The most influential official in the Moscow government - this is not what they say about the mayor of the capital. Anastasia Rakova, the new wife of Sergei Semenovich Sobyanin and deputy mayor of Moscow, deserved this assessment. True, there is no official information about the marriage of two high-ranking civil servants. At the same time, almost all experts note her high professionalism.
early years
Anastasia Rakova was born on February 8, 1976 in the Siberian city of Khanty-Mansiysk, in the family of a retired military officer - Colonel Vladimir Rakov. After graduating from high school, she studied at the Institute of State and Law of the Tyumen State University. Having received a law degree in 1998, she continued her studies at the Faculty of Economics of her native university. In 2000 she received a second specialty "Finance and Credit".
Anastasia’s father headed the Association of Automobile Business Enterprises of the Tyumen Region in the 2000s, and in 2006 became the head of the Association of Tyumen Motorists LLC. After graduation, the younger brother received the post of deputy head of finance of the media holding Sibinformburo. He later led the company engaged in transportation.
First job
Having received a law degree, Anastasia Rakova in 1998 got a civil service in the apparatus of the Duma of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug as a specialist of the first category, whose chairman from 1994 to 2000 was Sergei Sobyanin. She also worked in the local parliament until 2000, gradually rising up the career ladder, working as a leading, chief specialist, and transferred to another job from the post of head of the legal examination department. Anastasia Rakova and Sobyanin from that time almost always worked together.
In 1999-2001 It was part of the Ugra interregional public political movement, which was led by the district governor, who later became part of the election block of Yevgeny Primakov and Yuri Luzhkov.
In the Tyumen regional administration
In October 2000, Anastasia Rakova went to work with a close friend of Sobyanin, Oleg Chemezov, the first deputy chairman of the district government. In 2001, after the victory of Sergei Semenovich in the election of the governor of the Tyumen region, he was transferred to him as an assistant. Soon she was promoted to the position of first assistant, later she entered the Commission on Draft Law Works.
Already at that time, the district press noted that although Anastasia Rakova did not have the right, by virtue of her position, to make political statements and legislative initiatives, she participated in the development and adoption of key decisions. Many documents were signed by the new governor only after preliminary coordination with his close employee. In 2001-2003 participated in the work of the regional election commission, holding the post of deputy head of the Control and Auditing Service. During these years, she participated in the development of several important regional and federal laws. Tyumen officials noted that Rakova is a first-class professional lawyer and has a good command of law.
Moving to the capital
In 2005, she did not work long as the head of the regional governor’s apparatus, since in the same year Sobyanin was appointed to the post of head of the presidential administration Vladimir Putin. They wondered in the local press either that she would become the new governor, or would go after her boss. The newspaper "Evening Tyumen" printed on the front page a huge portrait - in the photo Anastasia Rakova and the inscription "Swear!". She seemed a natural successor who knew the region well and whom Sergei Semenovich completely trusted.
However, Anastasia Rakova soon left for Moscow, receiving the post of Deputy Viktor Nagaitsev, head of the secretariat of the head of the presidential administration. She became the only specialist who was taken from Tyumen by Sobyanin. She was engaged in the preparation of decrees, orders of the head of state and other documents. Colleagues did not really like her, sometimes at times excessive rigidity, but respected her strong character and good organizational abilities.
In the Medvedev hundred
After the election of Dmitry Medvedev as President of Russia, Vladimir Putin appointed Sobyanin to the post of head of the government apparatus in the rank of deputy prime minister. Anastasia Rakova for the first time got a job where she did not report directly to Sergei Semenovich, most likely because he could not immediately take her with him. She became State Secretary and Deputy Minister of Regional Development. High-ranking officials noted that Rakova most likely does not seek to become an independent political figure and, perhaps, will not pull, but she is a good and reliable deputy for organizational work.
At the same time, she was accepted into the United Russia party, one of the organization’s leaders, Vyacheslav Volodin, handed her a party card. Independently, Anastasia Rakova worked for a little more than a year, having managed to enter the presidential reserve of promising specialists (in the first hundred people), the favorite "toy" of President Medvedev. She became the first "reserve" from this list, which received a promotion. She was appointed director of the legal department of the government, through which all documents issued by the government passed.
Return to beloved boss
In autumn 2010, Sergei Sobyanin was appointed the Moscow Mayor, Anastasia Rakova received the post of head of the capital’s government apparatus in the rank of deputy mayor. Several departments of the city administration, including the department of information technologies and business management, came under its command. Many employees of the city hall noted that it is effective in achieving its goals, its main tool is authoritarianism. The meetings are held in a harsh manner, he believes that there is only one correct opinion, and the rest are wrong. Because of what, she has a "permanent conflict" with the rest of the vice mayors.
Opposition resources believe that through the city-controlled company, Moscow Information Technologies annually spent 19 billion rubles on total control of the media space, conducting propaganda and misinformation. Rakova was accused that, on her command, information "unnecessary" for the city hall was hushed up.
Irreplaceable deputy
Both supporters and opponents of Anastasia Rakova note that she is not involved in street politics, has no relation to election budgets and never lobbies the interests of any business. She cannot be charged with financial impropriety.
Although the Navalny Anti-Corruption Fund wrote that she was seen with expensive jewelry - a necklace (costing more than 1.3 million rubles), a pendant (price more than 2 million rubles), possibly at one of the social events where the mayor often takes her with him to facilitate communication. From such "mandatory" events, shots sometimes appeared in various publications, where Anastasia Rakova and Sobyanin are pictured.
New appointment
After being elected for a second term in 2018, Sobyanin reorganized the city government. Anastasia Rakova received the post of deputy head of the city for social issues. According to experts, the appointment of a close and trusted person to this post suggests that priority will be given to the development of the social sphere. This is a very responsible area of work, with large powers and budgets, but also with great responsibility.
If she used to informally supervise the electoral processes, now she is directly responsible for the loyalty of the city residents. The mayor’s rating and how voters vote will largely depend on the solution of social issues. In the city administration, the appointment of Anastasia Rakova was explained by the need for a young and energetic leader who should take the social sphere and medicine to a new level.
