Sergey Sobyanin

Sergey Sobyanin
3rd Mayor of Moscow
Incumbent
Assumed office
28 October 2010
Preceded by Yury Luzhkov
Vladimir Resin (acting)
Personal details
Born 21 June 1958 (1958-06-21) (age 53)
Nyaksimvol, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug — Yugra, Russian SFSR, USSR
Nationality Russian
Political party United Russia
Spouse(s) Irina Sobyanina
Children Anna Sobyanina
Olga Sobyanina
Alma mater Kostroma Technological Institute
All-Union Correspondence Institute of Law

Sergey Semyonovich Sobyanin (Russian: Серге́й Семёнович Собя́нин; born 21 June 1958 in Nyaksimvol, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug — Yugra, Russian SFSR, USSR) is a Russian statesman and political figure who has served as Mayor of Moscow since October 2010. He was Deputy Prime Minister of Russia and former Head of the Administration of the President of Russia from 2005 to 2010.

He is considered to be a close ally of Vladimir Bogdanov, Director General of Surgutneftegaz.[1][2][3]

As the Mayor of Moscow, Sobyanin has gradually relaxed the massive construction projects of his predecessor, for which he has won acclaim for the "most sane piece of city planning in years."[4] And he has also won praise for his efforts in combatting corruption.[5] At the same time, he was criticized for the banning of gay parades in the Moscow, for which was strongly condemned by LGBT groups.[6]

Contents

Education

After leaving the local school in Beryozovsky District in 1975, he matriculated to the TU of Kostroma. On graduation from university he received an assignment to the large tube-rolling factory in Chelyabinsk. Started working as a machinist there, he became a craftsman in a year and a half.

Early career

From 1982 to 1984 he worked with Komsomol in Chelyabinsk.

In 1984, he returned to Kogalym. There, he worked as a vice-chairman of the Kogalym selsovet (lowest level of administrative subdivision in rural areas), in a municipal economy department and local tax administration.

In 1989, he got a second degree in jurisprudence. His PhD Thesis was titled "Legal position of the autonomous okrugs as federal subjects of Russia".

Political career

In 1991, he was elected mayor of Kogalym.

Since 1993, he has been the First Deputy of the Head of the Administration of Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug.

In 1994, he was elected chairman of Khanty-Mansi's Autonomous Okrug's Duma.

In January 1996, he became a member of the Federation Council of Russia.

Since July 1998, he has been chairman of the Constitutional Law, Judicial, and Legal Problems Committee.

On 27 October 1996, he was re-elected as a delegate and a chairman of Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug Duma.

On 12 July 2000 he was appointed the First Deputy of Plenipotentiary of President of Russia in the Urals Federal District.

On 14 January 2001 he was elected governor of Tyumen Oblast. During the campaign, oil tycoon Vladimir Bogdanov was its confidant.[3]

He has been a member of the Supreme Council of the "United Russia" political party since 2004.

In 2005, Sergey Sobyanin sent a request to the President of Russia about a vote of confidence. That was done in case of the change of the governor assignment procedure. Vladimir Putin nominated him for election by the Duma of the Tyumen Oblast and he was finally reelected on 17 February 2005.

In November 2005, he was appointed a head of the Administration of the President of Russia.

Since 21 October 2010, he has been the Mayor of Moscow.

Awarded a Medal of Honour, church II-nd stage order of St. Kniaz Danil Moscowskiy, Medal of Honour in Education, French Republic Medal of Honour in Agriculture.

Laureate of the "2003 Russia's Man of the Year: Politician" prize.

Criticism

Sobyanin has in recent years become a major target of controversy in the press. According to an independent poll, most Muscovites believe that since coming to power, Sobyanin's leadership has not differed from that of Yury Luzhkov.[7]

Moscow Gay Parades

In February 2011, Sobyanin drew the ire of LGBT groups when he deemed Gay Parades to be "illegal" in Moscow.[8] In response to this act, several gays organised a parade without approval on May 2011, during which 30 gay supporters were arrested, including several foreigners. Actor Ian McKellen criticized Sobyanin for the ban on parades, even going as far as using the word "coward" to describe Sobyanin.[9]

City Planning

The preservation organization Archnadzor criticized Sobyanin for his razing of historical landmarks to make way for contemporary buildings. [10]

Personal life

Sergey Sobyanin is married to Irina Sobyanina. The couple have two daughters: Anna (b. 1986) and Olga (b. 1997) .

References

  1. ^ "Story of the Day / PressPATROL / Media Monitoring Agency WPS". Wps.ru. http://www.wps.ru/en/pp/story/2005/11/17.html. Retrieved 5 November 2011. 
  2. ^ "Ежедневный Журнал: Не верю!". Ej.ru. http://ej.ru/comments/entry/2342/. Retrieved 5 November 2011. 
  3. ^ a b "Toolserver:Homepage". Anticompromat.ru. http://www.anticompromat.ru/sobyanin/sobyanbio.html. Retrieved 5 November 2011. 
  4. ^ 16:05 5/11/2011+1 °C (26 May 2011). "Belorusskaya shopping mall axed | LOCAL". The Moscow News. http://themoscownews.com/local/20110526/188699708.html. Retrieved 5 November 2011. 
  5. ^ "Sobyanin Vows to Fight Corruption | News". The Moscow Times. 19 October 2010. http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/sobyanin-vows-to-fight-corruption/420545.html. Retrieved 5 November 2011. 
  6. ^ "Dozens arrested, including Americans, during illegal gay rights demonstration in Moscow". The Lincoln Tribune. 29 May 2011. http://lincolntribune.com/?p=12651. Retrieved 5 November 2011. 
  7. ^ 17:05 5/11/2011+1 °C (13 October 2011). "Poll: no improvement under Sobyanin | LOCAL". The Moscow News. http://themoscownews.com/local/20111013/189119037.html. Retrieved 5 November 2011. 
  8. ^ "No gay parades in Moscow – Mayor Sobyanin | Society | RIA Novosti". En.rian.ru. 16 February 2011. http://en.rian.ru/society/20110216/162636979.html. Retrieved 5 November 2011. 
  9. ^ By Advocate.com Editors. "McKellen Calls Moscow Mayor a Coward | News". The Advocate. http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/05/26/McKellan_Calls_Moscow_Mayor_a_Coward/. Retrieved 5 November 2011. 
  10. ^ http://artinfo.com/news/story/749982/catholics-re-mobilize-against-brooklyn-museum-hideseek-show-europes-oldest-painting-discovered-and-more

External links

Political offices
Preceded by
Dmitry Medvedev
Chief of the Russian presidential administration
2005–2008
Succeeded by
Sergey Naryshkin
Preceded by
Vladimir Resin
(acting)
Mayor of Moscow
2010–present
Incumbent