Merkushkin Nikolai Ivanovich, whose biography will be presented in the article, has been the governor of the Samara region since May 12, 2012. The region, which is of strategic and geopolitical importance for the country, has lost the status of a stronghold of the Russian state over the past five years. The new leader managed not only to change the situation for the better, but also to receive the unofficial title of "People's Governor" from the residents of the region. What path did this statesman and politician go through?
Childhood
The birthplace of Nikolai Ivanovich is a small village Novye Verkhissy (Republic of Mordovia). On February 5, 1951, a son was born in the large family of the Merkushkins, who became one of eight children. My mother worked on a collective farm all her life. During the war years, my father worked at a military factory, and then headed the collectiveeconomy. As chairman, he built a school where his own children were educated. If the mother was illiterate, and the father managed to finish only 5 classes, then all the daughters and sons received a higher education.
Nikolai Merkushkin graduated from school with a gold medal, and his two sisters - with a silver one. Parents raised their children in strictness and respect for work, so at the age of 17 the young man began his career as a combine operator. A year later, the father died. This did not prevent his son from entering Mordovian University (Department of Electronic Engineering), which he graduated in 1973.
Science or politics?
The young man treated his studies responsibly, spending all his free time at lectures and in the library. The profession of an electronics engineer was very popular and interesting, which was confirmed by the practice at the Orbita plant. After receiving a diploma with honors, there was a prospect for doing science, but life went in a different direction, as evidenced by the biography of Nikolai Merkushkin.
From school years the young man was the leader. At the university, until the third year, he was the head of the group, and then headed the Komsomol Searchlight. As a leader, he never acted on orders. Merkushkin managed to unite students and motivate them to complete tasks. Therefore, after graduating from high school, he was elected secretary of the Komsomol Committee of Moscow State University, which predetermined his future fate.
At Komsomol-party work
A special mindset, business acumen and the ability to work with people allowed the Komsomol leadermake an amazing career. Mordovian construction teams became famous throughout the country, and after 4 years Nikolai Merkushkin was elected secretary of the Komsomol regional committee, which he headed in 1982. In 1986, the Communist Party sent an effective manager to the backward Tengushevsky district.
At first, he seemed to local officials and the population to be an overly meticulous person. During these years, Merkushkin began to develop a special style of leadership, devoid of formality. He directly communicated with people for a long time and in detail, finding out their needs and needs. Making promises, he brought what he started to the end. In a short time, 400 families received housing, a sports complex, a hospital, and new roads were built in the area.
Complicated 90s
In 1990, Merkushkin tried to realize his ambitions for the first time, running for the chairmanship of the Supreme Council and the president of the Republic of Mordovia. Having lost the election, Nikolai Merkushkin was appointed to the post of head of the Property Fund, where he was able to prove himself in the difficult 90s. He althy political forces are forming around him, and he himself connects his future with the Agrarian Party of Russia, becoming a member of its council.
In 1993, he became co-chairman of the economic union not only in Mordovia, but also in Moscow. After Merkushkin becomes a deputy of the State Assembly a year later, and its speaker a few months later, the Kremlin will become interested in the candidacy of a political leader. He will be considered as a possible leader of the republic, which will happen in the elections in September 1995.
Wohead of the Republic of Mordovia
Seventeen years Nikolai Merkushkin led Mordovia, achieving outstanding results. They concerned not only the revival of the economy, which confirms the recognition of the agro-industrial complex of Mordovia as one of the leading in the country, but also the formation of political stability in the region, where much was done to maintain the authority of the federal government. On the eve of his coming to power, the impoverished Volga Republic ignored the center, while the economy was falling apart, and wages were 5-6 months behind.
The head of the region managed to consolidate society through the adoption of the new Constitution of the Republic of Moldova. Political stability made it possible to attract federal and foreign investments to the republic. This contributed to the deployment of large-scale construction, the restoration of industry and the development of agriculture. V. V. visited the republic five times. Putin, in whose eyes changes for the better took place. The capital of Mordovia in 2011 was recognized as the most comfortable city, and the republic took 2nd place in the ranking of doing business in Russia. Nikolai Ivanovich Merkushkin has become a real leader in the region.
Biography: awards and recognition
The fact that the leader of Mordovia was on the right track was confirmed by the 1998 elections, where he collected more than 96% of the votes in his support. His contribution to the development of the region's economy was awarded one of the main awards of the country - the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, IV degree (2000). The day before, he ensured the highest voter turnout in the presidential elections in the Russian Federation. In 2009, the same Order IIIdegree.
Nikolai Merkushkin received his first awards during his Komsomol work (1977–1986). Among them:
- Medal "For Labor Valour".
- Order of Friendship of Peoples.
- Order of the Red Banner of Labor.
In 1990, they added the medal "For the transformation of the Non-Black Earth Region of the RSFSR." The success of the economy made him the "Person of the Year" in 2001, and in 2002 he entered the top seven governors of Russia. Among his awards are orders of the Russian Orthodox Church, for he did a lot for the development of the Orthodox culture of the region, preparing for the outstanding holiday "Unity of Nations" in 2012.
Assignment to the Samara Region
In 2010, D. Medvedev reappointed Merkushkin as Head of the Republic of Mordovia. This was not consistent with his own position that governors should hold office for no more than three terms. Despite his outstanding contribution to the development of the region, Nikolai Merkushkin at that time had been at the helm of the republic for 15 years, which required thinking about new prospects. He was a member of the leadership of the United Russia party, of which he was a member since 2000, until 2001 he represented the republic in the Federation Council. His career could develop along one of these lines, but in May 2012 he unexpectedly received an appointment to the Samara region.
His predecessor Vladimir Artyakov never became his own for the Volga region, coming to Samara from Moscow as if to work. It was obvious that he would not be able to win the upcoming gubernatorial elections, so the authorities had toto think of a new leader, taking advantage of the still existing right of appointment. It was unexpected, because never before in the history of the country has there been a horizontal displacement of leaders.
And the Samara region is also three times larger than Mordovia in terms of population and two times in terms of the occupied territory. In a region with a unique industrial potential and a difficult situation in Togliatti, dependent on the work of AvtoVAZ, the United Russia party in power did not enjoy unconditional support.
Achievements on the new post
Mordovia in the elections provided up to 85% of the vote for United Russia, which in the eyes of the people was personified by Nikolai Merkushkin. The governor set himself the task of gaining recognition of Samara residents, proving with all his actions that he had come to a new position for a long time. In 2014, he even resigned in order to go through the election process. In two years, he managed to gain such authority that he collected more than 91% of the votes in his support. By this, he proved that he is the main leader of the region for the President of the Russian Federation. What achievements have won recognition?
- Merkushkin managed to overcome the political confrontation between the leadership of the region and the city district of Samara.
- Thanks to the stabilization of the political situation, he managed to attract investments to solve the economic problems of the region, including ensuring the arrival of Big Football in Samara (World Cup 2018).
- The governor managed to bring power closer to the people by makingtraditional direct lines with the population on local TV channels, meetings with citizens at the place of residence and in work groups. As a result of the meetings, real measures are taken, which increases the confidence of the population.
- The head of the region focused on solving social problems, which led to an increase in the population of the region in 2014.
Family
Merkushkin Nikolai Ivanovich, while communicating with the population, openly answers the most uncomfortable questions. Residents of the region have access to information about the income of the governor and all members of his family. Today he is a real Samarchan. His wife Taisiya Stepanovna, a pensioner, lives with him. Sons Alexander (b. 1974) and Alexei (b. 1978) live in Saransk, where both have families and businesses. Alexei holds a senior position in the government of Mordovia.
Interesting facts
The Merkushkin brothers built a temple (2001) in memory of their parents with their own money in their native village. For many, this is an example of honoring parents.
In 2014, Vladimir Putin held a meeting in Samara. Based on the vector of movement for the coming decades, determined by the president, Merkushkin drew up a program, according to the results of which Samara will become the country's leading production center, leading in terms of population income. Merkushkin Nikolai - the governor of the Samara region, is the author of a number of social benefits and benefits for large families. Social services provide more than 120 payments, including for Easter and September 1.
In order to emphasize the priority of moral values in the region, 50 regional awards have been established to encourage the most active residents of the region. By the 430th anniversary of Samara (2016), the city received the title, which has no analogues in the country: "City of Labor and Military Glory", and thousands of residents - commemorative signs "Kuibyshev - a spare capital", established by Merkushkin.
2016 is the year of the 65th anniversary of the governor of the Samara region, who for four years managed to prove that consolidation and unification are the most modern global trends. Only together can we create a comfortable living area in the region.
