Vladimir Gruzdev
Encyclopedia
Vladimir Sergeyevich Gruzdev is a Russian politician, the governor of Tula Oblast
., businessman and explorer.
Vladimir Gruzdev was born in 1967 in Bolshevo, Moscow oblast, to a military officer and a teacher. He initially studied as a cadet of military institute, then served in the Russian foreign intelligence service
as a translator.
In 1993 he abandoned his military career and founded The Seventh Continent
hypermarket
s net. The company grew in the following years, becoming one of the largest retail
ers in Russia, and making its founder a millionaire.
In 2000 Gruzdev was elected to the Moscow City Duma, and in 2003 was elected as a deputy of State Duma. He is a member of the United Russia
political party. Since his appointment as governor of Tula Oblast, a distressed industrial area south of Moscow, Gruzdev has held a series of townhall meetings at which he has listened to citizen complaints, which are many, and has attempted to respond to them, sometimes firing local administrators on the spot.
Gruzdev is also known for his extreme tourism and exploration. He took part in the Russian expedition Arktika 2007
to the North Pole and on January 10, 2008 was awarded the Order of Merit Before the Fatherland, 3rd Class "for courage showed in extremal conditions during High-Latitude Arctic Deep-Water Expedition."
He was expected to become the first Russian space tourist
in 2009, launching on board a Soyuz-TMA
spacecraft. He has not, however, visited space as of 2011.
Vladimir Gruzdev is married and has three children.
Tula Oblast
Tula Oblast is a federal subject of Russia with its present borders formed on September 26, 1937. Its administrative center is the city of Tula. The oblast has an area of and a population of 1,553,874...
., businessman and explorer.
Vladimir Gruzdev was born in 1967 in Bolshevo, Moscow oblast, to a military officer and a teacher. He initially studied as a cadet of military institute, then served in the Russian foreign intelligence service
Foreign Intelligence Service (Russia)
The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service is Russia's primary external intelligence agency. The SVR is the successor of the First Chief Directorate of the KGB since December 1991...
as a translator.
In 1993 he abandoned his military career and founded The Seventh Continent
Sedmoi Kontinent
Sedmoi Kontinent , is a major grocery retail chain operating 140 stores in Russia and one in Belarus. It is headquartered in Moscow.Founded in 1994, Sedmoi Kontinent was the first new Russian food retailer since the dissolution of the Soviet Union...
hypermarket
Hypermarket
In commerce, a hypermarket is a superstore combining a supermarket and a department store. The result is an expansive retail facility carrying a wide range of products under one roof, including full groceries lines and general merchandise...
s net. The company grew in the following years, becoming one of the largest retail
Retail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
ers in Russia, and making its founder a millionaire.
In 2000 Gruzdev was elected to the Moscow City Duma, and in 2003 was elected as a deputy of State Duma. He is a member of the United Russia
United Russia
United Russia is a centrist political party in Russia and the largest party in the country, currently holding 315 of the 450 seats in the State Duma. The party was founded in December 2001, through a merger of the Unity and Fatherland-All Russia parties...
political party. Since his appointment as governor of Tula Oblast, a distressed industrial area south of Moscow, Gruzdev has held a series of townhall meetings at which he has listened to citizen complaints, which are many, and has attempted to respond to them, sometimes firing local administrators on the spot.
Gruzdev is also known for his extreme tourism and exploration. He took part in the Russian expedition Arktika 2007
Arktika 2007
Arktika 2007 was a 2007 expedition in which Russia performed the first ever crewed descent to the ocean bottom at the North Pole, as part of research related to the 2001 Russian territorial claim, one of many territorial claims in the Arctic, made possible, in part, because of Arctic shrinkage...
to the North Pole and on January 10, 2008 was awarded the Order of Merit Before the Fatherland, 3rd Class "for courage showed in extremal conditions during High-Latitude Arctic Deep-Water Expedition."
He was expected to become the first Russian space tourist
Space tourism
Space Tourism is space travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. A number of startup companies have sprung up in recent years, hoping to create a space tourism industry...
in 2009, launching on board a Soyuz-TMA
Soyuz-TMA
The Soyuz-TMA is a recent revision of the Soyuz spacecraft, superseded in 2010 by the Soyuz TMA-M..It is used by the Russian Federal Space Agency for human spaceflight...
spacecraft. He has not, however, visited space as of 2011.
Vladimir Gruzdev is married and has three children.