Oleg Mitvol
Encyclopedia
Oleg Lvovich Mitvol (born October 3, 1966, Moscow
, Soviet Union
) is a Russia
n environmentalist, businessman and government official, well-known for his activity in the chair of environmental protection department.
.
As media tycoon Boris Berezovsky, owner of the newspaper, had fled from Russia to London
, Oleg Mitvol obtained a 76% share in the newspaper from him, but Berezovsky effectively continued to support the newspaper financially. However, on February 20, 2003, Oleg Mitvol, citing a decision of a meeting of the board, kept secret from the journalists despite their 24% share, accused Director General of Novye Izvestiya Igor Golembiovsky of misappropriation of funds and fired him. The publication was suspended.
Boris Berezovsky claimed that Mitvol's move was politically motivated, as the newspaper was opposed to President Vladimir Putin
and on that very day had published an article by Vladimir Pribylovsky
about the allegedly emerging cult of Putin's personality.
s investigations.
One of the famous campaigns by Mitvol was "Dacha
war", against elite cottage settlements that were illegally built in the gallery forest
area on Istra River
shores. The "Piatnitsa" cottage settlement was ordered to be deconstructed. It was followed by protests of cottage owners.
Another his activity was about Sakhalin
environment and its possible damage by oil-gathering companies. In September 2006, he threatened to revoke environmental authorisation for Royal Dutch Shell
's Sakhalin II oil and gas production project. He brought in london lawyer Mark Stephens
to take proceedings to preserve the Russian Far East
.
On December 14, 2006, Sergei Sai, Head of the Service, tried - and failed - to fire Mitvol from this position.
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...
, 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....
) is a Russia
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 environmentalist, businessman and government official, well-known for his activity in the chair of environmental protection department.
Business career
In 1997 - 2003 Mitvol was the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the JSC newspaper Novye IzvestiyaNovye Izvestiya
-History:It was founded in 1997 by a group of journalists who left Izvestia newspaper, with the financial backing of Boris Berezovsky. After Vladimir Putin's election as President of Russia in 2000, Novye Izvestia became a frequent critic of the new government, especially over the Kremlin's...
.
As media tycoon Boris Berezovsky, owner of the newspaper, had fled from Russia to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Oleg Mitvol obtained a 76% share in the newspaper from him, but Berezovsky effectively continued to support the newspaper financially. However, on February 20, 2003, Oleg Mitvol, citing a decision of a meeting of the board, kept secret from the journalists despite their 24% share, accused Director General of Novye Izvestiya Igor Golembiovsky of misappropriation of funds and fired him. The publication was suspended.
Boris Berezovsky claimed that Mitvol's move was politically motivated, as the newspaper was opposed to President Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
and on that very day had published an article by Vladimir Pribylovsky
Vladimir Pribylovsky
Vladimir Valerianovich Pribylovsky is a Russian historian, journalist and human rights advocate opposed to current Russian authorities.-Biography:...
about the allegedly emerging cult of Putin's personality.
Environmental supervisor career
Since April 2004 he has been Deputy Head of the Russian Federal Service for the Oversight of Natural Resources. He soon became attracting media attention with environmental crimeEnvironmental crime
Environmental crime can be broadly defined as illegal acts, which directly harmthe environment. International bodies such as the G8, Interpol, EU, UN Environment Programme and the UN Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute have recognised the following environmental crimes:* Illegal...
s investigations.
One of the famous campaigns by Mitvol was "Dacha
Dacha
Dacha is a Russian word for seasonal or year-round second homes often located in the exurbs of Soviet and post-Soviet cities. Cottages or shacks serving as family's main or only home are not considered dachas, although many purpose-built dachas are recently being converted for year-round residence...
war", against elite cottage settlements that were illegally built in the gallery forest
Gallery forest
Gallery forests are evergreen forests that form as corridors along rivers or wetlands and project into landscapes that are otherwise only sparsely treed such as savannas, grasslands or deserts....
area on Istra River
Istra River
Istra is a river in Moscow Oblast, Russia.It is the left tributary of the Moskva River....
shores. The "Piatnitsa" cottage settlement was ordered to be deconstructed. It was followed by protests of cottage owners.
Another his activity was about Sakhalin
Sakhalin
Sakhalin or Saghalien, is a large island in the North Pacific, lying between 45°50' and 54°24' N.It is part of Russia, and is Russia's largest island, and is administered as part of Sakhalin Oblast...
environment and its possible damage by oil-gathering companies. In September 2006, he threatened to revoke environmental authorisation for Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
's Sakhalin II oil and gas production project. He brought in london lawyer Mark Stephens
Mark Stephens (solicitor)
Mark Howard Stephens CBE is a British solicitor specialising in media law, intellectual property rights and human rights with the firm Finers Stephens Innocent...
to take proceedings to preserve the Russian Far East
Russian Far East
Russian Far East is a term that refers to the Russian part of the Far East, i.e., extreme east parts of Russia, between Lake Baikal in Eastern Siberia and the Pacific Ocean...
.
On December 14, 2006, Sergei Sai, Head of the Service, tried - and failed - to fire Mitvol from this position.
External links
- Official biography (in Russian).