Ex-governor of the Vladimir region Vinogradov died at the age of 79.

Nikolai Vinogradov, the former governor of the Vladimir Region, died at the age of 79. His death was announced by the current head of the region, Alexander Avdeev, in his Telegram channel.

Avdeev expressed his condolences to his family and friends and stressed that Vinogradov played a key role in the development of the region: under his leadership, the Vladimir region was able to overcome the difficulties of the 1990s, achieve stability and confidently move forward in the 2000s.

"Nikolai Vinogradov will remain in our memory as a strong leader, a strong businessman, and a reliable comrade. <...> For me, Nikolai Vladimirovich became a wise adviser. We were like—minded people on many fundamental issues of further development of the region," the head of the region noted.

Vinogradov has served as head of the Vladimir Region Administration since 1997, and was governor from 2000 to 2013. Earlier, in 1994, he was elected a deputy and became chairman of the Legislative Assembly. In 2013, he headed the list of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation in the elections, but later renounced his mandate.

After completing his gubernatorial career, Vinogradov continued to participate in the socio-political life of the region, and in recent years he has been an adviser to the governor.

For his contribution to the development of the region, he was awarded the title of honorary citizen of the Vladimir region, awarded the Order of Honor and the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, IV degree.