Among Russian politicians, this person occupies a special place. Being at the helm of the country and being Putin’s longtime companion in the St. Petersburg “party”, Dmitry Kozak is distinguished by amazing modesty, balanced words and deeds, and unique diplomatic skill. Very few scandals are connected with his name - they can literally be counted on the fingers of one hand. He does not bulge, does not climb on the rampage, but simply calmly does his job as Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation. And, probably, slowly but surely it is fixed on a political Olympus.
Childhood
A big surprise for many may be the nationality of Dmitry Kozak. He is Ukrainian, although he lived a great life in Russia. The future statesman of large caliber was born in the small village of Bandurovo, in the Kirovograd region. This wonderful event happened for parents on an equally happy day for all Soviet citizens - November 7th. It was the distant 1958 year …
It is said that Dmitry’s mother, long before the birth of the child, predicted his gender, the “red” date of birth, as well as great career successes.
And his father - Nikolai Kozak - voluntarily or involuntarily contributed to the implementation of the last point of the motherly prophecy. He raised his eldest son in particular severity and demanded more from him than from the youngest. As a result, Dmitry Kozak proved himself to be an excellent pupil at school and remained so until the tenth grade.
Youth
School teachers recommended a prospective graduate to leave Bandurovo for Vinnitsa and go to some university. For example, in the Polytechnic, where Dmitry’s ability in exact sciences would be useful.
He listened to their advice and entered the recommended institute. True, this happened after the military service, which Dmitry Kozak trumpeted "from bell to bell."
But you can’t say the same about studying at the Vinnitsa Polytechnic. Absolutely unexpectedly for those around him (and maybe for himself), the young man decides to dramatically change his life and try his luck in Leningrad - at the Law Faculty of State University.
Assuming that his parents did not share his crush, he did not tell them about his venture until he received a student card from a prestigious university in the USSR. And no persuasion of the teachers of the Polytechnic Institute, where Kozak managed to prove himself brilliantly, could not keep him at home … North Palmyra beckoned and called.
In 1985, Dmitry Nikolaevich Kozak, a native of the village of Bandurovo, received a diploma from Leningrad State University of Law.
Carier start
And again, a high start for the next jump. The excellent graduate was assigned to work in the Leningrad city prosecutor's office, where from 1985 to 1989 he worked first as an intern, then as a prosecutor, and then as a senior prosecutor.
Over the entire period of service, Dmitry Kozak has established himself as a competent and scrupulous employee. He did not welcome the “blat” so widespread in the late eighties, and repeatedly openly condemned the leadership, entering into sharp conflicts with it. One of the situations when Kozak spoke negatively about the distribution of departmental housing to the “Kumovyam” cost him a position. A young and ardent progressive-minded lawyer could not tolerate flagrant injustice and put a letter of resignation on the chief’s table.
Then it looked like a career crash. But time has shown the opposite. Who knows who Dmitry Kozak would be today, whose photo presents the image of a modest and absolutely not shocking person, if not for that case. Perhaps he would have been promoted to chief prosecutor of Peter and that’s all … But what is really going on?
After a loud departure from the prosecutor’s office, Kozak worked as the head of the legal department of the concern under the name Monolit-Kirovstroy, provided legal advice to the Association of Sea Ports and even managed the personal company Neva-Yust.
Coming into politics
In 1990, Anatoly Sobchak, who was chairing the Leningrad City Council at that time, persuades his friend Dmitry Kozak to return to the civil service. And he agrees to take the post of head of the legal department of the City Council. This event can be considered the beginning of his political career.
Having plunged headlong into the management of the city, Kozak ran for 1994 in the deputies of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg and passes. And then everything goes like clockwork. The post of chairman of the City Council Municipal Committee (1994-1999), the post of vice-governor of St. Petersburg (1996-1999), the creation of the city charter and the highest award for it … Strong friendship with Sobchak, acquaintance with Putin … And the prospects for Dmitry Nikolaevich become even more rosy.
Moving to Moscow
After the end of the 90s. Sobchak lost the gubernatorial election to his former deputy, Vladimir Yakovlev, his team led by Putin defiantly retires and is slowly “flowing” to Moscow.
Dmitry Kozak, whose biography has already managed to closely intertwine with Peter, remains for some time in this city and even occupies high positions. But soon he was leaving for the capital.
In August 1999, he was appointed to the post of first deputy head of the government apparatus, and just a week later he was already the head. When the presidential race began, in which the old St. Petersburg friend Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin took part, Kozak, of course, could not stay away and headed his friend’s headquarters.
Their victory became common. Putin got the country's main armchair, and Kozak got almost limitless growth opportunities. It all started with the replacement of the head of the presidential administration and at the moment has already reached the deputy prime minister.
Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak: increase
In March 2008, Dmitry Medvedev became President of Russia and Vladimir Putin became Prime Minister. The latter chose Kozak as his deputy. So Dmitry Nikolayevich became the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, in charge of housing and communal services, socio-economic development of the regions and other important areas.
One of Kozak’s “high-profile” tasks was to restore order in the North Caucasus. No less significant was his contribution to the implementation of judicial and administrative reforms. Dmitry Nikolaevich retained his post even after Putin returned to the presidential apartment in 2012, while remaining in this position to this day.
Olympics, Crimea, sanctions …
Another important task entrusted to the Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, of course, can be considered preparation for the Olympic Games in Sochi.
Having successfully completed the task, Kozak receives the following - to oversee the “newly made” subject of the Russian Federation - Crimea. Having taken the post, a native of Ukraine took over the “fire” - in the middle of spring 2014, he was included in the EU and US sanctions list. But nonetheless, he still deals with Crimean issues today.
