for overseeing various federal supervisory bodies. These include supervising the work of the public prosecutor’s office within the district. At the same time, he introduces the new head, appointed by the President, to the republic’s leadership, as is currently the case in the Republic of Udmurtia. At ceremonial events held in the republics of the Russian Federation, such as the republic’s anniversary or major celebrations, the head of the federal district is the first to be given the floor.