Vladimir Aleksandrovich Ryzhkov (born 3 September 1966 in Rubtsovsk

Rubtsovsk

Rubtsovsk is a city in Altai Krai, Russia, located on the Aley River southwest of Barnaul. Population: 167,000 ; 111,000 ; 38,000 ....

, Altai Krai

Altai Krai

Altai Krai is a federal subject of Russia . It borders with, clockwise from the south, Kazakhstan, Novosibirsk and Kemerovo Oblasts, and the Altai Republic. The krai's administrative center is the city of Barnaul...

, Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

) 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 Professor of the Higher School of Economics (Moscow), Russian independent politician, Russian State Duma member (1993–2007).
Vladimir Ryzhkov represented the city of Barnaul

Barnaul

-Russian Empire:Barnaul was one of the earlier cities established in Siberia. Originally chosen for its proximity to the mineral-rich Altai Mountains and its location on a major river, the site was founded by the wealthy Demidov family in the 1730s. In addition to the copper which had originally...

 in the Siberian Altai Region

Altai Krai

Altai Krai is a federal subject of Russia . It borders with, clockwise from the south, Kazakhstan, Novosibirsk and Kemerovo Oblasts, and the Altai Republic. The krai's administrative center is the city of Barnaul...

 in the Russian State Duma

State Duma

The State Duma , common abbreviation: Госду́ма ) in the Russian Federation is the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia , the upper house being the Federation Council of Russia. The Duma headquarters is located in central Moscow, a few steps from Manege Square. Its members are referred to...

 in 1993-2007.

Political career

He was first elected in 1993

Russian legislative election, 1993

Legislative elections were held in the Russian Federation on 12 December 1993. At stake were the 450 seats in the State Duma , the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia .-Rules:...

 and later headed a group of deputies from Russia's Choice

Democratic Choice of Russia

The Democratic Choice of Russia was a Russian political party that existed from 1994 to 2001.-Background and Establishment:...

 (Выбор России), the main pro-Kremlin party under Russian 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...

. In 1997, he was elected Deputy President of the State Duma, becoming the youngest Speaker

Speaker (politics)

The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...

 in its history. On 19 September 1998, Ryzhkov was appointed Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation on social issues, but turned down the offer only days later. In the general elections of 1999

Russian legislative election, 1999

Legislative elections were held in the Russian Federation on 19 December 1999. At stake were the 450 seats in the State Duma , the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia...

, he ran as an independent, but later joined the pro-Yeltsin coalition Unity Party of Russia. After Vladimir 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...

's election in 2000, Ryzhkov was dismissed from the coalition. In 2003 general election

Russian legislative election, 2003

Legislative elections were held in the Russian Federation on December 7, 2003. At stake were the 450 seats in the State Duma , the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia ....

, Vladimir Ryzhkov successfully ran as an independent, becoming one of the last liberal voices to remain in parliament. In 2005, he became head of the Republican Party of Russia

Republican Party of the Russian Federation

The Republican Party of the Russian Federation is a pro-reform and pro-democracy political party in the RSFSR and later in the Russian Federation. Nowadays, the party still exists . It is led by Vladimir Ryzhkov and opposes the Putin regime...

 (Республиканская партия России), which in 2007 was refused registration for the parliament elections later that year

Russian legislative election, 2007

Legislative elections were held in the Russian Federation on 2 December 2007. At stake were the 450 seats in the State Duma, the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia . Eleven parties were included in the ballot, including Russia's largest party, United Russia, which was supported by...

. Because of a recent law requiring all candidates be nominated by political parties, Ryzhkov could not run as an independent.

Career after politics

Since 2006, Ryzhkov has been affiliated with the Other Russia opposition coalition. Vladimir Ryzhkov represented the city of Barnaul in the Siberian Altai Region in the Russian State Duma in 1993-2007. He was first elected in 1993 and worked in a group of deputies from "Vibor Rossii", the main reformists party under Russian President Boris Yeltsin. In 1997, he was elected first Deputy President of the State Duma, becoming the youngest Speaker in its history. In the general election of 1999, he was elected as an independent deputy. After Vladimir Putin's election in 2000, Ryzhkov soon became one of the leading opposition figures. In the 2003 general elections, Vladimir Ryzhkov successfully ran as an independent deputy, becoming one of the last liberal voices to remain in parliament. In 2005, he became head of the Republican Party of Russia which in 2007 was refused registration for the parliament elections later this year. Because of a recent law requiring all candidates be nominated by political parties, Ryzhkov could not run as an independent. He became professor of Higher School of Economics (Moscow), writing political analysis in the independent 'Novaya Gazeta'

Novaya Gazeta

Novaya Gazeta is a Russian newspaper well known in the country for its critical and investigative coverage of Russian political and social affairs....

 and the English-language 'The Moscow Times'

The Moscow Times

The Moscow Times is an English-language daily newspaper published in Moscow, Russia since 1992. The circulation in 2008 stood at 35,000 copies and the newspaper is typically given out for free at places English-language "expats" attend, including hotels, cafés and restaurants, as well as by...

 and 'The St. Petersburg Times', presenting a political talk show on 'Echo Moskvy'

Echo of Moscow

Echo of Moscow is a Russian radio station based in Moscow, broadcasting in many Russian cities, in some of the former-Soviet republics , and via the Internet, which some observers describe as "the last bastion of free media in Russia"...

radio, the chairman of the public organization "Vibor Rossii". He is the author of the books Fourth Republic and The Granted Democracy and the co-coordinator of the international public committee "Russia in the United Europe".