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Anatoly Sobchak

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Birth Date:
10.08.1937
Death date:
20.02.2000
Person's maiden name:
Anatoly Alexandrovich Sobchak
Extra names:
Anatoli Sobtschak, Anatolij Sobczak, Анато́лий Собча́к, Анато́лий Алекса́ндрович Собча́к, Anatoli Alexandrowitsch Sobtschak
Categories:
Lawyer, Member of the Government
Nationality:
 russian
Monument:
могила первого мера города Санкт-Пеьербург - Анатолия Собчака
Cemetery:
Никольское кладбище Александро-Невской лавры, Некрополь, Санкт-Петербург

Anatoly Alexandrovich Sobchak (Russian: Анато́лий Алекса́ндрович Собча́к, August 10, 1937—February 20, 2000) was a Russian politician, a co-author of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the first democratically elected mayor of Saint Petersburg, and a mentor and teacher of both Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev.

Biography

Soviet legal scholar

Anatoly Sobchak was born in Chita, Siberia, USSR, on August 10, 1937. His father, Alexander Antonovich, was a railroad engineer, and his mother, Nadezhda Andreyevna Litvinova, was an accountant. Anatoly was one of four brothers. In 1939, the family moved to Uzbekistan, where Anatoly lived until 1953 before entering Stavropol Law College. In 1954, he transferred to Leningrad State University. In 1958, he married Nonna Gandzyuk, a student of Hertzen Teacher's College. They had a daughter called Maria Sobchak born in 1965, who is currently a St Petersburg lawyer while her son Gleb Sobchak born in 1983, graduated from the Law Faculty of St. Petersburg State University.

After graduating from Leningrad State University, he worked for three years as a lawyer in Stavropol, then returned to Leningrad State University for graduate studies (1962–1965). After obtaining his Ph.D., he taught law at the Leningrad Police School and the Leningrad Institute for Cellulose and Paper Industries' Technology (1965–1973) and between 1973 and 1990 he taught at Leningrad State University. In 1980 he married Lyudmila Narusova, at that time a history student at the Leningrad Academy of Soviet Culture and later a prominent MP. They had a daughter Ksenia Sobchak, currently a television presenter and the most notorious figure of Moscow's demimonde society.

After obtaining his D.Sc. in 1982 he was appointed Professor and Head of the Department of Common Law in Socialist Economics. He was very popular among law students, especially for his mildly anti-government comments. During his work at Leningrad State University he established close relations with its then administrator of international affairs, Vladimir Putin, which he maintained for the rest of his life.

Legislator

In 1989 after Russian election laws changed during Perestroika, he was elected as an independent candidate to the Congress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Union. He was one of only a few deputies who had a legal background, so he contributed enormously to most of the laws created during 1989-1991. He became one of the founders and a co-chairman of the Inter-Regional Deputies Group along with Andrei Sakharov and Boris Yeltsin. He also was a chairman of the Parliamentary Commission on the Investigation of the Events of April 9, 1989 in Tbilisi. The Commission condemned the military, which was blamed for many deaths when dispersing demonstrators. The Commission's report made it more difficult to use military force against civil demonstrations in the Soviet Union and Russia.

He was a member of the President's Consultative Council during Mikhail Gorbachev's tenure and contributed to legislation that originated from the presidential administration.

After the Soviet Union was dissolved in 1991, Sobchak was not a member of the central Parliament but was a member of Yeltsin's Presidential Council and the chairman of the Constitutional Assembly that prepared the Constitution of the Russian Federation in 1993. The constitution is often informally called Sobchak's constitution, although its real authors have been somewhat less known.

Mayor of Saint Petersburg

In April 1990 Sobchak was elected a deputy of the Leningrad City Council, and in May he became the chairman of the Council. The Council decided to change the structure of the city governance so as to have a Mayor elected by direct elections. The first of such elections in June 1991 were combined with the referendum on the city name. Sobchak won the elections, and the city voted to return to its historical name of Saint Petersburg. The name change was established in one of the last sessions of the Congress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Union, held on September 12, 1991. The change needed an amendment of the Constitution of the Soviet Union and its passage required much effort by Sobchak.

Sobchak was Mayor of Saint Petersburg in 1991-1996. During his tenure the city became a place of glamorous cultural and sporting events. Most of the everyday control of the city structure was handled by two Mayor's deputies - Vladimir Yakovlev and Vladimir Putin; critics alleged deterioration of city infrastructure, growing corruption, and crime during this time. In 1994 he had his portrait painted by Russian artist Zinaida Sotina. In the 1996 mayoral election Sobchak was opposed by his former first deputy Vladimir Yakovlev and lost by a margin of 1.2%. The major pitch of Yakovlev's campaign was that Sobchak's patronage of the arts (with city money) and involvement in federal politics prevented him from solving the real problems of the city.

Emigration and Return

In 1997 a criminal investigation started against Sobchak. He was accused of irregularities in the privatization of his own apartment, his elder daughter's apartment, and his wife's art studio. By the standards of the 1990s in Russia the allegations were relatively minor (although the alleged losses for city finances were still in the tens of thousands of dollars). Thus, Sobchak's supporters saw the criminal process as a political repression.

On November 7, 1997, Sobchak flew to Paris on a private plane without passport processing on the Russian side. The formal reason for his departure was medical treatment in a Paris hospital for his heart condition, but Sobchak never checked in at the hospital. Between 1997 and 1999 he lived the typical life of a political immigrant in Paris.

In June 1999 his friend Vladimir Putin became much politically stronger (in a few weeks he became the Prime Minister of Russia), and he was able to make the prosecutors drop the charges against Sobchak. On June 12, 1999 Sobchak returned to Russia. After his return Sobchak became a very active supporter of Putin in his quest for the Russian presidency.

Death

 

Funerals of Sobchak. Vladimir Putin with the widow and daughter of the late mayor of Saint Petersburg

On February 20, 2000, Sobchak died suddenly in the town of Svetlogorsk of the Kaliningrad Oblast during his trip to support Putin's election, shortly after his meeting with Putin on February 16. The official cause of death was a heart attack, but the findings of two medical experts were contradictory according to journalist Andrei Karaulov. A criminal investigation of Sobchak's death was opened only on May 6, 2000, more than two months later. The Democratic Union party led by Valeria Novodvorskaya made an official statement that not only Sobchak, but also two of his aides had heart attacks simultaneously, which indicated poisoning. Two other men were present with Sobchak during his death, but their names were not publicly disclosed. This led to some doubt and speculation as to the actual reasons of his death.

He was interred in Tikhvin Cemetery at the Alexander Nevsky Monastery in St. Petersburg, near the grave of Galina Starovoitova.

Honours and awards

  • Jubilee Medal "300 Years of the Russian Navy" (1996)
  • Order of Holy Prince Daniel of Moscow, 1st class
  • Silver medal of the International Olympic Committee (1995)
  • Honorary citizen of St. Petersburg (2010, posthumous), Tbilisi (Georgia, 1991), Indianapolis (USA, 1992), Maryland (USA, 1993), Oklahoma (USA, 1994), Georgia (1995)
  • Honorary Doctor of Law at the University of Portland (Oregon, USA, 1990), University of South Florida St. Petersburg (1991), University of Macerata (Italy, 1992), St. Petersburg Law Institute of the Russian Interior Ministry
  • Honorary Doctor of Political Science, University of Genoa (Italy, 1992)
  • Honorary Doctor of the University of Arts in Oklahoma City (1993)
  • Honorary Doctor of Humanities Tausonskogo University (Baltimore, USA, 1993)
  • Professor Emeritus of the University of Bordeaux (France), East European Institute of Psychoanalysis (St. Petersburg, Russia)
  • Mitterrand awarded the Foundation "Memoria" (France, 1991)
  • Prize winner of the National Democratic Institute of the A. Garrimana (USA, Washington, 1992)
  • Prize winner J. Fulbright National Law Center at George Washington University (Washington, USA, 1992)
  • International Leonardo Prize (1996)
  • Prize winners Starovoitova (2000, posthumously)
  • Tsarskoye Selo Art Prize (2001, posthumously)
  • Winner of the International Prize for the development and strengthening of cultural ties in the Baltic Sea Region "Baltic Star" (2005, posthumously)
  • Gold Medal of the city of Dubrovnik (Croatia, 1991)
  • Gold Medal of the city of Florence (Italy, 1991)
  • Full member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Engineering (Department of economic and legal sciences) (1992)
  • Member of the International Informatization Academy (Moscow, 1995)
  • Honorary member of the St. Petersburg Union of Engineering Societies (1992)
  • Gagarin Medal (1996)
  • Medal Admiral MP Lazarev (1996)
  • "Gratitude" medal of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (2002, posthumously)
  • Imperial Order of St. Alexander Nevsky (2002, posthumously)

***

Source: wikipedia.org

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        Relation nameRelation typeBirth DateDeath dateDescription
        1
        Александр СобчакNephew00.00.197226.10.2001
        2Борис НарусовБорис НарусовFather in-law00.00.192300.00.2008
        3Алла БалтерАлла Балтерdistant relative23.08.193914.07.2000
        4Ватанар ЯгьяВатанар ЯгьяCoworker18.09.193817.06.2020
        5Marina SalyeMarina SalyeCoworker19.10.193421.03.2013
        6Yury  LuzhkovYury LuzhkovCoworker21.09.193610.12.2019
        7Владимир ХубиевВладимир ХубиевCoworker26.03.193217.03.2004
        8Nikolai  RyzhkovNikolai RyzhkovCoworker28.09.192928.02.2024
        9Juri AfanassjewJuri AfanassjewCoworker, Idea mate05.09.193414.09.2015
        10Mikhail  ManevichMikhail ManevichCoworker18.02.196118.08.1997
        11Евгений СабуровЕвгений СабуровCoworker13.02.194620.06.2009
        12Николай АндрущенкоНиколай АндрущенкоCoworker, Familiar10.09.194319.04.2017
        13Никита  ТолстойНикита ТолстойCoworker27.02.191719.10.1994
        14Yury  ShutovYury ShutovCoworker16.03.194612.12.2014
        15Galina StarovoytovaGalina StarovoytovaCoworker17.05.194620.11.1998
        16Yury  VlasovYury VlasovCoworker05.12.193513.02.2021
        17Sergejs  DorenkoSergejs DorenkoFamiliar18.10.195909.05.2019
        18Николай КондратенкоНиколай КондратенкоFamiliar16.02.194023.11.2013
        19Аркадий ВаксбергАркадий ВаксбергFamiliar11.11.192708.05.2011
        20Rasul GamzatovRasul GamzatovFamiliar08.09.192303.11.2003
        21Yevgeny YevtushenkoYevgeny YevtushenkoFamiliar18.07.193201.04.2017
        22Mikhail Alexandrovich UlyanovMikhail Alexandrovich UlyanovFamiliar20.11.192726.03.2007
        23Iosif BrodskyIosif BrodskyFamiliar24.05.194028.01.1996
        24Dmitry LikhachovDmitry LikhachovFamiliar28.11.190630.09.1999
        25Борис  АристовБорис АристовFamiliar13.09.192527.11.2018
        26Helmut  KohlHelmut KohlFamiliar03.04.193016.06.2017
        27Roman  TsepovRoman TsepovFamiliar22.07.196224.09.2004
        28Galina VishnevskayaGalina VishnevskayaFamiliar25.10.192611.12.2012
        29Игорь МалашенкоИгорь МалашенкоFamiliar02.10.195425.02.2019
        30Mikhail ZharovMikhail ZharovFamiliar27.10.189915.12.1981
        31Nikolai   KovalyovNikolai KovalyovFamiliar06.08.194905.04.2019
        32Lyudmila  GurchenkoLyudmila GurchenkoFamiliar12.11.193530.03.2011
        33Alexey  KazannikAlexey KazannikFamiliar26.07.194102.06.2019
        34Mikhail TanichMikhail TanichFamiliar15.09.192317.04.2008
        35Жорес АлферовЖорес АлферовFamiliar15.03.193001.03.2019
        36Евгений МартыновЕвгений МартыновFamiliar22.05.194803.09.1990
        37Юрий  ПетровЮрий ПетровFamiliar18.01.193924.10.2013
        38Станислав МеркурьевСтанислав МеркурьевFamiliar28.04.194518.05.1993
        39Вячеслав ШевченкоВячеслав ШевченкоFamiliar09.06.195325.03.2004
        40Олег ЛобовОлег ЛобовFamiliar07.09.193706.09.2018
        41Leonid  AbalkinLeonid AbalkinFamiliar05.05.193002.05.2011
        42Andrejs CīrulisAndrejs CīrulisFamiliar18.10.194623.12.2019
        43Игорь СергеевИгорь СергеевFamiliar20.04.193810.11.2006
        44Иван СкляровИван СкляровFamiliar22.06.194826.02.2007
        45Борис ФедоровБорис ФедоровFamiliar13.02.195819.11.2008
        46Ilya  GlazunovIlya GlazunovFamiliar10.06.193009.07.2017
        47Yevgeny PrimakovYevgeny PrimakovFamiliar29.10.192926.06.2015
        48Boris  NemtsovBoris NemtsovFamiliar09.10.195927.02.2015
        49Mstislav RostropovichMstislav RostropovichFamiliar27.03.192727.04.2007
        50Николай ЕгоровНиколай ЕгоровFamiliar03.05.195125.04.1997
        51Herbert von KarajanHerbert von KarajanFamiliar05.04.190816.07.1989
        52Олег НепомнящийОлег НепомнящийFamiliar04.01.193928.08.2016
        53Кирилл ЛавровКирилл ЛавровFamiliar15.09.192527.04.2007
        54Василий ШандыбинВасилий ШандыбинFamiliar25.07.194130.12.2009
        55Aleksey  BatalovAleksey BatalovFamiliar20.11.192815.06.2017
        56Сергей ЮшенковСергей ЮшенковFamiliar27.06.195017.04.2003
        57Iosif KobzonIosif KobzonFamiliar11.09.193730.08.2018
        58Евгений ТкаченкоЕвгений ТкаченкоFamiliar21.03.193501.04.2018
        59Mikhail KozakovMikhail KozakovFamiliar14.10.193422.04.2011
        60Юрий СкоковЮрий СкоковFamiliar20.06.193805.02.2013
        61Роберт РождественскийРоберт РождественскийFamiliar20.06.193219.08.1994
        62Алексей ГоловковАлексей ГоловковFamiliar31.05.195607.01.2009
        63Otari  KvantrishviliOtari KvantrishviliFamiliar27.01.194805.04.1994
        64Владимир МашицВладимир МашицFamiliar18.04.195328.05.2019
        65Амиран КвантришвилиАмиран КвантришвилиFamiliar00.00.194406.08.1993
        66Sergei MavrodiSergei MavrodiFamiliar11.08.195526.03.2018
        67Valentīna TolkunovaValentīna TolkunovaFamiliar12.07.194622.03.2010
        68Борис ИсаевБорис ИсаевFamiliar18.06.193502.10.2004
        69Георгий РогозинГеоргий РогозинFamiliar07.08.194206.03.2014
        70Андрей  БурлаковАндрей БурлаковFamiliar22.08.196329.09.2011
        71Alexander  VlasovAlexander VlasovFamiliar20.01.193209.06.2002
        72Ирина ЯковлеваИрина ЯковлеваFamiliar06.01.194524.11.2014
        73Михаил МонастырскийМихаил МонастырскийFamiliar10.11.194518.04.2007
        74Boris BerezovskyBoris BerezovskyFamiliar23.01.194623.03.2013
        75Виктор НовоселовВиктор НовоселовFamiliar09.11.194720.10.1999
        76Badri  PatarkatsishviliBadri PatarkatsishviliFamiliar31.10.195512.02.2006
        77Игорь ДубовикИгорь ДубовикFamiliar00.00.195427.02.1998
        78Shabtai KalmanovichShabtai KalmanovichFamiliar18.12.194702.11.2009
        79
        Виктор ЯцубаFamiliar14.03.194519.10.2017
        80Daniil GraninDaniil GraninFamiliar01.01.191904.07.2017
        81Сакина ШаймиеваСакина ШаймиеваFamiliar23.08.193916.11.2018
        82Valentins PikulisValentins PikulisFamiliar13.06.192816.07.1990
        83Виталий ВульфВиталий ВульфFamiliar23.05.193013.03.2011
        84Юрий ГладковЮрий ГладковFamiliar22.01.194906.10.2007
        85Андрей ВознесенскийАндрей ВознесенскийFamiliar12.05.193301.06.2010
        86Юрий ЛяшкоЮрий ЛяшкоFamiliar22.04.194307.03.2015
        87Анатолий ТрофимовАнатолий ТрофимовFamiliar01.06.194010.04.2005
        88Геннадий МеркуловГеннадий МеркуловFamiliar12.05.194014.05.2015
        89Евгений КузнецовЕвгений КузнецовFamiliar27.12.193803.11.2005
        90Лев БашмаковЛев БашмаковFamiliar26.02.193830.12.2018
        91Jevgeņijs PrigožinsJevgeņijs PrigožinsFamiliar01.06.196123.08.2023
        92Анатолий ГужвинАнатолий ГужвинFamiliar25.03.194617.08.2004
        93Владимир ЛопухинВладимир ЛопухинFamiliar23.05.195226.05.2020
        94Валерий ЗубовВалерий ЗубовFamiliar09.05.195327.04.2016
        95Григорий БелодедГригорий БелодедFamiliar00.00.194628.04.2020
        96Валентин ЦветковВалентин ЦветковFamiliar27.08.194818.10.2002
        97Александр ТизяковАлександр ТизяковFamiliar10.12.192625.01.2019
        98Юрий БондаревЮрий БондаревFamiliar15.03.192429.03.2020
        99Виталий МухаВиталий МухаFamiliar17.05.193622.05.2005
        100Алексей ЯблоковАлексей ЯблоковFamiliar03.10.193310.01.2017
        101Валерий КоковВалерий КоковFamiliar18.10.194129.10.2005
        102Лев БаяндинЛев БаяндинFamiliar02.01.194214.02.2018
        103Игорь ЕсиповскийИгорь ЕсиповскийFamiliar28.03.196010.05.2009
        104Сергей ЛеушкинСергей ЛеушкинFamiliar09.10.195020.04.2008
        105Виктор ШершуновВиктор ШершуновFamiliar16.11.195020.09.2007
        106Аркадий ВепревАркадий ВепревFamiliar29.10.192723.07.2006
        107Игорь ФархутдиновИгорь ФархутдиновFamiliar16.04.195020.08.2003
        108Александр СуратАлександр СуратFamiliar12.10.194702.09.2016
        109Анатолий БелоноговАнатолий БелоноговFamiliar24.02.193907.09.2019
        110Anatolijs JefremovsAnatolijs JefremovsFamiliar30.01.195213.10.2009
        111Александр ТиткинАлександр ТиткинFamiliar12.09.194812.09.1999
        112Евгений КрылатовЕвгений КрылатовFamiliar23.02.193408.05.2019
        113Андрей ВоробьевАндрей ВоробьевFamiliar01.11.192815.06.2020
        114Евгений КрестьяниновЕвгений КрестьяниновFamiliar12.07.194821.05.2023
        115Владимир СергеенковВладимир СергеенковFamiliar05.12.193827.09.2014
        116Михаил НаролинМихаил НаролинFamiliar19.10.193321.01.2011
        117Леонид ГорбенкоЛеонид ГорбенкоFamiliar20.06.193907.08.2010
        118Александр ДерягинАлександр ДерягинFamiliar19.02.194116.07.2010
        119Адольф ЛаптевАдольф ЛаптевFamiliar18.11.193516.11.2005
        120Иван ШабунинИван ШабунинFamiliar09.10.193520.09.2006
        121Юрий ВласовЮрий ВласовFamiliar22.06.196109.01.2019
        122Олег МироновОлег МироновFamiliar05.06.193901.09.2020
        123Михаил НаролинМихаил НаролинFamiliar19.10.193321.01.2011
        124Марк  ГорячевМарк ГорячевFamiliar06.04.195404.03.1997
        125Анатолий ТяжловАнатолий ТяжловFamiliar11.10.194228.07.2008
        126Yevgeniy  ChazovYevgeniy ChazovFamiliar10.06.192912.11.2021
        127Евгений БушминЕвгений БушминFamiliar04.10.195806.10.2019
        128Oleg  TabakovOleg TabakovFamiliar17.08.193512.03.2018
        129Илья ТраберИлья ТраберFamiliar08.09.1950
        130Lennart MeriLennart MeriFamiliar29.03.192914.03.2006
        131Alexander YakovlevAlexander YakovlevIdea mate02.12.192318.10.2005
        132Yuri  OrlovYuri OrlovIdea mate13.08.192427.09.2020
        133Boris YeltsinBoris YeltsinIdea mate01.02.193123.04.2007
        134Yegor Timurovich GaidarYegor Timurovich GaidarIdea mate19.03.195616.12.2009
        135Фёдор БурлацкийФёдор БурлацкийIdea mate04.01.192726.02.2014
        136Дмитрий ФилипповДмитрий ФилипповOpponent01.08.194413.10.1998
        137Anatoly I LukyanovAnatoly I LukyanovOpponent07.05.193009.01.2019
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