Politician and mayor of St. Petersburg Anatoly Alexandrovich Sobchak, whose cause of death is still periodically the subject of media publications, lived an eventful and vibrant life. He was a model of decency and political integrity, he had a unique ability to see the potential of people and contribute to its realization. Sobchak's activities left a significant mark on Russian history, and descendants will remember his name for a long time to come.
Origins and family
Anatoly Sobchak himself always defined his nationality as "Russian", but his family had a very complex ethnic origin. Paternal grandfather Anton Semenovich Sobchak was a Pole, came from an impoverished family. In his youth, he happened to fall passionately in love with a Czech girl named Anna from a rather we althy bourgeois family. Her parents are categoricallythey did not want to see a poor nobleman as a son-in-law, and Anton had no choice but to steal the bride, especially since she herself did not mind. To hide from the chase, the couple leaves for an unknown country, Russia. The marriage turned out to be very happy, but Anna dreamed of starting her own business all her life, the couple saved up money for many years, when the goal was already close, Anton Semenovich lost the entire accumulated amount in a casino in one sitting. He was a very enthusiastic and passionate person. In addition to the passion for the game, he indulged in political activities with great fire - he was a member of the Cadets Party. Before his death, as the Sobchakov family legend says, the grandmother called Anatoly and ordered him to swear that he would never play in a casino and engage in politics. The little boy did not understand anything about politics, so he solemnly took an oath that he would not play, but kept silent about politics. And all his life he never sat down at the gambling table. But it did not work out with politics, he clearly surpassed his grandfather in political passion. Anatoly's maternal grandfather was Russian, and his grandmother was Ukrainian. Sobchak's father was a transport network engineer, and his mother was an accountant. The marriage was successful, but the times were not easy.
Childhood
Anatoly Sobchak was born in Chita on August 10, 1937, besides him, there were three more children in the family, one brother, however, died at the age of 2. The family lived in Kokand, the conditions were very difficult. In 1939, grandfather Anton was arrested. In 1941, Anatoly's father went to the front, and his mother alone pulled the family, which included threesmall children and two old grandmothers. At the same time, children were brought up strictly, but they were never punished or shouted at them. Sobchak recalled that they always called their parents on you, although this was alien to the environment in which they lived. But the origin made itself felt, the dignity and decency of the Sobchaks were in the blood. With the outbreak of war, an order came to their city to urgently send all Poles to Siberia. Neighbors and a friend, the head of the local administration, came to the head of the family and said that he had passport forms and he would help them change their nationality. So they became Russian. Although Anatoly Alexandrovich later always said that he considers himself Russian, and not only in language, but also in his love for this country. As a child, the boy read a lot, the benefit of the book was given to him by a professor evacuated from Leningrad, from whom he was imbued with a special love for the northern capital.
Education
At school Anatoly studied very well, he always participated in public life, obeyed teachers and parents. He had two nicknames. One is a professor because he knew a lot and loved to read. The second is the judge, because from childhood he had a strong sense of justice. In the certificate at the end of school, he had only two fours: in geometry and Russian. After school, Anatoly Sobchak, whose biography began in Uzbekistan, enters the Tashkent University at the Faculty of Law. But later he decided to leave for Leningrad. And in 1956 he transferred to Leningrad University. studentSobchak was excellent, he showed great zeal and received a Lenin scholarship. The professors loved Anatoly for his serious attitude to study and diligence.
Legal career
After university, Anatoly Alexandrovich Sobchak, whose biography has been associated with jurisprudence for many years, leaves for the Stavropol Territory by distribution. Despite the fact that he studied well, he did not manage to be distributed to Leningrad. In the Stavropol Territory, Sobchak began working as a lawyer. He lived in a small village, he had to rent housing. Local grandmothers went to his trials with pleasure to listen to how he “pityfully” speaks. Later, he goes to work as the head of legal advice. But such work was clearly too small for such a strong lawyer.
Scientist career
In 1962 Anatoly Alexandrovich returned to Leningrad. He entered graduate school and in 1964 he defended his Ph. D. thesis in civil law. In parallel, he begins to work at the Police School, where he teaches legal disciplines. In 1968, he went to work at the Institute of the Pulp and Paper Industry, where he held the position of assistant professor. In 1973, he again changes his job, this time he returns to his native university. In the same year, he tries to defend his doctoral dissertation, but does not pass the approval procedure in the HAC. Later, Sobchak still becomes a doctor of law and a professor. He becomes the dean of the Faculty of Law, and later heads the Department of Economic Law. He has worked at LSU for over 20 years. All theseFor years he was active in scientific work, supervised the writing of dissertations, published scientific articles and monographs. In 1997, Sobchak had to return to his scientific and teaching activities. He lived in Paris for almost two years, where he taught at the Sorbonne, wrote articles and memoirs, and published several scientific papers.
Political activities
In 1989, Anatoly Sobchak, whose biography makes a turn, is actively involved in the political changes taking place in the country. He participates in elections and becomes a people's deputy. During the First Congress of People's Deputies, he was elected to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, where he was engaged in a familiar area - economic legislation. He was also a member of the interregional group of deputies representing the democratic opposition to the current party. In 1990, Sobchak became a deputy of the Leningrad City Council and at the very first meeting he was elected Chairman of the Leningrad City Council. He spoke a lot in the media, defending left-liberal views, and actively criticized the Soviet government and its forms of management. At that time, these were very popular slogans, and on this Sobchak began to quickly make a career. In 1991, he became one of the initiators of the creation of the Democratic Reform Movement.
Mayor of St. Petersburg
In 1991, Sobchak became the first mayor of Leningrad. Anatoly Aleksandrovich, as mayor, was very popular with the city's inhabitants. The surname of Anatoly Sobchak evoked positive associations among the majority of Petersburgers, because he began positive transformations in the city,kept him from the chaos of lawlessness and poverty, which at that time struck many cities of the country. He attracted humanitarian aid from abroad to prevent famine, which really threatened the city. The mayor's activities did not delight everyone, he was reproached and accused of many things. Not everyone liked his personal character and management style, and he began to have conflicts with local legislators.
Sobchak's team
Working as mayor, Anatoly Alexandrovich was able to gather around him a unique team of managers. He brought to power a whole galaxy of students, comrades-in-arms, who today make up the majority of the country's ruling elite. So, it was he who brought his former student Dmitry Kozak to the government of St. Petersburg. Sobchak's graduate student Dmitry Medvedev actively helped his supervisor to conduct an election campaign for people's deputies in 1989. Later, Anatoly Alexandrovich hired him to work at the mayor's office as an assistant to the deputy mayor for external relations. And this manager was none other than Vladimir Putin. Sobchak began to cooperate with him back in 1991 in the Leningrad City Council. Anatoly Alexandrovich also brought the young reformer Anatoly Chubais to the government of St. Petersburg, he worked as an economic adviser to the mayor. Another graduate student of Sobchak, German Gref, also received a position in the mayor's office, he was engaged in property management. Also in the team of Anatoly Alexandrovich worked such well-known characters as Vladimir Churov, Alexei Miller, Vladimir Mutko, Alexei Kudrin,Victor Zubkov, Sergey Naryshkin.
Political intrigues
Anatoly Sobchak, biography, whose personal history is full of ups, knew big defeats. In 1996, mayoral elections were held in St. Petersburg, which were accompanied by a fierce struggle. Tons of compromising material were poured on Sobchak, he was accused of all kinds of sins: from diamonds and fur coats of his wife to the possession of some unprecedented real estate and receiving bribes. In those elections, Vladimir Putin was the head of Sobchak's campaign headquarters. Anatoly Aleksandrovich lost the election to his colleague and deputy Vladimir Yakovlev. Immediately after this fiasco, a real war began against the Sobchak team. They began to really poison him, many former friends turned away from him. In 1997, he was first brought in as a witness in a case of bribes at the city hall, and then he was charged with abuse of authority and taking bribes. Enemies called bribes what was help to the city from various organizations and businessmen.
Achievements
Anatoly Sobchak, whose personal life and political career is still of interest to the public, is remembered by many as the man who returned to St. Petersburg its historical name. But, besides this, he made a great contribution to the creation of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, did a lot for the formation of a democratic opposition in the country. He returned the status of the cultural capital to St. Petersburg, laid the foundation for the tradition of holding many city festivals and holidays, and brought the Goodwill Games to St. Petersburg.
Awards
Anatoly Sobchak, whose biography and life are an example of selfless service to his Fatherland, received many prizes and prizes, but he had no state awards, except for a medal for the 300th anniversary of the Russian fleet. He was an honorary professor of 9 universities of the world, an honorary citizen of 6 different territories of the world.
Death
Lost elections, unfair accusations led to the fact that Anatoly Sobchak had three heart attacks in a short period. This, apparently, allowed him to avoid arrest. In 1997, he leaves for Paris, where he improves his he alth, and then remains to work. In 1999, the criminal prosecution of Sobchak was terminated and he returned to Russia. He again ran for mayor, but again failed. In 2000, Anatoly Alexandrovich became a confidant of V. Putin, a candidate for the presidency of the Russian Federation. He needed to go to Kaliningrad on business, but he did not have time to get there. On February 20, 2000, he died in the town of Svetlogorsk. There were many rumors and speculation about how Anatoly Sobchak died. But the investigation proved that there was no poisoning or intoxication, his heart simply could not stand it.
Memory
When Anatoly Alexandrovich Sobchak, whose biography was full of trials and strong decisions, died, people realized what kind of person they had lost, and suddenly a wave of honors arose for him. The monument erected on his grave was created by Mikhail Shemyakin. In honor of Anatoly Alexandrovich, several memorial plaques are erected, a monument in St. Petersburg, a postage stamp is issued, a square in St. Petersburg is named after him.
Private life
Anatoly Sobchak, a biography whose personal life still interests many people today, was married twice. He met his first wife Nonna back in Kokand. They got married when Sobchak was a student. His wife lived with him the most difficult years of formation, poverty, homelessness. They lived together for over 20 years. The second wife, Lyudmila Narusova, supported her husband in his political ambitions. She herself implemented several public projects in St. Petersburg, held several different positions at the mayor's office. Sobchak was so bright and charismatic that women were very drawn to him. Even when he worked as a teacher, students often wrote letters to him with declarations of love. Rumor attributed to him many novels, up to Claudia Schiffer. He himself only chuckled in response.
Children of Anatoly Sobchak
Anatoly Sobchak, whose biography was filled with work and politics, was a good father. He had a daughter in each marriage. The eldest daughter Anna gave birth to his grandson Gleb, whom Sobchak adored. The youngest daughter Ksenia is now known to everyone as a TV presenter and journalist.
