Vladimir Yakunin
Encyclopedia
Vladimir Ivanovich Yakunin ' onMouseout='HidePop("5269")' href="/topics/Melenki,_Vladimir_Oblast">Melenki, Vladimir Oblast
) is a Russian official, president of state-run Russian Railways
company. Yakunin is a close ally of the former Russian president Vladimir Putin
and is considered to be one of the members of his inner circle.
of KGB
.
As a child Yakunin lived in Estonia
, Pärnu
.
In 1972 Yakunin graduated from Leningrad Mechanical Institute where he studied aircraft construction. In 1972-1975 he worked in the State Institute for Applied Chemistry in Leningrad.
After completing his military service (1975-1977) he worked in the State Committee for International Trade of the Sovmin (Council of Ministers) until 1982.
In 1982-1985 he was a Head of the Foreign Relations Department in the Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute
.
Between 1985 and 1991 Yakunin was part of the Soviet diplomatic mission in the United Nations
, since 1988 as the First Secretary of the Mission. According to some sources, during this term he worked as an officer of the First Chief Directorate
of KGB
(foreign intelligence).
After 1991 he was a private businessman until 1997 when he became a government official once again.
In April 1991 together with Yuriy Kovalchuk
and Sergey Fursenko
he founded the enterprise TEMP Ltd. and became its deputy director general. Sergey Fursenko assumed the position of its director general.
Also in 1991 together with Yuriy Kovalchuk and Viktor Myachin he founded JSC Quark (later renamed to JSC Stream).
In December 1991 he became a member of the board of directors and minor shareholder of the Russia bank.
Since the early 90s, Yakunin owns a dacha
in Solovyovka, Priozersky district of the Leningrad region
, which is located on the eastern shore of the Komsomol'skoye lake on the Karelian Isthmus
near St. Petersburg. His neighbours there are Vladimir Putin
, Andrei Fursenko, Sergey Fursenko
, Yuriy Kovalchuk
, Viktor Myachin, Vladimir Smirnov and Nikolay Shamalov. On 10 November 1996, together they instituted the co-operative society Ozero
(the Lake) which united their properties. http://anticompromat.ru/oligarhi/ppo.htmlhttp://www.lib.ru/HISTORY/FELSHTINSKY/naslednik.txt
In January 1997 Yakunin was elected member of the board of directors of BaltUneximbank.
Since 7 December 2000 - February 2002 Yakunin became deputy of the Russia's Transportation Minister Sergey Frank.
On 8 February 2002 he was appointed First deputy of the new Transportation Minister Gennady Fadeev where he worked until 22 October 2003.
On 24 October 2003 Yakunin became Deputy Head of the Russian Railways
headed by Gennady Fadeev and created out of the Ministry. On 15 June 2005, he became Head of the Russian Railways.
Yakunin is Chairman of the Committee of Trustees of the Center of the National Glory of Russia and St. Andrew's Foundation organizations which fund Orthodox Church
-related projects.
Yakunin is also President of the "World Public Forum - Dialogue of Civilizations", an International NGO, registered in Vienna, Austria, which he co-founded with C.Kapur of India and N.Papanikolao from Greece/USA. World Public Forum - Dialogue of Civilizations is an initiative to link people of different civilizations, traditions and religions. It organizes the annual Rhodes
Conference on Dialogue of Civilizations.
Melenki, Vladimir Oblast
Melenki is a town and the administrative center of Melenkovsky District of Vladimir Oblast, Russia, located in the Meshchera Lowlands on the banks of the Unzha River, southeast of Vladimir. Population:...
) is a Russian official, president of state-run Russian Railways
Russian Railways
The Russian Railways , is the government owned national rail carrier of the Russian Federation, headquartered in Moscow. The Russian Railways operate over of common carrier routes as well as a few hundred kilometers of industrial routes, making it the second largest network in the world exceeded...
company. Yakunin is a close ally of the former Russian president 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...
and is considered to be one of the members of his inner circle.
Biography
Yakunin's father was a pilot of the USSR Border TroopsUSSR Border Troops
Soviet Border Troops, were the militarized border guard of the Soviet Union, subordinated to its subsequently reorganized state security agency: first to Cheka/OGPU, then to NKVD/MGB and, finally, to KGB...
of KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
.
As a child Yakunin lived in Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, Pärnu
Pärnu
Pärnu is a city in southwestern Estonia on the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Riga in the Baltic Sea. It is a popular summer vacation resort with many hotels, restaurants, and large beaches. The Pärnu River flows through the city and drains into the Gulf of Riga...
.
In 1972 Yakunin graduated from Leningrad Mechanical Institute where he studied aircraft construction. In 1972-1975 he worked in the State Institute for Applied Chemistry in Leningrad.
After completing his military service (1975-1977) he worked in the State Committee for International Trade of the Sovmin (Council of Ministers) until 1982.
In 1982-1985 he was a Head of the Foreign Relations Department in the Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute
Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute
Ioffe Physical-Technical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences is one of Russia's largest research centers specialized in physics and technology. The institute was established in 1918 in Petrograd and run for several decades by Abram Fedorovich Ioffe...
.
Between 1985 and 1991 Yakunin was part of the Soviet diplomatic mission in the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, since 1988 as the First Secretary of the Mission. According to some sources, during this term he worked as an officer of the First Chief Directorate
First Chief Directorate
The First Chief Directorate , of the Committee for State Security , was the organization responsible for foreign operations and intelligence collection activities by the training and management of the covert agents, intelligence collection management, and the collection of political, scientific and...
of KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
(foreign intelligence).
After 1991 he was a private businessman until 1997 when he became a government official once again.
In April 1991 together with Yuriy Kovalchuk
Yuriy Kovalchuk
Yury Valentinovich Kovalchuk is a Russian businessman and financier "reputed to be Putin's personal banker". The May 2008 issue of Russian Forbes listed him for the first time in its Golden Hundred of Russia's richest and introduced him and another new entrant to the List, Gennady Timchenko, as...
and Sergey Fursenko
Sergey Fursenko
Sergey Aleksandrovich Fursenko is a Russian businessman.He is a brother of Andrei Fursenko.Since July 2003 Sergey Fursenko is the Director General of the JSC Lentransgaz, a subsidiary of Gazprom....
he founded the enterprise TEMP Ltd. and became its deputy director general. Sergey Fursenko assumed the position of its director general.
Also in 1991 together with Yuriy Kovalchuk and Viktor Myachin he founded JSC Quark (later renamed to JSC Stream).
In December 1991 he became a member of the board of directors and minor shareholder of the Russia bank.
Since the early 90s, Yakunin owns a dacha
Dacha
Dacha is a Russian word for seasonal or year-round second homes often located in the exurbs of Soviet and post-Soviet cities. Cottages or shacks serving as family's main or only home are not considered dachas, although many purpose-built dachas are recently being converted for year-round residence...
in Solovyovka, Priozersky district of the Leningrad region
Leningrad Oblast
Leningrad Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . It was established on August 1, 1927, although it was not until 1946 that the oblast's borders had been mostly settled in their present position...
, which is located on the eastern shore of the Komsomol'skoye lake on the Karelian Isthmus
Karelian Isthmus
The Karelian Isthmus is the approximately 45–110 km wide stretch of land, situated between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia, to the north of the River Neva . Its northwestern boundary is the relatively narrow area between the Bay of Vyborg and Lake Ladoga...
near St. Petersburg. His neighbours there are 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...
, Andrei Fursenko, Sergey Fursenko
Sergey Fursenko
Sergey Aleksandrovich Fursenko is a Russian businessman.He is a brother of Andrei Fursenko.Since July 2003 Sergey Fursenko is the Director General of the JSC Lentransgaz, a subsidiary of Gazprom....
, Yuriy Kovalchuk
Yuriy Kovalchuk
Yury Valentinovich Kovalchuk is a Russian businessman and financier "reputed to be Putin's personal banker". The May 2008 issue of Russian Forbes listed him for the first time in its Golden Hundred of Russia's richest and introduced him and another new entrant to the List, Gennady Timchenko, as...
, Viktor Myachin, Vladimir Smirnov and Nikolay Shamalov. On 10 November 1996, together they instituted the co-operative society Ozero
Ozero
Ozero is a co-operative society allegedly instituted on November 10, 1996 by Vladimir Smirnov , Vladimir Putin, Vladimir Yakunin, Andrei Fursenko, Sergey Fursenko, Yury Kovalchuk, Viktor Myachin, and Nikolay Shamalov...
(the Lake) which united their properties. http://anticompromat.ru/oligarhi/ppo.htmlhttp://www.lib.ru/HISTORY/FELSHTINSKY/naslednik.txt
In January 1997 Yakunin was elected member of the board of directors of BaltUneximbank.
Since 7 December 2000 - February 2002 Yakunin became deputy of the Russia's Transportation Minister Sergey Frank.
On 8 February 2002 he was appointed First deputy of the new Transportation Minister Gennady Fadeev where he worked until 22 October 2003.
On 24 October 2003 Yakunin became Deputy Head of the Russian Railways
Russian Railways
The Russian Railways , is the government owned national rail carrier of the Russian Federation, headquartered in Moscow. The Russian Railways operate over of common carrier routes as well as a few hundred kilometers of industrial routes, making it the second largest network in the world exceeded...
headed by Gennady Fadeev and created out of the Ministry. On 15 June 2005, he became Head of the Russian Railways.
Yakunin is Chairman of the Committee of Trustees of the Center of the National Glory of Russia and St. Andrew's Foundation organizations which fund Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
-related projects.
Yakunin is also President of the "World Public Forum - Dialogue of Civilizations", an International NGO, registered in Vienna, Austria, which he co-founded with C.Kapur of India and N.Papanikolao from Greece/USA. World Public Forum - Dialogue of Civilizations is an initiative to link people of different civilizations, traditions and religions. It organizes the annual Rhodes
Rhodes
Rhodes is an island in Greece, located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007, and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within...
Conference on Dialogue of Civilizations.
Online
- Victor J. Yasmann "Russia: Could Yakunin Be 'First-Called' As Putin's Successor?", Radio Free EuropeRadio Free EuropeRadio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is a broadcaster funded by the U.S. Congress that provides news, information, and analysis to countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East "where the free flow of information is either banned by government authorities or not fully developed"...
, 21 June 2006. - Ilya Arkhipov "A Senior Railway Official's Take on the Kremlin's Route", Russia Profile, 16 June 2005.
- A biography of Yakunin by V. Pribylovsky in Russian.
- Yambaeva, Renata. The Railwayman KommersantKommersantKommersant is a commerce-oriented newspaper published in Russia. , the circulation was 131,000.- History :The newspaper was initially published in 1909, and it was closed down following the Bolshevik seizure of power and the introduction of censorship in 1917.In 1989, with the onset of press...
, 15 June 2005.