Valentina Matviyenko
Encyclopedia
Valentina Ivanovna Matviyenko , born 7 April 1949 in the Ukrainian SSR
), is currently the highest-ranking female politician in Russia, the former governor of Saint Petersburg
and the current Chairman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation. Born in the Ukrainian SSR
, Matviyenko started her political career in the 1980s in Saint Petersburg (then called Leningrad
) and was the First Secretary of the Krasnogvardeysky District
CPSU
of the city from 1984 to 1986. In the 1990s she served as Russian ambassador
to Malta
(1991–1995) and Greece
(1997–1998). Between 1998–2003 Matviyenko was Deputy Prime Minister of Russia
for Welfare, and briefly the Presidential Envoy to the Northwestern Federal District
in 2003. By that time she firmly allied herself with Russian President Vladimir Putin
, an alliance which secured her a victory in the governor elections in Saint Petersburg, Putin's native city.
Matviyenko became the first female leader of Saint Petersburg, as well as the first woman governor in Russian history. Since the start of her service as governor a significant share of taxation money was transferred from the federal budget to the local one, and along with the booming economy and improving investment climate the standard of living significantly increased in the city, making income levels much closer to Moscow and far above most other Russian federal subjects. The profile of Saint Petersburg in Russian politics has risen, marked by the transfer of the Constitutional Court of Russia from Moscow in 2008.
Matviyenko developed a large number of megaprojects in housing and infrastructure, such as the construction of the Saint Petersburg Ring Road
including the Big Obukhovsky Bridge (the only non-draw bridge over the Neva River
in the city), completion of the Saint Petersburg Dam
aimed to put an end to the infamous Saint Petersburg floods, launching Line 5 of Saint Petersburg Metro and starting land reclamation
in the Neva Bay
for the new Marine Facade
of the city (the largest European waterfront development project) containing the New Sea Passenger port
. Several major auto-producing companies were drawn to Saint Petersburg or its vicinity, including Toyota, General Motors
, Nissan, Hyundai Motor, Suzuki
, Magna International
, Scania
and MAN SE (all having plants in the Shushary industrial zone), thus turning the city into an important center of automotive industry in Russia
, specializing on foreign brands. Another development of Matviyenko's governorship was tourism
; by 2010 the number of tourists in Saint Petersburg doubled and reached 5.2 million, which placed the city among the top five tourist centers in Europe.
Some actions and practices of governor Matviyenko have drawn significant criticisms from the Saint Petersburg public, media and opposition groups. In particular, new construction in already heavily built-up areas and several building projects were deemed to conflict with the classical architecture of the city
, where the entire centre is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Some such projects eventually were cancelled or modified, like the controversial design of a 400-metre tall Okhta Center
skyscraper, planned to be built adjacent to the historical center of the city
, but after a public campaign and the personal involvement of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
it was relocated from Okhta to the Lakhta
suburb. Another major point of criticism was Matviyenko's handling of the city's snow removal problems during the unusually cold and snowy winters of 2009–2010
and 2010–2011
.
On 22 August 2011, soon after completion of the Saint Petersburg Dam, Matviyenko resigned from office. As a member of United Russia
party, on 21 September 2011 she was elected the Chairman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, the country's third-highest elected office.
in the Khmelnytskyi Oblast
of Western Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
. In 1972 she graduated from Leningrad Institute of Chemistry and Pharmaceutics, where she met her husband, Vladimir Vasiyevich Matviyenko. They had a son, Sergey, in 1973. She held various leadership positions within the Komsomol
organization until 1984.
resigned ahead of schedule, Matviyenko announced that she was ready to run for governor. Her nomination was supported by the United Russia
political party and President Vladimir Putin. Putin publicly supported her candidacy on 2 September in a meeting that was broadcast by two state-owned TV stations. Previously, at the end of June, the new management of local channel St. Petersburg Television shut down a range of analytical programmes on local politics, which was thought to be one of the factors in elections outcome.
In the first round of elections held on 21 September 2003, Matviyenko came first with 48.61% of the vote, followed by Anna Markova, a former member of Yakovlev's staff, with 15.89%. 10.97 percent of the electorate voted against all nine nominees. Turnout was low at just 29%. On 5 October 2003 Matviyenko won the second round with 63 percent (vs. 24% for Anna Markova) and was elected governor of Saint Petersburg, the head of the Saint Petersburg City Administration
. She became the first female head of government of Saint Petersburg, as well as the first woman-governor in Russian history.
, calling for governor Matviyenko's dismissal. She in turn accused them of stirring up trouble ahead of elections to the Saint Petersburg Legislative Assembly scheduled for 11 March, of criticising the city's perceived dynamic development and for allegedly receiving financial support from dubious sources. On 15 April 2007, the Dissenters' March took place in Saint Petersburg for the second time.
s and plastic explosive
. On 23 May FSB Director Nikolay Patrushev announced that the prevented attempt had been scheduled for June.
The 32nd summit
of G8
countries were held in Saint Petersburg from 15 to 17 July 2006. St. Petersburg International Economic Forum
continued to grow in popularity and attendance in the late 2000s.
including the Big Obukhovsky Bridge (the only non-draw bridge over the Neva River
in the city), completion of the Saint Petersburg Dam
aimed to put an end to ill-famous Saint Petersburg floods, launching Line 5 of Saint Petersburg Metro and starting land reclamation
in the Neva Bay
for the new Marine Facade
of the city (the largest European waterfront development project) containing the New Sea Passenger port
.
, Nissan, Hyundai Motor, Suzuki
, Magna International
, Scania
and MAN SE (all having plants in Shushary industrial zone), thus turning the city into an important center of automotive industry in Russia
, specializing on foreign brands.
The city administration launched a number of programs aimed to increase the number of tourist arrivals (such as advertisment campaigns abroad) and to improve the tourist infrastructure in the city, including the construction of new hotels. Between 2003–2010 the number of tourists in Saint Petersburg doubled and reached 5.2 million, which placed the city among the top 5 tourist centers in Europe.
(a part of the White Nights Festival
), rose to a new scale under Matviyenko and began to be broadcast nationwide on Petersburg – Channel 5. The Saint Petersburg Carnivals on the day of the city, 27 May, also became much grander.
where the entire centre is UNESCO World Heritage site.
Matviyenko supported the construction project of the Gazprom City business center (also called Okhta Center
) including a 400 meter skyscraper holding the headquarters of some of Gazprom
's subsidiaries on the right bank of the Neva River
in the vicinity of the historic Smolny Cathedral. The current regulations forbidding construction buildings of more than 42 meters (48 with expert approval) were specially changed by the city administration for the project.
By the end of her governor service, Matviyenko more eagerly engaged in dialogue with the groups of the so called gradozaschitniki (градозащитники, "city-defenders"). A number of controversial projects eventually were cancelled or modified. Notably, after an extensive public protest campaign, which lasted several years, and after the personal involvement of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
, the Okhta Center
was relocated from Okhta to Lakhta
suburb.
Other controversial projects include the Mariinsky Theatre Second Stage and the reconstruction of the New Holland Island
. Both projects required destruction of some of the earlier historic buildings, and the new stage of the Mariinsky Theatre
was originally attempted to be built according to a highly original design by French architect Dominique Perrault
, resembling a cocoon. The project, however, was deemed too costly and too much out-of-line with the surrounding classical architecture, and the design was changed.
and 2010–2011
, in the last two years of her governorship, have drawn more criticism on her part, especially from the automobile owners and drivers in the city. The authorities were unprepared for vast amounts of snow on the city streets, especially in the historical centre, and there was a lack of snow cleaning equipment.
was appointed as acting governor in her place. She was backed by President Dmitry Medvedev as a candidate to head the Federal Assembly or Upper House of the Russian Federation
.The previous speaker of the Federation Council, Sergey Mironov
, was recalled in May after criticising Matviyenko's handling of Saint Petersburg. The leader of A Just Russia party, Mironov was ousted by the majority United Russia
and replaced by an acting speaker Alexander Torshin.
As a member of United Russia party, Matviyenko stood in a municipal election in August in order to have legal possibilities to attain the office in the Federation Council. She won the municipal election with more than 95% of the vote, despite having 18% approval rating in July, for which she was criticized by the opposition.
On 21 September 2011 she was elected the Chairman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation by 140 votes with one abstention and none cast against. It is the third-highest elected office in Russia and the highest political position ever attained by a woman in Russia since the time of Empress Catherine the Great.
. Later he also became Vice-President and First Vice-President (2005) of Vneshtorgbank. Sergey married Zara Mgoyan, a Russian pop singer of Armenian and Kurdish origin (b. 1983) on 30 April 2004, but they divorced a year later.
Ukrainian SSR
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or in short, the Ukrainian SSR was a sovereign Soviet Socialist state and one of the fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union lasting from its inception in 1922 to the breakup in 1991...
), is currently the highest-ranking female politician in Russia, the former governor of 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...
and the current Chairman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation. Born in the Ukrainian SSR
Ukrainian SSR
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or in short, the Ukrainian SSR was a sovereign Soviet Socialist state and one of the fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union lasting from its inception in 1922 to the breakup in 1991...
, Matviyenko started her political career in the 1980s in Saint Petersburg (then called 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...
) and was the First Secretary of the Krasnogvardeysky District
Krasnogvardeysky District, Saint Petersburg
Krasnogvardeysky District is a district of the federal city of Saint Petersburg, Russia. District's population:...
CPSU
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...
of the city from 1984 to 1986. In the 1990s she served as Russian ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
(1991–1995) and Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
(1997–1998). Between 1998–2003 Matviyenko was Deputy Prime Minister of Russia
Prime 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....
for Welfare, and briefly the Presidential Envoy to the Northwestern Federal District
Northwestern Federal District
Northwestern Federal District is one of the eight federal districts of Russia. It consists of the northern part of European Russia. Its population was 13,583,800 according to the 2010 Census, living on an area of...
in 2003. By that time she firmly allied herself with Russian 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...
, an alliance which secured her a victory in the governor elections in Saint Petersburg, Putin's native city.
Matviyenko became the first female leader of Saint Petersburg, as well as the first woman governor in Russian history. Since the start of her service as governor a significant share of taxation money was transferred from the federal budget to the local one, and along with the booming economy and improving investment climate the standard of living significantly increased in the city, making income levels much closer to Moscow and far above most other Russian federal subjects. The profile of Saint Petersburg in Russian politics has risen, marked by the transfer of the Constitutional Court of Russia from Moscow in 2008.
Matviyenko developed a large number of megaprojects in housing and infrastructure, such as the construction of the Saint Petersburg Ring Road
Saint Petersburg Ring Road
The Saint Petersburg Ring Road is an 88-mile orbital freeway encircling Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is the only beltway around the city. The St. Petersburg Ring Road in the Russian road numbering system is listed as the federal public road A-118.-Construction:The need for the construction of a...
including the Big Obukhovsky Bridge (the only non-draw bridge over the Neva River
Neva River
The Neva is a river in northwestern Russia flowing from Lake Ladoga through the western part of Leningrad Oblast to the Neva Bay of the Gulf of Finland. Despite its modest length , it is the third largest river in Europe in terms of average discharge .The Neva is the only river flowing from Lake...
in the city), completion of the Saint Petersburg Dam
Saint Petersburg Dam
The Saint Petersburg Flood Prevention Facility Complex , unofficially the Saint Petersburg Dam, is a complex of dams for flood control near Saint Petersburg, Russia...
aimed to put an end to the infamous Saint Petersburg floods, launching Line 5 of Saint Petersburg Metro and starting land reclamation
Land reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, is the process to create new land from sea or riverbeds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or landfill.- Habitation :...
in the Neva Bay
Neva Bay
The Neva Bay , also known as the Gulf of Kronstadt, is the easternmost part of the Gulf of Finland between Kotlin Island and the Neva River estuary where the city of St. Petersburg is sited....
for the new Marine Facade
Marine Facade
The Sea Facade is a project of additional expansion of St. Petersburg, on Vasilievsky Island at the Neva river's mouth.In these new territories the New Sea Passenger port will be created along with a considerable amount of residential and commercial space.The Western Rapid Diameter highway will...
of the city (the largest European waterfront development project) containing the New Sea Passenger port
New Sea Passenger port
New Sea Passenger port is an under-construction port in Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea in St. Petersburg, Russia. It is located on new alluvial territories of Sea Facade.Officially the port has no name yet, a section on the official site has the name "port"...
. Several major auto-producing companies were drawn to Saint Petersburg or its vicinity, including Toyota, General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
, Nissan, Hyundai Motor, Suzuki
Suzuki
is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...
, Magna International
Magna International
Magna International Inc. , is an automotive supplier headquartered in Aurora, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's largest automobile parts manufacturer, and one of the country's largest companies. It owns the Magna Steyr automobile production company of Austria....
, Scania
Scania
Scania is the southernmost of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden, constituting a peninsula on the southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, and some adjacent islands. The modern administrative subdivision Skåne County is almost, but not totally, congruent with the...
and MAN SE (all having plants in the Shushary industrial zone), thus turning the city into an important center of automotive industry in Russia
Automotive industry in Russia
Automotive production is a significant industry in Russia, directly employing around 600,000 people or 1% of the country's total work force. Russia was the world's 15th largest car producer in 2010, and accounts for about 7% of the worldwide production. In 2009 the industry produced 595,807 light...
, specializing on foreign brands. Another development of Matviyenko's governorship was tourism
Tourism in Russia
Tourism in Russia has seen rapid growth since the late Soviet times, first inner tourism and then international tourism as well. Rich cultural heritage and great natural variety place Russia among the most popular tourist destinations in the world. The country contains 23 UNESCO World Heritage...
; by 2010 the number of tourists in Saint Petersburg doubled and reached 5.2 million, which placed the city among the top five tourist centers in Europe.
Some actions and practices of governor Matviyenko have drawn significant criticisms from the Saint Petersburg public, media and opposition groups. In particular, new construction in already heavily built-up areas and several building projects were deemed to conflict with the classical architecture of the city
Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments
Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments is the name used by UNESCO when it collectively designated the historic core of the Russian city of St...
, where the entire centre is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Some such projects eventually were cancelled or modified, like the controversial design of a 400-metre tall Okhta Center
Okhta Center
Okhta Centre , known before March 2007 as Gazprom City , is a construction project of a business centre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It will include the first supertall skyscraper in the city, museums and a concert hall...
skyscraper, planned to be built adjacent to the historical center of the city
Central Saint Petersburg
Central Saint Petersburg is the central and the leading part of Saint Petersburg, Russia. It looks nothing like the downtown district of a typical major city, and has no skyscrapers...
, but after a public campaign and the personal involvement of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev is the third President of the Russian Federation.Born to a family of academics, Medvedev graduated from the Law Department of Leningrad State University in 1987. He defended his dissertation in 1990 and worked as a docent at his alma mater, now renamed to Saint...
it was relocated from Okhta to the Lakhta
Lakhta, Saint Petersburg
Lakhta is a historical area in Lakhta-Olgino Municipal Okrug of St. Petersburg, Russia, situated west of Lake Lakhta . It was formerly owned by Peter the Great, Count Grigory Orlov, and Count Stenbock-Fermor . The Lakhta railway station of the Primorsky Railway connects Lakhta to Central...
suburb. Another major point of criticism was Matviyenko's handling of the city's snow removal problems during the unusually cold and snowy winters of 2009–2010
Winter of 2009–2010 in Europe
The winter of 2009–2010 in Europe was unusually cold. Globally, atypical weather patterns brought cold, moist air from the north. Weather systems were undergoing cyclogenesis from North American storms moving across the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and saw many parts of Europe experiencing heavy...
and 2010–2011
Winter of 2010–2011 in Europe
The winter of 2010-2011 in Europe began with an unusually cold November caused by a cold weather cycle that started in southern Scandinavia and subsequently moved south and west over both Belgium and the Netherlands on 25 November and into the west of Scotland and north east England on 26 November...
.
On 22 August 2011, soon after completion of the Saint Petersburg Dam, Matviyenko resigned from office. As a member of 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...
party, on 21 September 2011 she was elected the Chairman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, the country's third-highest elected office.
Early life
Valentina Tyutina was born in ShepetivkaShepetivka
Shepetivka is a town located on the Huska River in the Khmelnytskyi Oblast of Western Ukraine. The city's population is 48,212 . Shepetivka is a town of oblast subordinance, and the administrative center of Shepetivka Raion .Shepetivka is an important railway junction with five intersecting...
in the Khmelnytskyi Oblast
Khmelnytskyi Oblast
Khmelnytskyi Oblast is an oblast of western Ukraine. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Khmelnytskyi.The current estimated population is around 1,401,140 .-Geography:...
of Western Ukrainian SSR, 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....
. In 1972 she graduated from Leningrad Institute of Chemistry and Pharmaceutics, where she met her husband, Vladimir Vasiyevich Matviyenko. They had a son, Sergey, in 1973. She held various leadership positions within the Komsomol
Komsomol
The Communist Union of Youth , usually known as Komsomol , was the youth division of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The Komsomol in its earliest form was established in urban centers in 1918. During the early years, it was a Russian organization, known as the Russian Communist Union of...
organization until 1984.
Timeline of political career
- In 1985 Valentina Matviyenko graduated from the Communist Party of the Soviet UnionCommunist Party of the Soviet UnionThe 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...
's Academy and became a party official in Leningrad's municipal government. In 1984–1986 she was the First Secretary of the Krasnogvardeysky DistrictKrasnogvardeysky District, Saint PetersburgKrasnogvardeysky District is a district of the federal city of Saint Petersburg, Russia. District's population:...
Committee of the Party. - Matviyenko was elected as a people's deputy to the Supreme SovietSupreme SovietThe Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union was the Supreme Soviet in the Soviet Union and the only one with the power to pass constitutional amendments...
of the Soviet UnionSoviet UnionThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and headed the committee on women, family and children affairs. - Between 1991 and 1998 Matviyenko served in the diplomatic service and held several diplomatic positions including posts of Russian ambassador to MaltaMaltaMalta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
(1991–1995) and GreeceGreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
(1997–1998). - On 24 September 1998, Matviyenko was appointed Deputy Prime Minister of Russia for Welfare, and occupied this position until 2003.
- In June 1999 she worked on the Board of Directors of the ORTChannel One (Russia)Channel One is the first television channel to broadcast in the Soviet Union. The channel was renamed Ostankino Channel 1 in 1991, after the Soviet Union broke up and the Russian SFSR became the Russian Federation. According to a recent government publication, the Russian government controls 51%...
TV channel. - Matvyenko was involved in a life-threatening car accident on 20 November 1999.
- On 3 February 2000 she was nominated for the presidencyRussian presidential election, 2000Russian presidential elections were held on 26 March 2000. Incumbent Prime Minister, and acting President Vladimir Putin, who had succeeded Boris Yeltsin on his resignation December 31, 1999, was seeking a four-year term in his own right and won the elections in the first round. Polling stations...
, but refused to contest. On 29 February 2000, she announced that she was considering running in the St. Petersburg governor elections to be held on 14 May, and on 10 March announced that she was indeed launching her campaign. However, on 4 April she claimed that Vladimir PutinVladimir PutinVladimir 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...
had asked her to withdraw from the elections, and she did so on 5 April. - On 11 March 2003 she left the Deputy PM position and was appointed presidential envoy to the Northwestern Federal DistrictNorthwestern Federal DistrictNorthwestern Federal District is one of the eight federal districts of Russia. It consists of the northern part of European Russia. Its population was 13,583,800 according to the 2010 Census, living on an area of...
by Vladimir PutinVladimir PutinVladimir 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...
.
Election
On 24 June 2003, after Saint Petersburg governor Vladimir YakovlevVladimir Anatolyevich Yakovlev
Vladimir Anatolyevich Yakovlev is a Russian politician, currently retired.In 1996–2003, he was the Governor of Saint Petersburg. In 2003-2004, prior to the Beslan school hostage crisis, he was Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Southern Federal District...
resigned ahead of schedule, Matviyenko announced that she was ready to run for governor. Her nomination was supported by the 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...
political party and President Vladimir Putin. Putin publicly supported her candidacy on 2 September in a meeting that was broadcast by two state-owned TV stations. Previously, at the end of June, the new management of local channel St. Petersburg Television shut down a range of analytical programmes on local politics, which was thought to be one of the factors in elections outcome.
In the first round of elections held on 21 September 2003, Matviyenko came first with 48.61% of the vote, followed by Anna Markova, a former member of Yakovlev's staff, with 15.89%. 10.97 percent of the electorate voted against all nine nominees. Turnout was low at just 29%. On 5 October 2003 Matviyenko won the second round with 63 percent (vs. 24% for Anna Markova) and was elected governor of Saint Petersburg, the head of 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....
. She became the first female head of government of Saint Petersburg, as well as the first woman-governor in Russian history.
Confirmation in office
In 2005 a new Russian federal law came into force whereby governors are proposed by the President of Russia and approved or disapproved by regional legislative assemblies rather than elected by direct popular vote. On 6 December 2006, one year before her term as elected governor would expire, Valentina Matviyenko asked Vladimir Putin to nominate her for approval according to the new legislation, and he agreed. She was approved by the Saint Petersburg Legislative Assembly on 22 December 2006.Public protests
On 3 March 2007, scores of participants of the Dissenters' March, organized by marginal opposition parties, demonstrated in the city's main avenue, Nevsky ProspektNevsky Prospekt
Nevsky Avenue |Prospekt]]) is the main street in the city of St. Petersburg, Russia. Planned by Peter the Great as beginning of the road to Novgorod and Moscow, the avenue runs from the Admiralty to the Moscow Railway Station and, after making a turn at Vosstaniya Square, to the Alexander...
, calling for governor Matviyenko's dismissal. She in turn accused them of stirring up trouble ahead of elections to the Saint Petersburg Legislative Assembly scheduled for 11 March, of criticising the city's perceived dynamic development and for allegedly receiving financial support from dubious sources. On 15 April 2007, the Dissenters' March took place in Saint Petersburg for the second time.
Assassination attempt
On 19 May 2007, the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation announced that on 16 May it had detained several members of an undisclosed youth religious group allegedly preparing an assassination attempt on Valentina Matviyenko’s life using hand grenadeHand grenade
A hand grenade is any small bomb that can be thrown by hand. Hand grenades are classified into three categories, explosive grenades, chemical and gas grenades. Explosive grenades are the most commonly used in modern warfare, and are designed to detonate after impact or after a set amount of time...
s and plastic explosive
Plastic explosive
Plastic explosive is a specialised form of explosive material. It is a soft and hand moldable solid material. Plastic explosives are properly known as putty explosives within the field of explosives engineering....
. On 23 May FSB Director Nikolay Patrushev announced that the prevented attempt had been scheduled for June.
Budget and incomes
Matviyenko electoral promises included the transfer of a significant share of taxation money from the federal budget to the local one, which was supported by President Putin, a native of Saint Petersburg. Along with the booming economy and improving investment climate this allowed to significantly improve the standard of living in the city, making income levels much closer to Moscow and high above most other Russian federal subjects.Political profile
New governor pledged her support for the idea of transferring some part of the capital's functions from Moscow to Saint Petersburg. The role of Saint Petersburg in Russian politics has risen, marked by the transfer of the Constitutional Court of Russia from Moscow in 2008. The city's main television broadcast, Petersburg – Channel 5, on October 2006 was licensed to broadcast nationwide again.The 32nd summit
32nd G8 summit
The 32nd summit of the G8 group of industrialised nations took place from 15 July to 17 July 2006 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The venue was the Constantine Palace, which is located in Strelna on the Gulf of Finland...
of G8
G8
The Group of Eight is a forum, created by France in 1975, for the governments of seven major economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In 1997, the group added Russia, thus becoming the G8...
countries were held in Saint Petersburg from 15 to 17 July 2006. St. Petersburg International Economic Forum
St. Petersburg International Economic Forum
The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum is the main annual international economic and business forum convened in Russia. The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum was established in 1997. Since 2006 SPIEF is held under the patronage of the President of the Russian Federation. The...
continued to grow in popularity and attendance in the late 2000s.
Infrastructure
Matviyenko developed a large number of megaprojects in housing and infrastructure, such as building of the Saint Petersburg Ring RoadSaint Petersburg Ring Road
The Saint Petersburg Ring Road is an 88-mile orbital freeway encircling Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is the only beltway around the city. The St. Petersburg Ring Road in the Russian road numbering system is listed as the federal public road A-118.-Construction:The need for the construction of a...
including the Big Obukhovsky Bridge (the only non-draw bridge over the Neva River
Neva River
The Neva is a river in northwestern Russia flowing from Lake Ladoga through the western part of Leningrad Oblast to the Neva Bay of the Gulf of Finland. Despite its modest length , it is the third largest river in Europe in terms of average discharge .The Neva is the only river flowing from Lake...
in the city), completion of the Saint Petersburg Dam
Saint Petersburg Dam
The Saint Petersburg Flood Prevention Facility Complex , unofficially the Saint Petersburg Dam, is a complex of dams for flood control near Saint Petersburg, Russia...
aimed to put an end to ill-famous Saint Petersburg floods, launching Line 5 of Saint Petersburg Metro and starting land reclamation
Land reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, is the process to create new land from sea or riverbeds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or landfill.- Habitation :...
in the Neva Bay
Neva Bay
The Neva Bay , also known as the Gulf of Kronstadt, is the easternmost part of the Gulf of Finland between Kotlin Island and the Neva River estuary where the city of St. Petersburg is sited....
for the new Marine Facade
Marine Facade
The Sea Facade is a project of additional expansion of St. Petersburg, on Vasilievsky Island at the Neva river's mouth.In these new territories the New Sea Passenger port will be created along with a considerable amount of residential and commercial space.The Western Rapid Diameter highway will...
of the city (the largest European waterfront development project) containing the New Sea Passenger port
New Sea Passenger port
New Sea Passenger port is an under-construction port in Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea in St. Petersburg, Russia. It is located on new alluvial territories of Sea Facade.Officially the port has no name yet, a section on the official site has the name "port"...
.
Industry
Several major auto-producing companies were drawn to Saint Petersburg or its vicinity, including Toyota, General MotorsGeneral Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
, Nissan, Hyundai Motor, Suzuki
Suzuki
is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...
, Magna International
Magna International
Magna International Inc. , is an automotive supplier headquartered in Aurora, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's largest automobile parts manufacturer, and one of the country's largest companies. It owns the Magna Steyr automobile production company of Austria....
, Scania
Scania
Scania is the southernmost of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden, constituting a peninsula on the southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, and some adjacent islands. The modern administrative subdivision Skåne County is almost, but not totally, congruent with the...
and MAN SE (all having plants in Shushary industrial zone), thus turning the city into an important center of automotive industry in Russia
Automotive industry in Russia
Automotive production is a significant industry in Russia, directly employing around 600,000 people or 1% of the country's total work force. Russia was the world's 15th largest car producer in 2010, and accounts for about 7% of the worldwide production. In 2009 the industry produced 595,807 light...
, specializing on foreign brands.
Tourism
Culture
The June celebration of the graduation from school, the Scarlet SailsScarlet Sails (tradition)
The Scarlet Sails is a celebration in St. Petersburg, Russia is the most massive and famous public event during the White Nights Festival. The tradition is highly popular for spectacular fireworks, numerous music concerts, and a massive water-show including battle among tens of boats full of...
(a part of the White Nights Festival
White Nights Festival
The White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg, Russia is an annual international arts festival during the season of the midnight sun. The White Nights Festival consists of a series of classical ballet, opera and music events and includes performances by Russian dancers, singers, musicians and actors,...
), rose to a new scale under Matviyenko and began to be broadcast nationwide on Petersburg – Channel 5. The Saint Petersburg Carnivals on the day of the city, 27 May, also became much grander.
Controversial construction projects
The new construction in already heavily built-up areas was a point of continuous criticism during Matviyenko's governorship. Of especial note were a number of building projects deemed by many experts and and conservative public to contradict the classical architecture of the cityHistoric Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments
Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments is the name used by UNESCO when it collectively designated the historic core of the Russian city of St...
where the entire centre is UNESCO World Heritage site.
Matviyenko supported the construction project of the Gazprom City business center (also called Okhta Center
Okhta Center
Okhta Centre , known before March 2007 as Gazprom City , is a construction project of a business centre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It will include the first supertall skyscraper in the city, museums and a concert hall...
) including a 400 meter skyscraper holding the headquarters of some of Gazprom
Gazprom
Open Joint Stock Company Gazprom is the largest extractor of natural gas in the world and the largest Russian company. Its headquarters are in Cheryomushki District, South-Western Administrative Okrug, Moscow...
's subsidiaries on the right bank of the Neva River
Neva River
The Neva is a river in northwestern Russia flowing from Lake Ladoga through the western part of Leningrad Oblast to the Neva Bay of the Gulf of Finland. Despite its modest length , it is the third largest river in Europe in terms of average discharge .The Neva is the only river flowing from Lake...
in the vicinity of the historic Smolny Cathedral. The current regulations forbidding construction buildings of more than 42 meters (48 with expert approval) were specially changed by the city administration for the project.
By the end of her governor service, Matviyenko more eagerly engaged in dialogue with the groups of the so called gradozaschitniki (градозащитники, "city-defenders"). A number of controversial projects eventually were cancelled or modified. Notably, after an extensive public protest campaign, which lasted several years, and after the personal involvement of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev is the third President of the Russian Federation.Born to a family of academics, Medvedev graduated from the Law Department of Leningrad State University in 1987. He defended his dissertation in 1990 and worked as a docent at his alma mater, now renamed to Saint...
, the Okhta Center
Okhta Center
Okhta Centre , known before March 2007 as Gazprom City , is a construction project of a business centre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It will include the first supertall skyscraper in the city, museums and a concert hall...
was relocated from Okhta to Lakhta
Lakhta, Saint Petersburg
Lakhta is a historical area in Lakhta-Olgino Municipal Okrug of St. Petersburg, Russia, situated west of Lake Lakhta . It was formerly owned by Peter the Great, Count Grigory Orlov, and Count Stenbock-Fermor . The Lakhta railway station of the Primorsky Railway connects Lakhta to Central...
suburb.
Other controversial projects include the Mariinsky Theatre Second Stage and the reconstruction of the New Holland Island
New Holland Island
New Holland Island in Saint Petersburg was created in 1720, when the newly built Kryukov Canal and Admiralty Canal connected the Moika River with the Neva...
. Both projects required destruction of some of the earlier historic buildings, and the new stage of the Mariinsky Theatre
Mariinsky Theatre
The Mariinsky Theatre is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music theatre of late 19th century Russia, where many of the stage masterpieces of Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov received their premieres. The...
was originally attempted to be built according to a highly original design by French architect Dominique Perrault
Dominique Perrault
Dominique Perrault is a French architect. He became world known for the design of the French National Library, distinguished with the Mies van der Rohe Prize in 1996....
, resembling a cocoon. The project, however, was deemed too costly and too much out-of-line with the surrounding classical architecture, and the design was changed.
Snow cleaning problems
Matviyenko's handling of the cleaning of the city from snow during the unusually cold and snowy winters of 2009–2010Winter of 2009–2010 in Europe
The winter of 2009–2010 in Europe was unusually cold. Globally, atypical weather patterns brought cold, moist air from the north. Weather systems were undergoing cyclogenesis from North American storms moving across the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and saw many parts of Europe experiencing heavy...
and 2010–2011
Winter of 2010–2011 in Europe
The winter of 2010-2011 in Europe began with an unusually cold November caused by a cold weather cycle that started in southern Scandinavia and subsequently moved south and west over both Belgium and the Netherlands on 25 November and into the west of Scotland and north east England on 26 November...
, in the last two years of her governorship, have drawn more criticism on her part, especially from the automobile owners and drivers in the city. The authorities were unprepared for vast amounts of snow on the city streets, especially in the historical centre, and there was a lack of snow cleaning equipment.
Chairwoman of the Federation Council
On 22 August 2011, soon after completion of the Saint Petersburg Dam along with the Saint Petersburg Ring Road, Matviyenko resigned from the office of the governor of Saint Petersburg. Georgy PoltavchenkoGeorgy Poltavchenko
Georgy Sergeyevich Poltavchenko was the Russian Presidential Envoy to the Central Federal District. He was assigned acting governor of Saint Petersburg in August 2011....
was appointed as acting governor in her place. She was backed by President Dmitry Medvedev as a candidate to head the Federal Assembly or Upper House of the Russian Federation
Federation Council of Russia
Federation Council of Russia ) is the upper house of the Federal Assembly of Russia , according to the 1993 Constitution of the Russian Federation...
.The previous speaker of the Federation Council, Sergey Mironov
Sergey Mironov
Sergey Mikhailovich Mironov , is a former chairman of the Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian parliament and a leading figure in the A Just Russia party.- Biography :...
, was recalled in May after criticising Matviyenko's handling of Saint Petersburg. The leader of A Just Russia party, Mironov was ousted by the majority 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...
and replaced by an acting speaker Alexander Torshin.
As a member of United Russia party, Matviyenko stood in a municipal election in August in order to have legal possibilities to attain the office in the Federation Council. She won the municipal election with more than 95% of the vote, despite having 18% approval rating in July, for which she was criticized by the opposition.
On 21 September 2011 she was elected the Chairman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation by 140 votes with one abstention and none cast against. It is the third-highest elected office in Russia and the highest political position ever attained by a woman in Russia since the time of Empress Catherine the Great.
Family
Valentina Matviyenko has a son, Sergey Vladimirovich Matviyenko, with her husband, Vladimir Vasiyevich Matviyenko. In May 2003 Sergey Matviyenko was appointed Vice-President of the Bank Saint PetersburgBank Saint Petersburg
Bank Saint Petersburg is a Russian bank created in 1990 in Saint Petersburg. According to the bank official website, Saint Petersburg Bank is mostly implemented in Northwest Russia .Alexander Savelyev is the chairman of the bank's management board....
. Later he also became Vice-President and First Vice-President (2005) of Vneshtorgbank. Sergey married Zara Mgoyan, a Russian pop singer of Armenian and Kurdish origin (b. 1983) on 30 April 2004, but they divorced a year later.