A loyal companion of power after dismissal suddenly became a fighter with the "bloody regime", perhaps because it is well paid for it. Statements by Andrei Illarionov have recently been quite controversial. It's hard to believe the person who testifies against his country in the US Congress. Even if he says that his antipathies are directed exclusively against the secret police, security officers and mobsters.
early years
Andrey Illarionov was born on September 16, 1961 in Leningrad, in a family of teachers. It is believed that he did not like the name of his father (Plenkin), so he took the name of his mother.
After graduating from high school, he entered the Leningrad State University at the Faculty of Economics. He studied on the same course with another famous economist Alexei Kudrin. In 1983 he graduated from the university, becoming a certified economist, remained to work as an assistant in his native university. He defended his thesis on state-monopoly capitalism. He continued to work in his native Leningrad State University, then moved to the University of Economics and Finance, where he worked at the Laboratory of Regional Economic Problems.
In the 80s, he entered the informal society of young Leningrad economists, whose leader was Anatoly Chubais. In 1987, he participated in the work of the Synthesis club, which brought together many city economists, including Alexey Miller, now the head of Gazprom.
In public service
In April 1992, following his laboratory head, he moved to the Working Center for Economic Reforms under the Government of the Russian Federation as the first deputy director. At the same time, he became the economic adviser (according to some freelance data) to the Deputy Prime Minister of Russia. Participated in the development of a government action program.
In 1993-1994, he headed the analysis and planning group, working for the chairman of the government and the Russian government. Andrei Illarionov sharply condemned the exchange of notes and, after discussing this issue with Chernomyrdin, was hospitalized. Viktor Stepanovich did not give him any more instructions. Over the next six months, he met with his immediate superior only three times. And each time he raised the question of dismissing the Chairman of the Central Bank Gerashchenko, considering him the culprit of great inflation. In February 1994, he resigned, but was dismissed under the article "For violation of labor discipline." Illarionov left without permission from his superiors to lecture in the UK.
In the private sector
Since 1994, he worked as director of the Institute for Economic Analysis, which he himself founded. In the same year he took up the post of director of the metropolitan branch of the International Center for Social and Economic Research "Leontief Center". The following year, he became famous for an article written in collaboration with Boris Levine, in which he proposed immediately recognizing the independence of the Chechen Republic and withdrawing troops from there. According to the authors, there is no political, economic, or other reason to forcibly keep the rebellious republic within Russia.
Although in these years he was characterized as an ardent "Gaidar", in the works of the Institute. Gaidar Illarionov's views of the 90s on the history and economy of Russia were criticized. In 1998, he again harshly criticized the Central Bank's monetary policy, predicting the inevitable devaluation of the ruble. He was a supporter of the controlled devaluation of the national currency. In the same year he was included in the government commission responsible for the development of economic reforms.
At the pinnacle of power
In April 2000, Andrei Illarionov continued his career as an adviser to the President of the Russian Federation on economic issues. He took part in the preparation of the budget message of the head of state for the next financial year.
The new post provided him with ample opportunity to criticize government action. In particular, in the autumn of the same year, he said that the government was engaged in the sharing of additional incomes, instead of using favorable external conditions to stimulate economic growth. He constantly criticized the Minister of Economy Gref and the top management of RAO "UES of Russia" for their plans to split up the company. Once he even blamed the financial and economic bloc of the government for deceiving the shareholders of UES of Russia. In 2001-2003, he became the winner and laureate of various competitions and prizes, including was recognized as the "Financial Oracle of the Year" by the Russian Press Club.
The Yukos affair
The presidential adviser has repeatedly called for leaving the largest oil company at that time alone, calling the matter political. The sale of Yukos assets in 2004 was described as the expropriation of private property. This for Russia, Illarionov argued, will have long-term negative economic consequences. Later, he witnessed in court on the side of the company's shareholders, claiming that he only spoke the truth about the defeat of Yukos and the theft of its assets. Russian government lawyers accused Illarionov of receiving money in exchange for testifying that evidence against Khodorkovsky and the company had been fabricated.
In 2004-2005, he repeatedly criticized the economic policy of the Russian government. Andrei Illarionov believed that the country's GDP was declining, while government statistics reported growth. In 2005, he resigned, saying that there was a profound degeneration of the state.
In opposition
The following year, Andrei Illarionov was hired by the Cato Institute in Washington, because he has a reputation for democratic freedoms and knows how the Russian government works.
He continued to criticize the actions of the government, especially from his former boss - the president of Russia. In 2009, Illarionov spoke in Congress, criticizing the "reset" policy proclaimed by the new US administration. A former Russian statesman said that improving relations with Russia would be a complete surrender to the regime’s security forces. Now Andrei Illarionov is involved in many of the opposition’s endeavors, writes articles for various publications and maintains a blog in LiveJournal.
His words
Some statements of this economist have long been known not only in his professional circle, but also among ordinary citizens of the country:
The regime is determined not only by the adopted laws, but also by those actions that the government exercises.
The current economic crisis is already the longest economic crisis. This is a recession, this depression - whatever you call it - stagnation, but this is a crisis, this is a fall. The longest in the history of Russia after the transition crisis.
On the one hand, you are right, and this is also a topic for discussion of ours, maybe not today - next time - about the state of our society and about the diseases of our society, the psychological diseases of our society. One of them is the one that is kleptomania. And we do have a tolerant attitude, in fact, but we do not have a tolerant attitude to what is usually said; we have a tolerant attitude to kleptomania, to the fact that people in power, caught in power, suddenly for no reason get the right to steal state funds, state property.
