Konstantin Titov

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Konstantin A. Titov (born October 30, 1944 in Moscow) is the governor of the Samara Region, Russian Federation.

He was born in a family of a departmental officer. His father (Aleksey S. Titov, born in 1914), Central Directorate officer, moved together with his family to the town of Kalatch-on-the-Don (Volgograd Oblast), later (in 1952) — to the town of Vytegra (Vologda oblast), and in 1953 — to the city of Togliatti where he directed one of the "Kuibyshevgidrostroy" offices. Later, in the city of Kuibyshev, he was appointed Chief Engineer of the Industry and Construction Materials Office affiliated with the Kuibyshev Sovnarkhoz (which stands for National Economy Council).

The future Samara oblast Governor graduated from a Togliatti high school in 1962. In the same year he became student of the Kuibyshev Aviation Institute (now the Samara State Aero-Space University) and graduated form it in 1968 with the diploma in "Mechanical Engineer for Aircraft and Engine Service".

Titov’s career development began as early as 1962-1963 (pursuant to the program of linking higher education and life of that time), when—being still a university student—he worked as milling-machine operator at the Kuibyshev Aircraft Manufacturing Plant. In 1968-1970 (according to the Institute job assignment) Konstantin worked as an Aircraft Manufacturing Plant flight system operator.

In 1969 he was elected Deputy Secretary of the All-Union Leninist Young Communist League Committee of the Kuibyshev Aircraft Manufacturing Plant. Following that, in 1970 Titov became a career Communist League official.

As early as during his university years, Konstantin Titov joined the country-wide popular City Youth Club (commonly referred to as GMK-62), which organized jazz festivals, held informal press conferences, meetings with bards and celebrities of that time—Robert Rozhdestvensky and Vladimir Visotsky. Samara hosted Young Pianists’ Competition named after Dmitry Kabalevsky. At that time, Titov was president of the "Kolokol" discussion club. Today also he is involved in organizing the annual Grushin Festival assembling dozens of thousands bardic songs fans. By the way, the Grushin Festival arose from Titov’s alma mater and GMK-62.

In 1975 Konstantin Titov entered the post-graduate school of the Kuibyshev Planning Institute (now the Samara State Academy of Economics). He graduated in 1978 and joined the Institute Fellow Research Society, where he was promoted through all the positions—from the junior fellow up to the R&D laboratory director (which was the pilot division of the State Planning Committee for the Povolzhye Economic Region.) In most of his major research papers Titov considered the issues of fixed assets’, capital investments’ and new equipment’s economic efficiency.

In 1988-1990 Konstantin Titov worked as Deputy Director for Economics of the Kuibyshev branch of the "Informatics" research-and-production center—one of the first enterprises across the country which made an attempt to use applied science as a repaying market resource.

In March 1990 Konstantin Titov was elected member of the City Council of People’s Deputies, later he became its Chairman. On August 31, 1991 K.A. Titov was appointed Samara oblast Administration Head according to the RF President’s Decree.

In 1992 K.A. Titov published his program under the title "Reforms Give Opportunity to Everybody", in which he clearly advocated market-driven reforms for the sake of worthy life for all people. "Jobs—to strong ones, targeted assistance—to weak ones"—that is the motto of administration headed by Governor Titov. And this policy proved to be successful—the Samara oblast is among top five Russian regions in terms of all major indicators.

In December 1993 K.A. Titov was elected a member of the Federation Council (FC). From 1996 through 2002 he permanently headed the FC Committee for Budget, Tax Policy, Financial and Customs Regulation, and Banking. Konstantin Titov is holder of numerous nongovernmental awards.

In 1998 the Researchers Council of the American Biographical Society qualified the Samara oblast Governor as "Man of the Year" for his achievements in many spheres of public work; he is laureate of the all-Russian theater award "Golden Mask" in nomination "Statesman and Public Figure". It was in 2002, when Samara Oblast Governor Konstantin Titov received the National Peter the Great Prize for efficient administration of a federal territory; the jury of the "Person of the Year" competition also recognized Titov as number one among regional administrators. In the same year, he was given the "Glory of Russia" Order—for supporting and assisting entrepreneurship. On November 18, 2003 Konstantin Titov became laureate of the "Russian National Olympus" prize and holder of the title "Regional Leader of Russia". In the Moscow Kremlin he was given the order "For Honor Valor". The Advisory Panel of the Russian Biographical Institute together with the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church—by results of 2004—made K.A. Titov laureate of the national award "Best Governors and Heads of Republics of Russia". In November 2005 the Organizing Committee of the international fair "Brussels-Eureka" conferred Samara oblast Governor Titov upon the order "For Merits in the Sphere of Invention" of the highest IV-th degree (in the nomination "To a Statesman") for development and introduction of new administration methods and unique information technologies and in December—the Silver Star Civil Order "For Public Recognition" thus acknowledging his active involvement in helping veterans of the Great Patriotic War.

Konstantin Titov is Doctor of Economic Sciences, Honorary Economist of Russia, full member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, Friendship Order Knight; he also holds numerous awards of the Russian Orthodox Church: Order of the Saint Blessed Prince Daniil of Moscow, Saint Prince Vladimir, Sergy of Radonezh (I-st degree).

His wife Natalia and son Alexei are University of Economics graduates. He has grandsons – Konstantin and Ivan.

Konstantin Titov is the first Governor in the Samara province history who was elected by the public: it was in 1996 when he considerably left behind his political rivals and altogether captains the Samara oblast over a period of fourteen years. In elections of July 2000 he won already in the first voting.

On April 26, 2005—by the RF President Vladimir Putin’s proposal—the Samara Provincial Duma unanimously vested K.A. Titov with the powers of the Samara oblast Governor. April 28, 2005 was the day when Konstantin A. Titov officially entered upon the office of the Samara oblast Governor. Since November 2005 he is member of the United Russia Party.

In March 2000 as a candidate he took part in Russian presidential elections.