October 28, 2026, the Nizhny Novgorod City Duma approved, at a plenary session, a new structure for the city administration proposed by Mayor Yuriy Shalabaev.[1] The decision was made without a report or discussion.[2]
Background and Goals of the Reform
As early as spring 2026, Mayor Shalabaev announced large-scale structural changes in the city administration: the plan was to reduce the number of departments and the headcount of City Hall staff by 10–15%.[2] According to the explanatory note to the draft decision, the reform was intended to improve the efficiency of governance and cut budget expenditures by eliminating duplicate units.[1][2]
Main Changes to the Structure
The Department of Business Development and the Department of Tourism Development and External Relations have been merged into a single Department of Business, Tourism, and External Relations Development. The need for the merger was explained by the growth of the tourism industry and its close ties to small and medium-sized businesses — the hotel and restaurant sector, and the organization of leisure activities and excursions. Leadership of the new unit has been entrusted to Aleksandr Simagin.[1][2] Notably, these two departments were already a single body until 2022, when they were separated — now the reverse merger has taken place.[1]
The Department of Information Technology and the Department of Digital Transformation have been combined to create the Department of Information Technology and Digital Development. The merger is intended to centralize the entire work cycle — from developing user scenarios and improving the regulatory framework to servicing server equipment and providing technical support. Andrey Stolyarov has been appointed acting head.[1][2]
In terms of City Hall leadership, the post of Deputy Mayor for Housing and Utilities and Construction has been combined with that of the head of the administration of the Nizhegorodsky District. The need for this arrangement was explained by the district's heavy urban-planning, transportation, and tourism load, its dense historic buildings, and its large number of cultural heritage sites. Denis Skalkin will hold both roles.[1][2] Elena Antonova, who had been serving as acting First Deputy Mayor for the economic bloc since December 2025, has been officially confirmed in that post.[1][2]
Personnel changes
Alongside approving the structure, the deputies agreed on a rotation of the city's district heads.[1] By that time, it had already become known that Deputy Head of the Administration for Improvement Anton Maksimov was leaving and had been replaced by Sergey Samsonov, and that Galina Gurenko, director of the Department of Social Policy, was retiring — her place was taken by Tatyana Orlova, who previously worked in the Department of Culture.[1]
Sources
- Govorit Nizhny — The Nizhny Novgorod Duma approved a large-scale optimization of City Hall
- NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" — The Nizhny Novgorod Duma approved the optimization of the City Hall structure, Nizhny Novgorod News