Vladimir Yakunin was from June 2005 to August 2015 President of Russian Railways (RZD). On August 20 this year, Russian President Putin announced at a press conference that Yakunin had decided to resign.
Since 2012, Vladimir Yakunin has also been President of the International Union of Railways (UIC). On August 26 of this year, the UIC announced that until the next General Assembly of this union, the duties of its president will be performed by the vice president.
Childhood and youth
Where did Vladimir Yakunin start his life? His biography began in 1948 in the city of Melenki, Gus-Khrustalny district, Vladimir region. In his vicinity, in the small village of Zakharovo, his paternal grandparents, a military pilot who served in the border troops, lived. Soon he was transferred to the service in Pärnu (Estonia), where Volodya lived until the age of 14. His mother worked as an accountant. In 1964, after the dismissal of his father from the army, the family moved to Leningrad, which Vladimir Yakunin considers his hometown.
Years of study
Does Vladimir Ivanovich Yakunin have a special railway education?After graduating from high school in 1966, his biography continued at the famous Leningrad Military Mechanical Institute "Voenmekh", which he successfully graduated in 1972. As a mechanical engineer, he specialized in the design of long-range ballistic missiles. His professional career began at the State Institute of Applied Chemistry, where he worked from 1972 to 1975. The work was related to the development of technologies for the use of rocket fuel. In 1975, he was called up for military service, but spent it again at the student desk - at the KGB Institute, which today has been transformed into the Academy of Foreign Intelligence.
Beginning of a state career
After service, since 1977, he worked for five years as a senior engineer in the department of the State Committee for Foreign Trade of the USSR Council of Ministers. Then for three years he was the head of the foreign department at the Leningrad FTI. A. Ioffe of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. There is reason to believe that its functions included scientific and technical intelligence related to the search for information about the latest inventions and technologies in the field of weapons production. Yakunin himself has stated in recent years that he served in intelligence for 22 years.
What did Vladimir Yakunin do in his life? His biography, as befits a real Soviet intelligence officer, continued in the United States, where between 1985 and 1991 he was part of the Soviet diplomatic mission to the UN, and for the last three years - as the first secretary of the mission.
Attempt to build a business career
CouldIs it possible to pass the life of such a person as Yakunin Vladimir Ivanovich in the 90s without trying to find himself in business? His biography continued again in Leningrad, where he returned in early 1991, having retired from the civil service. At first, Vladimir Yakunin and Yuri Kovalchuk, a former colleague in the international department of the Leningrad Physicotechnical Institute, established NTP TEMP LLP and tried to raise the then little-known St. Petersburg bank Rossiya to its feet. In 1993, he became a co-founder of CJSC "Semiconductor Devices", and in 1996 - the general director of the business center "International Center for Business Cooperation".
This period includes his rapprochement with Vladimir Putin, whom he had known since the 80s. Apparently, on the recommendation of the latter, who by 1997 had become the head of the GKU under the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Yakunin returned to the civil service the same year and took over the management of the North-Western District Inspectorate of the GKU.
From controller to transporters
From December 7, 2000 to February 2002, Yakunin - Deputy Minister of Transport of Russia Sergei Frank, is responsible for the development of the merchant fleet and seaports. On February 8, 2002, he became Gennady Fadeev's first deputy minister of transport and curator of the railways. He held this position until the end of October 2003. In the same month, Yakunin became vice-president of Russian Railways, headed by Gennady Fadeev. Russian Railways was formed by Decree of the Russian Government No. 585 of September 18, 2003. The creation of the company took place as a result of the first stage of the reformrailways.
In mid-June 2005, a new head of Russian Railways, Vladimir Yakunin, was appointed. After that, he was reappointed to this position three more times until 2014 by decrees of the Russian Government.
August 17, 2015 Yakunin announced his resignation from the post of head of Russian Railways. Prime Minister Medvedev appointed Oleg Belozerov as the new president of the company.
Vladimir Yakunin, whose photo in the last period of the management of Russian Railways is shown below, after his resignation, he intends to focus on scientific and social activities. His area of interest covers issues of international relations and relations, establishing a dialogue with other countries.
Scientific work
Since the beginning of 2006, Yakunin has been listed as a scientific consultant and heads the Board of Trustees at the Center for Problem Analysis at the Russian Academy of Sciences.
In 2005, he defended his Ph. D. thesis on a topic related to the principles of the development of geostrategies in today's Russia (on the example of transport and railways). He has a doctorate in political science, and in 2007 he defended his dissertation on the principles of the formation of state policy in Russia. He is the author of several monographs on geopolitics.
Since the end of 2010, he has been the head of the Department of State Policy at the Faculty of Political Sciences at Moscow State University. Stockholm School of Economics invited him as a professor.
Social and charitable activities
Vladimir Yakuninis a member of the board of directors of the St. Petersburg Tovstonogov Bolshoi Drama Theater, chairs the boards of trustees of two centers that finance projects related to the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church. He also runs the trustees of a children's relief fund called Spread Your Wings! The Foundation supports disabled children, terminally ill and orphans.
Yakunin is Vice President of the Geneva-based International Forum "Dialogue of Civilizations", a member of the jury of the Rhodes Youth Forum, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Russkiy Mir Foundation and the Russian VIO.
Vladimir Yakunin and his family
"Russian Railways" played a decisive role in the life of their future leader. In his own words, he met his future wife Natalya on the train, and he made a marriage proposal on the train. Today Natalya Yakunina is retired, but she is a participant in several business and charity projects.
The aforementioned "Dialogue of Civilizations" foundation was jointly established by the Yakunins, with Natalia heading it and Vladimir becoming her deputy.
They have two sons and four grandchildren. The eldest son Andrei lives in London and is engaged in the hotel business. He is currently implementing a major project in Russia with foreign investment to build a number of modern hotels. The youngest son Igor is also studying in London.
