Cars for Vitsebsk officials worth $1mln

"I can see the rings, so I understand it's an Audi. But you'd better ask the economic department whether it is an Audi 8 or not," Euroradio is told by a staffer at the Homel Regional Executive Committee about the official car of Homel Governor Uladzimir Dvornik.

The Euroradio correspondent is calling a staffer in Homel in order to compare the official car of Homel Governor Aliaksandr Kosinets. The reason is: the Vitsebsk regional executive committee has announced an auction for the maintenance of its car fleet and revealed the car makes and even their year of manufacture.

I have spotted a total of 41 cars! The poshest one is Audi A8 W12 worth around $200.000 (hereinafter, the cost of new cars - Euroradio). This is the most luxurious car by the German car maker. Other official cars in possession of Vitsebk regional executive committee are significantly inferior to this 'limo'. A modest trio of off-road vehicles consists of three Toyota Land Cruiser (worth around $100.000 each), two trivial VW Touareg (approximately $75.000 each), two comfortable vans VW Caravelle (around $60.000 each), one of them manufactured in 2013 (hello, the Year of Savings!!). The cars are good for everything ranging from mushroom-picking in the woods to monitoring the sewing campaign in the fields. Even Ala Borisovna (Russian pop diva Pugacheva) can be welcomed with honors during the Slavic Bazaar in Vitsebsk.

For daily routine purposes, there are 11 Volkswagen Passat manufactured in 2003-2008, worth approximately $30.000 each, three Skoda Superb Ambition ($35K each), one Skoda Superb Comfort (around $30K). The fans of Scandinavian car-making industry will find two Volvo — S 80 (manufactured in 2007, worth around $50.000) and a vintage Volvo 940 for those prone to nostalgy in Vitsebsk Governor's garage.

Euroradio's attempt to talk to Viktar Golyshau, the man in charge of maintenance and servicing of Vitsebsk regional executive committee's cars is in vain, because the civil servant is reluctant to confirm if all of official vehicles are on the auction list.

"I don't know whether I am allowed to tell you or not. I am not going to tell you."

However, he admits every regional executive committee selects official cars independently, as there is no unified standard set of cars for regional officials across the country.

There are also modest Russian-made Volgas (out of production just like president's Maybach), one Russia-made cheap van Gazel and two worn-out vans Ford Transit (one of them manufactured as far back as in 1990). The latter sounds the best to carry agents from the State Control Committee around the region.