The tragic discovery was made public on July 7, just hours after a presidential decree confirmed his dismissal from office. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Starovoit's resignation was not related to a loss of presidential trust. However, early reports suggest the former official was facing imminent criminal charges related to large-scale fraud.
Starovoit, who served as governor of the Kursk Region from October 2018 until May 2024, allegedly came under investigation after his former deputy, Alexey Smirnov – now under arrest for embezzlement during the construction of regional defense structures – reportedly gave testimony against him.
A Tearful Goodbye from His Closest Companion
The body of Starovoit was identified by a woman widely believed to be his romantic partner, known in local media as Polina K., a graduate of Kursk State Medical University. In Kursk, she was so closely associated with the former governor that locals referred to her as the region's "First Lady.”
According to Telegram sources, Starovoit had ceased communication with family members on July 5. He divorced in 2021 and had two children from that marriage. It was Polina who arrived for the identification. Footage that surfaced on social media shows her weeping as law enforcement officials stood nearby, before she was escorted into an Aurus vehicle and driven away.
Though originally described by the media as his assistant, sources claim Polina had been in a relationship with the ex-minister for at least a year and had accompanied him when he left the governorship and moved to Moscow.
Corruption Allegations Involving Billions
A report from Telegram channel Mash suggests that Starovoit was suspected of large-scale fraud tied to decisions made while he headed Kursk's operational headquarters during the war effort.
Specifically, his signature was found on a decree naming the "Kursk Region Development Corporation” as the general contractor for constructing defensive fortifications. This decree effectively enabled the corporation to control the disbursement of 19 billion rubles in government funds and appoint subcontractors at will.
The corporation's general director, Vladimir Lukin, was detained in December 2024 and remains in pretrial detention over charges of embezzlement. Earlier that same month, Lukin's deputy, Igor Grabin, was also arrested under Article 285 of the Russian Criminal Code-abuse of official power-amid accusations of the double payment of 174 million rubles for work that had already been officially documented as completed.
