Russian President Dimitri Medvedev has named a former opposition leader as the governor of the region of Kirov Oblast. The appointment is a test of whether Medvedev can assert himself against his powerful prime minister, Vladimir Putin.

Nikita Belykh has a difficult relationship with the armed forces. But on Defender of the Motherland Day, Belykh, who is governor of Kirov Oblast, located some 800 kilometers northeast of Moscow, attended a ceremony honoring the country's war veterans.

Russian oblasts are similar to federal states in Germany and the U.S., and Belykh acts as the Kremlin's representative in Kirov. On this key date in the Russian calendar, Belykh was clearly unhappy with his duties. The normally eloquent governor seemed ill at ease as he read his speech off a piece of paper.

On the stage and behind the lectern, eight soldiers stood to attention, their parade uniforms sparkling under the spotlights. They too were uneasy with the situation. The military considers Belykh a weak liberal, and the applause was suitably muted. For Belykh the appearance was therefore a foray into enemy territory - until recently, he was a vociferous opponent of the government.

Barely two years ago, policemen in gray riot gear arrested Belykh during a demonstration. At the time he was the leader of the opposition Other Russia coalition together with Garry Kasparov, the former chess world champion and a diehard critic of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. And yet a year ago President Dimitri Medvedev appointed Belykh to be governor of Kirov Oblast. Belykh was just 33 years old.