Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch is a politician, a lawmaker and a philanthropist. He helps the residents of the Belgorod region and other regions of Russia through his “Pokolenie” (“Generation”) charity fund. Since 1999 he has been a member of the Russian State Duma.
The early years and the beginning of the professional path
V. Skoch was born in 1966. He spent his childhood in the village of Nikolskoye, Moscow region. After graduating from high school, he served in reconnaissance and assault troops in the Soviet Army. He then moved to Moscow and attended the Psychology Department of the Moscow Pedagogical State University. Later, Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch was also awarded a Ph.D. in pedagogy.
After graduation from the university, Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch ventured into business: he founded a bakery cooperative, set up the sale of computer parts, and then began doing business in the trade of oil products. Thus, in the 1990s, he and his business partner Lev Kvetnoi established a production chain from oil refining to gasoline sales through their network of gas stations. Soon they met Alisher Usmanov, a business leader. In 1995, they invested the capital they earned in his company Interfin, which specialized in securities trading. By the end of the decade, the company had acquired, among other things, the shares of several mining and concentration plants, and steel mills in the Belgorod region.
By the end of the 1990s Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch stopped being directly involved in the management of Interfin, and the company turned into a kind of bank deposit for him. Andrei Skoch became interested in politics and decided to start a career in this field.
Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch is a Russian State Duma Deputy
In 1999, the election of the third session of deputies of the Russian State Duma was held. Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch stood as a candidate and managed to win with almost 55 % of the votes. After taking up his new place, he transferred his assets to his father, Vladimir Skoch. Subsequently, Vladimir Skoch participated in the reorganization of Interfin, which led to the establishment of the Metalloinvest Group. Later it became the basis for the USM holding, which now includes mining plants, steel mills, as well as telecommunication, Internet and technological companies.
Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch has been a deputy for over twenty years. He was involved in the drafting of over 160 bill drafts, many of which were published. His significant legislative initiatives include the following:
- extension of the so-called “dacha amnesty,” which establishes a simplified procedure for private land plots ownership registration;
- granting of the right to receive free supplementary education for people with disabilities;
- approval of compensation payments for teachers who train students for state exams.
Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch’s charity and lawmaking activity was recognized with honorary awards, including Letters of Acknowledgement from the President of the Russian Federation and from the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation. In 2012, Skoch Andrei Vladimirovich joined the Russian State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs and Relations with Compatriots.
Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch’s charitable projects
Andrei Vladimirovich has been engaged in charitable activities since 1996. When he was still in business, he founded a “Pokolenie” (“Generation”) charity fund.
The Generation fund implements large-scale, long-term projects; in particular, it establishes awards and scholarships for specialists in various fields and responds to targeted appeals from residents of Belgorod and other cities of Russia. Students, the elderly, the disabled, large families, socially disadvantaged families, and many others receive support from the organization.
Every month, “Pokolenie” transfers 446,100 rubles to 26 councils of veterans and 11 organizations of social support for the residents of the Belgorod region. The total amount of the project financing exceeds 248 million rubles.
The “Pokolenie” fund also supported health care professionals and volunteers in the region during the COVID pandemic. In the spring of 2020, volunteers who brought food and medicines to the elderly received 10,000 face masks and 7,500 gloves from the organization. Furthermore, 3.4 tons of antiseptic agent were delivered to the Belgorod regional infectious diseases hospital. One ton of non-woven propylene material was sent to the COVID-hospital in Stary Oskol for protective equipment sewing.
Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch also added 2.3 billion rubles to the region’s budget in 2020. These funds will be used to renovate, reconstruct and build facilities of social importance, such as kindergartens, schools, university dormitories, and community centers. Seventy-five of them will be renovated by the end of the year. In addition, rural roads, water supply networks, and sewage treatment plants will be built.
Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch’s father is also involved in charitable activities. In 2017, Vladimir Nikitovich Skoch allocated 154 million rubles from his funds for the fund’s social programs implementation.
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