The politician and mayor of St. Petersburg, Anatoly Aleksandrovich Sobchak, whose cause of death is still periodically the subject of media publications, has lived an eventful and vibrant life. He was an example of decency and political integrity, he had a unique ability to see the potential of people and contribute to its implementation. Sobchak's activity left a significant mark in Russian history, and his descendants will remember his name for a long time.
Origin and family
Anatoly Sobchak himself always defined his nationality as “Russian, ” but his family had a very complex ethnic origin. Paternal grandfather Anton Semenovich Sobchak was a Pole, came from an impoverished family. In his youth, he happened to passionately fall in love with a Czech girl named Anna from a rather wealthy bourgeois family. Her parents categorically did not want to see the poor gentry as their son-in-law and Anton had no choice but to steal the bride, especially since she herself did not mind. To hide from the chase, the couple leaves for an unknown country in Russia. The marriage turned out to be very happy, but Anna dreamed all her life to start her own business, the couple saved for many years money, when the goal was already close, Anton Semenovich lost in one sitting the entire accumulated amount in the casino. He was a very addicted and passionate person. In addition to his passion for the game, he indulged in political activity with great fire - he was a member of the Cadet Party. Before his death, as the family legend Sobchakov says, my grandmother called on Anatoly and told him to swear that he would never play in a casino and engage in politics. The little boy did not understand anything about politics, so he solemnly swore that he would not play, but said nothing about politics. And all his life he never sat at the table. But it didn’t work out with politics, he clearly exceeded his grandfather in political passion. Maternal grandfather Anatoly was Russian, and grandmother - Ukrainian. Sobchak's father was an engineer in transport networks, and his mother was an accountant. The marriage was successful, but the times were not easy.
Childhood
Anatoly Sobchak was born in Chita on August 10, 1937, in addition to him, there were three more children in the family, one brother, however, died at the age of 2. The family lived in Kokand, the conditions were very difficult. In 1939, grandfather Anton was arrested. In 1941, Anatoly's father went to the front, and mother alone pulled a family in which there were three young children and two old grandmothers. At the same time, children were brought up strictly, but they were never punished and did not shout at them. Sobchak recalled that they always called their parents to you, although this was alien to the environment in which they lived. But the origin made itself felt, dignity and decency in Sobchaks was in the blood. With the outbreak of war, an order came to their city to urgently send all Poles to Siberia. Neighbors and a friend, the head of the local administration, came to the head of the family and said that he had passport forms and he would help them change their nationality. So they became Russian. Although Anatoly Aleksandrovich later always said that he considers himself Russian, not only in language, but also in his love for this country. As a child, the boy read a lot, the benefit of the book was given to him by a professor evacuated from Leningrad, from him he was imbued with a special love for the northern capital.
Education
Anatoly studied very well at school, he always participated in public life, obeyed teachers and parents. He had two nicknames. One is the professor due to the fact that he knew a lot and loved to read. The second is the judge, because from childhood he had a strong sense of justice. At the end of school, he had only two fours in his certificate: in geometry and in the Russian language. After school, Anatoly Sobchak, whose biography began in Uzbekistan, entered Tashkent University at the Faculty of Law. But later he decided to leave for Leningrad. And in 1956 he was transferred to Leningrad University. Sobchak was a wonderful student, he showed great zeal and received a Lenin scholarship. The professor loved Anatoly for her seriousness in studies and diligence.
Legal career
After the university, Anatoly Aleksandrovich Sobchak, whose biography for many years was associated with jurisprudence, according to distribution, leaves for the Stavropol Territory. Despite the fact that he studied well, he was not able to distribute in Leningrad. In the Stavropol Territory, Sobchak began working as a lawyer. He lived in a small village, he had to rent housing. Local grandmothers gladly went to his processes to listen to how he “pitifully” speaks. Later, he goes to work as the head of legal advice. But such work was clearly too small for such a strong lawyer.
Scientist career
In 1962, Anatoly Alexandrovich returned to Leningrad. He entered graduate school and in 1964 he defended his thesis on civil law. In parallel, he begins to work at the Police School, where he teaches legal disciplines. In 1968, he transferred to the Institute of the Pulp and Paper Industry, where he held the position of assistant professor. In 1973, he again changed his job, this time he returned to his native university. In the same year he tries to defend his doctoral dissertation, but does not go through the approval procedure at the Higher Attestation Commission. Later, Sobchak will nevertheless become a doctor of law and a professor. He becomes the dean of the law faculty, and later heads the department of commercial law. At LSU, he worked for more than 20 years. All these years he conducted active scientific activity, supervised the writing of dissertations, published scientific articles and monographs. In 1997, Sobchak had to return to his scientific and teaching activities. He lived for almost two years in Paris, where he taught at the Sorbonne, wrote articles and memoirs, and published several scientific works.
Political activity
In 1989, Anatoly Sobchak, whose biography makes a turn, is actively involved in the ongoing political changes in the country. He takes part in the elections and becomes a people's deputy. During the First Congress of People's Deputies, he was elected to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, where he was engaged in a familiar sphere - economic legislation. He was also a member of the interregional group of deputies representing the democratic opposition of the current party. In 1990, Sobchak became a deputy of the Leningrad City Council and at the very first meeting he was elected Chairman of the Leningrad City Council. He spoke a lot in the media, defending left-liberal views, actively criticized the Soviet government and its forms of management. At that time, these were very popular slogans and at that Sobchak began to quickly make a career. In 1991, he became one of the initiators of the creation of the Democratic Reform Movement.
Mayor of St. Petersburg
In 1991, Sobchak became the first mayor of Leningrad. Anatoly Alexandrovich, as mayor, was very popular among the residents of the city. The surname of Anatoly Sobchak caused positive associations among the majority of Petersburgers, because he began positive transformations in the city, kept him from the chaos of lawlessness and poverty, which at that time hit many cities of the country. He attracted humanitarian aid from abroad to prevent the famine that really threatened the city. The activity of the mayor was not a delight for everyone, he was reproached with many things and accused. Not everyone liked his personal character and management style, and he began to have conflicts with local legislators.
Team Sobchak
Working as the mayor, Anatoly Aleksandrovich was able to gather around himself a unique team of managers. He brought into power a whole galaxy of students, associates, who today make up most of the country's ruling elite. So, it was he who brought to the government of St. Petersburg his former student Dmitry Kozak. Postgraduate student Sobchak Dmitry Medvedev actively helped his supervisor conduct an election campaign in deputies in 1989. Later, Anatoly Alexandrovich took him to work in the mayor's office as an assistant to the deputy mayor for external relations. And this manager was none other than Vladimir Putin. Sobchak began to cooperate with him back in 1991 in the Leningrad City Council. Anatoly Alexandrovich also brought the young reformer Anatoly Chubais to the government of St. Petersburg, he worked as an economic adviser to the mayor. Another graduate student of Sobchak, German Gref, also received a position in the city hall, he was engaged in property management. Also in the team of Anatoly Alexandrovich worked such well-known characters as Vladimir Churov, Alexey Miller, Vladimir Mutko, Alexei Kudrin, Victor Zubkov, Sergey Naryshkin.
Political intrigue
Anatoly Sobchak, a biography whose personal history is full of ups, also knew great defeats. In 1996, mayoral elections were held in St. Petersburg, which were accompanied by a fierce struggle. Tons of incriminating evidence were poured on Sobchak, he was accused of all kinds of sins: from diamonds and fur coats of his wife to the possession of some unprecedented real estate and receiving bribes. In those elections, Vladimir Putin was the head of Sobchak's campaign headquarters. Anatoly Alexandrovich lost the election to his associate and deputy Vladimir Yakovlev. Immediately after this, a real war broke out against the Sobchak team. They started to really poison him, many former friends turned their backs on him. In 1997, he was first attracted as a witness in the case of bribes at the City Hall, and then he was charged with abuse of authority and receiving bribes. Foes called bribes what was helping the city from various organizations and businessmen.
Achievements
Anatoly Sobchak, whose personal life and political career is still of interest to the public, is remembered by many as a person who returned his historical name to St. Petersburg. But, besides this, he made a great contribution to the creation of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, he did a lot for the formation of a democratic opposition in the country. He returned St. Petersburg the status of a cultural capital, laid the foundation for the tradition of holding many city festivals and holidays, and brought to St. Petersburg the Goodwill Games.
Awards
Anatoly Sobchak, whose biography and life are an example of selfless service to his Fatherland, received many prizes and prizes, but he did not have state awards, except for the medal for the 300th anniversary of the Russian fleet. He was an honorary professor at 9 universities in the world, an honorary citizen of 6 different territories of the world.
Death
Lost elections, unfair accusations led to the occurrence of three heart attacks in a short period in Anatoly Sobchak. This, apparently, allowed him to avoid arrest. In 1997, he leaves for Paris, where he regains his health, and then remains to work. In 1999, the criminal prosecution of Sobchak was stopped, and he returned to Russia. He again ran for mayor, but again failed. In 2000, Anatoly Alexandrovich became a confidant to the presidential candidate of the Russian Federation V. Putin. He needed to do business in Kaliningrad, but he did not have time to get there. February 20, 2000 in the town of Svetlogorsk, he died. There were many rumors and speculations about how Anatoly Sobchak died. But the investigation proved that there was neither poisoning nor intoxication, his heart simply could not stand it.
Memory
When Anatoly Alexandrovich Sobchak died, whose biography was full of trials and strong decisions, people understood what kind of person they had lost, and suddenly a wave of honors to him aroused. The monument erected on his grave was created by Mikhail Shemyakin. In honor of Anatoly Alexandrovich, several memorial plaques are erected, a monument in St. Petersburg, a postage stamp is issued, his name is the square in St. Petersburg.
Personal life
Anatoly Sobchak, a biography whose personal life is still of interest to many people, was twice married. He met his first wife Nonna in Kokand. They got married when Sobchak was a student. His wife lived with him the most difficult years of formation, poverty, homelessness. They lived together for more than 20 years. The second wife, Lyudmila Narusova, supported her husband in his political ambitions. She herself implemented several public projects in St. Petersburg, held several different posts at the city hall. Sobchak was so bright and charismatic that women were drawn to him very much. Even when he worked as a teacher, students often wrote letters with declarations of love to him. Rumor attributed to him many novels, up to Claudia Schiffer. He himself only laughed in response.
