Biography of Valentina Ivanovna Matvienko. Valentina Matvienko: biography and personal life facts Work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Valentina was born on April 7, 1949 in the Ukrainian town of Shepetovka, Khmelnitsky region. Higher education in the biography of Valentina Matvienko was received at the Chemical-Pharmaceutical Institute of Leningrad. After graduating from the institute in 1972, she began working in the Petrograd district committee of St. Petersburg. She was a secretary and head of a department.

Then she changed several secretarial positions in the regional committee of Leningrad and the Krasnogvardeisky district committee. In 1989, in her biography, Matvienko became a people's deputy of the USSR. At the same time, she headed the Supreme Council Committee on Women, Family and Motherhood.

In 1991, in the biography of Valentina Ivanovna Matvienko, the position of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the USSR (and since 1992 of Russia) to the Republic of Malta was occupied. Since 1997 she has been Ambassador to the Hellenic Republic. From 1995 to 1997 she headed the Department of Relations, at the same time she was a member of the board of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The next career stage in Matvienko’s biography occurred in 1998. From September of this year until March 2003, Matvienko served as Deputy Prime Minister. And in 2003 she became a representative of the president, and in the same year she joined the Security Council. 2003 was an extremely successful year in the biography of Valentina Matvienko. Having won the elections, she became the governor of St. Petersburg. He has many awards, orders and medals.

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The northern capital of the Russian Federation is famous for its culture, beautiful places, historical monuments, white nights and drawbridges. But besides all this magic, St. Petersburg is also glorified by people. Among them are artists, athletes, painters, writers and politicians. Valentina Ivanovna Matvienko directly falls into the latter category. The biography of many modern Russian politicians began outside its borders. This also applies to the life story of this woman.

Early life

In the vastness of Ukraine, in the city of Shepetivka (Khmelnitsky region), Valentina Matvienko was born. Her biography began its narrative in 1949 on the fourth of April. That day, a wonderful girl appeared in the Tyutin family (maiden name). My father was a military man, my mother worked as a costume designer at a local theater. At the time of Valentina’s birth, two older sisters were already growing up in the family.

At that time, it was possible to enter the institution after finishing 8 grades. That’s what the girl did - she became a student at the Cherkasy Medical School. It was 1964. After three years of hard work, I had it in my hands, and the idea of moving on was ripe in my head. And the Chemical-Pharmaceutical Institute located in Leningrad accepted into its palace its future governor, who will be Valentina Matvienko. Her biography in 1972 was marked by the second entry on the “Education” page - the girl graduated from college and received the profession of “pharmacist”. In addition, in her fifth year she got married.

Political pharmacist

However, the young lady did not plan to work in her specialty. Instead, she is seriously engaged in party service.

The girl is confidently moving up the career ladder. Since graduating from the Chemical-Pharmaceutical Institute (1972) in the next five years, she “grew up” from the head of the department of the district party committee of the Petrograd region (Leningrad) to its first secretary.

Nine years later (1984), the Leningrad Regional Party Committee finds a new secretary. It becomes Valentina Matvienko. The biography of the Komsomol member is replenished with facts from the field of further education. She improves her skills and knowledge at the Academy of Social Sciences under the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Diplomatic Academy under the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

After some time, Valentina Ivanovna’s direction of activity takes on a “cultural” character: as deputy chairman of the executive committee of the Leningrad Council of People’s Deputies, she struggles with the problems of education and cultural enlightenment.

Diplomatic activities

However, in 1991, Valentina Matvienko, whose biography had already characterized the woman as an excellent party leader, left to serve in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As ambassador of the USSR (and later the Russian Federation), a woman conducts diplomatic activities in Malta and Greece.

Then Valentina Ivanovna returns to politics again. From 1998 to 2003, the woman was involved in social issues, actively helping families affected by terrorist attacks and other issues. In 2001, Valentina Matvienko was awarded the honorary title “Woman of the Year.” Her contribution to the development of education, culture and science did not go unnoticed by ordinary citizens - and in 2003 she was elected governor of the St. Petersburg region. She worked in this position more than successfully for 9 years. In 2011, she resigned at her own request. However, her political career was not over.

Personal life

At the moment, the fourth chairman of the Federation Council is Valentina Matvienko. The biography and personal life of the former governor of the northern capital are still of interest to the public.

The female politician is married. And for a long time. While still at the institute, she tied the knot with Vladimir Matvienko. At the moment, he is a colonel in the medical service, who by chance is confined to the The couple has a son, Sergei. He is currently married and has a daughter. The son is the head of the VTB Capital company.

Valentina Ivanovna Matvienko (maiden name Tyutina, born April 7, 1949, Shepetovka, Khmelnitsky region, Ukrainian SSR, USSR) is a Russian statesman, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation in 1998-2003, governor and chairman of the Government of St. Petersburg since 2003.

She graduated from school with a silver medal (1966), and with honors from the Cherkassy Pharmaceutical School (Ukrainian SSR, 1967).

The time is not far off when we will not only swim in the Baltic Sea without fear, but also drink water from it
(from Valentina Matvienko’s speech at the opening of the South-Western wastewater treatment plant)

Matvienko Valentina Ivanovna

In 1972 she graduated from the Leningrad Chemical-Pharmaceutical Institute, in 1985 from the Academy of Social Sciences under the CPSU Central Committee, in 1991 from the Advanced Courses for Senior Diplomatic Officials at the Diplomatic Academy of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

* 1972-1977 - head of department, secretary, first secretary of the Petrograd district committee of the Komsomol, Leningrad.
* 1977-1984 - secretary, second secretary, first secretary of the Leningrad regional committee of the Komsomol.
* 1984-1986 - First Secretary of the Krasnogvardeisky District Committee of the CPSU.
* 1986-1989 - Deputy Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Leningrad City Council of People's Deputies for Culture and Education.
* 1989-1990 - People's Deputy of the USSR from the Union of Soviet Women, Chairman of the Committee of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on Women's Affairs, Family Protection, Motherhood and Childhood.
* 1991-1992 - Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the USSR to the Republic of Malta.
* 1992-1994 - Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Malta.
* 1994-1995 - Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
* 1995-1997 - Director of the Department for Relations with the Subjects of the Federation, Parliament and Social and Political Organizations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
* 1995-1997 - member of the board of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
* October 1997 - September 1998 - Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to the Hellenic Republic.
* September 1998 - March 2003 - Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation.
* Since March 19, 2003 - Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Northwestern Federal District.
* In June 2003, she was introduced to the Security Council of the Russian Federation.
* On October 5, 2003, she won the second round of early elections for the post of governor of St. Petersburg, appointed in connection with the transfer of Vladimir Yakovlev to the post of Deputy Prime Minister of Russia (Valentina Matvienko - 63.12%, Anna Markova - 24.2%).
* On December 6, 2006, Valentina Matvienko sent a statement to V.V. Putin with a request for early resignation as governor and was then reappointed by the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin to this position, thereby refusing to be elected governor by St. Petersburg residents.
* Since November 20, 2009, he has been a member of the United Russia party.

Diplomatic rank: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (1997)
Speaks German and English.

Married. Son Sergei Matvienko, as of June 2007, the head of the subsidiary development company of Vneshtorgbank - VTB Capital. Former mother-in-law of pop singer Zara.

Awards of Russia and the USSR:
* Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II degree (March 19, 2009) - for services to the state and great personal contribution to the socio-economic development of the city
* Order of Merit for the Fatherland, III degree (April 7, 1999) - for services to the state and many years of conscientious work
* Order of Merit for the Fatherland, IV degree (2003)
* Order of Honor (1996) - for services to the state, great contribution to the implementation of foreign policy and ensuring the national interests of Russia, courage and dedication shown in the performance of official duty
* Order of the Badge of Honor (1976)
* Order of the Red Banner of Labor (1981)
* Medal “In memory of the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg”

Encouragements from the President of the Russian Federation
* Gratitude of the President of the Russian Federation (August 14, 1995) - for active participation in the preparation and holding of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945
* Gratitude of the President of the Russian Federation (September 2, 2008) - for active participation in the preparation and holding of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum and the meeting of the heads of state of the Commonwealth of Independent States

Foreign awards:
* Order of Merit (Austria, 2001)
* Grand Cross of the Order of Honor (Greece, 2007)
* Order “For great love for independent Turkmenistan” (Turkmenistan, September 2009) - for great contribution to strengthening Turkmen-Russian relations
* Medal “For outstanding contribution to the national years of China and Russia” (PRC, 2008)
* Order of Friendship of Peoples (Belarus, 2009)
* Grand Knight's Cross of the Order of the Lion of Finland (December 1, 2009)

Valentina Ivanovna Matvienko(maiden name Tyutina; April 7, 1949, Shepetivka, Kamenets-Podolsk region, Ukrainian SSR) - Soviet and Russian statesman, politician, diplomat. Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation since September 21, 2011, member of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation - representative in the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation from the executive body of state power of the city of St. Petersburg since August 31, 2011. Governor and Chairman of the Government of St. Petersburg in 2003-2011, Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation in 1998-2003. Member of the Bureau of the Supreme Council of the United Russia party.

Full holder of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland.

Valentina Tyutina was born on April 7, 1949 in Shepetovka, Kamenets-Podolsk region of the Ukrainian SSR (now Khmelnitsky region of Ukraine). Father - Ivan Tyutin, a front-line soldier, mother - Irina Tyutina, worked as a costume designer in the theater. She has two older sisters, Lydia and Zinaida. She spent her childhood in Cherkassy. Her father died when Valentina was in second grade.

She graduated from school with a silver medal (1966), and with honors from the Cherkassy Medical School (1967). In 1972 she graduated from the Leningrad Chemical and Pharmaceutical Institute. In her fifth year at the institute, she married Vladimir Matvienko. She recalled that after college she was assigned to graduate school. In her young years, Valentina Matvienko wanted more to be a scientist than a politician. However, she received an invitation to work at the district Komsomol committee and, after a meeting with the rector of the institute, accepted the invitation, deciding to return to graduate school in 2-3 years.

In 1985 she graduated from the Academy of Social Sciences under the CPSU Central Committee, in 1991 she graduated from advanced training courses for senior diplomatic officials at the Diplomatic Academy of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Speaks Ukrainian, German, English and Greek.

Party and Soviet career

In 1972-1977 - head of department, secretary, first secretary of the Petrograd district committee of the Komsomol, Leningrad.
In 1977-1978 - Secretary of the Leningrad Regional Committee of the Komsomol.
In 1978-1981 - second secretary of the Leningrad regional committee of the Komsomol.
In 1981-1984 - first secretary of the Leningrad regional committee of the Komsomol.
In 1984-1986 - first secretary of the Krasnogvardeisky district committee of the CPSU of the city of Leningrad.
In 1986-1989 - Deputy Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Leningrad City Council of People's Deputies (oversaw issues of culture and education).
In 1989-1991 - People's Deputy of the USSR from the Union of Soviet Women, Chairman of the Committee of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on Women's Affairs, Family Protection, Motherhood and Childhood, member of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

Work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Since 1991 - Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the USSR to the Republic of Malta.
In 1992-1994 - Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Malta.
In 1994-1995 - Ambassador at Large for the Russian Foreign Ministry.
In 1995-1997 - Director of the Department for Relations with the Subjects of the Federation, Parliament and Social and Political Organizations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
In 1995-1997 - member of the board of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
From October 2, 1997 to September 24, 1998 - Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to the Hellenic Republic.

Work in the Government and Administration of the President of Russia

From September 24, 1998 to March 11, 2003 - Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation.

From March 11 to October 15, 2003 - Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Northwestern Federal District.

In June 2003, she was added to the Security Council of the Russian Federation. Valentina Matvienko’s colleagues described her as “a combative and very active social deputy prime minister who fought for every social object, for every line of the budget.” Thus, among her merits are the repayment of many years of arrears in wages and pensions, an increase in sick leave payments, and increased funding for the implementation of the law on persons with disabilities. Meanwhile, it should be noted that the Deputy Prime Minister’s successes were greatly facilitated by the general improvement in the economic situation in the country in the early 2000s. After the 1998 default and the massive devaluation of the ruble, export revenues were converted into rubles at a significantly higher dollar exchange rate, as a result of which the government was able to pay off old debts to the social sphere.

Governorate

On September 21, 2003, in the first round of early elections for the post of governor of St. Petersburg, appointed in connection with the transfer of Vladimir Yakovlev to the post of Deputy Chairman of the Government of Russia, she gained 48.73% of the votes and advanced to the second round.

On October 5, she won the second round (Valentina Matvienko - 63.12%, Anna Markova - 24.2%) and became governor.

On December 6, 2006, she sent a statement to V.V. Putin with a request for the early resignation of the governor and then on December 20 she was reappointed by the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin to this position, thereby confirming her powers for a new term in accordance with the new appointment procedure governors in the subjects of the federation.

In the period 2010-2012, at the invitation of Kazimira Prunskiene, she was the honorary president of the Baltic Women's Basketball League.

On June 24, 2011, the head of Bashkortostan R.Z. Khamitov put forward the idea of appointing Valentina Matvienko as Chairman of the Federation Council. Matvienko’s candidacy was supported by the President of the Russian Federation D. A. Medvedev.

On August 22, 2011, the President of the Russian Federation accepted the resignation of V. I. Matvienko from the post of governor at his own request.

Work in the Federation Council

On August 31, 2011, the Governor of St. Petersburg G.S. Poltavchenko signed a resolution on her appointment as a member of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation - a representative in the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation from the executive body of state power of the city of St. Petersburg. The resolution came into force from the date of its signing.

On September 21, 2011, Valentina Ivanovna Matvienko was elected by 140 votes of senators with 1 abstention as Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. The voting was uncontested. V. I. Matvienko thus became the first woman in the history of Russia to hold the post of chairman of the upper house of parliament.

Since July 11, 2012 - member of the State Council of the Russian Federation. In accordance with Decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated July 11, 2012 No. 946 “Issues of the State Council of the Russian Federation,” the Chairman of the Federation Council, ex officio, is a member of the State Council.

On December 27, 2012, the Federation Council unanimously approved an “anti-orphan” law establishing a ban on the transfer of children who are citizens of the Russian Federation for adoption by US citizens, as well as the activities of bodies and organizations on the territory of the Russian Federation for the purpose of selecting children who are citizens of the Russian Federation, for adoption to US citizens wishing to adopt these children. According to sociologists from the Levada Center, the “anti-orphan” law was supported by 50% of the country’s population. Despite the fact that the majority of the population reacted positively to the adoption of this law, the “anti-orphan” law caused a resonance in society. Until the meeting of the Federation Council, at which the draft of this law was discussed, the Federation Council did not develop a unified position on this issue, and Valentina Matvienko, several weeks before the meeting, called for not rushing to adopt this law and carefully consider all issues.

In 2011 and 2012, she was recognized as the most influential woman in Russia in a ranking compiled by Echo of Moscow, Ogonyok and RIA Novosti. According to journalist Alexey Venediktov, Matvienko is indeed extremely influential: “...She has very well established connections with the main decision makers - Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev. She influences them. Secondly, we must not forget that Matvienko is a member of the Security Council, the only female permanent member of the Security Council. I’ll emphasize once again that my interlocutors in the Kremlin, to whom I showed this rating and discussed it with them, because I was interested in their opinion, they told me that Valentina Ivanovna is an influential person, and they listen to her.”

Sanctions

Matvienko was one of the most active participants in the Russian campaign in Crimea from the very beginning. On March 1, she convened the Federation Council for an emergency meeting, during which senators unanimously gave President Vladimir Putin permission to use troops on Ukrainian territory.

On March 17, 2014, Matvienko was subject to US government sanctions, which include a ban on entry into the United States, as well as seizure of assets and property located in the United States. The American side considers the Speaker of the Federation Council to be one of the main Russian parliamentary figures responsible for violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Similar measures have been taken by the Canadian government. According to Forbes magazine, sanctions were imposed against her because “the ex-governor of St. Petersburg publicly defended the right of the residents of the peninsula to a referendum on the status of autonomy and justified the legality of the scheme to annex the region to Russia as a subject of the Russian Federation.”

Also included in the sanctions lists of the European Union, Switzerland and Australia.

Diplomatic ranks and class rank

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (1997)
Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary 1st class (December 10, 1995)
Acting State Councilor of St. Petersburg, 1st class.

Family

While studying in her fifth year at LHFI, she married fellow student Vladimir Vasilyevich Matvienko, who is currently confined to a wheelchair and lives almost forever in the Leningrad region in a country mansion near the Gromovo railway station.

The Matvienko spouses have a son, Sergei Matvienko, born in 1973. He has two higher education degrees in finance and credit and international economics. In 2003-2010, Sergei Matvienko was vice president of Bank St. Petersburg. In 2004, Sergei Matvienko took the post of vice president of one of the largest Russian state banks - Vneshtorgbank. In 2006, he headed the company CJSC VTB Capital, which manages real estate owned by Vneshtorgbank and its investment projects in construction, while retaining the status of vice president of VTB Bank; in 2010 he was mentioned as the general director of VTB-Development CJSC, affiliated with the bank. In addition, it was noted that Sergei Matvienko was the owner of Imperia CJSC, a company that had 28 subsidiaries “carrying out activities in the field of development, transportation, cleaning and media market” (among the most famous were Nord-West Sergei Matvienkomanagement LLC, CJSC "Parameter", LLC "Kronstadt Sails", CJSC "Versia" and LLC "Douglas"). He was called Matvienko and the owner of MST-Holding CJSC - until October 2010, co-owner of the fixed-line operator Metrocom (45 percent of the shares of the OJSC). The second co-owner of the CJSC (55 percent) in 2009 was the Committee for City Property Management (KUPI) of the St. Petersburg City Hall.

There is a granddaughter Arina Sergeevna Matvienko.

Awards

Awards of Russia and the USSR

Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 1st class (2014)
Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II degree (2009) - for services to the state and great personal contribution to the socio-economic development of the city
Order of Merit for the Fatherland, III degree (1999) - for services to the state and many years of conscientious work
Order of Merit for the Fatherland, IV degree (2003)
Order of Honor (1996) - for services to the state, great contribution to the implementation of foreign policy and ensuring the national interests of Russia, courage and dedication shown in the performance of official duty
Order of the Red Banner of Labor (06/17/1981)
Order of the Badge of Honor (1976)
Medal "In memory of the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg"
P. A. Stolypin Medal, 1st degree (2014)

Encouragements from the President of Russia

Certificate of Honor from the President of the Russian Federation (January 27, 2010) - for active participation in the preparation and holding of meetings of the State Council of the Russian Federation
Gratitude of the President of the Russian Federation (September 2, 2008) - for active participation in the preparation and holding of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum and meetings of the heads of state - participants of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Gratitude of the President of the Russian Federation (August 14, 1995) - for active participation in the preparation and holding of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.

Departmental awards

Medal "For Interaction" (Russian Prosecutor's Office, 2010)
Medal "For Merit in Ensuring National Security" (Security Council of the Russian Federation, 2009)
Medal “For Strengthening the Customs Commonwealth” (Federal Customs Service, 2008)
Medal “100 years of St. Petersburg University of the State Fire Service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia” (Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia, 2006)
Medal “Admiral N. G. Kuznetsov” (Russian Ministry of Defense, 2005)
Medal “For interaction with the FSB of Russia” (FSB of Russia, 2004)
Badge “For personal contribution to the protection and improvement of civil defense” (2004)
Medal "For Merit in the Field of Civil Aviation" (Interstate Aviation Committee, 2004)
Medal “For Military Commonwealth” (Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, 2003)
Medal “For Services to National Healthcare” (Ministry of Health of Russia, 2003)
Badge “Excellence in Border Troops” (FPS, 2003)
Medal “For Strengthening the Military Commonwealth” (Russian Ministry of Defense, 1999).

Awards of the constituent entities of Russia

Badge of honor “For services to St. Petersburg” (August 31, 2011).

Foreign awards

Order “For great love for independent Turkmenistan” (Turkmenistan, 2009) - for his great contribution to strengthening Turkmen-Russian relations
Order of Friendship of Peoples (Belarus, 2009)
Grand Knight's Cross of the Order of the Lion of Finland (Finland, 2009)
Medal “For outstanding contribution to the national years of China and Russia” (PRC, 2008)
Order of the Legion of Honor (France, 2009)
Grand Cross of the Order of Honor (Greece, 2007)
Order of Princess Olga III class. (Ukraine, 2002) - for a significant personal contribution to the development of Ukrainian-Russian cooperation, active participation in ensuring the implementation of the Year of Ukraine in the Russian Federation
Order of Merit (Austria, 2001)
Dame of the Order of Merit (Malta, 2013)

Confessional awards

Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh, 1st degree (2010) - in consideration of the assistance of the Russian Orthodox Church
Order of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, 1st degree (ROC, 2006)
Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh, II degree
Order of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, II degree (ROC, 2001)
Order of the Holy Martyr Tryphon, II degree (ROC, 2001) - for his great personal contribution to the fight against drug addiction, alcoholism and other harmful phenomena
Order of Saint Sahak and Saint Mesrop (Armenian Apostolic Church, 2012) - for his important contribution to strengthening the friendship of the Armenian and Russian peoples, to the preservation of Armenian spiritual and national values in St. Petersburg

Honorary titles and academic degrees

Honorary member of the Russian Academy of Arts

Awards

Prize of the Government of the Russian Federation in the field of science and technology (2010)
Laureate of the national award for public recognition of women's achievements "Olympia" of the Russian Academy of Business and Entrepreneurship for 2001.

Other awards

Medal of A. S. Pushkin “For great merits in the dissemination of the Russian language” (International Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature, 2003).
In the ranking of “100 most influential women in Russia” by Ogonyok magazine, published in March 2014, she took 1st place.
Imperial Order of the Holy Great Martyr Anastasia (12 July 2013, Russian Imperial House) - in reward of services to the Fatherland and as evidence of OUR special favor

Criticism

The appearance of St. Petersburg under Matvienko has undergone significant changes: many buildings, shopping centers and transport interchanges have been demolished and built. Meanwhile, active construction caused a flurry of criticism against the governor, who was reproached for condoning the so-called “compressive development”, as well as the demolition of historical buildings in the city center for the sake of the construction of expensive new buildings. In particular, the media actively discussed the construction of a 300-meter Gazprom City skyscraper in the historical center of St. Petersburg, which was supported by Matvienko, in connection with which a number of rallies of human rights organizations and civilians were held in 2011. However, in this particular case, public protests were heard and it was decided to abandon the project.

In connection with Matvienko’s resignation from the post of governor, on July 4, 2011, an issue of the weekly Kommersant Power was published under the heading “For icicles before the Fatherland,” which contained assessments of her tenure at the head of St. Petersburg. However, according to the Kommersant publishing house, at least 90% of the circulation of this magazine was confiscated in St. Petersburg.

Communal collapse in winter 2010-2011

In the winter of 2010-2011, a difficult weather situation developed in St. Petersburg: in December, 81 mm of precipitation fell, which is more than 60% higher than the precipitation norm for the city of 50 mm, and for 18 days in January 2011, the precipitation norm was already exceeded. Combined with problems in the supply of snow removal equipment, the quality of city cleaning was considered unsatisfactory by the mayor herself. Matvienko suggested involving homeless people and students to clear snow.

Regarding the poor cleaning of the city, as well as several deaths that occurred in connection with it, the work of the governor was publicly criticized by famous personalities, including actor Mikhail Trukhin, music critic Artemy Troitsky, cartoonist Andrei Bilzho, and deputy Oksana Dmitrieva.

In response to criticism, in connection with the death of a six-year-old orphan Vanya Zavyalov from a fallen icicle, Matvienko suggested that children and the elderly not leave the house unless absolutely necessary. At the same time, she said that “the city is cleaning up significantly better than last year,” and that the criticism is due to the fact that “some politicians are whipping up hysteria to discredit the authorities.” A year earlier, on February 2, 2010, Matvienko put forward a proposal to shoot down “icicles,” as she put it, with a laser or steam. Philologists claim that the word “icicles”, which does not exist in the Russian language, sounds indecent in the mouth of the governor. However, in Dahl’s dictionary this word is: “Icicle. icicle, - a medicine that can be sucked, or which is given such a look, appearance, as if it is intended for a pacifier, sucking.”

Elections as a deputy

Elections in the municipal districts “Krasnenkaya Rechka” and “Petrovsky”, in which Valentina Matvienko was one of the candidates, were criticized. Among the violations committed during the election process were the following:

concealment of information about the elections by the municipal district election commission and preventing opposition candidates from participating in them. Political scientist Valery Ostrovsky, however, said that information about the elections was published. But at the same time, the circulation of newspapers in which information about the elections was published was not published on time and was published in a different design from the traditional one.
illegal campaigning for Matvienko
elections in the districts from which Matvienko ran were not previously planned (they were announced in the Aleksandrovskaya and Lomonosov districts)

According to the head of the St. Petersburg City Electoral Commission, Dmitry Krasnyansky, the elections were recognized as legal.

The state of St. Petersburg under Matvienko

Economics and budget

Matvienko herself claims that she “pulled” the city out of the end of the 20th century, in which it seemed stuck” and increased the city budget several times. V. Matvienko has repeatedly stated the need to support small businesses. From 2002 to 2007, the number of small enterprises in St. Petersburg increased by 41% (from 89.7 thousand to 126.8 thousand). During Matvienko’s reign, hundreds of retail outlets at public transport stops and near the metro were liquidated; with her direct participation, the largest market in the North-West, Apraksin Dvor, was destroyed, and more than 20,000 people lost their jobs.

Ecology

The area of parks and squares is steadily decreasing. In the period from 2003 to 2006 alone, the total area of green space in the city decreased from 11,970 to 10,535 hectares. The city administration also plans to significantly reduce the city's green areas (out of 2,250 public areas, only 1,389 may remain by the end of 2010).

At the same time, green spaces in St. Petersburg continue to be cut down, and practically no new ones appear. According to some estimates, at the beginning of the 21st century, about 1.5 million people in St. Petersburg live in conditions of environmental discomfort, and about 500 thousand live in areas of extreme discomfort.

Every year, 250 thousand tons of pollutants are emitted into the atmosphere of St. Petersburg, which is about 50 kg for each city resident. At the same time, the city committee for ecology and environmental management notes that this is not so much. The level of air pollution in St. Petersburg is on average 10 times higher than the maximum permissible concentrations (MPC). Most of the air in St. Petersburg contains nitrogen dioxide (2 MPC), the source of which is cars, as well as industrial enterprises. Emissions from motor vehicles are almost 200 thousand tons per year and annually increase in proportion to the number of cars by 7%. At the same time, St. Petersburg cannot be called a green city. The most populated areas, Central and Admiralteysky, have the lowest density of green spaces - less than 20% of the area. The Kalininsky district is best provided with green spaces - 40-50% of the territory. Most areas of the city have a green space density of 20-30%.

Convenience level

In the list of the most comfortable cities in the world compiled by The Economist magazine, St. Petersburg in 2009 took 68th place out of 139 possible.

In the list of large cities published annually by the influential American consulting firm Mercer, Moscow and St. Petersburg took 166th and 170th places, respectively. According to the calculations of the compilers of the list, in terms of living standards, Russian capitals are slightly inferior to Caracas (capital of Venezuela, 165) and Libreville (capital of Gabon, 156). When calculating the place on the list, the level of crime, political stability, the number of hospitals and the quality of medical care, the convenience of the transport system, the presence of cafes and restaurants, recreational facilities, climatic conditions, the level of civil and political freedom and other factors were taken into account - a total of 39 criteria.

State of historical heritage

At the corner of Nevsky Prospekt and Vosstaniya Square under Matvienko, the demolition of historical buildings of the 19th century was carried out. On the site of the lost monuments, the Finnish Stockmann shopping center was built with a modern glass roof, which contrasts with the surrounding buildings and noticeably exceeds them in height. The governor motivated the destruction of the historical part of the city with the following considerations: “A huge department store for the middle class will appear here. It is my responsibility to ensure the financial well-being of the city.”

Similarly, the ancient houses 55 and 59 on Nevsky Prospekt were demolished in order to build a multi-level garage (parking) and an 8-story commercial center "Nevsky Plaza" in their place.

In January 2011, Valentina Matvienko appealed to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin with a request to exclude St. Petersburg from the list of historical settlements.

Construction and transport support of the city

The problem of traffic jams and parking has not been resolved and has become acute. Garage builders argue that “as long as the state tolerates parking on lawns, nothing will change.” At the same time, it was under her that large-scale demolition of the so-called began (and continues to this day). “flat” garages with the subsequent construction of commercial real estate in their place (less often - road network objects and residential real estate): at the moment, several dozen GSC and UAS have been demolished in different areas of the city, which causes large-scale dissatisfaction among citizens, since the destruction of privately owned garages often does not entail adequate compensation as required by law.

The intensification of the construction of a dam designed to protect the city from floods is called a success of the Matvienko administration, although the second cycle of work began several months before Matvienko came to the governor’s post, when she still held the post of Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Northwestern Federal District, after which the terms completion was postponed twice, and the dam was also financed from the federal budget and funds from the EBRD loan provided to the Government of the Russian Federation.

The attitude of St. Petersburg residents towards Matvienko

In February 2010, the Megapolis Sociological Center monitored St. Petersburg residents’ assessment of the effectiveness of the city government. According to the Megapolis report, the governor of St. Petersburg received the “greatest losses and negative gains” over the past two months. In October 2009, almost 45% of respondents had a positive view of the governor, in December - 38.5%, and in February 2010 - almost 33%. At the same time, the number of her opponents actually doubled in four months: in October 2009, slightly more than 10% assessed the governor’s activities negatively, in December - 13%, and in February 2010 - almost 20%. By December of the same year, the share of St. Petersburg residents who negatively assessed the activities of V. I. Matvienko increased to 28%. In July 2011, Matvienko’s work as governor of St. Petersburg was considered bad by 34% of citizens, average by 42%, and good by only 18%.

At the same time, on May 19, 2010, at a press conference, V.I. Matvienko stated, “I will remain in my post as long as the people of St. Petersburg and the President trust me.”

On June 6, 2009, V. I. Matvienko found herself at the center of a scandal after a party took place on board the cruiser Aurora, which caused a wide resonance in society.

Social sphere

On July 21, 2009, at a meeting of the Government of St. Petersburg, Valentina Matvienko harshly criticized the management of the St. Petersburg Metro for the provision allowing children under 8 years of age to travel for free only if they have a residence permit in St. Petersburg:

There are no words for outrage. This is not typical for St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg has always been a hospitable city. We are interested in having not only foreign tourists come to us, but also residents of all regions, so that children come to us, especially now during the holidays. Who came up with such nonsense? Why do leaders on their own consider it possible to make decisions that then disturb the entire city and damage the image of St. Petersburg?

Amendment 1-1 to the law “On additional measures of social support for children and youth in St. Petersburg,” according to which registration was required, was included in the law at the request of Valentina Matvienko herself, published in a letter to the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg No. 07 -105/716 dated June 16, 2008.

Valentina Matvienko - photo

Family

Valentina Ivanovna Matvienko is married to Vladimir Vasilievich Matvienko, former teacher at the Military Medical Academy. The Matvienko couple have a son - Sergey Matvienko, born in 1973, entrepreneur, and granddaughter Arina.

Valentina Matvienko's father is Ivan Tyutin, a front-line soldier (died when Valentina was in second grade), her mother Irina Tyutina, worked as a costume designer in the theater.

Biography

Valentina Ivanovna Matvienko (Tyutina) was born on April 7, 1949 in the city of Shepetovka, Kamenets-Podolsk (now Khmelnytsky) region of the Ukrainian SSR.

In 1966, Valentina graduated from school with a silver medal, and in 1967 she graduated with honors from the Cherkassy Medical School, moved to Leningrad and entered the Leningrad Chemical-Pharmaceutical Institute.

In her fifth year at the institute, Valentina married Vladimir Matvienko.

At the institute, Valentina Matvienko was engaged in active social work, was a faculty Komsomol organizer and chairman of the university Komsomol committee.

Upon graduation from the institute in 1972, Matvienko was assigned to graduate school. However, she was invited to work at the district Komsomol committee, and she agreed. Valentina Matvienko’s further professional activity was directly related to socio-political and diplomatic activities.

In 1985, Valentina Matvienko graduated from the Academy of Social Sciences under the CPSU Central Committee, and in 1991, she graduated from advanced training courses for senior diplomatic officials at the Diplomatic Academy of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In September 1992, Matvienko, together with the future vice-governor of St. Petersburg Viktor Krotov founded a commercial company "Komavtoservis", and in July 1993 registered JSC "Valentina".

In May 2004, Matvienko joined the board of directors JSC "Lenenergo".

Valentina Matvienko speaks Ukrainian, German, English and Greek.

Policy

Valentina Matvienko's political activity began after graduating from the Leningrad Chemical-Pharmaceutical Institute.

From 1972 to 1977, Valentina Matvienko worked as department head, secretary, and first secretary of the Petrograd district committee of the Komsomol in Leningrad.

From 1977 to 1978, Matvienko worked as secretary of the Leningrad Regional Committee of the Komsomol. From 1978 to 1981, Matvienko was the second secretary of the Leningrad regional committee of the Komsomol, in 1981-1984 - the first secretary of the Leningrad regional committee of the Komsomol. From 1984 to 1986 - first secretary of the Krasnogvardeisky district committee of the CPSU of the city of Leningrad.

In 1986-1989, Valentina Matvienko served as deputy chairman of the executive committee of the Leningrad City Council of People's Deputies, where she oversaw issues of culture and education.

In 1989, Valentina Matvienko was elected People's Deputy of the USSR from the Union of Soviet Women. IN Supreme Council of the USSR Matvienko became a member of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and took the post of head of the Committee on Women's Affairs, Family Protection, Motherhood and Childhood.

In 1991, a number of deputies of the Supreme Councils of the USSR and the RSFSR were asked to switch to diplomatic work, including Matvienko, who was asked to take up a major diplomatic post.

Matvienko’s protection, according to various sources, was provided by the Chairman of the Presidium of the USSR Supreme Council Evgeny Primakov, who later headed the Russian Foreign Ministry.

In May 1991, after attending advanced training courses for senior diplomatic officials at the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Valentina Matvienko became ambassador of the USSR and then the Russian Federation to Republic of Malta.

In 1992-1994, Valentina Matvienko was Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Malta, and from 1994 to 1995, Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

From 1995 to 1997, Valentina Matvienko served as Director of the Department for Relations with the Subjects of the Federation, Parliament and Social and Political Organizations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. At the same time, Matvienko was a member of the board of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

From October 1997 to September 1998, Valentina Matvienko worked as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to Greek Republic.

With appointment Evgenia Primakova Prime Minister Valentina Matvienko returns to Moscow. Since September 1998, Matvienko was appointed Deputy Prime Minister in the Primakov government.

From September 1998 to March 2003, Valentina Matvienko held the post Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation.

In March 2000, Matvienko announced her intention to participate in the elections for the governor of St. Petersburg, with the explicit support of the federal center and Vladimir Putin. However, according to opinion polls, Matvienko’s rating in the city did not exceed 2 percent. As a result, after consultations with Putin, Matvienko refused to run for governor.

In March 2003, Matvienko was appointed Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Northwestern Federal District, where she worked until October 2003. Most experts expressed confidence that Matvienko’s new position is the next step towards participating in the elections for the governor of St. Petersburg.

In June 2003, Matvienko was introduced to the Security Council of the Russian Federation.

In June 2003, Matvienko announced her intention to run for the post of governor of St. Petersburg and formed a campaign headquarters, which was headed by the rector of the Mining Institute and a personal friend of Putin Vladimir Litvinenko. Matvienko was supported by the party, and on the eve of the elections, President Putin met with Matvienko and wished her victory in the elections.

In September 2003, Valentina Matvienko took part in the elections for the governor of St. Petersburg, in which she received 48.73% of the votes and reached the second round. Together with Matvienko, the former vice-governor of St. Petersburg entered the second round Anna Markova, which received 15.89 percent of the vote.

In October 2003, Matvienko won the second round and became the governor of St. Petersburg. As Valentina Matvienko herself stated, she, “like an old war horse, is always ready to get into action at the first call.”

In October 2005, Matvienko joined the Council under the President of the Russian Federation for the implementation of priority national projects and demographic policy

In December 2006, Matvienko sent a statement to Vladimir Putin asking for the early resignation of governor, and was reappointed by the President to this position, confirming her powers for a new gubernatorial term.

At the end of December 2006, deputies approved Matvienko as head of St. Petersburg. 40 deputies voted for Matvienko, three were against.

In October 2007, Matvienko was included in the list of candidates from "United Russia"(second after) in the elections to the State Duma of the fifth convocation in St. Petersburg. After the party's victory in the elections held in December 2007, she refused her parliamentary mandate.

In April 2008, Matvienko came up with the initiative to merge St. Petersburg with the Leningrad region. In July of the same year, Matvienko announced that she intended to submit proposals for the unification of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region to the President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev. However, Dmitry Medvedev did not support Matvienko’s proposal.

In November 2009, Valentina Matvienko joined the party "United Russia", and joined the Supreme Council of the party.

In June 2011, the head of Bashkortostan put forward the idea of appointing Valentina Matvienko as Chairman of the Federation Council. Matvienko’s candidacy was supported by the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev.

In July 2011, Matvienko applied to participate in by-elections to the municipalities of the municipal municipality "Petrovsky" and municipal municipality "Krasnenkaya Rechka" of the city of St. Petersburg, gaining 95.61% and 97.29% of the votes in these districts.

In August 2011, in connection with the election as a deputy of the municipal council of the Krasnenkaya Rechka municipality, Valentina Matvienko sent a resignation letter to President Medvedev.

In August 2011, the President accepted the resignation of Valentina Matvienko, releasing her from the post of governor of St. Petersburg. The Governor of St. Petersburg signed a resolution appointing her as a member of the Federation Council - a representative from the executive body of state power of the city of St. Petersburg.

In September 2011, Matvienko was elected Chairman of the Federation Council by 140 votes of senators with 1 abstention. Matvienko became the first woman in Russian history to hold the post of chairman of the chamber of the Federal Assembly.

Since September 2011, Valentina Matvienko has been a permanent member of the Security Council of the Russian Federation. Since July 2012, Valentina Matvienko has been a member of the State Council of the Russian Federation.

In 2011 and 2012, Valentina Matvienko was recognized as the most influential woman in Russia in ratings conducted by a number of Russian media.

Journalist Alexey Venediktov about the influence of Valentina Matvienko:

“She has very well established connections with the main decision makers - Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev. She influences them. Secondly, we must not forget that Matvienko is a member of the Security Council, the only woman - a permanent member of the Security Council... Once again I would like to emphasize that my interlocutors in the Kremlin, to whom I showed this rating and discussed it with them, because I was interested in their opinion, they told me that Valentina Ivanovna is an influential person, and they listen to her.”

On March 1, 2014, Matvienko convened the Federation Council for an emergency meeting, during which senators unanimously gave President Vladimir Putin permission to use troops on Ukrainian territory.

On March 17, 2014, Matvienko was subject to US government sanctions, which include a ban on entry into the United States, as well as seizure of assets and property located in the United States. The American side considers the Speaker of the Federation Council to be one of the main Russian parliamentary figures responsible for violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Similar measures have been taken by the Canadian government. Matvienko is also included in the sanctions lists of the European Union, Switzerland and Australia.

In August 2015, the United States refused to issue Matvienko a visa to participate in a meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in New York. However, after long negotiations, Washington agreed to allow the speaker of the Federation Council into the country, but only to meet with UN representatives, and she was also ordered to move further than 25 miles from the center of Manhattan. The restrictions imposed made Matvienko's visit pointless and she decided to abandon it completely.

At the end of September 2015, President Vladimir Putin asked the Federation Council for permission to use the Russian Armed Forces outside the country. They talked about the possibility of bombing militant positions "Islamic State" in Syria. The Federation Council, headed by Matvienko, approved this proposal.

In September 2015, Matvienka topped the media rating of members of the Federation Council, compiled by the Medialogy company.

The name of the Speaker of the Federation Council was most often mentioned in connection with the visa scandal, which did not allow her to take part in the events of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in New York. The media also quoted Matvienko in connection with the intention of the Federation Council to consider the issue of using the Russian Armed Forces abroad.

In October 2015, Matvienko received an invitation to come to Syria as the head of the delegation at a meeting with Syrian parliamentarians and confirmed that the visit would take place.

Income

According to Valentina Matvienko’s declaration for 2012, she earned 3,079,941 rubles. Matvienko owns a land plot with an area of 3,600.00 square meters. m, two apartments with an area of 500.10 sq. m. m, two dachas with an area of 984.80 sq. m, one garage with an area of 22.40 sq. m, and one car. In 2013, Matvienko’s income amounted to 3.052 million rubles.

According to the official website of the Federation Council, Valentina Matvienko’s income in 2014 increased fifty times compared to 2013, and amounted to 160.3 million rubles. The amount of income for the year included 152.6 million rubles, which she received from the sale of her own apartment and parking space in the capital. As for her husband’s annual income, it amounted to 1.8 million rubles. Matvienko’s property also consists of two plots of land, a dacha, an apartment, a utility block, a parking space, and a Chevrolet car. In addition, she has a service dacha at her disposal.

Scandals

In November 1999, Valentina Matvienko was involved in a major car accident on the Penza-Kamenki highway; as a result of the accident, the first deputy chairman of the government of the Penza region was killed Vyacheslav Tarasov and his driver. Matvienko received a closed head injury, a scalped wound to the frontal region and a ligament rupture. The governor of the Penza region also suffered a traumatic brain injury. Vasily Bochkarev. The chief state sanitary doctor of the Russian Federation was appointed head of the group for providing emergency medical care to victims Gennady Onishchenko.

In November 2003, Matvienko submitted an application to the prosecutor's office of St. Petersburg, in which she asked to check the legality of the statements Anna Markova during a televised debate on the eve of the elections. During the debate, Markova accused Matvienko of “dirty play” and “bribing voters,” as well as the fact that her relatives are involved in business. At the request of Matvienko, the prosecutor's office opened a criminal case against Markova under Articles 129 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (slander) and 130 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (insult). In response, the former gubernatorial candidate filed a lawsuit, demanding that the actions of the prosecutor's office be declared illegal. In June 2004, Markova apologized to Matvienko “regarding a number of her statements,” explaining them “by the emotional intensity of the election struggle,” after which the governor withdrew her statement.

In February 2004, at a meeting of the city government, Valentina Matvienko demanded “to create precedents for the eviction of tenants who do not pay rent into less comfortable housing”, and called on the heads of district administrations to take tough measures against defaulters.

In 2005-2006, Matvienko was repeatedly accused by the press of censoring media outlets controlled by the St. Petersburg authorities. According to critics, it was because of censorship considerations that some employees of Radio Petersburg and NTV St. Petersburg were fired.

Since 2006, Valentina Matvienko has actively lobbied for the construction of a 300-meter skyscraper "Gazprom City" in the historical center of St. Petersburg.

During Matvienko’s governorship, the process of demolition of buildings in the historical center of St. Petersburg that were of historical value took place, the construction of parks and squares of the metropolis was carried out, and the historically developed urban landscape, which was under protection, was destroyed UNESCO. The problem of traffic jams and parking has not been resolved and has become acute. The area of parks and squares has been steadily decreasing (for example, during the period from 2003 to 2006, the total area of green spaces decreased from 11,970 to 10,535 hectares).

In March 2007, the coalition led by and held an unauthorized rally "March of Dissent", in which several hundred people took part. In April 2007, this action was held again in St. Petersburg. As a result of the clash between the protest participants and the riot police, both demonstrators and a number of journalists covering the protest were injured; a total of 120 people were detained.

In May 2007, law enforcement agencies informed the media that an attempt on Matvienko’s life had been thwarted. Later it became known that three people were detained on suspicion of preparing an assassination attempt - Ravil Muratov, Timur Saidgareev and Vladislav Baranov, and two more suspected of involvement in this case were put on the wanted list. The case was considered by a jury, which in April 2008 returned a not guilty verdict against the three accused of the assassination attempt, without finding strong evidence of their guilt, after which Muratov, Saidgareev and Baranov were released from custody in the courtroom.

In December 2008, Valentina Matvienko, together with the head of VTB Bank and the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, signed a memorandum on the creation of a joint military educational and scientific center (UNTS) “Naval Academy” in Kronstadt. The project, estimated at more than 100 billion rubles, was based on the project of the VTB Development company, headed by Matvienko’s son.

In June 2009, Valentina Matvienko found herself at the center of a scandal after a party took place on board the cruiser Aurora, which caused outrage in society.

In the winter of 2010-2011, a large amount of precipitation fell in St. Petersburg, seriously exceeding climatic norms. Matvienko was publicly criticized for poor cleaning of the city and several deaths caused by snow and icicles.

In January 2011, Valentina Matvienko appealed to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin with a request to exclude St. Petersburg from the list of historical settlements, which caused a wave of indignation among citizens.

In August 2011, Matvienko won the elections to the municipal councils of the Petrovskoye and Krasnenkaya Rechka districts, while in Petrovskoye she received 93.7 percent of the votes, and in Krasnenkaya Rechka - 94.5 percent. To attract the attention of voters to the elections, a cultural and entertainment program was organized, and cadets and employees of the topographic institute of the Mozhaisky Military Space Academy were involved in the turnout.

In connection with Matvienko’s resignation from the post of governor, in July 2011, an issue of the weekly Kommersant-Vlast was published under the heading “For icicles before the Fatherland,” which contained assessments of Matvienko’s tenure at the head of St. Petersburg. However, according to the Kommersant publishing house, at least 90% of the magazine's circulation was confiscated in St. Petersburg.

In 2003-2010 son Matvienko Sergei was the vice president of Bank St. Petersburg; in 2004, Sergei Matvienko took the post of vice president of one of the largest Russian state banks, Vneshtorgbank.

In 2006, Matvienko Jr. headed the company CJSC VTB Capital, which manages real estate owned by Vneshtorgbank and its investment projects in construction, while retaining the status of vice president of VTB Bank.

In February 2007, before the elections to the legislative assembly of St. Petersburg, a newspaper leaflet called “Petersburg Diary” was distributed in the city, which stated that the governor’s son Sergei Matvienko uses drugs, leads an antisocial lifestyle, and in his youth participated in an apartment robbery . Law enforcement agencies qualified this as slander and opened a criminal case under Article 129, Part 2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The media report that Sergei Matvienko is the owner of Imperia CJSC, which has 28 subsidiaries, and they attribute to him the management of MST-Holding CJSC.

In 2009, the business assets of Valentina Matvienko’s son were estimated at approximately $1 billion.