Anatoly Chubais
Encyclopedia
Anatoly Borisovich Chubais is a Russian politician and business manager who was responsible for privatization in Russia as an influential member of Boris Yeltsin
's administration. From 1998 to 2008 he was the head of the state owned electrical power monopoly RAO UES. The 2004 survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers
and Financial Times named him the world's 54th most respected business leader. Currently he is the head of the Russian Nanotechnology Corporation
(since 22 September 2008) and a member of the Advisory Council for JPMorgan Chase (since 26 September 2008).
, then part of the Soviet Union
. His father Boris Matveyevich Chubais, a retired colonel
, veteran of the World War II
worked as a lecturer of Philosophy
and Marxist Theory and Scientific Communism
. His mother, Raisa Efimovna Sagal, was a university-educated economist but never had a job as she mostly lived at military bases with her husband. Instead she stayed home caring for her children and never putting her profession to use. Anatoly Chubais has an older brother Igor Chubais (born 1947), who is also an economist.
In 1977, Chubais graduated from the Leningrad Economic Engineering Institute
and joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
. He continued to work at Leningrad Economic Engineering Institute. While attending Leningrad, Chubias started a club called Reforma, which helped turn Leningrad into a model of reform that helped construct platforms for both local and national elections. Reforma also helped with drafting legislation, which eventually helped lead its government. In 1982 he became an Associate Professor (доцент) there. In 1983 he got his Candidate of Sciences
(Ph.D.) degree in economics for the dissertation "Исследование и разработка методов планирования совершенствования управления в отраслевых научно-технических организациях" (Research and development of methods for planning improvement of management in the industrial research and development organizations).
Yegor Gaidar
who was invited to Chubais seminar
s.
In 1987 Chubais became the organizer of Leningrad club Perestroyka with the goal to promote the democratic ideas among intelligentsia
. Among the people involved was the founder of Moscow
"Perestroyka" and "Perestroyka-88" clubs, Igor Chubais (Anatoly's brother), future Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Kudrin
, future Chubais associates Pyotr Mostovoy, Alexander Kazakov, future President of Saint Petersburg bank Vladimir Kogan, future minister Ilya Yuzhanov, and future assassinated Deputy Governor of Saint Petersburg Mikhail Manevich
.
For financing their seminars, dissident economists organized a tulip
farm. In the four days before the International Women's Day
(March 8) they managed to get income equivalent to the price of several Lada
cars. The tulip money was used to finance the elections of Anatoly Sobchak
, Yury Boldyrev and many other democratic candidates. As a result, 2/3 of the deputies winning the partially free 1990 elections to Leningrad
Soviet were from the opposition. Chubais himself later stated that he personally did not participate in growing or selling of the flowers.
In the end of 1980 economist Vitaly Nayshul proposed to use voucher privatization
for the transformation to market economy
in Soviet Union. The scheme was strongly criticized by Chubais as inevitably producing gross unfairness and social tensions. Ironically, Chubais later became the leader of implementation of such a scheme.
in Leningrad. In 1991 Chubais refused to accept the position of the Chairman of Leningrad Ispolkom and became an advisor to Anatoly Sobchak
's Mayoral Administration in St Petersburg. Simultaneously he worked as the president of newly created Wassily Leontief
Center for research in economics.
In November 1991 Chubais became a minister in the Yeltsin Cabinet handling the portfolio of the Chief of Rosimushchestvo
(Committee on the State Properties) that had the task of the Privatization in Russia
.
Chubais originally advocated quick privatization for money, similar to the model used for Privatization in Hungary but that model was unacceptable for the Congress of People's Deputies of Russia. Eventually a compromise form of a voucher privatization
similar to used in Czech Republic was proposed and adopted on 11 June 1991 by the Supreme Soviet of Russia
. The program was started by the decree of President Boris Yeltsin
on 19 August 1991.
From July 15, 1996 – March 7, 1997, Chubais was the Chief of the Russian presidential administration. It is during his term that this office became very influential.
On March 17, 2005, he survived an assassination attempt. Vladimir Kvachkov
was charged in the attempt, but was acquitted by a jury. Kvachkov's case is back in court as of September 2008.
In 2008, Chubias was commemorated with a Presidential Commendation for helping draft part of the Russian Constitution, and overall contributions to democracy in Russia.
, which controlled 29 seats in the Russian Parliament from 1999 until 2003. On January 24, 2003 he resigned as co-chairman of the Union of Right Forces
party. In the late 1990s, he also won a seat in the Russian Parliament as a candidate of the Russia's Choice party.
Boris Yeltsin
Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin was the first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999.Originally a supporter of Mikhail Gorbachev, Yeltsin emerged under the perestroika reforms as one of Gorbachev's most powerful political opponents. On 29 May 1990 he was elected the chairman of...
's administration. From 1998 to 2008 he was the head of the state owned electrical power monopoly RAO UES. The 2004 survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers is a global professional services firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest professional services firm measured by revenues and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms....
and Financial Times named him the world's 54th most respected business leader. Currently he is the head of the Russian Nanotechnology Corporation
Russian Nanotechnology Corporation
Rusnano is a joint-stock company created and owned by the government of Russia and aimed at commercializing developments in nanotechnology...
(since 22 September 2008) and a member of the Advisory Council for JPMorgan Chase (since 26 September 2008).
Early life
Chubais was born on June 16, 1955 in the town of BorisovBarysau
Barysaw , also transliterated Barysau, is a city in Belarus situated near the Berezina River in the Minsk Voblast.-History:...
, then part of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. His father Boris Matveyevich Chubais, a retired colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
, veteran of the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
worked as a lecturer of Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and Marxist Theory and Scientific Communism
Scientific Communism
Scientific communism was one of the three major ingredients of Marxism-Leninism as taught in the Soviet Union in all institutions of higher education and pursued in the corresponding research institutions, and departments...
. His mother, Raisa Efimovna Sagal, was a university-educated economist but never had a job as she mostly lived at military bases with her husband. Instead she stayed home caring for her children and never putting her profession to use. Anatoly Chubais has an older brother Igor Chubais (born 1947), who is also an economist.
In 1977, Chubais graduated from the Leningrad Economic Engineering Institute
Saint Petersburg State University of Engineering and Economics
The Saint Petersburg State University of Engineering and Economics is one of the oldest universities in Russia and also is known as ENGECON ....
and joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Communist Party of the Soviet Union
The Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the only legal, ruling political party in the Soviet Union and one of the largest communist organizations in the world...
. He continued to work at Leningrad Economic Engineering Institute. While attending Leningrad, Chubias started a club called Reforma, which helped turn Leningrad into a model of reform that helped construct platforms for both local and national elections. Reforma also helped with drafting legislation, which eventually helped lead its government. In 1982 he became an Associate Professor (доцент) there. In 1983 he got his Candidate of Sciences
Kandidat
The Candidate of Sciences degree is a first post-graduate scientific degree in some former Eastern Bloc countries, such as Russia and Ukraine, which is awarded for original research that constitutes a significant contribution to a scientific field. The degree was first introduced in the USSR on...
(Ph.D.) degree in economics for the dissertation "Исследование и разработка методов планирования совершенствования управления в отраслевых научно-технических организациях" (Research and development of methods for planning improvement of management in the industrial research and development organizations).
Dissident economist
In the 1980s Chubais became a leader of an informal circle of market-oriented economists. In 1982 Chubais together with economists Yury Yarmagayev and Grigory Glazkov published an article "Вопросы расширения хозяйственной самостоятельности предприятий в условиях научно-технического прогресса" (Questions of extending of business autonomy of enterprises in the conditions of the progress in science and technology) there they argued that no amount of planning can predict the paying demand. In 1982 Chubais became acquainted with future Prime Minister of RussiaPrime Minister of Russia
The Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation The use of the term "Prime Minister" is strictly informal and is not allowed for by the Russian Constitution and other laws....
Yegor Gaidar
Yegor Gaidar
Yegor Timurovich Gaidar was a Soviet and Russian economist, politician and author, and was the Acting Prime Minister of Russia from 15 June 1992 to 14 December 1992....
who was invited to Chubais seminar
Seminar
Seminar is, generally, a form of academic instruction, either at an academic institution or offered by a commercial or professional organization. It has the function of bringing together small groups for recurring meetings, focusing each time on some particular subject, in which everyone present is...
s.
In 1987 Chubais became the organizer of Leningrad club Perestroyka with the goal to promote the democratic ideas among intelligentsia
Intelligentsia
The intelligentsia is a social class of people engaged in complex, mental and creative labor directed to the development and dissemination of culture, encompassing intellectuals and social groups close to them...
. Among the people involved was the founder of Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
"Perestroyka" and "Perestroyka-88" clubs, Igor Chubais (Anatoly's brother), future Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Kudrin
Alexei Kudrin
Alexei Leonidovich Kudrin was the Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister of Russia from 18 May 2000 to 26 September 2011. After graduating with degrees in finance and economics, Kudrin worked in the administration of Saint Petersburg's liberal Mayor Anatoly Sobchak. In 1996 he started...
, future Chubais associates Pyotr Mostovoy, Alexander Kazakov, future President of Saint Petersburg bank Vladimir Kogan, future minister Ilya Yuzhanov, and future assassinated Deputy Governor of Saint Petersburg Mikhail Manevich
Mikhail Manevich
Mikhail Manevich was a Russian economist and official of the Saint Petersburg City Administration.Manevich graduated from Leningrad Institute of Finance and Economics in 1983 and worked with the institute as a research fellow during the 1980s...
.
For financing their seminars, dissident economists organized a tulip
Tulip
The tulip is a perennial, bulbous plant with showy flowers in the genus Tulipa, which comprises 109 species and belongs to the family Liliaceae. The genus's native range extends from as far west as Southern Europe, North Africa, Anatolia, and Iran to the Northwest of China. The tulip's centre of...
farm. In the four days before the International Women's Day
International Women's Day
International Women's Day , originally called International Working Women’s Day, is marked on March 8 every year. In different regions the focus of the celebrations ranges from general celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women to a celebration for women's economic, political and...
(March 8) they managed to get income equivalent to the price of several Lada
Lada
Lada is a trademark of AvtoVAZ, a Russian car manufacturer in Tolyatti, Samara Oblast. All AvtoVAZ vehicles are currently sold under the Lada brand, though this was not always so; Lada was originally AvtoVAZ's export brand for models it sold under the Zhiguli name in the domestic Soviet market...
cars. The tulip money was used to finance the elections of Anatoly Sobchak
Anatoly Sobchak
Anatoly Alexandrovich Sobchak was a Russian politician, a co-author of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the first democratically elected mayor of Saint Petersburg, and a mentor and teacher of both Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev....
, Yury Boldyrev and many other democratic candidates. As a result, 2/3 of the deputies winning the partially free 1990 elections to Leningrad
Leningrad
Leningrad is the former name of Saint Petersburg, Russia.Leningrad may also refer to:- Places :* Leningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia, around Saint Petersburg* Leningrad, Tajikistan, capital of Muminobod district in Khatlon Province...
Soviet were from the opposition. Chubais himself later stated that he personally did not participate in growing or selling of the flowers.
In the end of 1980 economist Vitaly Nayshul proposed to use voucher privatization
Voucher privatization
Voucher privatization is a privatization method where citizens are given or can inexpensively buy a book of vouchers that represent potential shares in any state-owned company...
for the transformation to market economy
Market economy
A market economy is an economy in which the prices of goods and services are determined in a free price system. This is often contrasted with a state-directed or planned economy. Market economies can range from hypothetically pure laissez-faire variants to an assortment of real-world mixed...
in Soviet Union. The scheme was strongly criticized by Chubais as inevitably producing gross unfairness and social tensions. Ironically, Chubais later became the leader of implementation of such a scheme.
Privatization Chief
In 1990, after Anatoly Sobchak being elected as the Chairman of Leningrad Soviet, Chubais became his deputy. He was trying to implement Sobchak's idea of creating a Free Economic ZoneFree economic zone
Many countries have, or have had at some time, designated areas where companies are taxed very lightly or not at all to encourage development or for some other reason...
in Leningrad. In 1991 Chubais refused to accept the position of the Chairman of Leningrad Ispolkom and became an advisor to Anatoly Sobchak
Anatoly Sobchak
Anatoly Alexandrovich Sobchak was a Russian politician, a co-author of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the first democratically elected mayor of Saint Petersburg, and a mentor and teacher of both Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev....
's Mayoral Administration in St Petersburg. Simultaneously he worked as the president of newly created Wassily Leontief
Wassily Leontief
Wassily Wassilyovich Leontief , was a Russian-American economist notable for his research on how changes in one economic sector may have an effect on other sectors. Leontief won the Nobel Committee's Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 1973, and three of his doctoral students have also...
Center for research in economics.
In November 1991 Chubais became a minister in the Yeltsin Cabinet handling the portfolio of the Chief of Rosimushchestvo
Rosimushchestvo
The Federal Agency for State Property Management was a subdivision of the Russian Ministry of Economic Development and Trade that managed Russia's federal state property...
(Committee on the State Properties) that had the task of the Privatization in Russia
Privatization in Russia
Russian privatization was the reform consisting in privatization of state-owned industrial assets that took place in Russia in the 1990s, during the presidency of Boris Yeltsin, immediately after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, where private ownership of enterprises had been illegal for a long...
.
Chubais originally advocated quick privatization for money, similar to the model used for Privatization in Hungary but that model was unacceptable for the Congress of People's Deputies of Russia. Eventually a compromise form of a voucher privatization
Voucher privatization
Voucher privatization is a privatization method where citizens are given or can inexpensively buy a book of vouchers that represent potential shares in any state-owned company...
similar to used in Czech Republic was proposed and adopted on 11 June 1991 by the Supreme Soviet of Russia
Supreme Soviet of Russia
The Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR , later Supreme Soviet of the Russian Federation was the supreme government institution of the Russian SFSR in 1938–1990; in 1990–1993 it was a permanent parliament, elected by the Congress of People's Deputies of the Russian Federation.The Supreme Soviet of...
. The program was started by the decree of President Boris Yeltsin
Boris Yeltsin
Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin was the first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999.Originally a supporter of Mikhail Gorbachev, Yeltsin emerged under the perestroika reforms as one of Gorbachev's most powerful political opponents. On 29 May 1990 he was elected the chairman of...
on 19 August 1991.
Stolichny Bank
In his relatively short career in government, he'd already racked up a list of improprieties even Marion Barry would envy. Earlier that summer [of 1997], Chubais had admitted to receiving a $3 million interest-free loan from Stolichny Bank, apparently in exchange for Stolichny's victory in the auction of AgPromBank . . . which controlled the second-largest banking network in Russia. He had also been caught failing to pay taxes the year before. Furthermore, the income he did later report was due to investments through a shady investment company called Montes Auri which was raided the same day Kazakov was fired, using money from the Stolichny loan.
--Matt Taibbi, The eXile: Sex, Drugs, and Libel in the New Russia, Grove Press, New York, NY (2000)
Writer's Union
What happened was that Chubais and a team of his closest advisers all got caught in what appeared to be a briberyBriberyBribery, a form of corruption, is an act implying money or gift giving that alters the behavior of the recipient. Bribery constitutes a crime and is defined by Black's Law Dictionary as the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official or...
scam. The Deputy Prime Minister admitted . . . to having accepted a $90,000 book advance . . . the advance came from "SegodnyaSegodnyaSevodnya founded in 1997, is a Russian language Kiev-based tabloid newspaper, second only to Fakty i Kommentarii in circulation, with over 700,000 subscribers. While run from Kiev, it is linked to Donbas political and business groups, supporting former Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych for the...
" publishers, a company which was controlled by Oneximbank, the same bank which had profited enormously from a series of auctions over the past two years that Chubais played a key part in. Chubais admitted to receiving his advance, all but conceding that he had been caught in a blatant conflict of interestConflict of interestA conflict of interest occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other....
.
--Matt Taibbi, The eXile: Sex, Drugs, and Libel in the New Russia, Grove Press, New York, NY (2000)
Personal life
Chubais is married to Maria, his second wife. She is also an economist. Chubais has two children from his first marriage, a son, Aleksey and a daughter, Olga.From July 15, 1996 – March 7, 1997, Chubais was the Chief of the Russian presidential administration. It is during his term that this office became very influential.
On March 17, 2005, he survived an assassination attempt. Vladimir Kvachkov
Vladimir Kvachkov
Vladimir Vasilievich Kvachkov is an ex-colonel of Russian Military Intelligence service GRU, author and politician. He came to prominence after he was arrested and charged with an attempt to murder Russian politician and businessman Anatoly Chubais...
was charged in the attempt, but was acquitted by a jury. Kvachkov's case is back in court as of September 2008.
In 2008, Chubias was commemorated with a Presidential Commendation for helping draft part of the Russian Constitution, and overall contributions to democracy in Russia.
Involvement in political parties
Most recently, Chubais served as one of the co-leaders of the Union of Right ForcesUnion of Right Forces
The Union of Right Forces, or SPS , was a Russian democratic opposition party associated with free market reforms, privatization, and the legacy of the 'Young Reformers' of the 1990s: Anatoly Chubais, Boris Nemtsov, and Yegor Gaidar. Nikita Belykh was the last party's leader...
, which controlled 29 seats in the Russian Parliament from 1999 until 2003. On January 24, 2003 he resigned as co-chairman of the Union of Right Forces
Union of Right Forces
The Union of Right Forces, or SPS , was a Russian democratic opposition party associated with free market reforms, privatization, and the legacy of the 'Young Reformers' of the 1990s: Anatoly Chubais, Boris Nemtsov, and Yegor Gaidar. Nikita Belykh was the last party's leader...
party. In the late 1990s, he also won a seat in the Russian Parliament as a candidate of the Russia's Choice party.
External links
- Commanding Heights : Anatoly Chubais on PBSPublic Broadcasting ServiceThe Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
- Father to the Oligarchs by Arkady Ostrovsky, Financial TimesFinancial TimesThe Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
, November 13, 2004 - Rusnet Encyclopedia
- Russia Profile Who's Who
- Russia's Regent by Paul Quinn-Judge, TimeTime (magazine)Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
, December 9, 1996.