Yuri Matochkin, also spelled Yury Matochkin, (born 18 October 1931 — 6 July 2006) was 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 politician

Politics of Russia

The politics of Russia take place in a framework of a federal semi-presidential republic. According to the Constitution of Russia, the President of Russia is head of state, and of a multi-party system with executive power exercised by the government, headed by the Prime Minister, who is appointed...

. He was the first post-Soviet governor of Kaliningrad Oblast

Kaliningrad Oblast

Kaliningrad Oblast is a federal subject of Russia situated on the Baltic coast. It has a population of The oblast forms the westernmost part of the Russian Federation, but it has no land connection to the rest of Russia. Since its creation it has been an exclave of the Russian SFSR and then the...

, having been appointed to that position by 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...

 in September 1991. Matochkin was elected to the Federation Council in 1993 and served on the International Affairs Committee. He was a Professor

Professor

A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...

 of Economics

Economics

Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...

.

Just prior to the breakup 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....

, a Free Economic Zone

Free 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...

 was established in Kaliningrad and Matochkin represented it in the USSR. He continued to support a free economic zone, as well as closer cooperation with the West, particularly the European Union

European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...

, and placing an emphasis on foreign investment in Kaliningrad. He felt it was necessary to formulate a single state policy regarding Kaliningrad. He regarded Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 as especially important. Matochkin envisioned Kaliningrad as a free-trade region with signinficant administrative autonomy. He also favoured upgrading the region from an Oblast

Oblast

Oblast is a type of administrative division in Slavic countries, including some countries of the former Soviet Union. The word "oblast" is a loanword in English, but it is nevertheless often translated as "area", "zone", "province", or "region"...

 to a republic

Republics of Russia

The Russian Federation is divided into 83 federal subjects , 21 of which are republics. The republics represent areas of non-Russian ethnicity. The indigenous ethnic group of a republic that gives it its name is referred to as the "titular nationality"...

 of Russia.

In 1994 he persuaded Russia to adopt a document emphasizing foreign cooperation, especially with the European Union.
Matochkin succeeded in restoring Kaliningrad's special economic zone advantages in January 1996, and also secured the region's first major foreign investment, an agreement with the automobile manufacturer Kia

Kia Motors

Kia Motors , headquartered in Seoul, is South Korea's second-largest automobile manufacturer, following the Hyundai Motor Company, with sales of over 1.4 million vehicles in 2010...

.

Yuri Matochkin contested the 1996 elections for regional governor in 1996, and was defeated in the second round of voting by Leonid Gorbenko

Leonid Gorbenko

Leonid Gorbenko was a Russian politician. He was elected the 2nd Governor of Kaliningrad Oblast in 1996, serving in that office until 2000....

. After the election, Gorbenko was subjected to hounding by supporters of Matochkin.