YEVGENY NAZDRATENKO

, who has misruled the Pacific territory of Primorsky for a decade, survived all of Boris Yeltsin’s efforts to remove him and thumbs his nose now at Vladimir Putin. As temperatures fall to freezing Primorsky is yet again in a winter crisis, with more than 50,000 inhabitants and many public buildings without heat. As before, Nazdratenko blames the feds, who he claims owe his government four billion rubles ($150 million). As before, the Finance Ministry is looking for a way to provide emergency relief. But in the coming spring, the script may have a different ending. On March 1, under federal legislation passed earlier this year, President Putin will acquire the power to dismiss governors who are under criminal investigation. Nazdratenko, who has almost no support outside his region, is likely to be an early target.