The Special Training Camp for Governors

By Hu Wenhui & Bai Ziwei

Can you imagine a scene leaping from a sevenmeter cliff into a rapidly flowing river below, or lying on the ground while a tank roars past you overhead?

Russian news agency RBC aired some video clips on its website,and the “adventurers” in those videos are none other than the candidates for Russian governors.

This is a real test of courage and nerves, and all the participants have to show that they have guts.

Apart from jumping off a cliff and enduring the threats of a tank, the participants have to walk across a canyon along the river without any extra aid, while facing all sorts of obstacles along the way to meet the needs of the training program. It is a test that gauges their acts under pressure.

This is an excellent method of fostering the team spirits hoped for by the Russian government. Those who are going to be appointed to important posts must participate in such training programs, so as to test and improve their endurance and stamina. In the fall of 2017,Russian President Vladimir Putin replaced over ten regional governors, and the outgoing officials were mostly replaced by younger appointees.

The governor candidates were assigned to attend a nine-month learning and training program that was particularly designed for the national reserve cadres.The program, supported by the Kremlin, has eight stages and was hosted by an administrative academy. Besides, some Members of the State Duma and other government officials have also participated in the program.

The 40 governor candidates went to an integrated military training base in Kubinka where they received a series of military training exercises, like skydiving,throwing grenades, and firing machine-guns. After skydiving,three candidates were suspended from the training due to physical injuries.

President Putin learned from a fight he had when he was a student that no matter what happens,and no matter if you are right or wrong, you have to be strong. You must have the power to fight back when someone beats you, and you must take immediate action when someone offends you or insults you. If you want to win, you must fight until the last moment, as if in a life-and-death struggle.

Afterwards, Putin started to practice boxing, Sambo, and Judo,and eventually became a “tough guy” with a strong body.

This training for governor candidates is intended to develop their tenacity and help them better serve their country. ◆

(From Vista, Issue34, 2017.Translation: Zhu Yaguang)

从7米高的崖顶纵身一跃，跳入崖下湍急的河流；趴在地上，任凭装甲车从头顶呼啸而过……

俄罗斯商务咨询新闻社在其网站发布了几段视频，画面中的这些“冒险家”不是别人，正是俄罗斯州长的候选人。

这是一项关于胆量与勇气的考验，参加训练的俄罗斯官员需要展示自己“钢铁般的意志”。

跳崖与忍耐装甲车的“威胁”只是训练计划的一部分，该计划的参与者还将在没有特殊帮助的情况下穿越峡谷。受训者在山中沿着河流行走，克服重重障碍，完成训练计划。这是对他们在压力下进行行为测试。

对俄罗斯政府而言，这是很好的团队建设手段。即将被任命到重要岗位的人，必须参加这样的训练，以检验和提高他们的耐力和防御能力。

2017年秋天，俄罗斯总统普京撤换十几位州长，新任命的一批大多数比前任年轻。

随后，这些州长候选人参加一个为期9个月、针对国家后备干部的学习培训项目。这一项目得到克里姆林宫的支持，由一家行政学院主办，包括八个阶段的培训。参加这一项目的，还有一些国家杜马议员和政府官员。

40位州长候选人还在综合军事训练基地库宾卡学习。在那里，他们接受了包括高空跳伞、投掷手榴弹和机枪射击在内的一系列军事训练。跳伞后，三个人因受伤中止训练，其中两个人的脚受伤，还有一个背部受伤。

学生时代一次打架的经历，让普京发现，任何情况下，无论自己是对是错，都必须变得强大。如果挨打，一定要有能力反击：在遭遇冒犯或者侮辱时，一定要立即反击；想要赢得胜利，必须战斗到最后一刻，把它当作决战。

后来，普京开始学习拳击、桑搏和柔道，成为一个身体强壮的“硬汉”。

训练州长候选人，就是为了促进其坚忍个性的养成，为效忠国家做准备。◆