What is Yakunin Russian Railways doing now? Why is the former head of Russian Railways Vladimir Yakunin justifying himself to the British press? Social and charitable activities

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• source: www.dw.com

Former leader Russian Railways (RZD) Vladimir Yakunin received a category "D" visa, which allows him to work in Germany. Yakunin will receive a “blue card” - an electronic ID that provides the right to live and work in the country. DW learned about this on Monday, August 20.

Initially, information about the German visa of the ex-head of Russian Railways was published by Moscow municipal deputy from Maryina Roshcha Dmitry Klochkov, posted a photo of 70-year-old Yakunin on his Facebook, spotted by Klochkov’s friends in the visa section of the German Consulate in Moscow. Then the picture was further distributed by Russian opposition politician Dmitry Gudkov.

Yakunin's "Blue Card" - "no conspiracy theories"?

In Berlin in the mid-2010s, the Dialogue of Civilizations Institute was registered, co-founded by Vladimir Yakunin. The official ceremony took place in Berlin on July 1, 2016. The stated goal of the organization is research in the field international relations and developing recommendations to reduce tension in the world.

When asked by DW to explain the purpose of Yakunin obtaining a visa, the Dialogue of Civilizations quoted the head of the institute’s external relations department, Grigory Levchenko, who noted that “there is no conspiracy theory.”

“Obtaining a visa that allows you to work in the country where the main office of your organization is located is a normal work process,” Levchenko wrote on his Facebook.

Yakunin under US sanctions, but not EU

Vladimir Yakunin headed Russian Railways for 10 years, from 2005 to 2015. One of the biggest scandals of 2013 is associated with Yakunin’s name, when a number of bloggers, including opposition politician Alexei Navalny, published photographs of Yakunin’s huge dacha in the Moscow region with a prayer room and a 50-meter swimming pool. Special attention I was attracted by the news that there was a special fur storage facility at the dacha. The head of Russian Railways himself denied the existence of such premises, and a year after the scandal he announced the sale of the house. True, the participants in the investigation " Novaya Gazeta"We came to the conclusion that the buyer is connected with the Yakunin family.

In 2014, Vladimir Yakunin found himself under sanctions from the United States and Australia - after Russia, in the opinion of many countries, violated international law, annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea to its territory. But Yakunin was not subject to sanctions from the European Union, and when deciding on the issuance of visas, only the legal framework of the EU is taken into account.

Published in 2018 on English language autobiography, Yakunin, it seems, publicly admitted for the first time that during the USSR he was a KGB officer. He is also known as one of President Vladimir Putin's close friends, whom he met in St. Petersburg after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

And together with whom, in the mid-1990s, he was among the founders of the dacha consumer cooperative "Ozero" (established by Putin and seven other individuals). Subsequently, the founders and shareholders of Ozer made great careers in Russia - either as businessmen or as government officials.

In addition to the leadership of Russian Railways, Yakunin is known as the head of the charitable Orthodox Foundation of St. Andrew the First-Called. He annually participated in the delivery to Russia Holy Fire on the eve of Easter - a Christian Orthodox tradition symbolizing the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Interesting article?

Family

Spouse - Natalya Viktorovna Yakunina. An engineer by profession, we met in the ninth grade and got married in the fourth year. Currently engaged in charitable and social activities.

In July 2013, Vladimir Yakunin and his wife co-founded and headed the endowment fund of the World Public Forum "Dialogue of Civilizations", registered in Geneva.

The Yakunins have two sons and three grandchildren.

Son - Andrey Vladimirovich Yakunin- (born in 1975) graduated Faculty of Economics St. Petersburg state university. He worked at the Pribaltiyskaya hotel complex in St. Petersburg, was a co-founder of Tristar Investment Holdings, and served as director of the British investment company Venture Investments & Yield Management (VIYM). According to his father, Andrei Yakunin has “brilliant analytical skills” and is a “workaholic.” Gives a course of lectures at St. Petersburg State University. Has a son and daughter.

In 2009, the Regional Hotel Network (RGN), owned by Andrei Yakunin, signed a strategic agreement with The Rezidor Hotel Group to open 20 hotels under the Park Inn by Radisson brand in major cities Russia. By July 2016, hotels of this brand had already been built and operating in Kazan, Astrakhan, Izhevsk, Yaroslavl, Volgograd, Sochi and Novosibirsk.

Younger son Vladimir Yakunin - Victor Yakunin(born in 1978) graduated from the Faculty of Law of St. Petersburg State University, continued his education at a European university, since the mid-2000s he worked in the Russian office of the trading company Gunvor, since 2007 he served as director of legal affairs, overseeing the legal support of Gunvor projects in Russia. He is the head of the infrastructure investment department at his older brother VIYM. His wife Darina owns the Polyandria children's literature publishing house.

Biography

Subsequently, he recalled that he was in this village only two times in his life: when he was born and the second time - when he visited his grandparents.

He spent his childhood until the age of 14 in Estonia in Pärnu, where his father, a pilot, served border troops. Mother worked as an accountant. He considers his hometown to be St. Petersburg, where the family moved in 1964 after his father’s demobilization.

In Leningrad, Vladimir Yakunin graduated from secondary school No. 366.

In 1972 he graduated from the Leningrad Mechanical Institute ("Voenmekh", now the Baltic State Technical University named after D.F. Ustinov) with a degree in Production aircraft", mechanical engineer, specialized in design and maintenance ballistic missiles long range.

After graduating from university, Yakunin worked in State Institute applied chemistry, which at that time was a closed structure working for the needs of the military-industrial complex. In 1974 he entered service in the USSR KGB Directorate for Leningrad and Leningrad region. From 1975 to 1977 he studied at the faculty of the KGB Higher School named after. F. E. Dzerzhinsky.

In 1977, he was sent as an active reserve officer to the State Committee for Economic Relations under the Council of Ministers of the USSR. In 1982, he received a transfer to the 1st Service of the KGB for Leningrad and the Leningrad Region.

In 1982-1985. - head of foreign department Institute of Physics and Technology them. A.F.Ioffe USSR Academy of Sciences.

In 1985 he switched to diplomatic work. Second, and then first secretary of the Permanent Mission of the USSR to the UN.

In 1991 he left civil service and got busy entrepreneurial activity. Together with a group of former colleagues he created International Center business cooperation. At the same time, he participated in the creation of Rossiya Bank. Subsequently, he was vice-president of NPP Temp, general director JSC "Bikar"

In 1996, together with Vladimir Putin and six other shareholders founded the Ozero cooperative.

In 1997-2000 - Head of the North-Western District Inspectorate of the Main Control Directorate of the President Russian Federation(since March 1997, the GKU, after moving from St. Petersburg to Moscow, was headed by Vladimir Putin).

From October 2000 to February 2002 - Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation, oversaw the development of the merchant fleet and the activities of seaports of the Russian Federation.

In February 2002, Yakunin became First Deputy Minister of Railways.

On October 24, 2003, the board of directors of OJSC Russian railways"unanimously approved the candidacy of Vladimir Yakunin as the first vice president of the company. In the company, he oversaw the financial and economic block.

In 2005, by order of the Government of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Yakunin was appointed president of Russian Railways OJSC.

In 2008, 2011 and 2014, Yakunin’s powers were extended by the Government for three-year terms.

In 2012 he was appointed to the post of chairman International Union railways for a period of two years, in 2014 - reassigned again.

The main goal of Vladimir Yakunin at Russian Railways was to reform the railway industry.

He had to transform the former ministry into an efficient commercial company, attractive to business and convenient for passengers.

In accordance with the tasks assigned to the management of Russian Railways by the government, the company was radically restructured. Private companies entered the industry for the first time, both in the cargo and passenger sectors.

By completing a deal to buy out 75% of the shares of the logistics operator Gefco, Yakunin made Russian Railways a full-fledged participant in the European transportation market.

Under Vladimir Yakunin, the forgotten came to life again Soviet projects at the Eastern training ground.

Thus, the construction and modernization of the Baikal-Amur Mainline continued. The project involves the construction of 13 new railway lines. Over 10 years it has increased significantly throughput Transsib. This was achieved through the electrification of a number of sections of the highway and the completion of second and bypass tracks. The project for the construction of a backup link between the Chinese Railways and the Trans-Siberian Railway has been completed.

All this made it possible to reduce the passage of cargo. So, from Germany to China the train takes 11-15 days versus more than a month by sea. The route speed of container trains also increased one and a half times - by 2016 it reached almost 1000 kilometers per day compared to 650 kilometers per day in 2006.

In the northwestern direction, Yakunin pursued a policy of creating Russia’s logistical independence from Baltic transit. Over the course of several years, railway approaches to the port of Ust-Luga, located in the Leningrad Region, were built, which became one of the main centers of maritime cargo transportation in the region.

Passenger transportation was reformed. Thus, during Yakunin’s leadership, daytime express trains appeared on the railways - trains with seats for short routes lasting 3-8 hours. The rolling stock has been updated. New high-speed and high-speed trains came into operation: "Sapsan" on flights between Moscow and St. Petersburg, "Allegro" - between St. Petersburg and Helsinki, "Swifts" - between the capital and Nizhny Novgorod and Berlin.

More than ten Lastochka routes connect several Russian cities at once. "Swallows" transported spectators of the Olympics in Sochi and operate on the MCC. Brand new ones have appeared on busy routes. double decker trains. Old German carriages international squads were replaced by new domestically produced ones.

Yakunin paid great attention to the localization of railway equipment.

So, if it was impossible to launch the production of "Sapsan" in Russia due to a small purchase batch, then in the case of "Swallows" (adapted to Russian conditions modifications of the German Siemens Desiro train) managed to achieve the production of most of the components and assembly of trains in Russia. Today these trains are produced near Yekaterinburg at a plant in Verkhnyaya Pyshma.

In 2007, the company rebranded. The corporate colors replaced green with red and gray. The company was able to avoid significant rebranding costs by incorporating new colors into routine work: rolling stock and infrastructure were repainted during scheduled maintenance for several years.

Over the past decade, the company has renovated most of the capital's and large regional stations. The station space was also subject to modernization - shawarma was replaced by food courts, gadget charging stations and free WiFi points were installed in the waiting rooms.

One of the last major projects created with the participation of Vladimir Yakunin at Russian Railways is the Moscow Central Circle, an analogue of the elevated metro, which has become the largest interchange hub in the capital. On August 20, 2015, Vladimir Yakunin resigned early from his post as president of Russian Railways.

Yakunin refused the seat offered to him in the Federation Council and devoted himself entirely to social activities.

In July 2016, in collaboration with the former Secretary of the Council of Europe W. Schwimmer and professor at the University of Göttingen P. Schulze he founded the Dialogue of Civilizations research institute in Berlin, whose goal is defined as reducing tensions in world politics.

Today Vladimir Yakunin is also the chairman of the board of trustees of the St. Andrew the First-Called Foundation.

Engaged in scientific activities– heads the department public policy Faculty of Political Science, Moscow State University.

Vladimir Yakunin is a visiting professor at the Stockholm School of Economics and Peking University. Honorary Doctor of the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

On the initiative of Yakunin, together with the Faculty of Political Science of Moscow State University, it was launched in 2016 educational program to increase the prestige of political science education PolitIQ, within which students have the opportunity to intern at the most famous universities in the world.

Yakunin promotes the idea of ​​integrating Russia into the “New Silk Road" - a transit route between Europe and China. Promotes the concept of the Trans-Eurasian Development Belt (TEBD).

Income and property

Vladimir Yakunin earned his main fortune in the nineties.

He participated in a number of entrepreneurial initiatives - from the creation of the Bikar auto center to the development of Rossiya Bank. Later, the fate of Vladimir Yakunin was connected with the Stream holding, which was engaged in exports. Vladimir Yakunin became a wealthy man long before joining Russian Railways.

In 2006, according to the Vedomosti newspaper, Yakunin earned more than 21 million rubles as chairman of the board of directors of Transcreditbank alone.

Vladimir Yakunin revealed his salary as president of Russian Railways in 2015. It amounted to more than 4 million rubles per month.

Scandals, rumors

In June 2013, a message appeared on news agencies about the resignation of the head of Russian Railways. Alexander Misharin was appointed instead, media reported citing the press service of the Cabinet of Ministers.

However, soon news agencies refuted their own reports, pointing out that the government press service does not officially confirm “the fact of sending out a message about the resignation of the head of Russian Railways.” After some more time, the agencies canceled the message about V. Yakunin’s resignation. Until now, the customers of the fake mailing have not been found.

On March 20, 2014, the United States imposed sanctions against key sectors Russian economy due to "violation of sovereignty and territorial integrity Ukraine." The document also expanded the circle of Russian officials subject to visa and economic sanctions. The extended list, in particular, included Vladimir Yakunin. He himself denied his involvement in the events in Ukraine and Crimea.

The press service of Russian Railways stated that this decision is a consequence of the “inadequate reaction of the US administration to the free expression of personal civic position on an issue that has enormous public resonance in Russia,” and the denial of entry to Yakunin, who is the chairman of the International Union of Railways, means a refusal not only to the head of a Russian state-owned company, but also to the head of a large global organizations.

Added to the sanctions list European Union Vladimir Yakunin did not enter.

In 2017, he waived the right to take advantage of the law on compensation for Russians subject to sanctions.

Vladimir Ivanovich Yakunin is a civil servant, ex-head of Russian Railways OJSC, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation.

Forbes estimated his income for 2014 at $11 million, placing him in 9th place in the ranking of the highest paid Russian executives. However, Grigory Levchenko, the press secretary of the ex-head of the monopoly, denied these data, saying in the media that in reality Vladimir Ivanovich’s earnings were almost 5 times less and amounted to $2.4 million.

After leaving power in the summer of 2015 former owner Railways did not agree to become a candidate for senator - at the proposal of the head of the Kaliningrad region Nikolai Tsukanov to represent his region in the Federation Council. He was forced to abandon his preliminary intention by the legal incompatibility of this status with the possibility of continuing his activities in the field of international relations, on which he plans to concentrate after retirement.

The childhood of Vladimir Yakunin

The future high-ranking manager was born on June 30, 1948 in his mother’s homeland in Vladimir region. In those years, his father, a pilot in the Ministry of State Security, served in the Estonian city of Pärnu, where there was a difficult political situation. Therefore, for safety reasons, he sent his wife to give birth to her parents in the village. After the situation improved, she and her son returned to her husband’s place of duty.

Volodya spent his childhood on the Estonian coast Baltic Sea, in a port and resort town. His mother was an accountant, his father was interested in card game in preference In 1964, the father retired, and the family moved from Pärnu to the city on the Neva. There Vladimir graduated from school and higher educational institution"Voenmekh".

The beginning of the career of Vladimir Yakunin

After receiving in 1972 higher education the young engineer worked at the State Institute of Applied Chemistry (subordinate to the 6th Directorate), where compositions for ammunition and systems for influencing atmospheric phenomena were developed.

In 1974, he joined the state security agencies. In 1977 he graduated in absentia High school KGB and was sent to the State Committee for Economic Relations under the Council of Ministers. In the period 1982-1985. he headed the department for working with foreigners at the capital's Physics and Technology Institute, being a KGB counterintelligence officer.

Vladimir Yakunin: Is there life after Russian Railways

Since 1985, Vladimir Ivanovich has been in the diplomatic service in the United States.

Entrepreneurial activity of Vladimir Yakunin

At 43, Yakunin went into business. In partnership with former colleagues, he established the International Center for Business Cooperation, took part in the formation of Rossiya Bank, NPP Temp, and led the Bikar auto center.

Under the control of the administration’s external relations department headed by Vladimir Putin Northern capital Yakunin was engaged in the export of non-ferrous metals. At the same time, he worked for the Stream company, exporting timber, cotton, and petroleum products. Yakunin’s dacha was located in the Ozero cooperative, an analogue of the Moscow Rublyovka, which he founded together with the future head of state.

All of its co-owners, including Yakunin, Yuri Kovalchuk, brothers Sergei and Andrei Fursenko, Nikolai Shamalov, occupied significant positions in government and business during the presidency of Vladimir Vladimirovich.

In particular, Yakunin became Deputy Minister of Railways in 2002, brilliantly carrying out the reorganization of the department into an OJSC. In 2005, he became the head of Russian Railways.

Analysts noted that Vladimir Ivanovich's candidacy appeared as a successor to the head of state. But Yakunin allegedly had no desire to run for the presidency, giving way to young contenders, Dmitry Medvedev and Sergei Ivanov.

Vladimir Yakunin - President of Russian Railways

In 2012, in the capital of France, at a meeting of the General Assembly of the International Union of Railways, he was appointed chairman of this organization, designed to harmonize relations between the railways of European countries.

In 2013, at the enterprise headed by Yakunin, problems arose financial difficulties. To preserve the financial resources of workers, enterprises switched to a shortened week.

In 2014, the head of the country awarded the head of Russian Railways the rank of ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary. Thanks to optimization of logistics, Yakunin managed to increase the volume of cargo transportation in containers by a quarter. In 2015, the company’s board of directors, by its decision, linked the size of bonuses for its executive with performance indicators financial activities. In August, the president of Russian Railways was relieved of his post by government order. It was rumored that he would become a senator, but Yakunin refused this offer.

During Vladimir Yakunin’s work at Russian Railways, high-speed communication appeared in Russia: Sapsan trains were launched between Moscow and St. Petersburg, reaching speeds of up to 250 km/h. Several series of new rolling stock were put into operation: “Swallows” (an adaptation of the German Siemens Desiro produced in Russia), “Swifts” and double-decker trains. At the same time, electronic tickets were introduced, and at train stations there appeared wireless access in Internet.

Under Yakunin, a large-scale campaign began to reconstruct stations and organize parking spaces. The improvement also affected the station areas - the areas adjacent to the stations began to be cleared of disorderly stalls, flower sellers, illegal taxi drivers and homeless people. Projects to modernize the Trans-Siberian Railway and BAM were launched, the project of the Small Ring of the Moscow Railway (now known as the MCC) was revived, Moscow airports were connected to the center by Aeroexpress. For the Olympics in Sochi, a station was built in Adler, and the railway infrastructure of the entire southern coast was reconstructed.

Personal life of Vladimir Yakunin

The ex-head of Russian Railways is married and has two sons - Andrey, born in 1975, and Victor, born in 1978. He met his wife Natalya while still studying at a Leningrad school. They got married in 1971. Like her husband, she graduated from Voenmekh.

In the early 2000s, she went into business and was one of the managers of Millennium Bank. Today she acts as a co-founder of the Gelendzhik Resort Complex-Meridian, MSK Trade LLC, and is engaged in charitable activities. Together with her husband, she became the head of the Dialogue of Civilizations trust fund established in Geneva.

Their eldest son is an economist and graduated from the University of St. Petersburg. He lives in London with his family. The couple has a son and daughter. He owns a hotel chain of 20 hotels in Russian cities, and is also involved in a number of large innovative construction projects.

Son Victor is a lawyer, graduated from the same university as his brother. He then continued his education at the London Business School, and later at the school at Columbia University in New York. Victor is the director of the legal department of the largest international energy group of companies Gunvor. He lives with his wife and two children in the Northern capital.

The ex-president of Russian Railways is a Doctor of Political Science. He is the head of the department of political science at Moscow State University, professor economic school Stockholm. Vladimir Yakunin has state awards, including the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, IV degree and the Order of Honor.

Vladimir Yakunin today

After his resignation, Vladimir Yakunin focused on scientific and social activities. He is a co-founder Research Institute"Dialogue of Civilizations", Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the St. Andrew the First-Called Foundation, Chairman of the Board of Trustees Charitable Foundation social assistance to children “Spread your wings!”

Vladimir Yakunin was from June 2005 to August 2015 the president of Russian Railways (RZD). On August 20 this year, Russian President Putin announced at a press conference that Yakunin had decided to resign.

Since 2012, Vladimir Yakunin has also been president of the International Union of Railways (UIC). On August 26 this year, the UIC announced that until the next General Assembly of this union, the duties of its president will be performed by the vice president.

Childhood and youth

Where did you start? life path Vladimir Yakunin? His biography began in 1948 in the city of Melenki, Gus-Khrustalny district, Vladimir region. In its vicinity, in the small village of Zakharovo, lived his paternal grandparents, a military pilot who served in the border troops. Soon he was transferred to the service where Volodya lived until he was 14 years old. His mother worked as an accountant. In 1964, after his father was discharged from the army, the family moved to Leningrad, which Vladimir Yakunin considers his hometown.

Years of study

Does Vladimir Ivanovich Yakunin have a special railway education? His biography after graduation in 1966 high school continued at the famous Leningrad Military Mechanical Institute "Voenmekh", which he successfully graduated from in 1972. As a mechanical engineer, he specialized in the design of long-range ballistic missiles. His professional career began at the State Institute of Applied Chemistry, where he worked from 1972 to 1975. The work was related to the development of technologies for using rocket fuel. In 1975 he was called up to military service, but spent it again at a student’s desk - at the KGB Institute, which today has been transformed into the Foreign Intelligence Academy.

The beginning of a government career

After service, from 1977, he worked for five years as a senior engineer in the department of the State Committee for foreign trade Council of Ministers of the USSR. Then for three years he was the head of the foreign department at the Leningrad Physicotechnical Institute. A. Ioffe of the USSR Academy of Sciences. There is reason to believe that his functions included scientific and technical intelligence related to the search for information about the latest inventions and technologies in the field of weapons production. Yakunin himself last years stated that he served in intelligence for 22 years.

What did Vladimir Yakunin do next in his life? His biography, as befits the present Soviet intelligence officer, continued in the USA, where between 1985 and 1991 he was part of the Soviet diplomatic mission to the UN, the last three years as the first secretary of the mission.

Trying to build a business career

Could the life of such a person as Vladimir Ivanovich Yakunin have passed without trying to find himself in business in the 90s? His biography continued again in Leningrad, where he returned at the beginning of 1991, having resigned from the civil service. At first, Vladimir Yakunin and his former colleague in the foreign department of the Leningrad Physics and Technology Institute, Yuri Kovalchuk, established NTP TEMP LLP and tried to raise the then little-known St. Petersburg bank Rossiya to its feet. In 1993, he became a co-founder of Semiconductor Devices CJSC, and in 1996 - general director of the International Business Cooperation Center business center.

This period dates back to his rapprochement with Vladimir Putin, with whom he had known since the 80s. Apparently, on the recommendation of the latter, who by 1997 became the head of the State Civil Inspectorate under the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Yakunin returned to the civil service that same year and took over the management of the North-Western District Inspectorate of the State Inspectorate.

From controller to transport workers

From December 7, 2000 to February 2002, Yakunin was Deputy Minister of Transport of Russia Sergei Frank, responsible for the development of the merchant fleet and seaports. On February 8, 2002, he became first deputy minister of transport Gennady Fadeev and curator of railways. He held this position until the end of October 2003. In the same month, Yakunin became vice-president of Russian Railways, headed by Gennady Fadeev. "Russian Railways" were formed by the Resolution Russian Government No. 585 of September 18, 2003. The company was created as a result of the first stage of the railway reform.

In mid-June 2005, a new head of Russian Railways, Vladimir Yakunin, was appointed. After that, he was reappointed to this position three more times until 2014 by resolutions of the Russian Government.

On August 17, 2015, Yakunin announced his resignation from the post of head of Russian Railways. Prime Minister Medvedev appointed the new president of the company.

Vladimir Yakunin, whose photo during the last period of leadership of Russian Railways is shown below, after his resignation plans to focus on scientific and social activities. His area of ​​interest covers issues of international relations and relations, establishing dialogue with other countries.

Scientific work

Since the beginning of 2006, Yakunin has been listed as a scientific consultant and heads the Board of Trustees at the Center problem analysis at the RAS.

In 2005, he defended his Ph.D. thesis on a topic related to the principles of development of geostrategies in today's Russia(using the example of transport and railways). He has a doctorate in political science; in 2007 he defended a dissertation related to the principles of forming state policy in Russia. He is the author of several monographs on geopolitical issues.

Since the end of 2010, he has been the head of the department of public policy at the Faculty of Political Science at Moscow State University. The Stockholm School of Economics invited him as a professor.

Social and charitable activities

Vladimir Yakunin is a member of the board of directors of the St. Petersburg Bolshoi Drama Theater named after Tovstonogov, chairs the boards of trustees of two centers that finance projects related to the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church. He also chairs the trustees of a children's charity called Spread Your Wings! The foundation supports disabled children, terminally ill children and orphans.

Yakunin is vice-president of the Geneva-based International Forum “Dialogue of Civilizations”, a member of the jury of the Rhodes youth forum, a member of the board of trustees of the Russian World Foundation and the Russian VIO.

Vladimir Yakunin and his family

"Russian Railways" played decisive role in the life of their future leader. In his own words, he met his future wife Natalya on the train, and he proposed marriage on the train. Today Natalya Yakunina is retired, but is a participant in several business and charitable projects.

The above-mentioned “Dialogue of Civilizations” foundation was jointly established by the Yakunins, with Natalya heading it, and Vladimir becoming her deputy.

They have two sons and four grandchildren. The eldest son Andrei lives in London and is involved in the hotel business. He is currently implementing a large project in Russia with foreign investments for the construction of a number of modern hotels. The youngest son Igor also studies in London.

In 1975-1977 it took place conscript service in the Armed Forces of the USSR.

In 1977-1982 he worked as an engineer, senior engineer in the Committee for Foreign Economic Relations under the Council of Ministers of the USSR.

In 1982-1985, he served as head of the foreign department of the A.F. Physico-Technical Institute. Ioffe Academy of Sciences of the USSR.

In 1985-1991, he was the second and first secretary of the Permanent Mission of the USSR to the UN, and worked in the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.

From 1991 to 1992 - chief consultant of the Research and Production Enterprise TEMP LLP (St. Petersburg).

In 1992-1997 he served as director joint stock company closed type"BIKAR" (St. Petersburg).

In 1997-2000, he was the head of the department of the North-Western District Inspectorate of the Main Control Directorate of the President of the Russian Federation.

The family has two sons. Andrey Yakunin is a Russian partner of the British investment company Venture Investments & Yield Management (VIYM), chairman of the board of directors of the National Association of Alternative Investment Market Participants (NAURAN). Victor Yakunin is the manager of the St. Petersburg office of VIYM.

The material was prepared based on information from open sources