The first president of Udmurtia, Alexander Volkov. Alexander Volkov died: condolences and memories of the first President of Udmurtia. The kindest man

Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Ilyas Umakhanov, owner of RussNeft Mikhail Gutseriev and General Director of Regional Investment Alliance LLC Andrei Oskolkov came to the funeral of Alexander Volkov

Everyone who was supposed to and everyone who wanted to came to say goodbye to the ex-leader of Udmurtia Alexander Volkov. But neighboring regions, including Tatarstan, practically ignored the ceremony. How this happened is in the report of Realnoe Vremya.

Either good or nothing

The farewell to the long-time leader of the republic (Alexander Volkov was the president of Udmurtia from 2000 to 2014) began the day before. The body of the ex-president was delivered to Izhevsk from Germany on the night of Monday to Tuesday. On May 23, everyone could say goodbye to Volkov at the Russian Drama Theater. People with flowers began to arrive even before the ceremony began, which is why a line of his colleagues, friends and ordinary townspeople formed at the doors of the theater, and then in the hall. On the same day, deputies of the State Council of Udmurtia, several ministers of the regional government, as well as heads of organizations and enterprises came to say goodbye.

Almost all of Alexander Alexandrovich’s closest relatives came to the regional capital: wife, children, brothers, sisters, grandchildren. All of them were with the deceased for two days.

Today, in St. Michael’s Cathedral in Izhevsk, an official farewell ceremony took place, which lasted two hours, and a civil memorial service with a funeral service.

Someone correctly noted that the farewell took place first in the theater and then in the cathedral, the reconstruction of which took place under Volkov

As the day before, many people came to say goodbye (according to the official estimate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, 2.5 thousand people), and most of them were elderly citizens who well remember the period of Volkov’s rule. Near the cathedral, they gathered in small groups, discussed the latest news and shared memories of the ex-leader of the region.

Almost no one mentioned the bad. They talked about Volkov as a fighter and as a builder. Someone correctly noted that the farewell took place first in the theater and then in the cathedral, the reconstruction of which took place under Volkov. It is noteworthy that practically no one on that day spoke about the reasons for his death - and it came as a complete surprise to all residents of Udmurtia. (We note that two days after Volkov’s death, his former press secretary Viktor Chulkov reported that the first president of Udmurtia died after a long illness from cardiac arrest.)

It is worth saying that, despite the two-day farewell, the queue at St. Michael’s Cathedral practically did not decrease.

"He did a lot"

About an hour after the ceremony began, officials began to arrive at the cathedral, among whom were the acting head of Udmurtia, Alexander Brechalov, acting. Chairman of the Government Viktor Savelyev, Chairman of the State Council Vladimir Nevostruev, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation Ilyas Umakhanov, Deputy Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of Russia in the Volga Federal District Oleg Melnichenko.

Business representatives also came to say goodbye to Volkov: Chairman of the Board of Directors of the RussNeft company Mikhail Gutseriev, General Director of Regional Investment Alliance LLC Andrei Oskolkov. The ceremony was also attended by the authorities of Izhevsk, heads of law enforcement agencies, as well as the Deputy Governor of the Bryansk Region, Mikhail Kobozev.

The column, in which colleagues, friends and relatives walked, stretched for hundreds of meters

In his speech, the current head of the region, Alexander Brechalov, called for “increasing everything that Alexander Alexandrovich has done,” and complained that he only managed to meet with the ex-president twice:

But even this was enough to understand that he devoted himself completely to serving the people, serving the republic. You know, I'm sure he was a happy man. And not only because he was surrounded by loved ones and loved ones, but also because he managed to do a lot - something that will serve people for many years.

After the funeral service, it was decided to carry the coffin with Volkov’s body from St. Michael’s Cathedral to the presidential palace. The column, in which colleagues, friends and relatives walked, stretched for hundreds of meters. Then those wishing to say goodbye were taken to the Khokhryakovskoye cemetery in Izhevsk, where the funeral of the first president of Udmurtia, Alexander Volkov, took place.

Let us recall that Alexander Volkov was elected the first president of the Udmurt Republic on October 15, 2000 by popular vote. On March 12, 2014, he became a member of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation. In the Federation Council, Volkov worked on the Committee on Science, Education and Culture (he was deputy chairman of the committee). Today, before the start of the meeting of the upper house of the Russian parliament, senators honored the memory of their colleague with a minute of silence. His powers were terminated early.

On May 20, at about 10 pm, Alexander Volkov, the first president of Udmurtia, passed away. He went to Germany for treatment.

Farewell to the first President of Udmurtia Alexander Volkov will take place on May 23 at the Russian Drama Theater from 11:00 to 19:00.

On May 24, from 9:00 to 11:00, a farewell ceremony will take place in St. Michael’s Cathedral, and at 11:00 a civil memorial service and funeral service will begin.

Alexander Alexandrovich Volkov will be buried at the Khokhryakovsky cemetery.

Shortly before the death of Alexander Volkov, his mother died

I learned that Alexander Alexandrovich had passed away yesterday evening (May 20 – Ed.), at about 11 o’clock the phone rang. Since then I have not been myself, I was very worried about him, since Alexander Alexandrovich’s mother died quite recently,” says Lyudmila Portseva, deputy head of the Department for Socio-Political Analysis of the Administration of the First President of Udmurtia, freelance adviser to Alexander, political scientist, historian.

Lyudmila Pavlovna talked about...

“How Volkov restored the temple”

Chairman of the State Council of Udmurtia Vladimir Nevostruev recalls:

– This was around the mid-2000s. I then worked as Deputy Prime Minister. Together with the President of the Republic, Alexander Alexandrovich Volkov, we went on a working visit to the Yukamensky district. We visited many enterprises, looked at new facilities under construction: a school, a cultural center. We pass the village of Yozhevo. There was a beautiful church building there, which was used as a community center. We've already passed it. Alexander Alexandrovich asks: “What kind of building is this?” I explained that this was a former church, now there is a rural community center. He says: "Let's go back." They returned, went inside, looked, and then he decided to restore the temple. And this was the first restored church in the Yukamensky region. Before this there was not a single worker. Now the Church of the Twelve Apostles is the pride and beauty of the village of Yozhevo. But no one asked Alexander Alexandrovich - he himself made this decision and the church was restored.

“For the last 17 years I have been living thanks to Alexander Volkov”

Marina Musavirova is 56 years old, she is the mother of four wonderful children and a talented teacher who has devoted 20 years of her life to caring for preschool children. In 2000, the President of Udmurtia, Alexander Volkov, saved the Izhevsk woman. He allocated money for an expensive operation, without which she would die.

Marina Musavirova,

Izhevsk resident:

“Alexander Alexandrovich gave the money from his own pocket, he just decided to help. We quickly agreed with cardiology, and I underwent a complex operation. And I stayed to live"

Biography

1970 - graduated from Bryansk Construction College with a degree in industrial and civil engineering

1970-1986 - worked in the construction department of the Chepetsk Mechanical Plant, Glazov.

1986-1989 - Chairman of the Glazov City Executive Committee.

1989-1993 - worked as first deputy chairman of the State Planning Committee of Udmurtia, then chairman of the State Committee for Architecture and Construction, while simultaneously serving as deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers of Udmurtia.

1993-1995 - Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Udmurtia, deputy of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation.

1995-2000 - Chairman of the State Council of Udmurtia

2000-2014 - President of Udmurtia

2014-2017 - member of the Federation Council from Udmurtia.

The management and staff of the Center media group expresses condolences to the family and friends of Alexander Alexandrovich Volkov.

Experts talk about the political and socio-economic legacy of the deceased head of Udmurtia, Alexander Volkov

Last Saturday, at the age of 66, the former president of Udmurtia, deputy chairman of the Russian Federation Council Committee on Science, Education and Culture, Alexander Volkov, died. This happened in Germany, where he was undergoing treatment. By and large, with the departure of Alexander Alexandrovich, the great post-Soviet era ends for Udmurtia. For more than two decades, he held leadership roles in the republic: from 1993 he served as chairman of the Council of Ministers, in 1995 he was elected chairman of the State Council, and from 2000 to 2014 he was president of Udmurtia.

Realnoe Vremya asked Izhevsk and capital experts what they remembered about the ex-head of the region.

Political strategist, head of the “Political Expert Group” (Moscow)

I once had the opportunity to work with Volkov for about a year, when he was not yet the president of Udmurtia. This personality was ambiguous. His will to power was clearly expressed. He carried out the purge of competitors mercilessly. As a leader, he has both merits and a set of complaints.

He paid great attention to the regions of the republic, the agricultural sector was one of the priorities. When he began to restore agriculture in Udmurtia, he viewed it not as a narrowly conceived “sphere of production”, but as a rural way of life, as a single socio-economic complex, which in the future will form an environment and standard of living alternative to urban ones. But Izhevsk froze under him and practically did not develop. Although this city was very passionate in the late 90s.

Volkov could not win true people's love. He left the post of head with a very low rating. But it is not customary to speak badly about the dead. An entire era of life in Udmurtia is associated with Alexander Alexandrovich Volkov. There was everything in this life. But as the first president of the republic, he deserves respect. Much of what he was later criticized for had less to do with him than with the peculiarities of the time.

For 14 years at the helm of the republic, he left behind not just a memory of himself, but also the “State Circus of Udmurtia”, the Zoological Park of Udmurtia, the Perinatal Center, the Republican Clinical Oncology Dispensary, the restored St. Michael’s Cathedral, the reconstructed embankment of Izhevsk Pond, the National Theater, the Drama Theater theater, Puppet Theater and much more. The bad will be erased from the memory, the good will remain.

• Senator from the Republic of Tatarstan, member of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation Committee on Agricultural and Food Policy and Environmental Management

  His fellow senators spoke exceptionally well of Volkov. According to generally accepted opinion, this man always defended the interests of the republic in the Senate and sincerely worried about his region.

  His death is a loss both for the Russian legislative power and for Udmurtia. In this regard, I express my sincere condolences to the relatives and people from his circle who respected and loved Alexander Alexandrovich.

• Public figure (Izhevsk)

  Volkov is remembered primarily as a builder. Under him, many different objects were built - a circus, a zoo, an embankment, and stadiums in regional centers. True, many say that the latter are not very much in demand.

  As for the negative results, they primarily include the privatization of large enterprises. In our country, unlike in Tatarstan, it was carried out in such a way that the beneficiaries were not the republic and not local businesses with state participation, but third-party structures. Udmurtneft was privatized at one time through SIDANCO, then it was part of Rosneft, and now it has been privatized by the Chinese corporation Sinopec. The Chairman of the Board of Directors of Udmurtneft is Chinese. The Kalashnikov plant is part of the Rostec structure, the mechanical plant is a private enterprise, the owner is not local. And so on. And many blame Volkov for the fact that he (again, unlike Tatarstan) did not have enough lobbying resources, and privatization passed by the region.

  So the image of Volkov in the republic is negative. If we compare him, for example, with Solovyov, who was recently arrested, the second president’s rating was much higher. As we used to say, Volkov should sit in prison, not Soloviev. Because this whole system was built by Alexander Alexandrovich. And Soloviev himself comes from the Volkov team.

• Political scientist (Izhevsk)

  About the deceased - either good or nothing. The good thing is that he was a strong political fighter and a strong-willed person. But: the man left for another world, but his era, alas, did not pass away. Therefore, “nothing” has a context that I cannot help but voice.

  20 long years - the years of his political leadership - certainly left their mark on Udmurtia. And this trail is by no means the best: the republic, which had a unique economic potential, has largely lost it. In the region, where the share of the defense industry in the economy was once 70%, there is not a single defense enterprise of regional subordination left. In the same way, Udmurtia lost its oil industry and control over many industrial enterprises. The republic has lost many prominent political figures and managers, and is mired in colossal debts...

  All this, in my opinion, was sacrificed to irrepressible political ambitions. The 20th anniversary was marked by an endless series of conflicts. He had conflicts with municipalities (which became the reason for the intervention of the Constitutional Court), ousted a number of unique managers from the political field of Udmurtia (Nikolai Ganza, Yuri Shestakov, Anatoly Saltykov), subjectively interfered in the development of universities, and so on and so forth. The style is unchanged - full support for those who are pleasing and the removal of those who are undesirable from the game.

  The extension of political longevity by a successful reshuffle to the Federation Council elevated Volkov to a certain educational Olympus. He is a Doctor of Economics (the dissertation, by the way, was devoted to the grandiose prospects of the Izhevsk Automobile Plant during the period of its real crisis), and was one of the arbiters of the destinies of our education...

• Professor of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, Vice-President of the Center for Political Technologies, Doctor of Political Sciences (Moscow)

  Volkov is a whole political era for Udmurtia; he headed the region before 2000, when the republic was parliamentary, and after 2000, when the management model changed to a presidential one. This is one of the typical examples of long-lived regional leaders, whose name is associated with both the problems of the region in the nineties and its successes in the 2000s.

  However, both the problems of Udmurtia and its achievements are connected, rather, with all-Russian trends. In the 90s, the republic, like most Russian regions, fell into a negative trend, and given the development of the military-industrial complex, this hit the region very hard. However, despite all the problems, Volkov still managed to save the region from economic collapse and keep it from acute social protests.

  If we talk about the positive trends of the 2000s and partly the 1900s, they were dictated both by trends in the Russian market and by foreign policy factors - I’m talking about rising oil prices, on which the republic is also heavily dependent, and the restoration of the defense industry. .

  But the republic simply “wasted” all the dividends of this period - since Volkov’s rule during this period increasingly turned from stable to stagnant. He and his people were unable to direct the improvement in the financial situation to create a bright future for the region, to diversify the economy, to attract investment, or to implement any significant projects.

  In many ways, Volkov’s “merit” is that the republic began to be treated as a kind of bear corner, where nothing happens either in the economy or in social development. But this is by no means a poor region; thanks to its potential, it could well take its place among the leading regions.

  But what is especially important is that during this relatively prosperous period there was no renewal or rejuvenation of the local political elite.

  However, even after Volkov left, it was not possible to create a stable management model in the republic - everyone knows how the short reign of his successor Alexander Solovyov, who also came from the Volkov elite, ended. In essence, external governance has been introduced in the republic. However, how effective a manager Alexander Brechalov will be is still a big question.

Tatyana Kolchina, Rustem Shakirov, Alexander Shakirov

Reference

Power

Alexander Volkov found himself in the bodies of representative power back in 1986. Then he became chairman of the executive committee of the Glazov City Council of People's Deputies. By the way, in Udmurtia, a native of the Bryansk region found himself on assignment: he was sent to the city of Glazov to build a mechanical plant. He worked at the factory as a foreman.

In 1995, Volkov was elected chairman of the State Council of the Udmurt Republic. Five years later, a referendum is held in the region, in which more than 68% of voters vote for the introduction of the post of president of the republic. Alexander Volkov became the first to take this position. In October 2000, he received 37.8% of the votes (among eight candidates). In 2004, Volkov will be re-elected - 54.26% of voters will vote for him. Then the head of Udmurtia already represented United Russia.

In 2009, on the proposal of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Volkov’s powers were extended. On February 19, 2014, Alexander Volkov is relieved of his duties by Vladimir Putin, his place is taken by Alexander Solovyov, who was the chairman of the republican State Council.

Business

After this, Volkov is sent to the Federation Council. In the press, these changes were explained as convenient for the commercial interests of the former president of the republic.

Alexander Volkov was associated with the oil industry (a third of the entire Udmurt economy). In 1995, he quarreled with the president of Udmurtneft JSC Valentin Kudinov. In those days, half of the republic's budget was formed from tax revenues from Udmurtneft. After the conflict, Volkov’s team, together with the Bashkir authorities, created a “friendly” oil company Belkamneft, the shares of which were divided between Bashneft (which had been developing fields in the south of Udmurtia for a quarter of a century) and the government of Udmurtia. By creating this company, Volkov tried to weaken the position of Udmurtneft, but Belkamneft was not in his hands for long: first it came under the control of AFK Sistema of Vladimir Yevtushenkov, and in 2003 it became part of Russneft of Mikhail Gutseriev.

Family

The entire working life of Volkov’s father, Alexander Semenovich, was connected with the Bryansk Machine-Building Plant, where he worked for 44 years as a foreman and foreman. Mother, Alexandra Kuzminichna, comes from the village of Vysokoye, Bryansk region. There were 7 children in the Volkov family.

Wife, Nina Aleksandrovna Volkova, worked as an assistant to a member of the Federation Council Alexandra Chekalina.

Son, Volkov Andrey Aleksandrovich (born 1974), held senior positions in the branch FSUE "Rosoboronexport" in Udmurtia, Petro-Alliance LLC, Udmurttorf OJSC, Udmurt Fuel and Energy Company LLC, Regional Investment Alliance LLC. Since 2004, member of the Board of Directors and co-owner "Izhkombank"(among other shareholders is the son of the Prime Minister of the Republic Yuri Pitkevich).

In 2010, he became a road project coordinator. Owns shares in Petro-Alliance LLC (crude oil storage), Kamsky Quarry LLC and Bereg LLC. Awarded a Certificate of Honor from the Government of the Udmurt Republic. Married, has a son and daughter. His wife, Natalya Aleksandrovna Volkova, is the daughter of Alexander Mikhailov, deputy general director of Udmurtnefteprodukt OJSC, and has headed Petro-Alliance LLC since 2006.

The daughter, Vera Aleksandrovna Votintseva, opened a private notary office in Izhevsk in 2003; Member of the Notary Chamber of Udmurtia. Married, two children. Husband, Votintsev Andrey Vladimirovich, head of the corporation’s representative office "Rostec", member of the board of directors of OJSC NITI Progress and OJSC Sarapul Electric Generator Plant.

Biography

Alexander Volkov was born on December 25, 1951 into a large working-class family. It is known that in childhood, along with high school, Volkov graduated from music school.

In 1970, he graduated from the Bryansk Construction College with a degree in industrial and civil engineering and was sent to the city of Glazov, Udmurt Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, to the construction department of the Chepetsk Mechanical Plant.

At that time, a lot of work was underway at the plant - the construction of a building where the largest production of zirconium for nuclear power plants in Europe and the world was to be organized. Volkov was appointed as a foreman; under his command there were several work teams.

In 1978, Volkov graduated in absentia Perm Polytechnic Institute with qualification "civil engineer". Later, in 1996, Volkov graduated from the Moscow Institute of International Business, and two years later he defended his dissertation for the degree of Candidate of Economic Sciences.

In 1986-1989 - Chairman of the Glazov City Executive Committee.

Since 1989 he has been working in Izhevsk: first as the first deputy chairman of the State Planning Committee of Udmurtia, then as chairman of the State Committee for Architecture and Construction, while simultaneously serving as deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers of Udmurtia. At the same time, he refused the offer he received to take the post of head of the Izhevsk city executive committee.

Volkov was a member CPSU and left it in August 1991.

Volkov is known for his religiosity: he personally supervised the construction and restoration of churches in Udmurtia. He has a number of state awards, including the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, III degree, Order of Merit for the Fatherland, IV degree and the Order of Friendship.

Policy

Since 1993, Alexander Volkov has been Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Udmurt Republic. In this position, Volkov was considered a temporary compromise figure, but he managed to find supporters and gain a foothold in this position.

In November 1993, Volkov was elected to Council of the Federation first convocation, where he became a member of the Budget and Finance Committee. In September-October 1993 he took up opposition to the President of the Russian Federation Boris Yeltsin position. He participated in the Council of Subjects of the Federation and actively supported its decision to immediately hold elections of both branches of government.

At the same time, at a meeting with activists of the Congress of Workers, Peasants, Specialists and Employees of Udmurtia (the congress was organized by the Labor Udmurtia movement and the republican organization of the Russian Communist Workers' Party), he accused the Moscow authorities of the collapse of the USSR, encouraging corruption and banditry, saying: " How can they think about Russia if all their children are abroad?".

After the events of October 3-4, 1993, Volkov softened his position, calling for internal reform of the Supreme Council of Udmurtia and the abandonment of decisions condemning Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 1400.

In November 1993, he was nominated as a candidate for the Federation Council of the Russian Federation in the Udmurt two-mandate constituency No. 18. On December 12, 1993, he was elected as a deputy of the Federation Council of the first convocation, receiving 61.3% of the votes in the elections. Volkov retained his position in the Council of Ministers of the republic and managed to gain the support of leaders of the industrial and oil industries.

From January 1994 to January 1996, he was a member of the Federation Council Committee on Budget, Financial, Currency and Credit Regulation, Money Issue, Tax Policy and Customs Regulation.

In 1994 he actively criticized Government of the Russian Federation, advocating the introduction of fixed fuel prices, offset of non-payments, and an increase in government orders for military-industrial complex products. With his active participation, the President of the Russian Federation signed a decree according to which all the largest enterprises in Udmurtia received a deferment in paying taxes for six months in March 1994.

Within the republic, he tried to pursue a policy of centralizing economic activity under the auspices of the Council of Ministers, which, on the one hand, caused opposition from the Supreme Council, which limited Volkov’s powers, and on the other, led to a conflict with the oil and military-industrial complex of Udmurtia.

On the eve of the elections to the State Council in the republic in September 1994, an organization to support Volkov arose, claiming to be the “party of power” - an electoral association "Udmurtia"(composition of founders: Federation of Trade Unions of the Urals, Union of Women, Union of Intellectuals, Republican Organization of Veterans, UOAPR, UOSDNPR).

On March 26, 1995, he was elected as a deputy of the State Council of the Urals; at the first session of the State Council in April 1995, he was elected its chairman, becoming the first person of the republic instead of Valentina Tubylova.

Since then, he has repeatedly sought to introduce into the Constitution of the republic the post of a popularly elected head of the republic, but these proposals did not receive a majority of votes in the State Council.

From January 1996 to May 2001 - ex-officio member of the Federation Council. He was a member of the Federation Council Committee on Economic Policy.

According to experts, Volkov built the mechanisms of republican power following the example of neighboring regions where the national bureaucracy was strong, for example in Tatarstan, and was engaged in strengthening the “vertical of power.” He achieved the right to appoint heads of districts and individual cities, and also managed to enlist the support of directors of large industrial enterprises, removing his opponents from their posts, including the heads of government of the republic: first Pavel Vershinina, and then Nikolai Ganzu.

In 1996-1997, he tried to replace local self-government in Izhevsk and regions of the republic with a system of governors appointed from above. The corresponding law of Udmurtia was repealed by the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation.

In 1996-1997, opposition to Volkov took shape in cities, primarily in Izhevsk. She was represented by the mayor of Izhevsk Saltykov and the Local Self-Government Support Center (LSGS) headed by him.

On March 6, 1998, he became a member of the Government Commission for the implementation of the Concept of State National Policy.

In November 1998, he participated in the creation of the Fatherland organization (), and was a member of its organizing committee. Created and headed the department "Fatherland" in Udmurtia.

In 1999, Volkov was a member of the organizing committee of the Fatherland - All Russia (OVR) party and led the election campaign of the bloc in the republic, headed by Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov and the former Prime Minister Evgeny Primakov.

On April 4, 1999, despite the defeat of the OVR bloc during the parliamentary elections, he was elected as a deputy of the State Council of the Udmurt Republic of the second convocation in electoral district No. 54 thanks to the support of industrialists and communists (he collected more than 76% of the votes in the district, winning over three rivals. His closest rival Merzlyakov collected about 4.5% of the votes).

On April 21, 1999, he was elected chairman of the State Council of the Udmurt Republic of the second convocation. Received 55 votes, 42 deputies voted for the chairman of the government of the republic Pavel Vershinina.

In the spring of 2000, he held a referendum in which the majority of voters were in favor of introducing the post of president in the Udmurt Republic.

In August 2000, he was nominated by voters as a candidate for the post of President of the Udmurt Republic in the elections of October 15, 2000, and was registered as a candidate in September 2000. The famous weapons designer became one of Volkov's confidants Mikhail Kalashnikov.

On September 23, 2000, the regional branch of the Unity party announced its support for Nikolai Hanza in the elections and a refusal to trust Volkov. Was supported in the elections by Fatherland, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Government Ilya Klebanov, as well as the plenipotentiary representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Volga Federal District Sergei Kiriyenko and his deputy, chief federal inspector for Udmurtia Sergei Chikurov.

On October 15, 2000, he won the elections with 37.84% of the vote (Vershinin - 23.93%; Hansa - 12.28%).

On October 16, 2000, he stated in an interview with the Podrobnosti program (RTR) that he did not intend to continue working with the Chairman of the Government of Udmurtia, Nikolai Ganza.

On October 16, 2000, deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation (faction "Apple"), who worked as an election observer in Udmurtia, condemned Kiriyenko for supporting Volkov, saying that Kiriyenko's position " looks like a direct justification of administrative arbitrariness on the part of Volkov, who used his control over the republican media for the purpose of self-praise and slander of opponents".

However, soon after the victory, Volkov fell ill and went abroad for treatment, effectively ceasing to govern the republic. There were rumors about early elections of the Udmurt president, but in the spring of 2001 Volkov returned to the republic and managed to finally concentrate power in his hands.

Volkov’s first term as president was marked by an increase in the influence of entrepreneurs from Samara and Nizhny Novgorod in Udmurtia. Despite the fact that Volkov took an active part in the activities of the OVR in the 1999 elections, he restored good relations with the federal center in the elections in State Duma of the fourth convocation in 2003 was on the United Russia electoral list.

On July 23, 2001, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation confirmed the legality of the election of Alexander Volkov as president of Udmurtia, rejecting the cassation appeal of voters Vladimir Zabilsky and Sergei Baranov to cancel the election results.

In September 2003, he was included first in the federal list of the United Russia party in the regional group Prikamskaya to participate in the elections to the State Duma of the fourth convocation. On December 7, 2003, he was elected as a deputy, but refused the mandate.

In December 2003, he announced his intention to participate in the presidential elections of the Udmurt Republic, scheduled for March 14, 2004.

On March 14, 2004, Volkov was re-elected governor, gaining 54.3% of the vote, ahead of his closest competitor, the head physician of Republican Hospital No. 3 Evgeniy Odiyankov, by more than 35%.

In December 2007, the Vedomosti newspaper published a material in which it was said that Volkov would resign before the expiration of his term of office. The reason for this decision was that in the elections to the State Duma of the fifth convocation, United Russia received 60.6% of the votes in the republic, that is, 20 percent lower than in neighboring Tatarstan and Bashkiria. However, it later turned out that the information about Volkov’s resignation was erroneous.

At the end of 2008, Volkov, whose term of office was expiring in March 2009, publicly stated that he would like to remain in his post, and, according to some sources, in mid-January 2009, “in conversations with his entourage, he expressed full confidence that the question of his appointment has practically been resolved."

Until February 11, 2009, President Medvedev had to decide on the candidacy of the new head of the republic.

On January 27, 2009, the Coordination Council of Civil Actions of Udmurtia organized a protest rally demanding that the powers of the head of the republic no longer be extended. The oppositionists timed it to coincide with the session of the State Council, where it was expected that deputies from United Russia would be able to “adopt an appeal to the country’s leadership in order to leave Volkov to govern... for another five years” (according to other sources, Volkov was planned to speak at the session, during which he would raise the question of trust with Medvedev).

However, the session of the State Council of the Urals did not take place - on the eve of the appointed date, the resolution on the date of its holding was declared invalid. In the same month, on January 31, another rally was held in the capital of Udmurtia demanding Volkov’s resignation. Despite this, on February 10, 2009, President Medvedev proposed to the State Council of Udmurtia to re-elect Volkov for a third term. Ten days later, the State Council of Udmurtia approved the reappointment of Volkov to the post of president of the republic. On the same day, a protest picket was reported in Izhevsk with a demand to dismiss Volkov “as a leader who is unable to solve the serious economic problems of the region and does not want to enter into dialogue with society.”

In the spring of 2011, the State Council of Udmurtia decided to rename the highest official of the republic from president to head, but Volkov was supposed to retain the position of president until the end of his term in February 2014.

In December 2011, Volkov took part in the elections to the State Duma of the sixth convocation - the President of Udmurtia headed the regional electoral list of the United Russia party. According to the voting results, the ruling party in Udmurtia was supported by 45.09% of voters. Volkov refused his deputy mandate in favor of an adviser to the Minister of Defense, former director of the Federal Agency for Special Construction, retired army general Nikolai Abroskin.

Based on the rating of political survival of governors, published at the end of 2012 by the holding "Minchenko Consulting" and the foundation "Petersburg politics" During 17 years of his reign, Volkov brought the subject entrusted to him to a critical state.

In the regional corruption index, Udmurtia entered the top three in Russia. This also affected the general standard of living. In 2011, the gap between poor and rich Udmurts increased to a maximum of 11.4 times.

Among the wealthiest residents of the republic are relatives of Volkov himself, including his son Andrei, who is also the deputy general director of the Regional Investment Alliance, as well as a co-owner and member of the board of directors of Izhkombank. The average salary in the region is 16.6 thousand rubles - almost half as much as in the country as a whole; the deficit for 2013 amounted to 10 billion rubles; the republic itself is in 43rd place in unemployment among the constituent entities of the Russian Federation.

On February 19, 2014, after the expiration of the third term of office, Volkov was dismissed. He was appointed acting Head of the Udmurt Republic Alexander Solovyov. The elections for the new head of the republic were held on Single Voting Day on September 14, 2014, which Solovyov expectedly won.

After Volkov’s resignation, the powers of a State Council deputy were returned, and on March 12, the regional parliament decided to delegate the ex-president of the republic to the Federation Council.

In July 2015, the prosecutor's office of Udmurtia filed a lawsuit with the Supreme Court of the republic to cancel the benefits of the former head of the region. Formerly the head of the State Council of the Republic Vladimir Nevostruev reported that since Alexander Volkov is a senator from Udmurtia, his expenses are paid from Federation Council. In turn, the press service of the head and government of the republic published data according to which more than 1 million rubles were spent from the budget on the maintenance of the ex-head of the region in 2015.

Income

Volkov in 1996 was one of the founders of the Alliance Group oil holding. In addition, he owns 19.22% of the shares of Izhkombank.

Volkov’s official earnings for 2012 amounted to 4 million 87 thousand rubles, an increase of 10% compared to 2011. Among the property for 2012, there are no 3 plots that were in his ownership a year earlier - with an area of ​​4237, 1500 and 1450 square meters. meters. Volkov handed them over to the wrong hands for nothing or for a nominal fee; at least officially, he did not derive any noticeable profit from this according to the declarations. At the end of 2012, Volkov Jr. found himself the owner of a plot of exactly the same area (4237 sq. m), which he did not have the year before. (It is impossible to establish who got the remaining two plots for free (1450 and 1500 sq. m).

Alexander Volkov's wife Nina Aleksandrovna earned 821 thousand rubles in 2012, increasing the 2011 result by 56 thousand rubles (+7.3%).

The son of the head of Udmurtia, Andrei Volkov, who is listed as the deputy head of Regional Investment Alliance LLC (Komos group), received an income of 9 million 839.8 thousand rubles, and his wife - 5 million 393 thousand rubles. Thus, even without taking into account the earnings of Vera Votintseva and her husband, the total income of the presidential family reached almost 20 million rubles.

The daughter of the President of Udmurtia, Vera Votintseva (Volkova), who owns a notary office in Izhevsk, does not publish her income declarations.

Rumors (scandals)

In November 1997, by a court decision, Volkov was obliged to pay 15 thousand rubles Valery Shatalov, journalist for the Alfa television company. Volkov accused Shatalov of “unfairly taking 1 billion 150 million rubles from the banks of Udmurtia and causing damage to these banks in the amount of 20 billion.” The court found these words to be untrue.

Under Volkov, the Republic of Udmurtia was called one of the most corrupt regions of Russia. The press published information that in the 1990s, due to the grain purchasing system established by Volkov, bread in the republic became the most expensive in the country. In addition, Volkov initiated the construction of huge brick factories in Udmurtia, which were then not put into operation - according to rumors, they were created to “develop allocated funds.”

In addition, there were rumors in the press that the privatization of the 53 percent state stake OJSC "Izhstal" was accompanied by a conspiracy between the leadership of Udmurtia and the company’s management for the sake of kickbacks. However, this information did not receive any official confirmation.

In 2007, the company headed by Andrey Volkov "Udmurttorf" found herself at the center of a scandal related to the payment for seven charter flights on which republican officials flew to open and close the hunting and fishing seasons in different regions of the country.

In September 2007, the General Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation issued a complaint to Volkov due to the fact that violations of laws on civil service, protection of competition and investment activities, as well as legislation regulating the procedure for placing orders for government needs, were identified in the administration of the republic. The Prosecutor General's Office named the reason for the violation as “improper performance of their duties by authorized officials of the state authorities of the republic.”

In May 2008, an article was published on the websites "Kompromat.Ru" and "Stringer" in which Volkov was accused of embezzlement from Izhevsk arms factory and that clandestine weapons factories were created in the republic with the support of criminal structures. Volkov himself did not comment on these publications.

In October 2008, the pro-Kremlin sociological Center for Problems of Democracy began working in the republic, which, according to rumors, was collecting dirt on Volkov in order to force him to resign.

In accordance with the initiative of President Medvedev, all government officials in 2009 were required to disclose information about their income, real estate and the income and real estate of their family members. However, Volkov, unlike his colleagues - the heads of regions who published information about income on official republican resources, essentially avoided publishing detailed information about his property status and income, since the information disseminated in the media with reference to reports from the presidential press service and the government of the UR could not be considered official.

At the same time, the press reported only on the president’s income for 2008 - 3,903,700 rubles - and said nothing about the property he owned, as well as the property and income of his wife. In the same month, under public pressure, the head of the republic published data on the income of his wife Nina.

It was reported that in addition to the pension (57,780 rubles), she received income (376,100 rubles) in the form of wages as an assistant to a member of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation from Udmurtia Alexandra Chekalina. Observers called this a clear sign of corruption on the part of the President of Udmurtia (“abuse of official position in order to obtain benefits in the form of money for third parties”). However, this scandal had no consequences for Volkov.

In the fall of 2013, the Udmurt Ministry of Internal Affairs carried out dozens of searches and investigative measures regarding the case of corruption of the top leadership of the republic. The police seized "several volumes of documents" from the Ministry of Property Relations, the Ministry of Agriculture and some departments, as well as from the State Council of the Republic. The reason was the ongoing verification of the legality of the distribution of budget funds to support the agro-industrial complex.

The head of the republic called what was happening “lawlessness”: “The terror of business, the operation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Udmurtia on September 23-25, 2013, lead to discrediting the authorities at all levels, reduce the controllability of the region, and undermine the existing stability in the multinational republic,” said Alexander Volkov.

The case involves the company of Volkov’s son "COSMOS Group", the only local company to appear on the Forbes list. The declared revenue of the COSMOS Group (engaged in pig farming, poultry farming and feed production) allowed the company to be ranked 169th on the list.

The revenue of the group's enterprises in 2011 was 17.6 billion rubles, revenue in 2010 was 13.9 billion rubles, and the number of employees was 12,600 people. Investigators believe that at one time the leaders of the large organized criminal community "Bogdanovskys" operating in Udmurtia were interested in control over the COSMOS Group. After the disappearance of the leaders of the organized crime group, the company was headed by high-ranking republican officials, and the key figure, according to the security forces, was the son of the President of Udmurtia, Andrei Volkov.

But subsidies from the Udmurt government helped the COSMOS Group achieve success at the Forbes level. About 70% of the subsidies, as investigators say, coming to the republic from the federal budget in recent years, were transferred by the republican authorities to a company controlled by the son of the head of the republic.

In addition to the case of the COSMOS Group company, the son of the head of Udmurtia, Andrei Volkov, was found involved in land fraud. Well-known blogger in the region Andrey Konovalov conducted an investigation, and in the end it turned out that Volkov Jr. took possession of 18 and a half hectares of land with a cadastral value of about 157 million rubles in the territory that “accidentally” turned out to be chosen by the authorities for the development of low-rise buildings. The blogger posted the documents on his page.

Komsomolskaya Pravda collected condolences and memories of the First President of Udmurtia

HE WAS A GOOD PATRONER

For Evgeniy Krivenko and his family Alexander Alexandrovich became a real support.

When in 2010 we learned that we would have triplets, then after the shock, the attack of happiness and the wildest fear, we began to learn how to continue to live in new, doubled realities, says Evgeniy. - First of all, we began to study the social policy of the region. And she was much more interesting than her neighbors. And all initiatives in this direction were initiated by Alexander Alexandrovich. They gave us an apartment and paid us various benefits and subsidies. Everything was done to ensure that large families were confident in the future.

Today, when we enter the zoo, we remember him with gratitude. When we come to the circus, we remember thanks to whom it was built. We graduated from a wonderful kindergarten, renovated thanks to him. For us, he was a kind patron and such a strong support. We are very grateful to him.

Blessed memory, Alexander Alexandrovich.

NO SOONER SAID THAN DONE

You know, I will always remember him as a brave, responsible and caring person,” says Gennady Yusim, director of children's art school No. 2. - Back in the 80s, when he lived in Glazov, he and my parents were neighbors in their gardens. Dad then began to build a house, but he had no skill in this. He didn’t ask anyone for help, but when Alexander Alexandrovich saw that his neighbor was trying to raise the roof, he himself came up to him and said: “I’ll gather people over the weekend and we’ll help you.” No sooner said than done.

And after that, when we met with him, he was always interested in the health of his parents and conveyed to them wishes for a long life. I knew him as a completely different person - thorough and kind. Even though we didn’t communicate often, I knew that he was there and ready to help. He meant a lot to me. You know, he built so many schools and art schools, and it’s worth a lot! Everlasting memory!

THE KINDEST SOUL MAN

Our relative Volkov Alexander Alexandrovich died. The first president of Udmurtia, writes Izhevsk resident Elena Bochekova. - He was a wonderful, kind-hearted man. Condolences to family and friends.

HE NEVER HID FROM THE PEOPLE

Alexander Volkov, the first president of Udmurtia, has died. I had never seen Izhevsk before, but I saw it after, he writes Izhevsk resident Ivan Brus. - “Why don’t you have radio “Chanson” in Izhevsk?” - “Volkov closed” - “What a beautiful cathedral you have!” - “Volkov built ...”, “And the zoo?” - “And the zoo. I even placed a sculpture of a wolf there at the entrance.” He never hid from the people; the whole of Izhevsk knows where his apartment is and where his dacha is. He was scolded and hated for closing factories, building shopping centers, and even for being a “too luxurious zoo.” He built an embankment, a presidential palace, a circus, and gave Izhevsk its own architectural identity, which it did not have. He didn't live here all his life, but he came here and fell in love with this place, making it interesting and comfortable for everyone. Soviet Izhevsk was a completely unremarkable city, modern Izhevsk surprises me and will continue to surprise me for a long time. I saw Alexander Volkov only a couple of times, and we never communicated in person, which now I can only regret. Local residents say: “An era has passed,” but I say: “Thank you.”

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ANNIVERSARY

They sent me an SMS last night, and I haven’t slept since 3.30 am. Hard. Tears are choking. This is a person to whom I am grateful for many wonderful things in my life, this is a person who supported me in the most difficult moments of my life,” admits Director of the Humanitarian and Legal Lyceum No. 86 Nadezhda Zavarzina. - He was a man who knew how to hear and listen, responsive, kind, honest, sincere. Not a single birthday of mine was complete without his call. Although who am I to him, an ordinary principal of an ordinary school! In 2005, I had an anniversary, and Alexander Alexandrovich was the only official who came to me then and presented me with the award “Honored Worker of Public Education of the Udmurt Republic.” I cried so much ().

HE WILL REMAIN IN MEMORY AS A CREATOR

Alexander Volkov, during his long political life as the leader of Udmurtia, will remain in our memory as an unconditional creator, a strong leader who has done a lot for the development of the socio-cultural life of the region, - said circus director Khazbi Mairamukaev. - Thanks to his persistence and initiative, one of the best circus complexes in Russia was built in Izhevsk. Alexander Alexandrovich sincerely and openly loved circus art. It was on the initiative of Alexander Volkov and his enormous support that more than 10 years ago, International Circus Art Festivals began to be held in Izhevsk, which allowed the capital of Udmurtia to freely integrate into the world circus community, and spectators of the spring region had the opportunity to annually get acquainted with the best acts of circus art. The staff of the State Circus Udmurtia expresses condolences to the family of A.A. Volkov. The bright memory of A.A. Volkov will forever remain in our hearts.

A REAL FIGHTER

Alexander Aleksandrovich Volkov passed away...A politician with a capital P, the First President of Udmurtia, Senator, Builder, a real fighter... - Viktor Shudegov, assistant, senior lecturer, associate professor, professor, vice-rector, wrote on his page on social networks Prime Minister of Udmurtia, Senator of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, State Duma Deputy. - Unfortunately, the last battle turned out to be the most difficult... My political career took place thanks to Alexander Alexandrovich. Sincere condolences from our family to Nina Alexandrovna, children, grandchildren, relatives.

SAVED A LIFE

Alexander Volkov paid for my rehabilitation, he gave me money from his own pocket, he just decided to help,” says 56-year-old Izhevsk resident, mother of four children Marina Musavirova. - Of course, I had all the accounts, all the documents in my hands, but, surprisingly, no one asked me for any reports on expenses. Never after did Alexander Volkov boast of his action anywhere, but he saved my life ().

INSPIRED BOTH BUSINESS AND SOCIETY

He expressed his condolences and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Center Corporation Sergey Oshchepkov. He noted the role and merits of Alesandr Alexandrovich in the development of the region.

It was he who believed in the potential and great opportunities of the region, and managed to inspire his team, the business community, and a huge number of residents of the republic to creative work. To inspire, first of all, by personal example, enormous energy and hard work for the benefit of the republic,” said Sergei Oshchepkov. - Under his leadership, Udmurtia has transformed from a socially and economically disadvantaged region into a territory of successful development. According to a number of criteria, the republic has become a leader both in the Volga region and in the country as a whole. But what is important for people is not the numbers, but the hundreds of schools, kindergartens, and stadiums built throughout Udmurtia. And of course – the circus, the zoo, St. Michael’s Cathedral and other iconic objects ().

HE KNEW TO FIND THE RIGHT WORDS

“I have always thanked, thank and will thank fate for bringing me together with Alexander Alexandrovich,” noted Igor Sobolev, head of personal security of Alexander Volkov. - Since 1996, working in the security service of the Head, I have not met anyone more humane and attentive. It’s a great personal tragedy for me that I won’t be able to communicate with him anymore, he’s a generous soul,” shares Igor. - Of course, there were difficult times. Our Central Square, 1996, is still before our eyes. Troubled times. Pensions and salaries were not paid, enterprises practically stood still. Alexander Alexandrovich hurried to the podium through this sea of ​​people to explain the situation, and we relentlessly followed him. He always found funds for residents and businesses, was always able to convey to people what was happening in the republic, and knew how to find the right words of support. It is an honor for me that in those difficult times and all subsequent years we lived and worked next to him. My sincere condolences to the family and friends of Alexander Alexandrovich. Bright memory!

PEOPLE LIKE THIS ARE INVOLVED IN YOUR SOUL

He was a wonderful person, he said ex-State Duma deputy from Udmurtia Bekhan Agayev. - Sincere, kind, open. I regret the loss...his life was cut short, but everything is in the hands of the Almighty. Alexander Volkov was an honest and pure person. You see, he is one of those people whom you want to remember. Such people sink into the soul, into the heart. This does not go unnoticed. We will remember and love him for a long time.

THERE WAS A LOT OF BETRAYAL IN HIS LIFE

The first minutes after I learned that Alexander Alexandrovich had passed away, my consciousness refused to believe it, admitted Denis Loginov, press secretary, head of the secretariat of the first President of Udmurtia. “Even now it’s hard for me to imagine that this great man, who sincerely loved life, his work, his republic, his family, is no longer there. We were connected not only by 11 years of working together. He is my teacher, mentor, like-minded person, friend... I am grateful to fate for having the opportunity to work with this bright, courageous, purposeful and very generous person. There was a lot of betrayal in his life. There were emotions, experiences, but I never saw in his eyes even a hint of a desire to respond in kind. I was sincerely surprised when he gave me instructions to help or in some way support people who hurt him. Alexander Alexandrovich knew how to forgive.

I have never met a more optimistic person in my life, and it is very important that he knew how to energize those around him with this. It would seem that an insoluble problem with his ability to set up a team became solvable.

He was a very kind and sensitive person. It was a rule for him to personally call and congratulate a person on his birthday, regardless of his current status. He always gathered for holidays those with whom he worked over the years. These are Glazov builders, and his famous cranberry-growing friends, and work colleagues in the Republican Council of Ministers. He remembered everyone and tried to give everyone his attention.

Alexander Alexandrovich Volkov has come a long way and left behind a lot. These are not only large construction and social projects of which he was very proud, but also tens of thousands of people in whose lives he took part to one degree or another. I would really like his memory to be preserved in the hearts of these people for as long as possible. Everlasting memory!

THERE WAS DISCIPLINE WITH HIM

“The Teacher has left for me,” noted General Director of KOMOS GROUP Andrey Shutov on your Facebook page. - It’s rare in life to meet people of THIS caliber. He was not like everyone else, he was special. He was light. A person with an amazing talent for communication, with the ability to build relationships with subordinates, with teammates, with friends and relatives, with the leadership of the Russian Federation.

At the same time, as the general director of KOMOS GROUP noted, Volkov was an exemplary family man who took care of his family and friends.

He raised his large family, children, numerous nephews, grandchildren and relatives, took care of everyone, taught them to work, helped in difficult life situations, and the way he steered his family ship through life will always remain an unsurpassed example for me,” admitted Shutov. - Building houses, planting potatoes, growing the most delicious tomatoes, celebrating family celebrations and victories, water skiing and downhill skiing - the Volkovs did all this very well ().

Valeria's concert in Izhevsk in 2016 Photo: Anastasia MALYSHEVA

HELP KP

Alexander Volkov led the republic for 14 years. On February 19, 2014, after the expiration of the third term of office, he was dismissed. His powers as a deputy of the State Council were returned to him, and on March 12, the parliament of Udmurtia decided to delegate the ex-president of the republic to the Federation Council.