Read the complete interview transcript here: https://goldenfront.ru/articles/view/western-conservatives-work-invest-and-settle-in-russia-interview-transcript/

Write to Dmitriy Balkovskiy here: [email protected]

Dmitriy Balkovskiy’s interview with Aleksei Alekseevich Khohlov, Member of the lower chamber of the Russian Parliament (State Duma) from Ivanovo region and Maksim Uvarov, CEO and founder of Smart Hemp Group of Companies.

Maksim Uvarov: Yes, we now are developing the biggest and most comprehensive project for growing and processing hemp in Russia. And we are doing it in Ivanovo region.
We picked Ivanovo region for our project for a number of reasons. Firstly because Ivanovo remains the heart of the Russian textile industry. The main goal of our project is to procure hemp fiber for the textile industry. And right now we are sitting at the House of Hemp. This is our showroom, the very first exhibition point where we are showing all manner of goods made of hemp. This is the only project of its kind in the Russian Federation.
We are sitting in the middle of Moscow, on the Nikitskiy Boulevard next to the fashionable Ponds of the Patriarch district. You can come here and see varieties of stuff that can be made out of hemp, touch it with your own hands and buy it.
Dmitriy Balkovskiy: Alexei Alekseevich, please tell us about the history of Ivanovo region as a centre of agriculture of Russian Non-black Earth region, that is North-Central European Russia.
Alexei Khohlov: Thank you, Dmitriy, for inviting to this interesting discussion and to this amazing place. I believe that with our general effort we will be able to return a deserved reputation to the old, forgotten and slandered Russian hemp. Because this plant had given literally everything to the Russian peasant for centuries. And it is very hurtful to note that Russia abandoned its traditional ways and forgot hemp, flax and many wonderful and exotic sounding plants in the 1970-s and 80-s.
So I am delighted to say that right now we are beginning a period of revival and return to things which were foundational for Russian peasants and people for many centuries.
Unfortunately, today this territory for centuries considered the centre, the heart of Russia is in a very poor state. The Non-Black Earth region we are talking about here includes such regions as Ivanovo, Kostroma, Vladimir, Tver, Pskov, Smolensk and several others. Russia as a country, as a culture was born in these regions. At the moment there are a little more 10 mln people living in this territory (excl. Moscow and Moscow region), and this vast space includes of 240 mln hectares of arable land. About 50 to 60 mln hectares out of 240 mln is not under cultivation today. For example, in my native Ivanovo region about 200,000 hectares are withdrawn from cultivation.
The government and president of the Russian Federation has paid a lot of attention to this problem in recent years. For example, it was decided to return to cultivation about 12 mln hectares. Prime minister Mishustin signed this decision last year. Additional funds will be disbursed and hopefully our Ivanovo region will use this opportunity as well.