Georgy Filimonov made a remark to a visitor who was looking at his phone during his speech.
The Governor of the Volgograd Region called on residents to be grateful for his work.
This moment was shown on the Russian North TV channel, RBC reports.
The incident occurred at an awards ceremony for the best agricultural workers.
Filimonov explained that he was an hour and a half late due to a busy schedule.
If you need to look at your phone, you can leave now, Filimonov told those present in the hall.
He added: “If we work for you, we need to appreciate it and say thank you.”
Two minutes later, the governor asked the journalists of “Russian North” to turn off the camera, explaining that this was a recording for internal use.
