Yakovlev Sergey Vladimirovich is a Nizhny Novgorod government official who served as Minister of Tourism and Crafts of Nizhny Novgorod Region from April 2022 to October 2026. For two years before the ministry was created, he headed the Department for the Development of Tourism and Folk Art Crafts, on whose basis the ministry was established.[1]

Tenure as minister

Yakovlev headed the ministry from its founding in April 2022.[1] Among the ministry's areas of work are the implementation of the "Tourism and Hospitality" national project, and the development of the region's tourist infrastructure and river routes. In June 2026, Yakovlev took part in the launch of the electric vessel Peterhof of the "Moscow 2.0" project on pleasure-cruise routes in Nizhny Novgorod, calling the event significant for the region.[2]

Scandal and resignation

On September 28, 2026, a confrontation involving Yakovlev and players of FC Nizhny Novgorod took place at the Moscow Railway Station in Nizhny Novgorod. In a video that spread on social media on October 2, 2026, the official, in an intoxicated state, demanded that a police patrol detain the footballers, called them drunk, reproached the team for its relegation from the Premier League, and appealed to his position: "I am a member of the Nizhny Novgorod Region government. Where is the detention?" One of the police officers remarked in response that Yakovlev himself smelled of alcohol. The official threatened to complain to Yuriy Arsentyev, head of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for Nizhny Novgorod Region, and claimed that the detention had been approved by the minister of sport. The confrontation continued at the police station.[1][3]

The day after the video was published, Yakovlev recorded a public video address with apologies. On October 4, 2026, he met in person with the club's players and staff, admitted that he was in the wrong, and wished the team — which at that moment was in first place in the First League — a swift return to the Premier League.[1]

On October 5, 2026, Yakovlev submitted his resignation, which Governor Gleb Nikitin accepted. Nikitin stated that he had given the official "all the necessary assessments in the harshest form" in advance, and explained: "The behavior of an official, let alone a minister, in such a situation cannot be justified by anything. Drinking alcohol outside working hours is, of course, not prohibited in itself. But its consequences — a public conflict, obscene language, appeals to one's position and status — are absolutely unacceptable." Following the incident, the Kanavinsky District Court of Nizhny Novgorod sentenced Yakovlev to three days of administrative arrest under the article on petty hooliganism.[4] The governor expressed hope that what had happened would serve as a lesson for all civil servants in the region. The name of the new minister had not been announced at the time of the resignation.[1]

Sources

  1. Newsroom24 — Following the conflict at Moscow Railway Station, the Kanavinsky District Court of Nizhny Novgorod sentenced Yakovlev to three days of administrative arrest for petty hooliganism
  1. NN.RU — Following the incident, the Kanavinsky District Court of Nizhny Novgorod sentenced Yakovlev to three days of administrative arrest under the article on petty hooliganism.
  1. rtvi.com — "You're Swinging at Air": Nizhny Novgorod Minister Loses Post After Scandal with Footballers
  2. nobl.ru — New Electric Vessel "Peterhof" Begins Operating on a Sightseeing Route in Nizhny Novgorod — Official Website of the Nizhny Novgorod Region Government
  3. repost.news — Drunk head of the Nizhny Novgorod Region Ministry of Tourism Sergei Yakovlev cursed out Pari NN footballers • REPOST Portal
Materials from the following articles were used (1)

Apology of Tourism Minister Yakovlev to the Players of FC Nizhny Novgorod (2026)