Biography. Where is Luzhkov now, what is he doing? What is his wife doing? When was Luzhkov born?
Former Moscow mayor revives the estate of a German horse breeder
When five years ago the most famous regional politician, Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, was dismissed with the derogatory wording “due to loss of confidence,” many were sure that he would never recover from the blow. But Mayakovsky also wrote about people like him: “we should make nails out of these people.” Luzhkov did not drink himself to death, did not go crazy and, pah-pah-pah, feels great. He also fulfilled his promise “not to sit on the stove as a pensioner.” After wandering around Kaliningrad fields, farms and elevators for two days, MK correspondents were convinced that the former mayor received the nickname “strong businessman” for a reason.
Luzhkov's farm is not just in the provinces. Even by local standards, this is a real wilderness. From almost two hours by car. Dunes and Baltic are even further away. The border with Poland is a stone's throw away, but in the current conditions this is also not a plus. After the introduction of sanctions, commercial and tourist flows sharply decreased (in both directions) and the border cities again returned to the state of 1946, when annexation into the northern part of East Prussia provoked their desolation and decline.
Having passed the regional center of Ozersk, the driver makes a sharp turn to the left and, having driven a few hundred meters more, slows down near a complex of stone buildings, whose size indicates a rich and glorious past, and the sound of hammers and piles of building materials - about hopes for an equally worthy future. This is the Weedern estate, known since the 17th century. Until the end of World War II, it belonged to the descendants of the German horse breeder Eberhard von Zitzewitz. And now it belongs to the former mayor of Moscow Yuri Luzhkov. Fate often presented him with surprises. And this is far from the most unexpected of them. “When I was appointed to head the Khimavtomatika Design Bureau, it was a surprise! And when they threw it at Mosagroprom! And this is a normal story,” the owner laughs.
"Weedern" has been specializing in horse breeding since the century before last. The cost of some stallions exceeds a million.
Easily jumping out of the SUV (you simply can’t drive through the valleys and fields in another car), Luzhkov, who next year will celebrate another, very respectable anniversary, not paying attention to calls to “take a break from the road,” goes to inspect his possessions. Straight ahead are the stables. Weedern has historically specialized in raising Trakehner and Hanoverian horses. They are still grown here today. The cost of some stallions reaches a million rubles, but Luzhkov is now more interested not in them, but in small house bizarre architecture, nestled not far from the arena. With the same passion with which he once erected skyscrapers and built bridges, the former mayor is trying to breathe new life into its old walls. The manager of Veedern, Timur, complains about the lack of electricity and rotten boards, calling on the chef to show prudence, but he, carefreely waving his hand, rushes to the second floor, where, in his words, a unique room has been preserved - a smokehouse, in which the previous owners prepared simple delicacies.
The former mayor spends the entire month of August in the fields: he says that it is more difficult to control a combine than an airplane.
“Apparently, the coachman’s family previously lived in this house,” Luzhkov explains, turning on the “flashlight” function on his iPhone. — After the restoration it will be exactly the same, only better.
The ex-mayor himself does not live in the manor’s estate (the three-story mansion, which housed a school in Soviet times, is boarded up), but in a former German office, from where the estate was managed under the Tsitsevits. The house is two-story and rather modest (although Luzhkov, out of old habit, calls it a “residence”): the dining room and master bedroom are on the second floor, guest rooms are on the first. Having opened the door to one of them, we find an unknown young man on the bed with a newspaper in his hands. “He probably came to work,” Luzhkov was not at all surprised.
— Do strangers often spend the night in your house?
- Well, where else should he spend the night? The place is remote,” shrugs the man, who just five years ago was under the watchful eye of armed guards, shrugs carefree.
In the courtyard of the house there is an oak tree, which is at least 250 years old, on the oak tree, as expected, there is a chain, and on the chain there is a cat... “He goes to the right - he starts a song, to the left - he tells a fairy tale, there are miracles, there is a goblin wandering there, Elena is on the branches sitting,” recites Yuri Luzhkov, replacing Pushkin’s mermaid with the name of his beloved wife. Her portrait, galloping at full speed on a bay stallion, is prominently displayed in the dining room, along with numerous Weedern awards. But Lately Elena Baturina practically doesn’t come here, supporting her husband with calls, advice and, let’s be honest, finances. “Her soul does not lie,” the ex-mayor grows gloomy. To distract him from sad thoughts, I ask about the fate of the previous owners of the stud farm. It is known that in 1946, Anna von Zitzewitz, who until the last hoped that Prussia would remain part of Germany, was nevertheless forced to leave here in the last echelon...
“She came here about 10 years ago,” Luzhkov nods his head. - She was already quite old. I cried a lot. But at the same time, I was glad that the farm was not abandoned to the mercy of fate, like many local estates, and was even slowly being revived...
Next to "Weedern" there is a village of five houses. The buildings there are still German, but the people live in typically Russian ways. Which means they drink. And they also steal! “If all this is not protected, tomorrow there will be no stone left here,” says manager Timur and points to the drains covered with concrete slabs. The ex-mayor's neighbors have long since sold the metal pancakes from them for scrap metal. And when Luzhkov restored the barn, the forged gates and even the hooks on which they hung went there too. “Moreover, people drove a tractor and tore them out along with pieces of the walls,” says Timur. Neighbors are not hired to work on their farms not only because of their thieving nature, but also because of their habitual drunkenness. Luzhkov, as you know, has not drunk anything stronger than kefir for many years. And in “Weedern” he established complete prohibition. “Our technology is complex. If you hurt yourself, you’ll cause more trouble than on a warship,” he explains.
Luzhkov buckwheat.
When Luzhkov led Moscow, his subordinates scolded him behind his back for being too active. Every day, except Sunday, the mayor came to work at 8 a.m. or traveled around the city, visiting problem areas. Moreover, these were not official events in the “came, saw, praised” style. The trips sometimes ended with hours-long meetings with a full debriefing. Five years of retirement have changed the scale, but not the habits of the former mayor. All the inhabitants of Weedern, from the manager to the seasonal workers, are now forced to get used to the peculiarities of his leadership style. “I know they don’t really like it when I come,” Luzhkov whispers in my ear. “They have their own, measured rhythm here.” And my awl is playing in one place.”
It is no coincidence that Luzhkov breeds sheep of the famous Romanov breed: “They helped Russia during the war, and they will help now!”
Despite the late evening, he pulls us to the nearest field to show us how the rapeseed grows. Dry yellow stems with thin pods, similar to acacia fruits, were almost equal to human height. Having poured black peas into his palm, Luzhkov rejoices like a child: the butter should turn out good! Finding himself on the other side of the barricades, the former Moscow mayor experienced all the delights of business in Russian on his own skin. We return to the estate in complete darkness along the road built with Weedern’s money, and the owner complains about the intractability of local officials who refuse to sign the commissioning act. “They're just making fun of me! Either the width is not the same, or the drainage is not the same...” Luzhkov gets angry, and I once again think about the vicissitudes of fate. He built hundreds of kilometers of roads during his life, received the nickname Lord of the Rings and... tripped over a piece of asphalt 300 meters long!
The next morning we meet early. Although Luzhkov got up even earlier. He wears an appropriate shirt with cows embroidered on the pocket and a traditional cap. More precisely, its summer version is made from coarse, dense flax. He had already talked with agronomists and found out that due to rainy weather, each ear of wheat lost from one to two rows of grain. However, crop prospects are still good.
The main construction site of the farm is the house of the German coachman. Restoration work is in full swing.
— It definitely won’t be lower than last year! - the agronomists assure in unison, but Luzhkov is dissatisfied:
- So hello! We have done so much here in terms of technology, and they tell me that it won’t get any worse. It should be better than it was!
In the end, everyone agrees that five tons of grain per hectare will definitely work out, and then God willing. Luzhkov has been working at the combine for many years now and says that he really loves this job:
- Imagine: in front of you is a golden sea, swaying from the wind. You sail along it on this colossus and realize that you have grown a good harvest, that you are doing an important and useful job that is abandoned in the country, that you have given work and provided decent wages to people... All this is very stimulating and inspiring!
But what about the government support measures that are now being trumpeted on every corner? Haven't they reached the farmers?
“I don’t see much change,” Luzhkov shrugs. — Support from the region — 1200 rub. per hectare. For that kind of money you can only change into overalls! We ourselves spend 35 thousand rubles per hectare on preparing fields for sowing.
— What about loans?
- I forbade them to be taken! In America during the crisis, the rate was 0.25%, in Japan it was generally minus, the bank still pays you extra for taking a loan from them, and in our country, even after the key rate was reduced, the interest rates are crazy. I don’t want to support monetarism with my money!
In addition to rapeseed and wheat, Weedern grows oats, barley and buckwheat, which over time has every chance of becoming the hallmark of the farm. The former mayor had to give up his dreams of Nikita Khrushchev’s laurels several years ago, when, having planted and grown his favorite corn, he was unable to realize a very successful harvest. It turned out that no one in the Kaliningrad region and its environs needed the queen of the fields... But another expense item appeared - hay (it is eaten not only by horses, but also by the famous Romanov sheep, which are also raised by Weedern). “Having learned that Kosygin at one time organized and personally opened a large conference on grassland farming, with my last name, at first I was surprised at what to discuss there: take it and mow it! But it turned out that this is a whole science - different animals require different quality hay. And the land should not be waste: to grow good grass, you need to provide for a thousand little things. The Germans receive 10 tons of hay per hectare, and we only get 3 tons,” the ex-mayor says with enthusiasm, not paying attention to his bursting mobile phone. “It’s the governor calling you!” - warns the vigilant Timur.
The acting head of the Kaliningrad region, Nikolai Tsukanov, without knowing it, laid the foundation for a new specialization of “Weederna”. Having collected a decent harvest of buckwheat last year, Luzhkov, as usual, was going to sell it to Lithuania - there are no processing facilities in the region. But times were troubled: people were just sweeping cereals off the shelves, prices were rising, a shortage was looming... Tsukanov asked Luzhkov to hold back the “strategic reserve,” and he, as a statesman, agreed. Buckwheat lay like a dead weight at the elevator for several months, and the ex-mayor searched through cities and towns for equipment for processing it. The fact is that grains arrive from the fields in a dense box and are not suitable for consumption. Before selling, they must be put through a grain grinder and the wheat must be carefully separated from the chaff.
Suitable for price and technical specifications the unit was finally found Ukrainian manufacturers, and, although the country at that time had already embarked on the path of import substitution, Luzhkov, without thinking twice, shook hands... The history of Weedern itself is the history of international cooperation. It may be forced, but, as practice has shown, it is quite successful. German equipment from the first third of the last century still serves its owners well, regardless of title and political situation. Luzhkov proudly clicks the massive Siemens switches and shows how a Krupp conveyor delivers buckwheat from storage areas to the grain mill. The former mayor got the old elevator by chance (the previous owner refused to sell the land without it), and now he can’t get enough of it. The pipes in the new granary had to be replaced twice already, but they have been standing here since 1931 - and for the hell of it!
In addition to the Ukrainian grain grinder and German pipes, Luzhkov’s farm has an English grain dryer, as well as whole line devices designed by the ex-mayor himself. For example, a gearbox on a conveyor (the previous engine, according to him, was too complex) or a container for unloading buckwheat. Part of the buckwheat husk is used to heat steam boilers used in production. Some are sold to pharmacies for pillows. The owner himself believes that there is nothing unusual in this approach. Well, what does it mean for a person with a Soviet technical education to improve a gearbox? A couple of trifles! But local workers look with respect. “He’s such a guy! — a young guy in overalls shows his thumb. “You can’t even say that he’s a former bureaucrat!”
Luzhkov promises to feed the entire Kaliningrad region with his buckwheat in the near future. There will be enough capacity for everyone - for soldiers in local units, for kindergartens, and for pensioners. The first batches will be sold at fairs at a symbolic price - 39 rubles per kilogram. “Yes, this is not a business,” agrees the ex-mayor, being responsible for both buckwheat and the entire Weedern. — From the point of view of how the state treats the agricultural sector, there is not even a smell of business here. But this activity is important both in terms of food security and as a social component, so I do it.”
When, after a walk around the house, we sit down to drink tea with Luzhkov’s signature honey, I finally ask the question that has been tormenting me from the very beginning: how satisfied is the former mayor with such a life? What is it like - after communicating on an equal footing with the powers that be and managing a huge metropolis, find yourself driving a combine harvester in a godforsaken corner of the enclave? Luzhkov is silent for a long time, frowning, obviously searching for words.
“I’m satisfied with my current life,” he finally says. “But the state, it seems to me, should feel dissatisfied. This is not narcissism syndrome, and I’m not just talking about myself. We cannot recklessly ignore the experience of people like Shaimiev, Boos, Rossel, Filipenko. Thanks to their work, the country at one time was kept from collapse; they were prominent figures at both the regional and governmental levels. And now, anyone who can name the names of at least five governors should be given a bonus... In the USA, the same Kissinger is respected, his connections, experience and knowledge are used in the interests of the country, and Bush...
- You feel resentment...
“My resignation is injustice and lawlessness.” And revenge for my refusal to support Medvedev’s nomination for a second presidential term.
— Is the criminal case in which you were a witness closed?
- Don't know. Maybe it's not closed. It's good to have it on hand just in case. This is what I want to ask: five years have passed, has anyone from Moscow been imprisoned? Ryabinin (Luzhkov’s deputy in 2007-2010 - “MK”) was dragged through the courts for three years because he pursued the policy of the mayor of Moscow and stepped on the calluses of many, including government agencies. It was a purely political matter, a political order. As a result, Ryabinin was completely acquitted, and the investigators apologized to him. But who is responsible for this?
-Are you angry?
— Bitterness is not in my character. It's about disappointment. I absolutely don’t feel like a pensioner, I’m not going to lie upside down. Down - yes, this happens on the farm. But I don’t strive for a calm old age, since there is still enough dope.
- How old are you, Yuri Mikhailovich?
He thinks again, twirls in his hands a cup with the inscription “To the most talented sheep farmer”, which was made by his youngest daughter Olga, and a sly smile replaces the cold mask on his face:
- Probably still more than thirty. Well, let's go, I'll show you how buckwheat blooms...
Family friend, billionaire Yuri Gekht tells
- says family friend, billionaire Yuri Gekht
Why aren't criminal cases brought against LUZHKOV? - Vladimir PUTIN was asked at one of the recent press conferences.
It's too early. And why do you think that there is nothing about Luzhkov? - the president answered slyly...
The trial of the ex-mayor of Moscow and his cunning@opoy Millions of people are looking forward to their spouse. And among them, of course, Yuri GEKHT is a friend of his youth and a former accomplice of Yuri Mikhailovich, and now his irreconcilable enemy. Hecht was once a member of the Supreme Economic Council under the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation and a major bourgeois. And now he is a simple Israeli pensioner and, in fact, a criminal wanted by Interpol.
On the eve of Elena Nikolaevna’s anniversary (she will turn fifty dollars on March 8), Yuri Hekht was visited in the Promised Land by the special correspondent of Express Gazeta.
I've always stood up for Luzhkova, - Yuri Georgievich assures. - Even in 1993, when angry deputies wanted to remove him from the post of mayor. The capital was then writhing in dirt and poverty! At a meeting of the Presidium of the Supreme Council, I managed to repel Luzhkov. In fact, he is a strong business executive. The seasoned boor was to blame for everything that happened to him later. Previous wife - Marina Bashilova, daughter of the first deputy minister of the chemical industry of the USSR, was created by Luzhkova. And this matron made Yura the founder of corruption in Russia! For example, I was personally present when Luzhkov bought land in Sochi for next to nothing...
According to Hechta Having come to power, Luzhkov made him his confidant. Out of gratitude to his old friend, he had to grit his teeth and endure communication with his eccentric wife.
Betrayal
I not only had access to the house, but also personally arranged for Baturina to go to the best Moscow maternity hospital named after Grauerman! - Hecht remembers. - Due to her young age, she was terribly afraid of the first birth. A week later, I gave Elena a watch for 300 dollars - then it was a decent amount - as a present for the newborn. Baturina had never tried on such elegant things: she ran around with a watch like a child. In those years, there were no imported goods in stores, and I often traveled abroad. Baturina's girls were dressed and shoed. I also kept in touch with Luzhkov’s children from a previous marriage. But Elena did not let them on the threshold. The younger Alexander could still come to his dad’s work, but the elder Mikhail was afraid. Elena arranged this for her husband! Misha took his father's betrayal seriously. Started drinking. Of course, Luzhkov did not like this. (My son, by the way, worked in the gas industry, and as soon as Luzhkov was removed, he was also asked.)
It was Hecht, according to him, who persuaded Luzhkov to begin competitive investment in capital real estate.
Luzhkov, having become mayor, did not know what to do, says Hecht. - There is no money, there is devastation, but the city needs to be rebuilt. In June 1992, at the height of Gaidar's all-consuming reform, I proposed to him the idea of private investment in construction. Yura doubted: “Who will go? Such a risk! I say: “I am!” And he was the first to take part in a competition to invest in the construction of two prestigious buildings in the capital.
Yuri Gekht proudly calls himself a “hereditary papermaker” - since 1740, his ancestors have been producing paper. During perestroika he was lucky:
The Ministry of Forestry and Pulp and Paper Industry decided to unite the most backward enterprises in the industry that did not feed themselves. And I was appointed general director of Sokolniki Production Association. It also included the Serpukhov paper mill. In 1987, I rented it, and in ’89 the association was privatized. The ministry allowed me, as director, to receive 49 percent of the shares, the rest remained with the team. But then privatization began according to Chubais, and everyone who was not too lazy began buying shares from workers right on the streets. By decision of the general meeting, people did not sell to strangers, but trusted me to buy out the remaining shares. Since then, I have often heard whispers behind my back: “The first Soviet billionaire is coming.” But I couldn’t even touch this money, I never used the dividends - I directed everything towards the development of production. Now the enterprise has been destroyed, more than a thousand people have been laid off. Only one paper mill in Vladimir is operating, and the Serpukhov mill was captured by raiders...
Sperm
Luzhkov was afraid of his wife like fire, - says Yuri Georgievich. - He pulled me home every Saturday. Somehow we were sitting with them Tsereteli. It's almost midnight and he won't let us go. We understand: another scandal is brewing. Elena comes out in a hastily wrapped robe and says: “It’s time to go to bed!” Yuri doesn't react. Then she comes up, takes off her slipper and slaps him on his bald head!
And what did you do at the Queen’s reception in 2004 in London? Just came to power Tony Blair. Everyone has gathered, we are sitting and waiting for Baturina. Yuri is running around, nervous. Finally, Elena enters the hotel with a racket. Luzhkov: “Lena, the queen is waiting for us!” - “Nothing, he’ll wait.” Seven minutes later, Yuri jumps out into the hall in red spots: “We’re going without her!”
In the USA, in a shopping center, Elena suddenly shouted at Luzhkov so loudly to the whole audience that the whole delegation of us burned with shame. And in Munich she went to a horse farm. There she was given the sperm of one of the best stallions. She immediately hid the priceless flask at the hotel, but when she began to pack her things to leave, she could not find it. City Hall employee Vladimir Lebedev offered to check her suitcase, but she became furious and slapped the young man several times. In Moscow, after a customs inspection, we decided to see if all the things were in place, and we found a flask with sperm in her suitcase!
Boorish
Hecht had a serious conflict with Baturina in 2004 in the office of the first deputy mayor Vladimir Resin, who oversaw the construction.
There I learned: Lena wanted three old residential buildings near the Arbatskaya metro station, which belonged to me. (Now they are owned.) I wanted to build a hotel on this land. I evicted 240 families, talked to each tenant personally - I didn’t receive a single complaint. Invested $23 million in the facility. But after the default, construction could not begin. I understand: there is a formal reason to find fault, Lena will not back down. I agreed to sign an agreement on the transfer of objects, but only on condition of payment of compensation: “Lena, return what you spent!” But she told Resin: “Let his friend Luzhkov compensate him.” I couldn’t resist and hit the table with my fist: “You’re just a village boor!” Luzhkov first tried to help me out. But Baturina stood her ground. As a result, she brought contracts for the purchase of all objects, and the amount of compensation was 50 thousand rubles! Realizing that I would not sign, he and Resin offered me three dilapidated buildings on Arbat: garbage dumps bought by Caucasians that needed to be resettled. Even 150 million dollars would not be enough for me! I came to Resin and said: “Am I now going to resettle all of Moscow at my own expense?” He said that I would not sign the agreement until it stipulated that the eviction would be carried out at the expense of Moscow. But Luzhkov betrayed me and did not sign.
Setup
In 2004, Hecht suffered from severe kidney problems, and he decided to receive treatment in Israel.
And shortly before leaving, three people close to Luzhkov warned that an attempt was being prepared on my life, - says Yuri Georgievich. - The vice mayor was the first to call Joseph Ordzhonikidze- he oversaw the hotel and gambling business. He started talking about some nonsense. I told him: “Did you call me for this?” Suddenly he gets up from his chair and whispers: “Yura, leave immediately, I beg you!”
Events were not long in coming. First, Hecht had an accident: a truck blocked the way for his car. Hecht and the driver miraculously survived:
Soon I was accused of kidnapping a person, a certain Vladimir Baryshnikov-Kuparenko, who was supposed to deliver German equipment to my factory, but deceived me: the equipment did not arrive on time. I punched this Baryshnikov in the face and threatened to terminate the contract and collect the amount paid to him and damages. This scoundrel saw on my table the magazine “Kompromat.RU”, in the creation of which I participated. The latest issue described in detail how Baturina received land for construction without a competition and how budget funds were transferred through Mosbusinessbank and Bank of Moscow to finance her ventures. Baryshnikov decided to take advantage of my conflict with Baturina and went to see her with this magazine. Elena immediately bought the entire circulation, and they developed a scheme to eliminate me from the market.
According to Hecht, the operation was supervised by the former chief of the Moscow police, Colonel General Vladimir Pronin.
Baryshnikov staged his kidnapping, - explains Yuri Georgievich, - allegedly carried out on my order. He imitated an escape from my office, where the kidnappers allegedly locked him for Saturday-Sunday, and he supposedly went into the toilet, climbed out through the window and arrived by taxi to the reception of the mayor of Moscow, and then turned to law enforcement agencies with a statement. On the basis of this nonsense, they arrested the athletes with whom I was seen in the restaurant in the evening after the competition - I supervised sports in Serpukhov. They were made the perpetrators of this pseudo-kidnapping. They gave me eight years. I did my best to get them out. They were released after two years for a huge bribe.
After successful operation After a kidney transplant, Yuri Georgievich gained hope of returning to Russia.
“I’m not hiding,” says the exile. - I correspond with Interpol, but everyone is “looking” for me. I was denied Russian pension, issuing a Russian international passport, despite judicial confirmation that I am a citizen of Russia. Through Telman Ismailov, Baturina took all my property. I haven’t communicated with Luzhkov since then - it’s useless: he, in fact, became her hostage. But I must return to Russia to prove my innocence. The only thing I ask the president Putin and premiere Medvedev, - to give me the opportunity to personally participate in the investigation of a criminal case.
Yuri Luzhkov is a famous politician and former mayor of Moscow. There are a lot of dubious rumors circulating around his person. However, there are those who are interested in the biography of Yuri Mikhailovich. Today we will talk about where the former mayor was born and studied. The article will also discuss details of his personal life.
Yuri Luzhkov: biography
He was born on September 21, 1936. The city of Moscow is indicated as his place of birth. The family moved to the Russian capital to escape the famine of the 30s. His father, Mikhail Andreevich, got a job at an oil depot. And his mother, Anna Petrovna, was a laborer at a factory.
Childhood and youth
Until the age of 14, Yuri Luzhkov lived with his grandmother in the Ukrainian city of Konotop. He attended a local school and various clubs (aircraft modeling, drawing. At the end of seven years, Yura returned to Moscow. He was accepted into school No. 529 (now No. 1259).
Student
Having received his matriculation certificate, Luzhkov submitted documents to the Petrochemical Institute and he managed to win over the members of the admissions committee. The guy was enrolled in the desired faculty. He couldn't be called a good student. He didn’t take his tests on time and sometimes skipped classes. But when it comes to organizing mass events, he had no equal.
Yura did not go to his parents. Therefore, in his free time from studying, he worked part-time. What professions has our hero not mastered? Luzhkov was a janitor, a loader at a train station, and a waiter in a cafe.
In 1954, he went to Kazakhstan as part of a student detachment. Classmates remembered him as a hardworking and purposeful person.
Carier start
In 1958, Yuri Luzhkov was hired at one of the Moscow research institutes. He began his career with the position of Thanks to his perseverance and strong character, he managed to get the position of head of the laboratory. And in 1964 he headed this department altogether.
When did his political career begin? This happened in 1968, after joining communist party. A few years later, Luzhkov was elected as a council deputy from the Babushkinsky district. He showed his best side, and all thanks to good education and the ability to gather people around you. In 1977, Yuri Mikhailovich was elected deputy of the Moscow Council.
Then Boris Yeltsin noticed the purposeful and ambitious politician and invited him to his team. After this, Luzhkov’s life changed dramatically. In a short time, he rose from chairman of the City Executive Committee to vice-mayor of Moscow.
Mayor
In 1992, food shortages arose in the Russian capital. Essential goods were sold using coupons. The people were indignant. Moscow Mayor Gavriil Popov was forced to resign. His place was taken by Yuri Luzhkov (see photo above). The order for his appointment was signed personally by Boris Yeltsin.
Our hero was the mayor for 18 years. Luzhkov was re-elected 3 times - in 1996, 1999 and 2003. During his “reign” the city changed noticeably. The number of parks, pedestrian zones and playgrounds has increased significantly. However, there were also those who criticized Luzhkov’s activities.
In September 2010, Yuri Mikhailovich was relieved of his post as mayor of Moscow. A decree on this was signed by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. After this, Yuri Luzhkov moved to the UK with his family. There he acquired cozy home In the countryside.
Personal life
Yuri Luzhkov got married for the first time in 1958. His chosen one was the charming girl Marina Bashilova. In this marriage two sons were born - Alexander and Mikhail. The children were long-awaited and loved. Yuri and Marina lived together for almost 30 years.
In 1988, Luzhkov became a widower. His wife Marina left this world. At that time, their sons were already adults and independent. Yuri Mikhailovich had a hard time experiencing the death of his wife. However, a couple of years later, a new love appeared in his life.
27-year-old Elena Baturina won my heart famous politician. In 1991, the couple formalized their relationship. The couple settled in a spacious apartment located in the center of Moscow.
In 1992, Baturina gave birth to her first child, daughter Lenochka. Yuri Mikhailovich proved himself to be a caring and attentive father. He swaddled and bathed the baby himself. In 1994, another addition occurred to the Luzhkov family. A second daughter was born. The baby was named Olga.
Currently, the girls live and study in the capital of Great Britain - London. The former mayor of Moscow, Yuri Luzhkov, is also in the same country. He is engaged in beekeeping. Elena Baturina is a successful businesswoman whose fortune is estimated at several billion dollars.
We can say with 100% certainty where Luzhkov lives now. After his resignation, the disgraced mayor lived for some time in Austria, then in England, but it is obvious that he was irresistibly drawn to his homeland. At first he lived in the Kaluga region and kept an apiary, but obviously his soul demanded more. The former mayor could not simply breed bees and pump out honey, and he soon moved to the Kaliningrad region, where there was more room for his nature.Where does Yuri Mikhailovich Luzhkov live now?
After his resignation, after traveling abroad for three years, Yuri Mikhailovich returned to Russia and found a dilapidated stud farm in the Kaliningrad region. This old German enterprise was destroyed in the early 90s, but apparently Elena Baturina (the wife of the former mayor), who at one time headed the Russian Equestrian Federation, saw potential in this plant. The Luzhkov family bought 87% of the shares of the Weedern stud farm and began to restore it.Five thousand hectares of land are occupied by a stud farm, sheepfold, cowsheds and fields, where Yuri Mikhailovich breeds pedigree sport horses and the famous “Romanov” sheep.
It must be said that Weedern is not just a stud farm. This is the entire estate of an old Prussian family, and the last owner, Anna von Zitzewitz, left it only in 1946. About ten years ago she came to her family nest, and despite the sadness, she was sincerely glad that the estate was alive and working. The former mayor did not rebuild everything, but began to reconstruct and restore the former appearance of the estate. He has already managed to obtain the status of breeding reproducer of Hanoverian horses, and this is quite a prestigious title.
The Weedern agricultural complex is growing, and every year Yuri Mikhailovich is mastering new directions. Currently, rapeseed, buckwheat and wheat are grown in the fields of the Agrocomplex. Often the owner himself gets behind the wheel of the combine and works along with other combine operators.
Prohibition reigns within the Agricultural Complex, but this is not what irritates the workers. Luzhkov, as his employees say, “had a problem in one place.” He doesn’t sit still for a second and is constantly doing something, constantly controlling everything and driving everyone around. Although, he drives on business, and pays a good salary, which reconciles the workers with their boss.
A couple of years ago, the ex-mayor decided to start producing cheese. Breeding dairy cows were purchased in Germany, equipment in Slovenia, and registered trademark"Honey Meadows" A batch of “Adyghe” cheese was produced for testing, with plans for brie, camembert, and so on, right down to parmesan.
Residents of the region approved of this initiative of Yuri Mikhailovich, since his products are sold in stores at social prices and are of high quality. The volumes do not yet allow us to go further than the area, but for now this is enough.
The success of Luzhkov's farm is explained not only by his hard work, but also by his scientific approach to business. Yuri Mikhailovich carefully studies the experience of his foreign colleagues and understands that if the Germans receive 10 tons of hay per hectare, and in Russia the average norm is 3 tons, then something is wrong here.
With his own hands, the former official repairs and even makes changes to the equipment, making it more productive, which greatly surprises the workers.
The disgraced mayor ceased to be disgraced when on September 21, 2016, Russian President V. Putin awarded him the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, IV degree, “for active public activities.” This award gave a new impetus to the former politician and opened up new development prospects. Yuri Mikhailovich believes that he has learned a lot and can give good advice agro-industrialists, based on personal experience.
Left without a position and becoming a farmer, Luzhkov began to better understand the problems of ordinary citizens, small entrepreneurs and farmers. Having built the road to his stud farm at his own expense, he for a long time butted heads with local officials who did not give permission to put into operation, finding fault with little things. This both makes Luzhkov happy and sad. After all, he built hundreds of kilometers of roads, but now he cannot legitimize 300 meters.
Luzhkov’s wife Elena Baturina does not share her husband’s passion for farming and considers it a “hobby”. She lives permanently in London, visits her husband from time to time and gives money for his new projects. Yuri Mikhailovich, on principle, does not take out bank loans, considering them predatory.
Now Yuri Luzhkov is happy with his life, although sometimes he feels annoyed with his past. The resentment of injustice towards him is forgotten only when he gets behind the wheel of a tractor or walks around his property.
Here he sees the results of his work and is glad that all this appeared thanks to his work. This year Yuri Mikhailovich will turn 82 years old, but he is not going to retire and climb onto the stove. He has too much to do, too much to accomplish.
Yuri Mikhailovich Luzhkov (born September 21, 1936, Moscow, USSR) - Russian politician, second mayor of Moscow (1992-2010), co-chairman of the Supreme Council of the party " United Russia"(2001-2010), Dean of the Faculty of Management of Large Cities at the International University in Moscow.
Born on September 21, 1936 in Moscow in the family of a carpenter. My paternal ancestors lived in the now defunct village of Luzhkovo in Tver province; father Mikhail Andreevich was born in the village of Molodoy Tud (now Oleninsky district, Tver region); in 1928 he moved to Moscow and got a job at an oil depot. Mother Anna Petrovna is a native of the village (currently the village) of Kalegino.
In 1953 he graduated from school. Three last year(grades 8-10) Yuri Luzhkov studied at school No. 1259 (then No. 529). In 1954, he worked in the first student team that explored virgin lands in Kazakhstan (together with Alexander Vladislavlev). Graduated from the Institute of Petrochemical and Gas Industry named after. Gubkina.
From 1958 to 1963, he worked at the Research Institute of Plastics as a junior researcher, group leader, and deputy head of the technological process automation laboratory.
From 1964 to 1971 - head of the department for automation of management of the State Committee for Chemistry, in 1968 joined the CPSU, remained a member until 1991, from 1971 to 1974 - head of the department of automated control systems (ACMS). From 1974 to 1980 - Director of the Experimental Design Bureau for Automation under the Ministry of Chemical Industry.
In 1980, he was appointed general director of the research and production association Neftekhimavtomatika, and in 1986, head of the department for science and technology of the Ministry of Chemical Industry.
Member of the CPSU from 1968 until its ban in August 1991. In 1975, he was elected as a people's deputy of the Babushkinsky District Council of Moscow, and from 1977 to 1991 - a deputy of the Moscow City Council. He was a deputy of the Supreme Council (SC) of the RSFSR of the 11th convocation (1987-1990).
In 1987, on the initiative of the new first secretary of the Moscow City Committee of the CPSU, Boris Yeltsin, who was selecting fresh personnel, he was appointed first deputy chairman of the Moscow City Executive Committee. At the same time, Luzhkov became chairman of the Moscow City Agro-Industrial Committee and headed the city commission on cooperative and individual labor activities.
The secretary of this commission was Elena Baturina. As the head of Mosagroprom, he came into conflict with Literaturnaya Gazeta over the publication of an article about the unsuitable quality of sausage produced at the Moscow meat-packing plant.
He filed a lawsuit against Litgazeta, banned the admission of journalists and trade inspectors to all enterprises producing food products, but after publication in the newspaper he statement of claim and letters from readers in support of the author of the article, the lawsuit was withdrawn.
In April 1990, before the first session of the newly elected democratic Moscow Council, he became acting chairman of the Moscow City Executive Committee as a result of the resignation of the last communist chairman of the executive committee, Valery Saikin.
The new chairman of the Moscow City Council, Gavriil Popov, on the recommendation of B. Yeltsin, nominated Yu. Luzhkov to the post of chairman of the Moscow City Executive Committee.
In the summer-autumn of 1990, Yu. Luzhkov tried to actively implement the resolution of the Moscow Council, signed by G. Popov, on the introduction of trade in goods using passports with Moscow registration and “buyer’s business cards”, which caused retaliatory measures from the regions neighboring Moscow, which stopped supplying food to Moscow .
In July 1991, Luzhkov was proposed for the post of vice-mayor of Moscow and chairman of the Moscow government by the chairman of the Moscow Council, Gavriil Popov, as an experienced business executive and was approved by a vote of deputies.
In 1992, Moscow Mayor G. Kh. Popov unexpectedly resigned. On June 6, 1992, by Decree of the President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin, Luzhkov was appointed mayor of Moscow and was subsequently re-elected to this post four times (1996, 1999, 2003, 2007) (receiving 88.5%, 69.9%, 74.8%, respectively) votes and 32 out of 35 votes of Moscow City Duma deputies; V.P. Shantsev was elected vice-mayor together with Luzhkov the first two times, the post ceased to be elective).
From 1992 to 1996, Luzhkov served as mayor of Moscow without elective powers, on the basis of a decree.
In October 1993, during the dispersal of the Supreme Council, he sided with the president. By his order, the White House building, along with nearby residential buildings, was cut off from all communications.
In December 1994, Luzhkov established the first commercial television company in Russia, Teleexpo.
In the 1999 elections, together with Primakov, he headed the Fatherland party, which criticized Yeltsin’s policies and advocated his early resignation.
Member of the Federation Council (1996-2002). He held the position of member of the Federation Council in accordance with the procedure in force at that time as the head of a subject of the federation.
Yu. Luzhkov - member of the State Council under the President of the Russian Federation, representative Russian Federation in the Chamber of Regions of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe, former member of the Federation Council Committee on Budget, Tax Policy, Currency Regulation, and Banking.
Since the end of 1998, Yu. Luzhkov has been the leader of the All-Russian political public organization “Fatherland”, now co-chairman Supreme Council All-Russian political party"United Russia".
During Luzhkov's tenure as mayor, Moscow grew significantly as an important economic center. Thus, the total retail area of the city increased from 2.3 million square meters. m in 1997 to 3.06 million sq. m. by January 1, 2001. The number of hotel-type organizations has increased by almost a quarter.
The industrial production index, as a percentage of the previous year, was 77% in 1992, 99% in 1997, 102% in 1998, 114% in 1999. Industrial production in 2007 alone in Moscow it grew by 11.5%.
The market has grown significantly retail. Currently, there is active support for small businesses: for example, rent for premises for small businesses should now not exceed 1,000 rubles per sq. m. meter.
During this period, the appearance of Moscow underwent significant changes: many new buildings, highways and transport interchanges were built. The Third Transport Ring has appeared, the purpose of which is to relieve congestion on the capital’s roads and reduce the number of traffic jams.
Due to the constant increase in the number of cars on the roads, the problem of traffic jams in the capital remains one of the most important in the life of the city. The Moscow metro has been significantly expanded. Under Luzhkov, monorail transport and light metro were put into operation for the first time in Russia. The construction market has risen quite strongly.
The Cathedral of Christ the Savior was completely restored. To the 50th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War a memorial complex and Victory Park were founded on Poklonnaya Hill. The Bolshoi Theater is currently undergoing active restoration.
- The opposition often accuses the mayor of his control over the Moscow courts and corruption. At the same time, critics regularly refer to the fortune of his wife, Elena Baturina, which, according to Forbes, is 4.2 billion US dollars, and her sister’s husband, Vladimir Yevtushenkov, the main shareholder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sistema JSFC, whose net worth is Forbes estimates it to be worth US$10 billion. Thus, in September 2009, a brochure (positioned as an independent expert report) by Boris Nemtsov “Luzhkov. Results."
- Luzhkov, as mayor, is often criticized for densifying Moscow with an excessive number of offices and housing, disturbing the historical urban landscape and littering the city with sculptures that, according to some, have “dubious artistic value” (see Zurab Tsereteli, Mikhail Shemyakin).
- Under Luzhkov, at the suggestion of animal rights activists, the capture and euthanization of stray dogs was banned in Moscow, which led to such problems as frequent attacks by feral packs of dogs on people; the outcomes of some of them were fatal.
- In 2009, Luzhkov was criticized for introducing a new program to redistribute rainfall in Moscow and the Moscow Region in order to reduce the cost of cleaning Moscow streets. Environmentalists and the leadership of the Moscow region fear that such an act could harm the environment of the capital and region.
Here is an incomplete list of inventions of Yuri Mikhailovich Luzhkov:
1. Device for extracting gel-like concentrate when processing hydrocarbon oils
2. Plant for desalination of salt water and method of desalination of salt water using the plant
3. Installation for water ozonation and method of water ozonation
4. Means and method for protecting non-metallic materials from biodestruction
5. Method of photodisinfection of water
6. Method for producing aluminum chloride
7. Method for producing filter material and filter fibrous material
8. Method for producing 5-aminolevulinic (5-amino-4-oxopentanoic) acid hydrochloride
9. Method for analyzing multicomponent gas mixtures
10. Sorption gamma resonance detector
11. Multifunctional polynomial gas filter
12. Quaternized phthalocyanines and method of photodisinfection of water
13. Catalyst for purifying air from carbon monoxide
14. Plant for cultivating baker's yeast
15. Method of producing sbiten
16. Method for producing a drink from curd whey “Alena”
17. Method of production of fruit drink
18. Method for producing honey drink
19. Method for producing kvass or fermented drinks from grain raw materials
20. Method for obtaining a biologically active food product from yeast processing
21. A consortium of microorganisms propionibacterium shermanii, streptococcus thermophilus, acetobacter aceti, used for the preparation of fermented milk products, and a method for producing fermented milk products.
Luzhkov has a large number of awards
Russian awards:
* Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 1st degree (September 21, 2006) - for outstanding contribution to the strengthening of Russian statehood and the socio-economic development of the city
* Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II degree (November 14, 1995) - for services to the state, great personal contribution to the implementation of reforms aimed at restructuring the city’s economy, successful reconstruction work historical center capital, revival of churches, construction of the Victory memorial complex on Poklonnaya Hill
* Order of Merit for the Fatherland, III degree
* Order of Military Merit (October 1, 2003) - for great personal contribution to increasing the combat readiness of troops and ensuring the defense capability of the Russian Federation
* Order of Honor (August 19, 2000) - for his great contribution to the preservation and restoration of cultural and architectural monuments of the city of Moscow
* Medal “Defender of Free Russia” (November 9, 1993) - for the performance of civic duty in defending democracy and the constitutional order on August 19-21, 1991
* Medal “In Memory of the 850th Anniversary of Moscow”
* Medal “In memory of the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg”
Soviet awards:
* The order of Lenin
* Order of the Red Banner of Labor
* Medal “For Strengthening the Military Commonwealth”
Awards of Russian regions:
* Order named after Akhmat Kadyrov (2006, Chechen Republic)
* Medal “For Services to the Chechen Republic” (2005)
* Order of the Republic (2001, Tuva) - for many years of fruitful cooperation and great personal contribution to the socio-economic development of the republic
* Medal “60 years of education of the Kaliningrad region” (2006)
Foreign awards:
* Order of St. Mesrop Mashtots (Armenia)
* Order of Friendship of Peoples (Belarus, February 16, 2005) - for great personal contribution to strengthening economic, scientific, technical and cultural ties between the Republic of Belarus and the city of Moscow of the Russian Federation
* Order of Francis Skaryna (Belarus)
* Francis Skaryna Medal (Belarus, September 19, 1996) - for significant contribution to strengthening friendly relations between the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation
* Anniversary medal “Tynga 50 zhyl” (“50 years of virgin soil”) (Kazakhstan)
* Medal “Astana” (Kazakhstan)
* Order "Danaker" (Kyrgyzstan, February 27, 2006) - for significant contribution to strengthening friendship and cooperation, development of trade and economic relations between the Kyrgyz Republic and the Russian Federation
* Order of Yaroslav the Wise, V degree (Ukraine, January 23, 2004) - for significant personal contribution to the development of cooperation between Ukraine and the Russian Federation
* Order of the Polar Star (Mongolia)
* Order of the Lebanese Cedar
* Bavarian Order of Merit (Germany)
Awards from religious organizations:
* Order of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir, 1st degree (November 1993) - for participation in the restoration of the Cathedral of the Icon of the Kazan Mother of God on Red Square
* Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh, 1st degree (ROC)
* Order of the Holy Blessed Prince Daniel of Moscow, 1st degree (ROC)
* Order of the Holy Blessed Grand Duke Demetrius Donskoy, 1st degree (ROC)
* Order of St. Innocent Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna, 1st degree (ROC, 2009)
* Order of St. Andrei Rublev, 1st degree (ROC, 2009)
* Order of St. Macarius, Metropolitan of Moscow, II degree (ROC)
* Order of St. Sava, 1st degree (Serbian Orthodox Church)
* Order of Al-Fakhr (Order of Honor) (Council of Muftis of Russia)
Departmental awards:
* Medal of Anatoly Koni (Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation)
*Ministry Gold Medal Agriculture Russia "For contribution to the development of the agro-industrial complex of Russia"
* Medal “Participant in emergency humanitarian operations” (EMERCOM of Russia)
* Olympic Order (IOC, 1998)
* Medal “100 Years of Trade Unions” (FNPR)
Public awards:
* International Leonardo Prize 1996
* Honorary badge (order) “Sporting Glory of Russia”, 1st degree (editorial office of the newspaper “Komsomolskaya Pravda” and the board of the Russian Olympic Committee, November 2002) - for organizing the mass construction of sports facilities in Moscow
Prizes and honorary titles
* Three thanks from the President of Russia
* Laureate of the USSR State Prize
* Laureate of the State Prize of Russia
* Laureate of the State Prize for Peace and Progress of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan
* Laureate of the Prize of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia
* "Honored Chemist of the Russian Federation"
* “Honored Builder of the Russian Federation”
* “Honored Worker of Railway Transport”
* Honorary Citizen of Yerevan (2002)
Family
* He married his first wife, Marina Bashilova, in 1958. They had two sons - Mikhail and Alexander. Marina died in 1989. In 1991, Yuri Luzhkov married for the second time, to Elena Baturina. In his second marriage, two daughters were born - Elena (1992) and Olga (1994).
* Luzhkov’s wife, Elena Baturina, is currently a billionaire entrepreneur, owner of the Inteko company, which carries out numerous construction and production contracts in Moscow and other regions of the Russian Federation.
Characteristic features of Yuri Luzhkov's image:
* permanent headdress - cap;
* hobbies: beekeeping, tennis, horse riding. A few years ago, a statue of the mayor-tennis player was erected in one of the Moscow parks. Luzhkov likes to give honey from his apiaries as a gift on any special occasion.
Luzhkov is a Doctor of Chemical Sciences. Luzhkov is an honorary professor at Moscow State University, the Academy of Labor and Social Relations, a number of domestic and foreign universities, and an academician of a number of Russian academies.
* On October 19, 1996, in the Moscow newspaper “New Look”, the first assistant to the President of the Russian Federation, the head of the Security Service of the President of the Russian Federation, Alexander Korzhakov, published a sensational statement, from which it followed that Boris Berezovsky persuaded him to kill Luzhkov, as well as Vladimir Gusinsky, Joseph Kobzon and Sergei Lisovsky. Western media reacted to the sensational statements of the Russian newsmaker.
* On New Year's party « Russian newspaper“On December 24, 2007, an auction took place during which Yuri Luzhkov’s silver cap was sold for one million dollars. The cap was purchased by Andrey Pankovsky, First Deputy General Director of the DSK-1 company.
* On May 12, 2008, Yuri Luzhkov was declared “persona non grata” on the territory of Ukraine for anti-Ukrainian statements.
* In June 2008, the issue of declaring him “persona non grata” on the territory of Georgia for anti-Georgian statements was considered.
* In May 2009, the Security Service of Ukraine declared Luzhkov “persona non grata” due to his statements at the 225th anniversary of the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol, which were regarded by the Ukrainian authorities as provocative.
* Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov lives in the Moscow region (in the Molodenovo residence on Rublevo-Uspenskoye Highway, 20 km from the Moscow Ring Road).
* In 2006, Luzhkov demanded that artists provide information about the performance of songs accompanied by a soundtrack.
* Since 2003, Luzhkov and his wife Elena Baturina regularly visit the UPDC golf club of the Russian Foreign Ministry in Nakhabino near Moscow
On September 28, 2010, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree “On the early termination of the powers of the mayor of Moscow,” according to which Luzhkov was relieved of the post of mayor of Moscow “due to the loss of confidence of the President of the Russian Federation.”
On October 1, 2010, Luzhkov was appointed dean of the faculty of management of large cities at the International University in Moscow. The appointment order was signed by the president of the university, former mayor of Moscow Gavriil Popov. The Faculty of Management of Large Cities was created in 2002 on the initiative of Yu. M. Luzhkov, in that year Luzhkov became the scientific director of this faculty and an honorary professor of the university.
