Quick Facts
Biography
Viktor Alekseyevich Zubkov (Russian: Ви́ктор Алексе́евич Зубко́в; IPA: [ˈvʲiktər ɐlʲɪˈksʲejɪvʲɪtɕ zʊpˈkof]; born 15 September 1941) is a Russian politician and businessman who served as the Prime Minister of Russia from September 2007 to May 2008. He was Vladimir Putin's First Deputy Prime Minister during the Presidency of Dmitry Medvedev.
Zubkov was a financial crime investigator until 12 September 2007, when he was nominated by President Vladimir Putin to replace Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, who had resigned earlier that day. The nomination was approved in the Duma on 14 September 2007. On 7 May 2008 Zubkov's cabinet was automatically dismissed. This procedure, following an inauguration of the President of Russia is required by the Russian Constitution. After Putin became Prime Minister, Zubkov was appointed First Deputy Prime Minister.
Zubkov is also the current chairman of the board of directors of Gazprom, Russia's largest corporation and one of the largest oil and natural gas companies in the world.
Life and career
Born in Sverdlovsk Oblast, Zubkov graduated from the Economic Department of the Leningrad Agriculture Institute in 1972.
In 1966 he was drafted to the Soviet Army for an 18-month term. From 1967 to 1985 he worked on leading positions in kolkhozes of Leningrad Oblast. In 1985 to 1991 he occupied several leading positions in the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in Leningrad Oblast, in 1989 to 1991 a First Deputy Chairman of the Leningrad Oblast Executive Committee of the Party.
In January 1992 to November 1993 he was a deputy Chairman of the External Relations Committee of the Saint Petersburg Mayor Office led by Vladimir Putin.
From 3 November 1993, to 30 November 1998, Zubkov was the Chief of the Saint Petersburg Department of the State Tax Inspection and simultaneously a Deputy Chairman of the State Tax Inspection for Saint Petersburg.
In December 1998, during the term of Yevgeny Primakov's Cabinet the State Tax Inspection was reorganized into the Tax Ministry of Russia and Zubkov's deputy head position was abolished, but he was immediately reappointed Chief of the Saint Petersburg Directorate of the Tax Ministry. On 23 July 1999 Zubkov was appointed Deputy Tax Minister of Russia for the Northwestern region. In a few days he was also appointed Chief of the Saint Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast Directorate of the Tax Ministry.
On 12 August 1999 he was registered as a contender in the Leningrad Oblast governor election, assisted by Boris Gryzlov as his election campaign manager, but lost the election to Valeriy Serdyukov on 19 September 1999, with 8.64 percent of the vote (4th place out of 16).
On 5 November 2001 he left his positions in the Tax Ministry and was appointed First Deputy Finance Minister of Russia and Chairman of the Financial Monitoring Committee of the ministry, aimed to fight money laundering.
On 16 March 2004 after the dismissal of Mikhail Kasyanov's Cabinet, the Financial Monitoring Committee was renamed to Federal Financial Monitoring Service of the Finance Ministry, but Zubkov retained his position in Mikhail Fradkov's First Cabinet and Mikhail Fradkov's Second Cabinet.
In a 2006 survey of political experts, Zubkov was ranked as Russia's 84th most influential politician.
Zubkov's daughter is married to Anatoliy Serdyukov, the former Russian Defense Minister.
Prime Minister
On 12 September 2007, President Vladimir Putin proposed his candidacy for the post of Prime Minister and on 14 September, the State Duma approved him in the post (he was voted 381 MP). Zubkov resigned 8 May 2008, after Dmitry Medvedev became President.
Some Kremlinologists viewed Zubkov as one more technical Prime Minister, interpreting the move as a way to renew a competition between possible successors. Another theory suggested that Putin chose a man of unquestioning loyalty to help him control powerful factions jostling for position inside the Kremlin. Another clue to his usefulness lies in Zubkov's experience under Putin as the man leading the fight against financial crime.
Putin said that there were five people who can run for president and can be elected, including Zubkov. On 13 September Zubkov himself said he might run for President of Russia in 2008. However, in December 2007 Putin officially gave his support to Dmitry Medvedev for the 2008 presidential election, effectively dashing Zubkov's hopes for the presidency. After Medvedev took office, Zubkov succeeded him as chairman of Gazprom.
Honours and awards
- Order "For Merit to the Fatherland"
- 1st class
- 2nd class (19 September 2008) - for his great personal contribution to the economic policy of the state and many years of fruitful activity
- 3rd class (9 May 2006) - for outstanding contribution to protecting the economic interests of the Russian Federation and many years of diligent work
- 4th class (11 April 2000) - for services to the state and a major contribution to the implementation of economic reforms
- Ceremonial dagger
- Order of the Red Banner of Labour (1981)
- Order of the Badge of Honour (1975)
- Medal "Veteran of Labour" (1986)
- Honored Economist of the Russian Federation (16 September 2001) - for services in the field of economics and finance
- Diploma of the Government of the Russian Federation (1998)
- Honorary Citizen of the Leningrad Region (2009)
- Order of Holy Prince Daniel of Moscow, 1st class (Russian Orthodox Church, 2011)