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Surname: Zimin Biography:
Victor Zimin was born in Dissos village in Krasnoturansky district of Krasnoyarsk kray on August 23, 1962. He spent his childhood in Katanovo village in Askizsk district of Khakassia autonomous region (Krasnoyarsk kray). In 1982 he finished Abakan agricultural college and then served is tank forces of the Soviet army. He began his professional career in a building industry in Irkutsk in 1983. 3 years later he rose to the position of chief engineer in the construction directorate (construction enterprise) of the town of Bogotol. After year and a half he became the head of the directorate. 1992 - deputy construction superintendent of Abakansk division of Krasnoyarsk railroad 2003 - deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the republic of Khakassia (local legislative authority) 2007 - deputy of the state Duma 10 December 2008 His nomination for the post of the chairman of Khakassia government, made by Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, was approved by the Supreme Soviet of the republic. Early in December 2009 By the order of Russian president Dmitry Medvedev Zimin is made a member of State Council of the Russian Federation. 15 January 2009 He became a chairman of Khakassia government. Shortly after Zimin took office, TV-programme 'Kiricheshki' broadcast on TNT-Abakan channel was closed. The programme had critisized the new regional leader. Making his first statements as a governour, Zimin rejected the idea of unification of Khakassia and Krasnoyarsk kray. Victor Zimin is a founder of the regional branch of United Russia party. Since May 2008 he has been the chairman of the political council of Khakassia branch of the party. He is a meritorious railroad worker. He is married and has 3 daughters. Source: Lentapedia
Dossier:
On December 6, 2004 a criminal case was opened against journalist Mikhail Afanasiev over defamation (Article 29.3 of the Criminal Code). The libel action was taken by Victor Zimin, at the time candidate for the Supreme Soviet of the republic. He petitioned the Republican Prosecutor's Office, asking to initiate the case. Afanasiev claimed in his article that Zimin had built a luxury tourist resort in Karotoshko Ineysk sanctuary, the largest taiga wildlife reserve, where president Putin spent his holiday. The resort belongs to "Los" Company (Limited Liability Company). The head of the company is Victor Zimin's nephew Oleg Zimin. The resort caters for VIPs - top-brass police officers, prosecutors and simply people who «may be of use». They were invited to have a good time, and then their visits were used to boost the reputation of "having good friends" and "being unsinkable". The case dragged on for 2 years. In 2006 a magistrate court sentenced the journalist to suspended term of 2 years and put him on 3 years of probation. However the presidium of the republican Supreme Court quashed the judgement and sent the case to an appeal instance. As a result Afanasiev was acquitted in August 2008. Source: Kommersant (Novosibirsk) newspaper, №138 (3955), 07.08.2008
On December 15, 2008 analytical programme «Kiricheshki» was not broadcast (as usual) on TNT-Abakan. The programme was a political satire which poked fun at the political life of Khakassia and its key figures. Aleksey Kirichenko, the author of «Kiricheshki», was also a columnist for republican newspaper «Shans», where he published a series of articles, criticizing local branch of United Russia party and its leader Victor Zimin. For instance, he wrote about a strange university degree which Zimin claimed to have. According to the copy of his diploma submitted to election committee, he studied for 4 years, instead of mandatory 5 years. Kirichenko also found a woman in Abakan, who had the diploma of the same educational establishment with the same number as one submitted by candidate Zimin, nominated for the state Duma. In October 2008 the government of Khakassia asked prosecutor's office and the election committee to check the authenticity of Zimin's diploma. There was no reply to the official inquiry. It is rumoured that Victor Zimin was one who ordered to close Kirichenko's programme. Abakan's mayor Nikolay Bulakin who controls TNT-Abakan just followed the governor's order. Bulakin and Zimin are close political allies. It was Zimin and his patron Sergey Shoygu (Russian emergency situations minister) who persuaded him to join United Russia party. Earlier Bulakin supported SPS. Source: Shans On-Line, 17.12. 2008
Victor Zimin began his election campaign trying to brush aside oppositional parties. On December 29, 2008, Khakassia's election committee refused to register the party list of Patriots of Russia political party which is popular in Khakassia. On January 5, 2009 Central Election Committee of Russian Federation obliged the local election committee to register the list. Zimin said openly he woud use all his power to «bump off this group (the Patriots) by fair means or foul». Source: APN.ru, 27.03.2009
Irina Smolina, Zimin's adviser on social issues, did everything stop oppositional candidates from participation in the election. She said at the regional conference of United Russia party: either you provide United Russia with 80% of votes, or you face unemployment. Source: Materials of IRENA
After the disaster at the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydro-electric plant Vikror Zimin tried persistently to secure a position on the board of directors of RusGidro Company. At that time another company was formed - «Directorate for reconstruction of the Saynno-Shushenskya plant» Limited Liability Company, a full subsidiary of RusGidro. S. Svetlitsky, deputy minister of energetics, headed the board of directors. Zimin's deputy A. Novoselov became a member of the board. Soon Prommetall Limited Liability Company was formed. The largest holding in the company (62.5% stake) belonged to Zimin's wife. The company began to tender for utilization and removal of scrap metal from the site of the disaster. According to official statistics, the company bid on 13 contracts with total sum over 100 million roubles and won 2 bids. The scrap metal was exported to China. Under the guise of scrap the company also exported electotechnical steel and expensive equipment which had been dismantled after the breakdown. On paper the Chinese bought everything at the price of scrap metal, but in fact they paid Prommetal in black money. The person who rendered assistance to Prommetall in this export business was deputy republican prosecutor, senior councillor of justice Nikolay Makeev. He invented a criminal scheme for the business. This is the scheme. The prosecutor's office of Beysk district and the town of Sayanogorsk filed a lawsuit againt RusGidro. On the pretext of oil contamination Sayanogorsk court obliged the company to clear Karlov Log Woods, where most of the scrap was held. It is uncertain how long the machinations could have continued if Zimin and Makeev had not tried to expand their business and started to export the scrap via Irkutsk. At Irkutsk Customs the large cargo of electrotechnical steel was arrested. It was due to go to China in the guise of scrap. Source: InterRight, 29.12.2010
In January 2011, after the web-site of "Khakassia" information agency published an article about corruption, Victor Zimin threatened in public he would sue the agency for libel but soon decided not to take action. At the same time he asked the republican law-enforcement agencies to check the information from the article. Khakassia's prosecutor Nikolay Popov reported before the republican government that the examination had not discover any true facts in the articles. Source: Novaya Gazeta, 23.01.2011
When minister of energetics of the Russian Federation Sergey Schmatko learned about Prommetall affair, he sacked two deputies V.Azbukin and S.Svetlitsky (the head of the board of directors of «Directorate for reconstruction of Sayano-Shushensk plant» Company). But Victor Zimin felt he faced real problems only when vice-premier Igor Sechin learned about the smuggling of electrotechnical steel. United Russia party members were schocked that their party fellow had been making money out of the tragedy and decided to complain about him to head of United Russia faction in the state Duma Boris Gryzlov and leader of United Russia Vladimir Putin. As a result, under pressure from the government the secretariat of the president (Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation) began to look for a candidate to substitute Zimin. Source: The Moscow Post, 27.01.2011
Victor Zimin became a target of a real black PR company, organised by his political opponent, former head of Khakassia Aleksey Lebed. It is he who set a rumour afloat, that Zimin's wife owns Prommetall Company which «exported electrotechnical steel to China in the guise of scrap metal». As a result instead of suing Aleksey Lebed for slander, the investigators turned on Zimin himself. Source: vg-news.ru, 18.02.2011
For 3 years in the governor's office Victor Zimin has not find the political base, but fell out with all local elite and led the region to mass popular protests, when people went into streets. Sergey Komaritsin, a political expert says: «The Kremlin might be looking for a pretext to change the governor. The check-ups give a good justification and help to avoid a big fuss». Source: Kommersant newspaper (Omsk), N29 (4567), 18.02.2011
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