Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch – deputy of six convocations of the State Duma, philanthropist | Biography of the politician and founder of the foundation “Generation” (“Pokolenie”).
Biography of the politician and public figure Andrei Vladimirovich Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch
Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch has been a member of the State Duma of the Russian Federation for 22 years. He was elected to the Russian parliament for the sixth time in the fall of 2021. He is well known in Russia as a public figure and philanthropist. This year, his humanitarian foundation “Generation” (“Pokolenie”) celebrated its 25th anniversary.
Childhood and family
Andrei Vladimirovich was born on January 30, 1966. His childhood and youth were spent in the village of Nikolskoye in the Moscow region. When he finished school he went into the army. After demobilization, he continued his education at the M.A. Sholokhov Moscow State Pedagogical University (today – the Sholokhov Moscow State University for Humanities).
The deputy’s parents were both from the working class. His father, Vladimir Nikitovich Skoch, a native of Zaporozhye, the foreman of production and the biggest influence in his son’s life, worked for many years at the machine-building plant “Salut”, which produced engines for military and civil vessels. He worked his way from being a simple worker to chairman of the trade union. For his successful work he was presented with several state awards, including the Orders of the Red Banner of Labor and the October Revolution.
Entrepreneurial activity
Skoch’s working biography began in the late 1980s, when he decided to try his hand at the emerging private business sphere. His first success came with the opening of a bakery plant. The startup was organized together with his business partner Lev Kvetnoy. After a while, the businessmen switched to trading in components for computer equipment.
But the most ambitious project of the entrepreneurs was refining and selling fuel. They established a full production cycle, from the purchase of oil to its sale to consumers through a network of gas stations. In 1992, Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch and Kvetnoy were in search of new suppliers, at which time they met Alisher Usmanov, who later became their business partner.
In the mid-1990s, Usmanov invited Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch and Kvetnoy to join his new investment project “Interfin”. Initially, the organization’s profile was related to operations on the securities market. After a while, domestic metallurgy became the main niche for investments, and “Interfin” was renamed “Metalloinvest”.
At the end of the 90s, the assets of the organization included controlling interests in some leading metallurgical enterprises of the country. At that time, Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch was appointed to the post of deputy general director of the Lebedinsky mining and processing plant, located 100 kilometers from Belgorod and being part of the holding. On duty, the entrepreneur was engaged in public work: he held personal meetings, visited remote districts of the region, and delved into regional problems. He soon decided to leave the business and go into politics. In 1999, he was elected deputy of the State Duma of the third convocation.
Politics
After his election to the State Duma, he focused on legislative activities. He participated in the development and adjustment of almost 200 legislative acts. Among the most significant of them are:
● on the provision of measures of social support to the actual educators of servicemen;
● law on the protection of information;
● law on education;
● on the implementation of environmental investment projects in the land territories of the Arctic zone;
● extension of the “dacha amnesty”.
During his first parliamentary term, he dealt with, among other things, the development of Russian industry. In 2000, the deputy headed the Expert Council on Metallurgy and Mining of the profile committee. In subsequent convocations of the Duma, he was a member of the committees for international affairs, CIS and relations with compatriots.
In 2021, the politician was elected to the Russian parliament for the sixth time. He is currently a member of the Duma’s Committee on Control. For his active work, fruitful activity and charitable initiatives, he was repeatedly awarded with state awards. Among them are medals of the Order “For Merit to the Fatherland”, commendations from the Government and the President of the Russian Federation, the Order of Honor, and the sign “Samara Cross”.
Philanthropy
Despite his activity in the State Duma, deputy Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch considers the “Generation” (“Pokolenie”) charitable foundation to be his most important endeavor. It was created in February 1996 as an organization for helping children with congenital heart defects. Today, the foundation successfully implements major long-term projects, as well as provides personal assistance to those in need. Over its years of work 15 billion rubles have been allocated for charitable programs.
Families with many children are also supported by the foundation. For a quarter of a century, the organization has purchased and distributed more than 1000 cars to those in need of transportation. For six years, the foundation supported the”Parental Record” competition, where participants competed in the following categories: “the father with the most children”, “the mother with the most children”, “open heart”, and “the family with the most children in the Belgorod Region”. More than 20 families were honored during the event, and the prize fund has exceeded 70 million rubles.
Every year, “Generation” sponsors recreational activities for children at the Black Sea. Low-income families and families with many children receive vouchers to travel and relax. Since 2002, almost 5000 children have been sent to resorts in the Krasnodar Region. The total amount of financing is about 60 million rubles.
Supporting Talent
The foundation also pays attention to projects aimed at the realization of youth initiatives. In particular, the deputy’s organization supports talented students. The Belgorod region even has a special scholarship, which is awarded as part of the “Best Student of the Year” contest for excellent academic performance and active participation in school life. Another similar area is the “New Generation” youth leadership camp, which has been held in the Belgorod Region since 2005. As part of the educational program, students listen to lectures and seminars on modern forms of management, business etiquette, public speaking, and the basics of personal style.
From 2000 to 2016, “Generation” initiated the “Debut” Literary Award. The contest was open to authors under 35 in the categories of prose, poetry, drama, as well as literature for children, humor and fiction. Over the 16 years of the competition’s existence, over 300 thousand manuscripts from authors from Russia, the CIS countries and far abroad were considered.
Projects related to the promotion of healthy lifestyles and sports also receive funding. “Generation” supports the union of mixed martial arts “MMA” Russia, a boxing federation, sambo, judo and other combat disciplines. The foundation facilitated the opening of the Alexander Nevsky Palace of Martial Arts Sports in Stariy Oskol. The main gym can seat up to 500 spectators on its stands, and the training ground is designed for 120 athletes. The cost of the facility’s construction exceeded 350 million rubles.
