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)

從7米高的崖頂縱身一躍，跳入崖下湍急的河流；趴在地上，任憑裝甲車從頭頂呼嘯而過……

俄羅斯商務咨詢新聞社在其網站發布了幾段視頻，畫面中的這些“冒險家”不是別人，正是俄羅斯州長的候選人。

這是一項關于膽量與勇氣的考驗，參加訓練的俄羅斯官員需要展示自己“鋼鐵般的意志”。

跳崖與忍耐裝甲車的“威脅”只是訓練計劃的一部分，該計劃的參與者還將在沒有特殊幫助的情況下穿越峽谷。受訓者在山中沿著河流行走，克服重重障礙，完成訓練計劃。這是對他們在壓力下進行行為測試。

對俄羅斯政府而言，這是很好的團隊建設手段。即將被任命到重要崗位的人，必須參加這樣的訓練，以檢驗和提高他們的耐力和防御能力。

2017年秋天，俄羅斯總統普京撤換十幾位州長，新任命的一批大多數比前任年輕。

隨后，這些州長候選人參加一個為期9個月、針對國家后備干部的學習培訓項目。這一項目得到克里姆林宮的支持，由一家行政學院主辦，包括八個階段的培訓。參加這一項目的，還有一些國家杜馬議員和政府官員。

40位州長候選人還在綜合軍事訓練基地庫賓卡學習。在那里，他們接受了包括高空跳傘、投擲手榴彈和機槍射擊在內的一系列軍事訓練。跳傘后，三個人因受傷中止訓練，其中兩個人的腳受傷，還有一個背部受傷。

學生時代一次打架的經歷，讓普京發現，任何情況下，無論自己是對是錯，都必須變得強大。如果挨打，一定要有能力反擊：在遭遇冒犯或者侮辱時，一定要立即反擊；想要贏得勝利，必須戰斗到最后一刻，把它當作決戰。

后來，普京開始學習拳擊、桑搏和柔道，成為一個身體強壯的“硬漢”。

訓練州長候選人，就是為了促進其堅忍個性的養成，為效忠國家做準備。◆