Viktor Melkhiorovich Kress (russian: Виктор Мельхиорович Кресс; born 16 November 1948) is a Russian politician. He is best known for serving five terms as governor of
Tomsk Oblast
Tomsk Oblast (russian: То́мская о́бласть, ''Tomskaya oblast'') is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). It lies in the southeastern West Siberian Plain, in the southwest of the Siberian Federal District. Its administrative ...
,
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
from 1991 to 2012.
Biography
Kress was born into a peasant family with five brothers and a sister. Both of his parents were
ethnic Germans. During his education he also worked on the farm at the village of Yashkino in
Kemerovo Oblast
Kemerovo Oblast — Kuzbass (russian: Ке́меровская о́бласть — Кузба́сс, translit=Kemerovskaya oblast — Kuzbass, ), also known simply as Kemerovo Oblast (russian: Ке́меровская о́бласть, label=non ...
.
Kress graduated from
Novosibirsk Agricultural Institute in 1971 as an agricultural economist and worked as an agronomist in Siberia eventually becoming head of the Rodina
Sovkhoz
A sovkhoz ( rus, совхо́з, p=sɐfˈxos, a=ru-sovkhoz.ogg, abbreviated from ''советское хозяйство'', "sovetskoye khozyaystvo (sovkhoz)"; ) was a form of state-owned farm in the Soviet Union.
It is usually contrasted wit ...
near Tomsk. In 1987, he rose to the position of First Secretary of the
CPSU
"Hymn of the Bolshevik Party"
, headquarters = 4 Staraya Square, Moscow
, general_secretary = Vladimir Lenin (first) Mikhail Gorbachev (last)
, founded =
, banned =
, founder = Vladimir Lenin
, newspaper ...
committee of Pervomayskoye
rayon, Tomsk Oblast. In 1990, Kress was elected and served as speaker of the Tomsk Oblast Soviet. In 1991, after the
Dissolution of the Soviet Union, President
Boris Yeltsin
Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin ( rus, Борис Николаевич Ельцин, p=bɐˈrʲis nʲɪkɐˈla(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ ˈjelʲtsɨn, a=Ru-Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin.ogg; 1 February 1931 – 23 April 2007) was a Soviet and Russian politician wh ...
appointed him as governor of Tomsk Oblast. Kress won re-election by popular vote three times, in 1995, 1999 and 2003. In 2007, President
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...
, who had ended the direct election of governors, nominated him for a fifth term, which he won by a vote of the Regional Duma.
[ ] On March 17, 2012, Kress resigned as governor.
On May 17, 2012, Kress' successor, Governor
Sergey Zhvachkin, appointed him to the
Federation Council
The Federation Council (russian: Сове́т Федера́ции – ''Soviet Federatsii'', common abbreviation: Совфед – ''Sovfed''), or Senate (officially, starting from July 1, 2020) ( ru , Сенат , translit = Senat), is th ...
as the representative of Tomsk Oblast. He serves as the Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Science, Education, Culture and Information Policy.
Kress became a member of the
United Russia
United Russia ( rus, Единая Россия, Yedinaya Rossiya, (j)ɪˈdʲinəjə rɐˈsʲijə) is a Russian conservative political party. As the largest party in Russia, it holds 325 (or 72.22%) of the 450 seats in the State Duma , havin ...
party in 2004.
Sanctions
In December 2022 the
EU sanctioned Viktor Kress in relation to the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. ...
.
Books
Kress has also authored five books
#Difficult Times of Russia: A Look at the Provinces (1998)
#Tomsk Oblast: Today and Tomorrow (1999)
#Tomsk Oblast at the Crossroads of the Centuries (1999)
#Tomsk Oblast: The Start of the 21st Century (2002)
#Direct Answers to Complex Questions (2003)
Personal life
Kress is married to Lyudmila Kress and has two children, His daughter Elena is a cardiologist and his son Vyacheslav is judge at the Seventh appellant arbriage court. He has four grandchildren.
Honours and awards
*
Order of Merit for the Fatherland
Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to:
* Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood
* Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...
;
**3rd class (16 November 2008) - for his great personal contribution to the socio-economic development of the field and many years of diligent work
**4th class (13 November 1998) - for services to the state and a major contribution to socio-economic development of the region
*
Order of the Badge of Honour
The Order of the Badge of Honour (russian: орден «Знак Почёта», orden "Znak Pochyota") was a civilian award of the Soviet Union.
It was established on 25 November 1935, and was conferred on citizens of the USSR for outstanding ...
*
Medal "For Labour Valour"
The Medal "For Labour Valour" (russian: Медаль «За трудовую доблесть») was a civilian labour award of the Soviet Union bestowed to especially deserving workers to recognise and honour dedicated and valorous labour or ...
*Diploma of the President of the Russian Federation (12 December 2008) - for active participation in the drafting of the Constitution and a great contribution to the democratic foundations of the Russian Federation
*
Order of Holy Prince Daniel of Moscow, 1st class (Russian Orthodox Church, 2002)
*Breastplate of the Foreign Ministry of Russia "for contribution to international cooperation" (2008) - for active international activity for the development of international co-operation of Tomsk region with the European Union, Southeast Asia, Israel, United States
*Honorary Citizen of the
Tomsk region
Tomsk Oblast (russian: То́мская о́бласть, ''Tomskaya oblast'') is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). It lies in the southeastern West Siberian Plain, in the southwest of the Siberian Federal District. Its administrative cen ...
(2008) - for outstanding contribution to the objectives of socio-economic development of the Tomsk region, many years of fruitful work
*Honorary citizen of Tomsk (2004)
*Badge "For Services to the Tomsk region" (26 February 2004) - for his great personal contribution to the socio-economic development, successful management of the area during the period of political and economic reforms, stability, peace and harmony on earth
*Badge of Honour "for his services in promoting the Olympic Movement in Russia" (2004, R & D)
*
Order of St. Sergius
Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to:
* Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood
* Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of ...
, 1st class (2008, Russian Orthodox Church)
*
Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...
- November 23, 2010
References
External links
Governor's Official Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kress, Viktor
1948 births
Living people
People from Kostroma Oblast
Heads of the federal subjects of Russia of German descent
Communist Party of the Soviet Union members
United Russia politicians
21st-century Russian politicians
Governors of Tomsk Oblast
Members of the Federation Council of Russia (1994–1996)
Members of the Federation Council of Russia (1996–2000)
Members of the Federation Council of Russia (after 2000)
Recipients of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 3rd class
Recipients of the Order of Holy Prince Daniel of Moscow
Knights Commander of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany