Alexander Avdeev is a famous Russian diplomat. For several years, he headed the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation.
Diplomat Biography
Alexander Avdeev was born in the city of Kremenchug in the Poltava region in 1946. Immediately after the end of World War II.
After school I went to enter Moscow. He became a student at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. In 1968 he graduated from MGIMO.
In the same year, Alexander Avdeev began his professional career. He got a job at the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Almost immediately, he was sent abroad. He worked as an assistant secretary at the Consulate General of the Soviet Union in the Algerian city of Annaba, then became the attaché of the embassy in Algeria. In Africa, Avdeev Alexander worked for several years. After Algeria, Moscow seemed to the diplomat an overdeveloped city.
In 1973 he returned to his homeland. About a year he worked in the central office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Abroad again
In 1977 Avdeev Alexander Alekseevich again sent to work in a foreign embassy. This time to France. At the USSR Embassy in Paris, he held the position of first second and then first secretary.
In Paris, he was implicated in a scandal over the case of the KGB Lieutenant Colonel Vladimir Vetrov. The state security officer was recruited by Western intelligence. In particular, he transferred to NATO a Soviet program for the abduction of Western technology.
Alexander Avdeev was among 47 Soviet diplomats who were expelled as a result of the betrayal of Vetrov. However, later he managed to prove his innocence in this case. Avdeev returned to Paris.
In 1987, he was appointed ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary in Luxembourg. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, he remained in diplomatic work in European countries.
From 1992 to 1996, the Russian diplomat Alexander Avdeev represented the interests of the Russian Federation in Bulgaria.
In 1996, he returned to the central apparatus of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as deputy and first deputy minister.
For 6 years (since March 2002) heads the Russian embassy in France. And later combines this work with the post of ambassador to the Principality of Monaco.
Ministry of Culture
In 2008, an unexpected turn took place in Avdeev’s life. He exchanges a diplomatic mission for the post of Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation.
Alexander Avdeev, whose biography over the years has been connected with the establishment of relations between Russia in European countries, becomes the main official in the country responsible for culture.
This appointment takes place shortly after Dmitry Medvedev won the presidential election in Russia. In this post, Avdeev is replaced by Alexander Sokolov, a well-known teacher and musicologist. Sokolov worked as minister for 4 years. At that time, the Ministry of Culture was merged with the Ministry of Mass Communications. Soon after his resignation, Sokolov became rector of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory.
Minister job
The first steps of Avdeev as minister were the requirements to increase funding for culture in Russia. As a result of his activities, the volume of state support grew by a quarter. By 2012, funding amounted to 94 billion rubles. Despite this, Avdeev constantly insisted that this was not enough for the planned development of the sphere entrusted to him. Avdeev always demanded more.
Using his connections with foreign governments, Avdeev contributed to networking in Europe. In 2010, the year of Russia was spent in France, in 2011 in Spain and Italy, and in 2013 in Germany.
In 2009, Avdeev sharply spoke out against the construction of the Okhta Center tower in St. Petersburg. He noted that as the Minister of Culture is categorically against this construction. Avdeev supported many Petersburgers who opposed the construction of this skyscraper in the Northern capital. Moreover, he insisted that, if necessary, the Ministry of Culture was ready to make an official statement. As a result, Avdeev sent a report to Rosokhrankultura in which he pointed out gross violations of the law when issuing permits for altitude parameters.
In 2010, Alexander Avdeev signed a resonant decree. The Minister reduced the list of Russian cities with historical status by more than 10 times. As a result, only 41 cities remained on the list. In particular, Nizhny Novgorod, Moscow and Pskov were excluded from it.
In 2011, Avdeev opposed the initiative of Presidential Aide Arkady Dvorkovich. The official proposed to reduce student scholarships. Avdeev fiercely criticized these endeavors, saying that scholarships for students of creative universities should, at a minimum, be maintained at the same level.
Elimination of Rosokhrankultury
In 2011, Avdeev participated in the liquidation of the Rosokhrankultura service. One of the main reasons was the audit conducted by the Accounts Chamber. According to its results, the service was found to be ineffective.
As a result of the transformation, the functions of Rosokhrankultura passed to the ministry, which was headed by Avdeev. The official also promised that as a result of these changes, work to protect the monuments will be intensified, laws in the field of protection of cultural heritage objects will be more carefully enforced.
This decision found many opponents. They noted that the liquidation of Rosokhrankultura would reduce control over the spending of money allocated by the Ministry of Culture for restoration of objects, because the Ministry of Culture allocates money for restoration. As a result, a situation will arise in which the department will have to control itself.
Lenfilm Reform
Avdeev tried to solve another acute problem - the loss-making of the film studio "Lenfilm". The Ministry of Culture has developed a phased privatization and corporatization plan for Lenfilm. Well-known directors and filmmakers spoke against him. They presented their own vision of how to get out of this situation. Avdeev promised to find a solution that will satisfy all parties. However, by the time he resigned, the conflict had not been resolved. The fate of Lenfilm is still uncertain until the end.
An interesting fact, Avdeev agreed that Lenfilm should be reformed without using commercial projects. He must remain an effective film studio, while paying for himself.
In 2012, Avdeev signed a decree establishing clear boundaries for the Borodino field, giving a special status to the lands adjacent to it. In particular, in this territory any activity that could harm the cultural object was prohibited. Only research and restoration work is allowed. Almost all powers to protect the territories passed to the leadership of the Borodino military-historical museum-reserve. Thus, as many today believe, this unique place was saved almost in its original form.
Also, when Avdeyev was the Minister of Culture, he was able to quickly complete the large-scale reconstruction of the Bolshoi Theater and begin updating the Pushkin Museum. Restoration work was carried out in St. Petersburg in the Naval Cathedral and the Summer Garden.
Resignation as Minister
Avdeev resigned as minister in May 2012. He was replaced by Vladimir Medinsky, who holds this position at the present time. Vladimir Medinsky has become a bright media personality, unlike diplomatic Avdeev, today everyone is actively discussing any steps of the Ministry of Culture.
Alexander Avdeev returned to embassy work. The diplomat became the Ambassador Extraordinary of Russia to the Vatican and representative at the Order of Malta. This honorable mission carries out to this day.
