1st Deputy Chief of Staff 1

NAME: VYACHESLAV VIKTOROVICH VOLODIN

BORN: 4 February 1964 in Alexeyevka, Saratov Region.

EDUCATION: *Mr Volodin graduated from the Saratov Institute of Mechanized Agriculture in 1986 with a degree mechanical engineering.  *He later obtained a PhD in law from the Russian Academy of State Service in 1995. *Kandidate nauk in Technical Sciences.

CAREER: *Upon graduation, Mr Volodin worked in various posts at his alma mater, eventually becoming a professor.  *He later held a chair in the state administration of the Volga Academy of State Service.  *Mr Volodin became a member of the Saratov City and Saratov Regional Soviets of People’s Deputies in the 80s.*In 1991, he was a member of the Saratov Regional Duma, then Speaker. *In 1992, Mr Volodin was chosen to be Chief of Staff, and deputy head of the Saratov City Administration. *From 1996 to 1999, he served as Deputy Governor and then the First Deputy Governor of the Saratov Region. *Mr Volodin was elected to the State Duma representing Saratov in December 1999. *In 2001, he became the head of the Fatherland–All Russia Party. *Mr Volodin was reelected to the State Duma in December 2003, on the United Russia ticket.  *He was subsequently voted deputy head of the State Duma by his colleagues, in January 2004. *In April 2005, he was appointed presidium secretary of the United Russia’s General Council. *He was reelected again in December 2007. *On 21 October 2010, Mr Volodin replaced Sergei Sobyanin as Deputy Prime Minister.

MISCELLANEOUS: *Married, one daughter. *Holds Order of Friendship, Order of Honour, and Order of Merits to the Fatherland, 4^th degree. *Magazine, Finans, stated his wealth was worth $95 million in 2006. *Seen as loyal to Putin. *Holds academic title of professor.  *Made his money in ‘margarine’, as co-owner of the Solnechniye Produkty holding. *‘Loyal, disciplined and uncharismatic’ (L. Shevtsova).

SUBORDINATES: *Mr Volodin is responsible for overseeing the division of power among federal, regional, and municipal levels of government, and legislative initiatives.  *Mr Volodin holds the additional posts of Head of the Prime Minister’s Apparatus, and Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Commission for Modernisation and Technological Development of Russia’s Economy. *He also oversees the state civil service and personnel decisions and the preparation of the prime minister’s speeches and statements.

~*~Sources: http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=15612807&PageNum=0, The Moscow Times, and Kremlin.ru