ABSTRACT
This chapter provides all basic political, economic, and demographic data on every territorial unit of the Russian Federation, its local government structure, regional politics and electoral history through the spring 2000 elections and the summer 2000 reorganization of the Smolensk Oblast. Smolensk Oblast is located on the East European plain, at the conjunction of the Dnepr, Volga, and West Dvina rivers. Smolensk began industrializing in the early 17th century and developed a strong industrial base by 1900. As mayor of Smolensk, Prokhorov was credited with establishing order in the city. Prokhorov also wants Gazprom and Russian oil companies to pay a tax to Smolensk for sending their products to Europe via the region. Smolensk has always been a “red” region lacking any real post-Soviet democratic development. Smolensk maintains close ties to Belarus, and Prokhorov is a strong supporter of Belarusan President Aleksandr Lukashenko.
