Yury Luzhkov
Yury Mikhailovich Luzhkov was a Russian politician who served as mayor of Moscow from 1992 to 2010. Before the election of Gavriil Popov as the first mayor of Moscow, he also headed the capital in 1990-1991 as chairman of the Mosgorispolkom. He was the vice-chairman and one of the founders of the ruling United Russia party. During Luzhkov's time, Moscow's economy expanded and he presided over large construction projects in the city, including the building of a new financial district. At the same time, he was accused of corruption, bulldozing historic buildings, and poor handling of traffic, as well as the city's smog crisis during the 2010 Russian wildfires. On 28 September 2010, Luzhkov was fired from his post by a decree issued by then-President Dmitry Medvedev.
Early life
Yury Mikhailovich Luzhkov was born on 21 September 1936 in Moscow. His father, Mikhail Andreyevich Luzhkov, moved to Moscow from a small village in Tver Oblast in the 1930s.Mayoral career
In April 1990, the new chairman of the Moscow City Council, Gavriil Popov, on the recommendation of Boris Yeltsin, nominated Luzhkov for the post of chairman of the Mosgorispolkom.Following the August coup Luzhkov was appointed on 24 August 1991, without leaving the post of vice-mayor of Moscow, one of three deputy heads of the Committee on the Operational Management of the Soviet economy, which was created to replace the Cabinet of Ministers, which had supported the coup, and became the last government of the Soviet Union. He was responsible for questions related to the agro-industrial complex, trade, foreign economic relations and the social sphere. Two months later it became known that Luzhkov left the committee due to employment as vice mayor.
Architecture
Many old Soviet landmarks, such as Rossiya Hotel or Voentorg, were reconstructed or demolished, as well as several old buildings around the Kadashi Church in the proximity of the Moscow Kremlin. Many neighbourhoods, like Zamoskvorechye, were dramatically changed. Sculptor Zurab Tsereteli enjoyed Luzhkov's personal support in setting many of his works over the city.In 1999, in order to improve the housing conditions of Moscovites, Yury Luzhkov initiated a major demolition programme to replace Moscow’s old five-story apartment blocks that were unsuitable for renovation because of the outdated technology used during their construction. 1,722 of them were to be razed by 2010. The authorities stipulated that the apartment blocks could only be torn down and replaced after its residents had been moved into new housing.
Registration
Luzhkov's rationale for permanent living place registration was that Moscow's city infrastructure could not handle a rapidly growing population. Some of the most blatant limitations were removed by the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court after a long fight with Luzhkov's lawyers, making the registration process somewhat simpler. In 2003 Privacy International awarded Luzhkov the runner-up position in its Most Egregiously Stupid Award for the propiska rules.Popularity
In April 2001, 63% of Moscow residents had a good or very good view of Mayor Luzhkov. However, Luzhkov's ratings steadily declined, and according to the latest poll from October 2009, only 36% of Muscovites viewed him positively.Allegations of corruption
Allegations of wrongdoing by Luzhkov had been made before, but he had been notable for never having lost a libel suit in his career, including against Boris Nemtsov, the newspaper Kommersant, and The New York Times.Despite the lawsuit history between the two, after Luzhkov’s dismissal Boris Nemtsov said: ‘I can’t help feeling that the current investigation is more of a revenge against Luzhkov and Baturina, and not an attempt to restore a lawful situation. I am absolutely convinced that the main task here is raiding with the help of the State. The goal is to take Baturina's business from her for a pittance. And criminal cases are just the way to do it. It's disgusting to take part in marauding, and I will never do it. Thus, the story of my conflict with Baturina is from now on completely over."
Dismissal
Luzhkov was dismissed by President Medvedev on 28 September 2010, after returning from a holiday in Austria, citing "loss of trust". Pundits had been predicting Luzhkov's imminent ousting for years. The September 2010 dismissal followed weeks of speculation regarding Luzhkov's position, caused by his questioning of Medvedev's leadership. Government-controlled television channels had run programs criticizing Luzhkov's handling of the 2010 summer peat fires and accused him and his wife of corruption. Some observers have seen this as being part of a struggle between Medvedev and then-Prime Minister Putin. Luzhkov officially declared that he had left the United Russia party. Luzhkov had sent a letter to the President on 27 September criticizing Medvedev's policy and his administration's actions. According to the President's press-secretary Medvedev read the letter after the decision had been made but it would not have affected that decision in any case.Post-mayoral activities
On 1 October 2010 Luzhkov was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Management of major cities of the International University in Moscow. The order for appointment was signed by the president of the university, former mayor of Moscow Gavriil Popov. The faculty of management of large cities was established in 2002 on the initiative of Luzhkov, in the same year Luzhkov became the scientific leader of this faculty and an honorary professor at the university. On the same day, ex-mayor Luzhkov left his former workplace.On 21 September 2016, Luzhkov's 80th birthday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree awarding him the Order of Merit of the Fatherland, 4th degree "for active public work".
In 2010, Luzhkov became head of Veedern, the agricultural enterprise with the territory of 5,500 hectare in the North-West of Russia. He established and managed a large farmstead that was active in horse and sheep breeding, grain growing and cereal production, cheese making, etc. In 2017, the farm produced a total of 10,000 tons of grain, and its buckwheat harvest covered 2/3 of the regional need.
The farm employed more than 100 locals, offered highly competitive wages and social support. Luzhkov claimed that his main goal as a farmer was the creation of a self-sustainable and business efficient enterprise, developing and promoting to the regional and federal authorities a system of support for private agricultural enterprises. After his death, the farm was inherited by Luzhkov’s younger son Alexander.
In Russia's politics
In 1998, as Boris Yeltsin's political troubles grew partly because of the August economic crisis, Luzhkov formed his own national political faction, Otechestvo, to serve as his base for the upcoming presidential election. Otechestvo had the support of many powerful regional politicians, and it gained further support when it merged with another party, Vsya Rossiya to form Otechestvo-Vsya Rossiya. Many observers of Russian politics believed that Luzhkov and his new ally, former prime minister Yevgeniy Primakov, would be likely to displace both Yeltsin and his inner circle in the parliamentary and presidential elections due to be held in late 1999 and mid-2000, respectively.However, Yeltsin appointed Vladimir Putin as Prime Minister in August 1999. While virtually unknown when first appointed, Putin rapidly gained popular support due to a hard-line law and order image and the backing of powerful state-owned and state-allied media and economic interests. Supporters of the prime minister, Luzhkov and his party integrated with the pro-Putin Unity party into the single United Russia following the autumn 1999 Duma campaign, and endorsed Putin in the 2000 presidential elections, which he won easily. Luzhkov remained a co-chairman of United Russia.
Criticism
Luzhkov was accused of brutal suppression of opposition protests, and he was widely condemned for leaving Moscow during the smog crisis resulting from the 2010 Russian wildfires. He is also blamed for traffic congestion in the city.Controversy
In 2002, Luzhkov proposed returning to Lubyanka Square the fifteen-ton iron statue of Felix Dzerzhinsky, founder of the Soviet Cheka. The statue was removed after the failure of the attempted coup against the Soviet government of Mikhail Gorbachev in 1991. Opponents of the proposal collected the signatures of 114,000 Moscow residents against the statue's return.Stance on Sevastopol
In 1996 Luzhkov, hoping to advance his political stature on a national level, became the main advocate for a claim to the city of Sevastopol in Ukraine. In December, the Russian Federation Council passed a resolution officially claiming the city, affecting negotiations between President Boris Yeltsin and Ukraine's President Leonid Kuchma over possession of the Black Sea Fleet and helping spur Ukraine to seek a relationship with NATO.On 12 May 2008 Luzhkov was banned from entering Ukraine by the Security Service after his statement concerning the legal status of Sevastopol: