Boris Gryzlov
Encyclopedia
Boris Vyacheslavovich Gryzlov (also spelled Grizlov; , bɐˈrʲis ɡrɨzˈlof) (born December 15, 1950), is a Russia
n politician
and current Speaker
of Russia's State Duma
(the lower house
of parliament). He is one of the leaders of the largest Russian political party, United Russia
. Boris Gryzlov is a close ally of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin
.
but was raised in Leningrad (Saint Petersburg
). He graduated from the Leningrad Electrical Institute of Communications in 1973 and worked as a radio engineer. From 1977 to 1996 he worked his way up from being an engineer to division director in the Elekronpribor plant. He was not a public figure before 1999. In October 1999 he became head of the St Petersburg regional branch of Sergey Shoygu's Unity party and in December 1999 he was elected to the Russian Duma running on the Unity party ticket. In January 2000 he was elected chairman of the Unity faction in the Duma.
and corruption
were his priorities.
Gryzlov supported the Kremlin's policies in Chechnya
and won the reputation of being a trusted and loyal supporter of the Russian president.
In August 2001 Boris Gryzlov claimed that up to 100 industrial enterprises in Saint Petersburg
, including the Petersburg Fuel Company
, a leading gasoline retailing operator in the city, as well as the four main sea ports of Northwestern Russia, Saint Petersburg, Kaliningrad
, Arkhangelsk
and Murmansk
, were controlled by the Tambov Gang
. In May 2002 he sent a commission to St. Petersburg to investigate corruption allegations in the city's gasoline market. The investigation was initiated after the Faeton Gasoline Company, the second leading fuel retailing company in the city, had complained to both Gryzlov and the Prosecutor General
's Office in April that the Saint Petersburg City Administration
had given preferential treatment to the Petersburg Fuel Company
. However, this had no evident consequences.
In November 2009, Gryzlov defined United Russia's ideology as "Russian conservatism"characterizing such conservatism as "an ideology of stability and development, constant creative renovation of society without stagnation and revolutions."
Following the 2007 Parliamentary elections, Gryzlov responded to criticism of electoral violations saying: They in no way put in doubt the final result. The fact that these violations have been registered shows that we have a transparent ballot.
Following the 2009 regional parliamentary elections, Gryzlov stated in response to criticism of electoral violations: Corruption and legal nihilism, inherent to Russian mentality, should not be shifted onto "United Russia" party.. Representatives of the nationalist Movement Against Illegal Immigration
responded by telling the press that they were offended by such comments. The nationalists attempted to file charges against Gryzlov for belittling the Russian people under the same article used to prosecute nationalists for incitement to inter-ethnic violence, but these allegations were rejected by the prosecutor general
.
He has also voiced significant support for the controversial Russian inventor Viktor Petrik
. After the Russian Academy of Sciences
pseudoscience commission claimed that Petrik was a fraud, Gryzlov denounced the panel as obscurantism
.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and current Speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
of Russia's State Duma
State Duma
The State Duma , common abbreviation: Госду́ма ) in the Russian Federation is the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia , the upper house being the Federation Council of Russia. The Duma headquarters is located in central Moscow, a few steps from Manege Square. Its members are referred to...
(the lower house
Lower house
A lower house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house.Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide the lower house has come to wield more power...
of parliament). He is one of the leaders of the largest Russian political party, United Russia
United Russia
United Russia is a centrist political party in Russia and the largest party in the country, currently holding 315 of the 450 seats in the State Duma. The party was founded in December 2001, through a merger of the Unity and Fatherland-All Russia parties...
. Boris Gryzlov is a close ally of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
.
Early career
Gryzlov was born in VladivostokVladivostok
The city is located in the southern extremity of Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula, which is about 30 km long and approximately 12 km wide.The highest point is Mount Kholodilnik, the height of which is 257 m...
but was raised in Leningrad (Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
). He graduated from the Leningrad Electrical Institute of Communications in 1973 and worked as a radio engineer. From 1977 to 1996 he worked his way up from being an engineer to division director in the Elekronpribor plant. He was not a public figure before 1999. In October 1999 he became head of the St Petersburg regional branch of Sergey Shoygu's Unity party and in December 1999 he was elected to the Russian Duma running on the Unity party ticket. In January 2000 he was elected chairman of the Unity faction in the Duma.
Interior Minister
In March 2001 he was appointed to the post of chief of Russian police and became Russia's Interior Minister. In this position Gryzlov proclaimed that the fight against terrorismTerrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
and corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
were his priorities.
Gryzlov supported the Kremlin's policies in Chechnya
Chechnya
The Chechen Republic , commonly referred to as Chechnya , also spelled Chechnia or Chechenia, sometimes referred to as Ichkeria , is a federal subject of Russia . It is located in the southeastern part of Europe in the Northern Caucasus mountains. The capital of the republic is the city of Grozny...
and won the reputation of being a trusted and loyal supporter of the Russian president.
In August 2001 Boris Gryzlov claimed that up to 100 industrial enterprises in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
, including the Petersburg Fuel Company
Petersburg Fuel Company
The Petersburg Fuel Company is a joint stock company of Saint Petersburg, Russia, specializing mostly in gasoline refining, storage, transportation and retailing, founded in September 1994, after a fuel supply crisis had hit the city hard...
, a leading gasoline retailing operator in the city, as well as the four main sea ports of Northwestern Russia, Saint Petersburg, Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad is a seaport and the administrative center of Kaliningrad Oblast, the Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea...
, Arkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk , formerly known as Archangel in English, is a city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina River near its exit into the White Sea in the north of European Russia. The city spreads for over along the banks of the river...
and Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
, were controlled by the Tambov Gang
Tambov Gang
The Tambov Gang is a large gang in Saint Petersburg, Russia. According to common allegations, it was organized in St. Petersburg in 1988 by two men from Tambov Oblast, Vladimir Kumarin and Valery Ledovskikh. The gang is named after their region of origin, Tambov Oblast...
. In May 2002 he sent a commission to St. Petersburg to investigate corruption allegations in the city's gasoline market. The investigation was initiated after the Faeton Gasoline Company, the second leading fuel retailing company in the city, had complained to both Gryzlov and the Prosecutor General
Prosecutor General of Russia
The Prosecutor General of Russia heads the system of official prosecution in courts known as the Office of the Prosecutor General of Russian Federation ....
's Office in April that the Saint Petersburg City Administration
Saint Petersburg City Administration
Saint Petersburg City Administration is the superior executive body of Saint Petersburg , Russian Federation. It is located in a historic building, Smolny....
had given preferential treatment to the Petersburg Fuel Company
Petersburg Fuel Company
The Petersburg Fuel Company is a joint stock company of Saint Petersburg, Russia, specializing mostly in gasoline refining, storage, transportation and retailing, founded in September 1994, after a fuel supply crisis had hit the city hard...
. However, this had no evident consequences.
Parliament speaker
Within a year he returned to party politics and in November 2002 became the head of the United Russia, a centrist pro-Putin group what emerged from Unity and several other pro-government movements that joined it. In December 2003 Boris Gryzlov was elected as speaker of the Russian Duma.In November 2009, Gryzlov defined United Russia's ideology as "Russian conservatism"characterizing such conservatism as "an ideology of stability and development, constant creative renovation of society without stagnation and revolutions."
Memorable quotes
Once in 2005 Gryzlov said: Parliament isn't a place for political discussions. He was widely criticized and ridiculed by Russian liberals for this statement.Following the 2007 Parliamentary elections, Gryzlov responded to criticism of electoral violations saying: They in no way put in doubt the final result. The fact that these violations have been registered shows that we have a transparent ballot.
Following the 2009 regional parliamentary elections, Gryzlov stated in response to criticism of electoral violations: Corruption and legal nihilism, inherent to Russian mentality, should not be shifted onto "United Russia" party.. Representatives of the nationalist Movement Against Illegal Immigration
Movement Against Illegal Immigration
The Movement Against Illegal Immigration is a Russian nationalist and anti-Illegal immigration organization. The organization is led by Aleksandr Belov a former member of ultra-nationalist Pamyat...
responded by telling the press that they were offended by such comments. The nationalists attempted to file charges against Gryzlov for belittling the Russian people under the same article used to prosecute nationalists for incitement to inter-ethnic violence, but these allegations were rejected by the prosecutor general
Prosecutor General of Russia
The Prosecutor General of Russia heads the system of official prosecution in courts known as the Office of the Prosecutor General of Russian Federation ....
.
He has also voiced significant support for the controversial Russian inventor Viktor Petrik
Viktor Petrik
Viktor Petrik is a controversial Russian inventor. He claims to have made a number of scientific breakthroughs which he markets through his company Goldformula. His supporters have compared him to Thomas Edison, but many scientists dismiss his inventions as pseudoscience.-Early life:Viktor Petrik...
. After the Russian Academy of Sciences
Russian Academy of Sciences
The Russian Academy of Sciences consists of the national academy of Russia and a network of scientific research institutes from across the Russian Federation as well as auxiliary scientific and social units like libraries, publishers and hospitals....
pseudoscience commission claimed that Petrik was a fraud, Gryzlov denounced the panel as obscurantism
Obscurantism
Obscurantism is the practice of deliberately preventing the facts or the full details of some matter from becoming known. There are two, common, historical and intellectual, denotations: 1) restricting knowledge—opposition to the spread of knowledge, a policy of withholding knowledge from the...
.