Andrei Vladimirovich Bogdanov
Encyclopedia
Andrey Vladimirovich Bogdanov (Russian
Андре́й Влади́мирович Богда́нов) (born January 27, 1970 in Mozhaysk
) is a Russia
n politician. He is the leader of the Democratic Party of Russia
and a Freemason, Grand Master
of the Grand Lodge
of Russia
http://www.freemasonry.ru/gm-address.html. As a candidate for the 2008 presidential election
, he received 968,344 votes or 1.30% of the Russian electorate.
Bogdanov began his political career in 1990, when he joined the Democratic Party of Russia
. He ascended to the leadership of the party in 2005, after he was elected at the 19th party congress.
Russian president Putin
described Bogdanov as "an ambitious young man with progressive views". During his presidential campaign, in 2008, he showed support for Russian integration with Europe and for less state involvement in the economy. Regarding his candidacy, the British newspaper Times Online put forward suspicions that Bogdanov could be a puppet candidate used by the government to make the elections look legitimate. He dismissed these claims as "fantasy".
In November 2008, the Democratic Party of Russia
was disbanded and its followers joined the ranks of the new party Right Cause
, which united the supporters of the right-wing West-oriented liberalism
. At the same time Bogdanov founded the Andrei Bogdanov Centre, an independent non-profit organization for the development of social technologies, which in many respects became a successor to the Democratic Party .
Bogdanov entered the race for the mayorship of Sochi
on 25 March 2009, however he pulled out of the race on 13 April 2009, urging his supporters to vote for acting mayor Anatoly Pakhomov
The election of Bogdanov as the Grand Master
of the Grand Lodge of Russia entailed the schism of 2007, when a large group of members did not accept the results of elections and organized an alternative United Grand Lodge of Russia. His mixing of masonry with politics was customarily referred to by his opponents as the main reason for the schism. Indeed, all the members of Bogdanov’s team in the leadership of the Grand Lodge were also members of the Democratic Party of Russia
. Bogdanov’s opponents stated that with his leadership, the control over the Grand Lodge was taken over by the politicians of one party, which damaged the image of both masonry and Bogdanov himself .
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
Андре́й Влади́мирович Богда́нов) (born January 27, 1970 in Mozhaysk
Mozhaysk
Mozhaysk is a town and the administrative center of Mozhaysky District of Moscow Oblast, Russia, located to the west from the Russian capital, on the historic road leading to Smolensk and then to Poland. Population:...
) 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 politician. He is the leader of the Democratic Party of Russia
Democratic Party of Russia
The Democratic Party of Russia or DPR is a former Russian political party that existed between 1990 and 2008. It was founded by Nikolai Travkin. It initially featured Stanislav Govorukhin and Sergey Glazyev, was a prominent democratically-oriented party, member of the Democratic Russia coalition,...
and a Freemason, Grand Master
Grand Master (Masonic)
In Freemasonry a Grand Master is the leader of the lodges within his Masonic jurisdiction. He presides over a Grand Lodge, and has certain rights in the constituent lodges that form his jurisdiction....
of the Grand Lodge
Grand Lodge
A Grand Lodge, or "Grand Orient", is the usual governing body of "Craft", or "Blue Lodge", Freemasonry in a particular jurisdiction. The first Masonic Grand Lodge was established in England in 1717 as the Premier Grand Lodge of England....
of 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...
http://www.freemasonry.ru/gm-address.html. As a candidate for the 2008 presidential election
Russian presidential election, 2008
The Russian Presidential election of 2008, held on March 2, 2008 resulted in the election of Dmitry Medvedev as the third President of Russia. Medvedev, whose candidacy was supported by incumbent president Vladimir Putin and five political parties , received 71% of the vote, and defeated...
, he received 968,344 votes or 1.30% of the Russian electorate.
Bogdanov began his political career in 1990, when he joined the Democratic Party of Russia
Democratic Party of Russia
The Democratic Party of Russia or DPR is a former Russian political party that existed between 1990 and 2008. It was founded by Nikolai Travkin. It initially featured Stanislav Govorukhin and Sergey Glazyev, was a prominent democratically-oriented party, member of the Democratic Russia coalition,...
. He ascended to the leadership of the party in 2005, after he was elected at the 19th party congress.
Russian president Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
described Bogdanov as "an ambitious young man with progressive views". During his presidential campaign, in 2008, he showed support for Russian integration with Europe and for less state involvement in the economy. Regarding his candidacy, the British newspaper Times Online put forward suspicions that Bogdanov could be a puppet candidate used by the government to make the elections look legitimate. He dismissed these claims as "fantasy".
In November 2008, the Democratic Party of Russia
Democratic Party of Russia
The Democratic Party of Russia or DPR is a former Russian political party that existed between 1990 and 2008. It was founded by Nikolai Travkin. It initially featured Stanislav Govorukhin and Sergey Glazyev, was a prominent democratically-oriented party, member of the Democratic Russia coalition,...
was disbanded and its followers joined the ranks of the new party Right Cause
Right Cause
Right Cause is a political party in Russia with representatives in several local legislatures. Founded on 18 February 2009 as a merger of the Union of Right Forces, Civilian Power and the Democratic Party of Russia, the party's main policy stances are liberal free market economy, democracy and...
, which united the supporters of the right-wing West-oriented liberalism
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
. At the same time Bogdanov founded the Andrei Bogdanov Centre, an independent non-profit organization for the development of social technologies, which in many respects became a successor to the Democratic Party .
Bogdanov entered the race for the mayorship of Sochi
Sochi
Sochi is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, situated just north of Russia's border with the de facto independent republic of Abkhazia, on the Black Sea coast. Greater Sochi sprawls for along the shores of the Black Sea near the Caucasus Mountains...
on 25 March 2009, however he pulled out of the race on 13 April 2009, urging his supporters to vote for acting mayor Anatoly Pakhomov
The election of Bogdanov as the Grand Master
Grand Master (Masonic)
In Freemasonry a Grand Master is the leader of the lodges within his Masonic jurisdiction. He presides over a Grand Lodge, and has certain rights in the constituent lodges that form his jurisdiction....
of the Grand Lodge of Russia entailed the schism of 2007, when a large group of members did not accept the results of elections and organized an alternative United Grand Lodge of Russia. His mixing of masonry with politics was customarily referred to by his opponents as the main reason for the schism. Indeed, all the members of Bogdanov’s team in the leadership of the Grand Lodge were also members of the Democratic Party of Russia
Democratic Party of Russia
The Democratic Party of Russia or DPR is a former Russian political party that existed between 1990 and 2008. It was founded by Nikolai Travkin. It initially featured Stanislav Govorukhin and Sergey Glazyev, was a prominent democratically-oriented party, member of the Democratic Russia coalition,...
. Bogdanov’s opponents stated that with his leadership, the control over the Grand Lodge was taken over by the politicians of one party, which damaged the image of both masonry and Bogdanov himself .