Alfred Kokh
Encyclopedia
Alfred Reingoldovich Kokh (Koch) ' onMouseout='HidePop("5370")' href="/topics/Zyryanovsk">Zyryanovsk
, Kazakhstan
, USSR) is a Russia
n writer, mathematician-economist, and businessman of ethnic German origin
.
He served as a deputy prime minister under President Boris Yeltsin
and was an ally of economic reformer Anatoly Chubais
, a chief architect of Russia's privatization. On September 12, 1996, Kokh was appointed head of Russia's State Property Committee, acting as Russia's privatization chief. He left the position on August 13, 1997, after the privatization auctions (loans-for-shares).
In June 2000, Alfred Kokh became head of Gazprom-Media, a subsidiary media holding of Gazprom
(now a subsidiary holding of Gazprombank
), and oversaw the gas giant's controversial takeover of NTV, an independent television company owned by Vladimir Gusinsky
. He was succeeded by Boris Jordan
in October 2001. He also served as head of the 2003 election campaign staff for the Union of Right Forces, a pro-business, democratic party of young reformers including Yegor Gaidar
, Boris Nemtsov and Irina Khakamada, the first woman to run for the Russian presidency.
He wrote the 2006 Russian best-seller, A Crate of Vodka (Ящик водки), a dialogue with journalist Igor Svinarenko about the twenty-year period that covered the last Soviet generation and the first, truly free Russian generation (1982, the death of Leonid Brezhnev
, to 2001, when 9/11 put an end to liberal politics). The English translation will appear in spring 2009.
In 2008, he financed a scholarly point-by-point refutation of Holocaust denial materials. Denial of the Denial (Отрицание отрицания), with Pavel Polian
, is the first book on the subject published in Russia.
Kokh is a frequent commentator in Medved, a glossy Russian men's magazine, writing about history and travel.
Alfred Kokh is a Candidate of Economic Science from the St. Petersburg Mathematics and Economics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. He funds an annual Russian prize in mathematics; he was a sponsor of the new monument in Moscow to Tsar Alexander II, the leader who emancipated the serfs and reformed the Russian army.
Zyryanovsk
Zyryanovsk is a town in East Kazakhstan Province of Kazakhstan, the center of Zyryan District. It was established in 1791 and was granted town status in 1941....
, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
, USSR) is a Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n writer, mathematician-economist, and businessman of ethnic German origin
History of Germans in Russia and the Soviet Union
The German minority in Russia and the Soviet Union was created from several sources and in several waves. The 1914 census puts the number of Germans living in Russian Empire at 2,416,290. In 1989, the German population of the Soviet Union was roughly 2 million. In the 2002 Russian census, 597,212...
.
He served as a deputy prime minister under President Boris Yeltsin
Boris Yeltsin
Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin was the first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999.Originally a supporter of Mikhail Gorbachev, Yeltsin emerged under the perestroika reforms as one of Gorbachev's most powerful political opponents. On 29 May 1990 he was elected the chairman of...
and was an ally of economic reformer Anatoly Chubais
Anatoly Chubais
Anatoly Borisovich Chubais is a Russian politician and business manager who was responsible for privatization in Russia as an influential member of Boris Yeltsin's administration. From 1998 to 2008 he was the head of the state owned electrical power monopoly RAO UES. The 2004 survey by...
, a chief architect of Russia's privatization. On September 12, 1996, Kokh was appointed head of Russia's State Property Committee, acting as Russia's privatization chief. He left the position on August 13, 1997, after the privatization auctions (loans-for-shares).
In June 2000, Alfred Kokh became head of Gazprom-Media, a subsidiary media holding of Gazprom
Gazprom
Open Joint Stock Company Gazprom is the largest extractor of natural gas in the world and the largest Russian company. Its headquarters are in Cheryomushki District, South-Western Administrative Okrug, Moscow...
(now a subsidiary holding of Gazprombank
Gazprombank
Gazprombank is the largest Russian non-state owned bank, which is among the three largest banks in Russia. It is a joint stock bank founded in 1990. The bank is owned by the Russian gas company Gazprom, which controls 62.59% of shares directly and also retains shares through its subsidiaries...
), and oversaw the gas giant's controversial takeover of NTV, an independent television company owned by Vladimir Gusinsky
Vladimir Gusinsky
Vladimir Aleksandrovich Gusinsky is a Russian media baron, is known as the founder of Media-Most holding that included Most Bank, the NTV channel, the newspaper Segodnya and magazines.-Life and career:Gusinsky was born in Moscow....
. He was succeeded by Boris Jordan
Boris Jordan
Boris Jordan is an American businessman of Russian origin. He speaks both English and Russian fluently.An American of Russian ancestry, Boris Jordan assisted Russia's economic transition to capitalism in the early '90s, assisting in the launch of the Russian stock market and the privatization of...
in October 2001. He also served as head of the 2003 election campaign staff for the Union of Right Forces, a pro-business, democratic party of young reformers including Yegor Gaidar
Yegor Gaidar
Yegor Timurovich Gaidar was a Soviet and Russian economist, politician and author, and was the Acting Prime Minister of Russia from 15 June 1992 to 14 December 1992....
, Boris Nemtsov and Irina Khakamada, the first woman to run for the Russian presidency.
He wrote the 2006 Russian best-seller, A Crate of Vodka (Ящик водки), a dialogue with journalist Igor Svinarenko about the twenty-year period that covered the last Soviet generation and the first, truly free Russian generation (1982, the death of Leonid Brezhnev
Death and funeral of Leonid Brezhnev
On 10 November 1982, Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev, the third General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the fifth leader of the Soviet Union, died a 75 year-old man after suffering a heart attack following years of serious ailments. His death was officially acknowledged on 11...
, to 2001, when 9/11 put an end to liberal politics). The English translation will appear in spring 2009.
In 2008, he financed a scholarly point-by-point refutation of Holocaust denial materials. Denial of the Denial (Отрицание отрицания), with Pavel Polian
Pavel Polian
Pavel Markovich Polian is a Russian geographer, historian and sociologist, Doctor of Geographical Sciences with the Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences. He authored over 300 publications. He is famous for his researches of history and geography of the forced migrations...
, is the first book on the subject published in Russia.
Kokh is a frequent commentator in Medved, a glossy Russian men's magazine, writing about history and travel.
Alfred Kokh is a Candidate of Economic Science from the St. Petersburg Mathematics and Economics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. He funds an annual Russian prize in mathematics; he was a sponsor of the new monument in Moscow to Tsar Alexander II, the leader who emancipated the serfs and reformed the Russian army.
External links
- Biography (in Russian)
- Koch without a bacillus by Andrei Agafonov (in Russian).
- On the arguments about the "Europeanness" of Russia, a lecture by Alfred Kokh, June 23, 2005 (in Russian).
- One more member of the family of the civilized nations by Alfred Kokh, Polit.ru, February 9, 2005 (in Russian).
- http://www.polit.ru/analytics/2008/07/30/holokost.html Transcript of presentation of Denial of the Denial book (in Russian)
- http://www.polit.ru/dossie/2008/07/30/videon_kox_polyan.html Video of the Denial of the Denial presentation at Polit.ru