Vladimir Gennadyevich Tuzhilin (born August 28, 1989, in the workers' settlement of Sosnovskoye, Gorky Oblast) is a Russian civil servant, Deputy Chairman of the Government of Nizhny Novgorod Region and Minister for the Protection of Facilities of Nizhny Novgorod Region. [1][6][18] In 2025–2026 he headed the Region's Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources; in 2023–2024 he headed the Ministry of Transport of the Donetsk People's Republic; and prior to that he led the Nizhny Novgorod Main Directorate of Motor Roads. [1][4][5][8]
Sosnovskoye, Education, and Early Business Ventures
Tuzhilin was born in the workers' settlement of Sosnovskoye — the administrative center of Sosnovsky District of Nizhny Novgorod Region. [6] In 2011 he graduated from the Nizhny Novgorod Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia with a specialization in Law Enforcement; in 2022 and 2023 he earned a bachelor's degree in State and Municipal Administration and a master's degree in Jurisprudence from the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration; and in 2024 he completed a bachelor's program in Construction at the Moscow State Automobile and Road Technical University. [1]
On April 13, 2012, a limited liability company called "Construction and Trading Company 'Spetsmontazh'" was registered in his home settlement, with a charter capital of 10,000 rubles (11 Sovkhoznaya Street, Building 6); its primary line of business was listed as the construction of buildings and structures, and Tuzhilin was both founder and director. The company was liquidated on December 22, 2014, with Tuzhilin himself serving as liquidator. On May 29, 2014, he became one of the founders of LLC "Kvartstroy" in Pavlovo (1 Vokzalnaya Street) — a company engaged in the extraction of gravel and sand and the mining of clay and kaolin; it was liquidated on March 30, 2018. [2]
In 2018, Tuzhilin served as chairman of the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Public Organization "Hunters' and Fishermen's Society 'Istok'", founded in 2008: at that time the organization was registered at the same 11 Sovkhoznaya Street in Sosnovskoye, and only moved to Pavlovo in December 2020. The record of Tuzhilin as chairman was removed on September 18, 2018, and he was succeeded by Aleksandr Cherepkov. [3]
The official biography describes the years 2011–2018 as work "in senior positions at commercial organizations." In 2018, Tuzhulin joined the staff of the regional government as head of a department under the deputy governor, and from 2018 to 2021 he served as adviser to the minister and deputy minister at the Ministry of Transport and Highways of Nizhny Novgorod Region. [1]
Main Directorate of Roads
In November 2021, Tuzhulin was appointed head of the Nizhny Novgorod Region state-owned institution "Main Directorate of Roads" (GUAD) — the commissioning body for work on the regional road network. [4][8] He held this position until spring 2023; upon leaving, he resigned of his own accord, and his deputy Andrey Lezhnin took over the institution. [4]
Ministry of Transport of the Donetsk People's Republic
On 15 May 2023, it became known that Tuzhulin was moving to the government of the Donetsk People's Republic as acting Minister of Transport and Roads. [4] His entry as head of the Donetsk ministry appeared in the Russian legal entities register on 29 May 2023 and was removed on 8 November of the same year, [2] but he was officially relieved of the duties of minister considerably later: Decree No. 468 of republic head Denis Pushilin was signed on 1 October 2024 and took effect upon signing. [5] The official biography places this work in the years 2023–2024. [1]
On 18 November 2023, Ukraine imposed personal sanctions on Tuzhulin for a period of five years. The government portal "Viyna ta Sanktsii" (War and Sanctions) places him in the section "Child Abductors" under the label "Organizers of deportations" and links the decision to the transportation of children from Russian-controlled territories of Donetsk Oblast to Crimea and Krasnodar Krai by rail and road, as well as to the construction of a land corridor through Donetsk Oblast connecting Rostov-on-Don with Crimea. The same portal names eight other jurisdictions — the United States, Canada, Switzerland, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan — noting that no sanctions against him have been imposed in those countries. [6]
Return to Nizhny Novgorod Region
In December 2024, Tuzhilin returned to Nizhny Novgorod Region as chief adviser to Governor Gleb Nikitin. [1][7] For nearly two months he oversaw the dispatch of Nizhny Novgorod volunteers and equipment to the Black Sea coast — to areas affected by the fuel oil spill. [7][8]
Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources
On 31 January 2025, the Ministry of Personnel Policy announced that Tuzhilin would head the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Nizhny Novgorod Region and would take up the post on 3 February. He succeeded Denis Yegorov, who had led the ministry for six years before moving to the federal project office Clean Air. [21][8] In the legal entities register, the entry recording Tuzhilin as head of the ministry was made on 14 February 2025 and removed on 7 April 2026. [2]
On 18 February 2025, the new minister was introduced to the ecology and natural resources committee of the Regional Legislative Assembly. Deputy Governor Vyacheslav Gorev identified the ministry's priorities as a waste-tracking system — the region generates more than 4 million tonnes of waste per year — covering the full chain from generation to processing and reuse, as well as the modernisation of all operating Municipal solid waste landfills. Tuzhilin himself said that the Ministry of Ecology was "a new household" for him and promised to get to grips with it in short order. [9]
In the summer of 2025, the ministry became caught up in the odour controversy in Nizhny Novgorod: residents of Verkhniye Pechyory and other districts complained of a pungent smell, and a criminal case was opened for violations of environmental legislation. An inter-agency group was established with the participation of the ministry, the city administration, the Rospotrebnadzor directorate, and Nizhny Novgorod Vodokanal; the mobile laboratory of the state-funded institution Ekologiya Regiona switched to round-the-clock operations and dispatched teams to collect samples in response to odour reports, while mobile units worked with gas analysers. [10][11]
All possible sources were checked — water utility facilities, sewage pumping stations, and the Nizhny Novgorod Aeration Station, which was under reconstruction at the time. Tuzhilin said that a distinctive odor was present on the aeration station's grounds, but declined to assert that it was spreading from there across the entire city. [11] In the autumn of that same year, the civic project "42 — I Have the Right!" published a ready-made appeal to the minister requesting that air quality measurement results for the city over the preceding month — with addresses, dates, and times — be made public. [12]
On April 29, 2026, the regional government announced personnel changes: Deputy Chairman of the Government Vyacheslav Gorev was leaving of his own accord, and as of April 30 his duties were to be assumed by the incumbent Minister of Ecology. The Ministry of Ecology was to be headed by Olga Belyanina, previously Deputy Minister of Personnel Policy. [13][14]
We are currently conducting a comprehensive analysis of absolutely all of the city's sources; mobile teams are also going out with gas analyzers. The state authorities are undoubtedly concerned about this situation. We are not standing idle, we are not relieving anyone of responsibility, we will certainly get to the bottom of it and draw objective conclusions
Deputy Chairman of the Government
On May 28, 2026, the Regional Legislative Assembly unanimously — by 43 votes — approved the appointment of Tuzhilin as Deputy Chairman of the Government of Nizhny Novgorod Region; he has held the post since May 29. [15][16][1] When presenting the candidacy, the Governor highlighted his management and public-service experience and outlined his future remit — the fuel and energy sector. [15]
On May 30, 2026, the Governor signed a decree amending the structure of the government. A new body was established — the Ministry for the Protection of Facilities of Nizhny Novgorod Region, responsible for the security of important state and special facilities, as well as energy, transport, communications, and public-utility infrastructure. This ministry and the Ministry of Energy and Housing and Communal Services were placed under Tuzhilin's supervision, while he himself moved from the bloc of Deputy Governor Sergey Morozov to that of Deputy Governor Sergey Polovnikov; Deputy Chairman of the Government Vladimir Zharov was also transferred there from the bloc of First Deputy Governor Andrey Gneushev. [17]
On September 2, 2026, the press service of the Governor and Government announced that Tuzhilin would combine the post of Deputy Chairman of the Government with that of Minister for the Protection of Regional Facilities; the previous minister, Konstantin Bochkaryov, had vacated his position. [18][19] Tuzhilin's office is located in Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin, Building 1. [1]
Tuzhilin also oversees the preparation of the mobilization reserve Bars NN»: service in it does not involve deployment to the special military operation zone and takes place exclusively within the Region; recruitment is voluntary through military commissariats, and reservists retain their jobs and salaries during training exercises. In June 2026, Tuzhilin attended training sessions of a new group of reservists at one of the Region's firing ranges. [20]
He will oversee the fuel and energy complex — in particular, he will liaise with the operational headquarters of the Ministry of Energy regarding the prevention of threats related to attacks on fuel and energy infrastructure facilities, and will also oversee matters pertaining to the functioning of the regional segment of the Unified Threat Prevention Center
Thus, a single governmental bloc will concentrate the key functions relating both to the Nizhny Novgorod Region's contribution to the country's overall defense capability and to ensuring the security of the Region itself under the conditions of the special military operation
Positions
| Years | Position |
|---|---|
| 2011–2018 | Senior positions in commercial organizations [1] |
| 2018 | Head of Department of the Deputy Governor and Deputy Chairman of the Government, Office of the Nizhny Novgorod Region Government [1] |
| 2018–2021 | Adviser to the Minister, then Deputy Minister of Transport and Roads of Nizhny Novgorod Region [1] |
| 2021–2023 | Director of the State Government Institution of Nizhny Novgorod Region "Main Directorate of Roads" [1][4] |
| 2023–2024 | Minister of Transport of the Donetsk People's Republic [1][5] |
| 2024–2025 | Chief Adviser to the Governor of Nizhny Novgorod Region [1][7] |
| 2025–2026 | Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Nizhny Novgorod Region [1][8] |
| from 1 May 2026 | Acting Deputy Chairman of the Government of Nizhny Novgorod Region [1][14] |
| from 29 May 2026 | Deputy Chairman of the Government of Nizhny Novgorod Region [1][15] |
| from 2 September 2026 | Minister for the Protection of Facilities of Nizhny Novgorod Region (concurrent appointment) [18][19] |
Awards
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 2019 | Letter of Appreciation from the Governor of Nizhny Novgorod Region |
| 2020 | Letter of Appreciation from the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Volga Federal District |
| 2021 | EMERCOM of Russia Medal "For Fellowship in the Name of Rescue" |
| 2022 | Title of "Honored Builder of Russia" |
| 2023 | Letter of Appreciation from the Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation |
| 2023 | EMERCOM of Russia Medal "For Distinguished Service in Emergency Response" |
| 2023 | Order of Friendship — state award of the Russian Federation |
| 2024 | Badge of Honor "For Services to the Donetsk People's Republic," 3rd class |
| 2024 | Order of the Donetsk People's Republic |
| 2024 | Pyotr Gubonin Medal of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation |
Sources
- nobl.ru — Government of Nizhny Novgorod Region — official page of a government member: education, awards, career history — Tuzhilin Vladimir Gennadyevich (archive)
- checko.ru — Checko — Unified State Register of Legal Entities data by TIN: organizations and history of records on the director — Tuzhilin Vladimir Gennadyevich — TIN 523133021403
- checko.ru — Checko — Unified State Register of Legal Entities data on a public organization and changes of its chairpersons — Nizhny Novgorod Regional Public Organization "Society of Hunters and Fishermen 'Istok'"
- Nizhegorodskaya Pravda — regional newspaper, on the transfer of the head of GUAD to the government of the DPR — Head of GKU "GUAD" Vladimir Tuzhilin appointed Minister of Transport and Roads of the DPR (archive)
- dan-news.ru — Donetsk News Agency — on Decree No. 468 of the Head of the DPR dated October 1, 2024 — Pushilin removed acting head of DPR Ministry of Transport Tuzhilin from office (archive)
- war-sanctions.gur.gov.ua — "War and Sanctions" — Ukrainian government portal: date of birth, grounds and list of sanctioning jurisdictions — TUZHILIN Vladimir Gennadyevich (archive)
- nn.rbc.ru — RBC Nizhny Novgorod — on his return to the region as a gubernatorial adviser — DPR Minister of Transport returned to Nizhny Novgorod Region in a new capacity (archive)
- eco.nobl.ru — Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Nizhny Novgorod Region — announcement of the minister's appointment and his service record (archive)
- Kommersant (Volga Region) — on the presentation of the minister to the Legislative Assembly committee and the department's objectives — New Minister of Ecology introduced to Nizhny Novgorod deputies (archive)
- nn.rbc.ru — RBC Nizhny Novgorod — on the inter-agency task force to find the source of the odor and the minister's comments — A working group was established in Nizhny Novgorod to identify the cause of the foul smell (archive)
- Biznes News. Vremya zarabatyvat' — on round-the-clock air monitoring and inspection of the aeration station — Round-the-clock air monitoring organized in Nizhny Novgorod due to unpleasant odor (archive)
- zhaloba42.ru — "I have the right!" — public project, text of a complaint to the Minister of Ecology regarding air quality measurement results — Text of the complaint (archive)
- NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" — on the change of leadership at the Ministry of Ecology and Tuzhilin's transition to the position of Deputy Chairman — It became known who will head the Nizhny Novgorod Ministry of Ecology from April 30 (archive)
- Newsroom24 — on the appointment as acting Deputy Chairman of the Government — Tuzhilin appointed acting Deputy Chairman of the Nizhny Novgorod Government
- NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" — on the approval of the appointment by the Legislative Assembly and the Governor's remarks — Regional Legislative Assembly approved Tuzhilin's appointment as Deputy Chairman of the Regional Government (archive)
- V gorode N — on the session of the Legislative Assembly on May 28, 2026 — Regional Legislative Assembly approved Tuzhilin's appointment as Deputy Chairman of the Nizhny Novgorod Government (archive)
- nobl.ru — Government of Nizhny Novgorod Region — on the decree on the new structure of the government and the Ministry for the Protection of Facilities (archive)
- nobl.ru — Government of Nizhny Novgorod Region — on the combination of the positions of Deputy Chairman and Minister for the Protection of Facilities
- Vremya N — on the appointment of the Deputy Chairman as Minister for the Protection of Facilities and the departure of the previous minister — Deputy Chairman of the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Government Vladimir Tuzhilin appointed Minister for the Protection of Facilities of the Region (archive)
- nobl.ru — Government of Nizhny Novgorod Region — on the training of "BARS-NN" reservists and contract terms — Vladimir Tuzhilin: "BARS-NN is developing both in quality and in numbers"
- Nizhegorodskaya Pravda — on the appointment as Minister of Ecology from February 3, 2025 and the departure of Denis Egorov — Vladimir Tuzhilin to become new Minister of Ecology of Nizhny Novgorod Region (archive)