Many of Nizhny Novgorod’s “new wave” entrepreneurs can be called the followers and advocates of the region’s first governor, Boris Nemtsov. Not because they were his personal friends or received special privileges – but because Nemtsov gave them what every entrepreneur needs most: freedom to act within the law. He created the conditions for private business to grow and did not interfere with their ideas. Oleg Kondrashov was one of these entrepreneurs.
During Boris Nemtsov’s governorship (1991–1997), Nizhny Novgorod was called the Capital of Reforms, because what was happening there had not been done anywhere else in Russia before. Large-scale privatization of retail spaces, the first auctions for the privatization of collective farms (the “Zerno” land reform program), creation of territorial production zones – the prototypes of today’s special economic zones. Programs such as “Roads and Churches,” “Gifted Children,” “People’s Phone,” “Meter by Meter” (housing for military personnel), the revival of “Nizhny Novgorod Fair,” and “Village Gasification” – all were unique initiatives for Russia at that time.
The young governor’s activity and the support he received from local entrepreneurs attracted attention not only in Russia but also internationally. President Yeltsin, Prime Minister Chernomyrdin and reformers like Gaidar and Chubais visited the city frequently. Even British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher came to Nizhny Novgorod to learn about these reforms and meet with local business leaders – including Oleg Kondrashov.
Naturally, Nemtsov could not have succeeded without the support of the first generation of local entrepreneurs. Today, regional authorities often start by seeking outside investors and offering them tax incentives. Nemtsov, however, relied primarily on local initiative.
Although Kondrashov had already temporarily moved to Moscow, he kept several businesses in Nizhny Novgorod. “I’m grateful that I didn’t put all my eggs in one basket, as my Moscow partners advised, and chose not to abandon my Nizhny projects,” he later recalled. He actively participated in Nemtsov’s innovations, including the first auctions for privatizing commercial spaces.
At Nemtsov’s request, Kondrashov also took charge of one of the city’s independent newspapers, “Pikantnye Novosti” (“Spicy News”). At that time, Nizhny Novgorod was full of independent outlets that did not hesitate to criticize regional authorities – a rarity in Russia even then. Nemtsov himself called the region “the land of unafraid journalists.” Reporters from other cities were astonished: “You can really publish that here?”
In 1997, Nemtsov became Deputy Prime Minister of Russia and moved to Moscow. However, his time in high office was brief – his independent stance clashed with the central establishment. He soon co-founded the “Young Russia” movement, which joined the Union of Right Forces (SPS) coalition in the 1999 parliamentary elections.
Nemtsov decided to run for parliament from his home city. “I’m returning to Nizhny. I made a mistake leaving in 1997, and now I’ll correct it,” he said. In a hard-fought race, he defeated former GAZ plant director Boris Vidyayev, whom he had earlier replaced with Nikolai Pugin as head of the enterprise.
Oleg Kondrashov supported Nemtsov’s campaign, and after Nemtsov became an MP – leader of the SPS faction and Deputy Speaker of the State Duma – he invited Kondrashov to serve as his parliamentary assistant, a role he held until the end of Nemtsov’s term.
While Nemtsov grew into a prominent opposition leader, Kondrashov returned to Nizhny Novgorod, where he developed an ambitious project: a network of affordable, democratic restaurants. When Kondrashov opened his first “experimental” restaurant – “Hans’ Feast” – Nemtsov personally attended to show support for his former aide’s initiative.
Unfortunately, after the assassination of Boris Nemtsov in February 2015 near the Moscow Kremlin, Oleg Kondrashov – who was then finishing his term as city manager of Nizhny Novgorod and already facing pressure from political forces that did not want him to remain in this position – was unable to formally commemorate his memory. However, at that time, Oleg Kondrashov’s proposal during a citywide administrative meeting to honor Boris Nemtsov with a minute of silence and by standing up in his memory was already a strong and courageous civic act for those times. The new city administration in 2016 limited itself to placing a memorial plaque on the building where Boris Nemtsov had lived.
Later, in 2016, the new city leadership limited its tribute to a small memorial plaque on the building where Nemtsov had lived. Meanwhile, streets, squares, and parks named after Boris Nemtsov appeared in Washington, Vilnius, Kyiv, Sofia, Bratislava, and London – but not in Moscow or Nizhny Novgorod.
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