The federal “Time of Heroes” program, launched by the Presidential Administration (PA) to integrate veterans of the “Special Military Operation” (SMO) into government, currently looks more like a showcase initiative than a systemic mechanism. A true picture will only emerge after analyzing the performance of its regional counterparts, which are now being launched across the country.
On paper, Time of Heroes already appears to be a success: out of the 83 participants in the first intake, 42 — nearly half — have already received official appointments. Among them are presidential envoy to the Urals Federal District Artyom Zhoga, two acting regional governors (Yevgeny Pervyshov in the Tambov region and Maria Kostyuk in the Jewish Autonomous Region), two officials in the PA’s domestic policy bloc responsible for SMO participants, and Arthur Orlov, the head of the “First Movement.”
Political Prestige and Behind-the-Scenes Bargaining
The program has attracted notable interest among heavyweight political players. According to sources, many are trying to push their own people into it. Officially, candidates are selected based on personal merit and combat experience. In practice, however, “real heroes” quickly become entangled with various power groups. In other words, individuals with frontline prestige are being used as bargaining chips in the elite’s struggle for political influence.
Training for the first cohort is still underway, but appointments are already happening. It’s openly acknowledged that certain participants are being “tracked” for specific roles — although formal performance still matters. The plan, according to insiders, is for 100% of graduates to be placed in government roles. A new wave of appointments is expected in the second half of the year, including new acting governors and mayors.
Local Resistance and the Risk of Imitation
However, even project curators admit that Time of Heroes is just the flagship initiative. The real test lies in the regional adaptations. These will determine whether SMO veterans can truly be turned into a viable administrative talent pool — or whether they’ll simply serve as political window dressing.
For now, local enthusiasm remains lukewarm. Regional bureaucracies are resistant: they don’t want to give up their “comfortable posts,” fear potential consequences, and prefer to operate on autopilot. While there is a top-down directive to integrate veterans, no one is forcing regions to do so at the expense of “governability.”
Local officials often complain that most candidates lack the necessary competencies and skills — “the entire training process has to start from scratch.” As a result, regions may limit themselves to ticking boxes: appointing officials who spent only a few months at the front, without making real changes to staffing policy.
Ultimately, the program’s effectiveness will vary widely across regions. In some areas, it might lead to genuine systemic training. In others, it may amount to little more than theater. The key question remains: will regional elites establish a real mechanism for preparing new administrators from among SMO veterans, or will they simply play along with the federal narrative?
