Viktor Borisovich Khristenko (russian: Виктор Борисович Христенко; born 28 August 1957) is a Russian politician who was chairman of the board of the
Eurasian Economic Commission
The Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) is the executive body of the Eurasian Economic Union responsible for implementing decisions, upholding the EEU treaties and managing the day-to-day business of the Eurasian Economic Union. The main task of t ...
from 1 February 2012 to 1 February 2016. He was
First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia
A First Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation, commonly referred to as the First Deputy Prime Minister, is a member of the Russian Government. The First Deputy is to be proposed by the Prime Minister, and approved by the Pr ...
from 31 May 1999 to 10 January 2000 and Minister of Industry from 9 March 2004 to 31 January 2012.
Early life and education
Khristenko was born in
Chelyabinsk
Chelyabinsk ( rus, Челя́бинск, p=tɕɪˈlʲæbʲɪnsk, a=Ru-Chelyabinsk.ogg; ba, Силәбе, ''Siläbe'') is the administrative center and largest city of Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia. It is the seventh-largest city in Russia, with a ...
on 28 August 1957. Kristenko graduated in 1979 from Chelyabinsk Mechanical Engineering Institute with a specialization in construction management and Economics. In 1983, he completed his Candidate of Sciences in Management at the Moscow Institute of Management. Khristenko has acknowledged the influence of
Georgy Shchedrovitsky
Georgy Petrovich Shchedrovitsky (russian: Георгий Петрович Щедровицкий) (23 February 1929 – 3 February 1994) was a Russian philosopher and methodologist, public and cultural figure. The creator of the system-thinking me ...
in his approach to management. He contributed three chapters to ''Methodological School of Management'', a book based on the work of Shchedrovitsky's Moscow Methodological Circle and its successors.
Career
Ministerial posts in the Yeltsin Presidency
In 1998, Viktor Khristenko was appointed as Deputy Prime Minister for Economy and Finance in Sergei Kiriyenko's Cabinet. Described as a "little-known reformist", his appointment drew quite some attention as it was seen as a sign towards economic reform under the Yeltsin Presidency. He however didn't survive the government reshuffling under the following Prime Minister Primakov. From 1999 until early 2000, he was however appointed to
In February 2004, Khristenko briefly served as the acting
Prime Minister of Russia
The chairman of the government of the Russian Federation, also informally known as the prime minister, is the nominal head of government of Russia. Although the post dates back to 1905, its current form was established on 12 December 1993 fo ...
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
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 ...
fired Prime Minister
Mikhail Kasyanov
Mikhail Mikhailovich Kasyanov ( rus, link=no, Михаи́л Миха́йлович Касья́нов, , mʲɪxɐˈil mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪtɕ kɐˈsʲjanəf; born 8 December 1957) is a Russian politician who served as Prime Minister of Russia fr ...
on 24 February 2004.
Khristenko was described as a "broadly reformist technocrat," who had shown "loyalty mixed with extreme caution," unlike the outgoing prime minister who had "openly disagreed with Mr Putin several times, criticizing the criminal investigations into the owners of
Yukos
OJSC "Yukos Oil Company" (russian: ОАО Нефтяна́я Компа́ния Ю́КОС, links=no, ) was an oil and gas company based in Moscow, Russia. Yukos was acquired from the Russian government by Russian oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovs ...
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' called Kasyanov "the most powerful ally of big business remaining in the Russian government." Khristenko, 46 at the time, was promoted from deputy prime minister to acting prime minister. Putin commented that Kasyanov's ousting was not related to the results of the government's activities, which he characterized as positive, but rather was caused by a necessity to once again confirm his position, which would guide the development of the country after 14 March 2004.Виктор Христенко приступил к исполнению обязанностей главы правительства " (''Viktor Khristenko Becomes Acting Prime-Minister''), Lenta, 24 February 2004
Two weeks ahead of the 2004 presidential election, Putin however nominated
Mikhail Fradkov
Mikhail Yefimovich Fradkov ( rus, Михаи́л Ефи́мович Фрадко́в, p=mʲɪxɐˈil jɪˈfʲiməvʲɪtɕ frɐtˈkof; born 1 September 1950) is a Russian politician who served as Prime Minister of Russia from 2004 to 2007. An In ...
to become the next prime minister, four days later to be confirmed by the
State Duma
The State Duma (russian: Госуда́рственная ду́ма, r=Gosudárstvennaja dúma), commonly abbreviated in Russian as Gosduma ( rus, Госду́ма), is the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia, while the upper house ...
Minister of Industry and Trade The industry minister is a cabinet position in a government.
The title may refer to the head of the governmental department that specializes in industry. This position may also be responsible for trade and employment, areas that fall under the mi ...
instead, a post which he held until 31 January 2012.
Tatyana Golikova
Tatiana Alexeyevna Golikova (Russian: Татьяна Алексеевна Голикова; born 9 February 1966) is a Russian politician and economist who serves as the Deputy Prime Minister of Russia for Social Policy, Labour, Health and Pen ...
, was Minister of Health and Social Development from 2007 to 2012. They married in 2003.
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 (3 October 2007) - for his great personal contribution to the economic policy of the state and many years of fruitful activity
**4th class (28 August 2006) - for his great personal contribution to the development of technical and economic cooperation between the states
* Grand Officer of the
Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic ( it, Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana) is the senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi.
The highest-ranking ...
(2009)
* Gratitude of the President of the Russian Federation
* Diploma of the Russian Federation Government
*
Order of the Holy Prince Daniel of Moscow The Order of Holy Prince Daniel of Moscow (russian: Орден святого благоверного князя Даниила Московского) is an award of the Russian Orthodox Church, established in 1988. There are three classes.
Hist ...
, 1st class (Russian Orthodox Church, 2010)
*
Order of Friendship
The Order of Friendship (russian: Орден Дружбы, ') is a state decoration of the Russian Federation established by Boris Yeltsin by presidential decree 442 of 2 March 1994 to reward Russian and foreign nationals whose work, deeds a ...