Alexei Kudrin

Early life and education Alexei Kudrin was born on 12 October 1960 in Dobele, Latvian SSR to Russian father and Latvian mother. His first job was a motor mechanic and training assistant at the engine laboratory of the Academy of Procurement and Transportation of the Defense Ministry of the Soviet Union, before entering Leningrad State University to study economy. He graduated in 1983, and got an internship at the Leningrad Institute of Social and Economic Problems. In December 1985, he entered the internal postgraduate school at the Institute of Economics of the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union, where he later received his PhD. Saint Petersburg administration From 1990 to 1996, Kudrin worked in the Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg City Administration under the liberal mayor and reformer Anatoly Sobchak. His first position was vice chairman of the Committee for Economic Reform. Until 1993, he worked in various financial positions in the city administration, before he was promoted to deputy mayor, in which position he served from 1993 to 1996. Kudrin was also chairman of the City Administration's Economic and Finance Committee. In addition to his role as finance minister, Kudrin served as one of the deputy prime ministers of Russia from 2000 to 2004 and again beginning in September 2007. == Finance minister ==

Kudrin served as finance minister from May 2000 to September 2011. Kudrin belongs to the group of so-called "St Petersburg economists"—liberal reformers who worked with Putin during his time in the St Petersburg administration—one of the three main informal groups during Putin's presidency. John P. Willerton regards Kudrin and Herman Gref as the leading intellectual forces in crafting of the economic policies of the Putin and Medvedev presidencies. According to Simon Pirani, Kudrin balanced the influence of the siloviki in the government with a financial sobriety. In 2006, Kudrin received the award "Best Finance Minister of a Developing European Country" by the Emerging Markets newspaper, published by the IMF and the World Bank. As the father and supporter of the prudent fiscal management policies, Kudrin had to endure strong criticism from other members of the government, who believed the money should instead be invested in the country's development. In the end, Kudrin's stance prevailed. The savings later proved crucial in helping Russia to come out of the 2008 financial crisis in a much better state than many experts had expected, Still, the Putin-Kudrin relationship was not all smooth sailing. For example, in September 2007 Kudrin was almost fired but in the end was kept on in Viktor Zubkov's Cabinet. Early in the Putin years, Kudrin was appointed chair of the state-owned diamond concern, Alrosa. As Finance Minister, Kudrin has also supported increasing the retirement age and cutting down on bureaucracy. For his policies, he has often been the target of criticism, especially from the United Russia party, which he has refused to join. The Great Recession and its aftermath In the aftermath of the late 2000s global economic crisis, Russia's state budget went into deficit for the first time in years. Kudrin has said that the projected budget deficit is to total 3.6% in 2011, 3.1% in 2012 and 2.9% in 2013. The deficit will be covered primarily through expanded market borrowing. Kudrin has said that the Reserve Fund, accumulated before the crisis, will run out in 2011. Consequently, Kudrin warned that Russia will soon have to adjust to being a country, just "like everyone else" and called for a more effective use of state funds. Finance Minister of the Year 2010 In October 2010, Kudrin was declared "Finance Minister of the Year 2010" by the Euromoney magazine. The magazine said that "Kudrin is rightly hailed as a fiscal manager of the highest order" and praised his "championing of the free market and fiscal prudence". According to Euromoney, the Stabilization Fund created and supported by Kudrin also "enabled Russia to pay off its foreign debt early", and noted that "Kudrin is rightly praised for his commitment to tax and budget reform, Russia’s desire to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) and continuing the progress in privatization." In the award ceremony, Kudrin said: "Russia has already learnt this lesson; it was able to prepare and pass through this period. In this context, this is a result. And when you see your result, you feel satisfied. And when the result is praised by the professional community, it is especially important." == Back to academia ==

Since his retirement from September 2011 to May 2022, Kudrin has been the Dean of the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences of St. Petersburg University. As of 2016, he is co-chairman of the board of trustees of the Mariinsky Theatre, and the chairman of the foundation of the board of trustees of the European University at St. Petersburg. Political activities Kurdrin is the head of the Civil Initiatives Committee, a Non Governmental Organization which promotes Human Right and development of Civil society in Russia. At the opening of the All-Russian Civil Forum, organized by his Committee, Kudrin said the Law on non-governmental organizations - "foreign agents" should be abolished or completely reworded. 2014 sanctions Kudrin said in November 2014 that "Formal and informal sanctions have already seriously impacted the Russian economy. Bringing back the previous opportunities when it comes to foreign investment and trust in the rouble can be achieved only within seven to 10 years of growth of our economy." ==Speculation on future roles==

During his 2012 presidential campaign, businessman Mikhail Prokhorov said he would appoint Kudrin as Prime Minister, but, Prokhorov lost the election. 2018 presidential campaign speculation On 18 June 2015, Kudrin proposed to hold snap presidential elections. He justified this need for global reform and cited the example of the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, who did just that. State Duma deputy from the party A Just Russia Mikhail Emelyanov considered this statement Kudrin's entry into the presidential race. The next day, Kudrin said that he is not going to run for the presidency. However, many experts continued to believe that Kudrin wants to return to the Federal Government, and even take the place of the Prime Minister. ==Chairman of the Accounts Chamber==

on 22 May 2018 After the 2018 Russian presidential election during the formation of the new government, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev nominated Chairwoman of the Accounts Chamber Tatyana Golikova as Deputy Prime Minister. On 10 May, the United Russia party proposed to nominate Kudrin to post of chairman of the Accounts Chamber, instead of Golikova. This was the most anticipated nomination, as pundits observed that Kudrin's role in the new government would set the degree of reformative policies under Putin's fourth term. The low-importance of the position led some observers to speculate that this development signals that the new government has no sizable plans for economic reforms. On 11 May, the party leader Dmitry Medvedev agreed on the candidacy of Kudrin with the parliamentary faction. On 14 May, at a meeting with the Presidium of the faction, Kudrin officially agreed to nominate his candidacy. According to Russian legislation, the State Duma nominates at least three candidates for the post of chairman of the Accounts Chamber, one of whom the President submits to the State Duma for approval. In addition to Kudrin, Anatoly Aksakov from A Just Russia, Yury Sinelshchikov from the Communist Party and Maxim Rokhmistrov from the Liberal Democratic Party also was nominated for this post. On 21 May, Vladimir Putin nominated Kudrin for the chairman. On 22 May, State Duma approved Kudrin in office, with 264 votes in favor. On the same day, the speaker of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin introduced Kudrin to the members of the Accounts Chamber. On 25 September 2019, Russia took over the presidency of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions, and Kudrin took over as president of the organization. On 29 November 2022, Alexei Kudrin announced his intention to resign as chairman of the Accounts Chamber in order to work in the private sector. On the same day, President Putin submitted to the Federation Council a submission on the dismissal of Kudrin from office. On 30 November 2022, the Federation Council dismissed Alexei Kudrin from the post of head of the Accounting Chamber. ==Kudrin and Yandex==

In September 2022, the media learned about the offer that Kudrin was made by the founder of Yandex, Arkady Volozh. He offered the head of the Accounts Chamber 5% of the company for help in dividing it into two parts. Volozh plans to separate the business of unmanned vehicles into a separate structure and develop it in Europe. The rest of Yandex will remain in Russia. There were also rumors that Kudrin was offered a leadership position in the Russian part of Yandex. At the end of September, Pavel Demidov, a longtime employee of Kudrin, moved from the Accounts Chamber to Yandex to the position of GR manager. In November 2022, Putin asked the Federation Council to dismiss Kudrin from his position as head of the Accounts Chamber. The Federation Council will hold a vote on November 30. On December 9, 2022, Kudrin started working at Yandex as a Corporate Development Advisor. Kudrin was sanctioned by the OFAC for operating in the technology sector of the Russian Federation economy. ==Personal life==

Alex Kudrin was married to a Moroccan woman, and they had a daughter together. His wife has passed away. His hobbies include tennis, swimming and music. ==References==