Nowadays, the once exotic combination of “woman-politician” no longer surprises many people. Moreover, the woman who will be discussed in this article managed to become the most influential woman in Russia, to whom all the top officials of the state listen.
In addition, she is a worthy example of how to properly combine serious work, a happy personal life, health and a fit body. All this is about politician Valentina Matvienko, whose biography is full of dizzying political ups and downs.
Valentina Ivanovna Matvienko (in childhood Tyutina), half-Ukrainian by nationality, Aries by horoscope, was born in 1949 in Ukraine. Valya is the third daughter and youngest child in the family. Valentina Matvienko's parents had nothing to do with the country's politics: father Ivan, a military veteran, mother Irina, a theater costume designer. In addition to Valya, the family had two more daughters - Zinaida and Lydia.
Valentin practically does not remember his father. He died when the girl was 7 years old. Then all worries about raising and providing for children fell on the mother’s shoulders. Seeing how her mother was tired, receiving pennies, the youngest daughter passionately dreamed of becoming successful and starting earning money herself, helping her family.
Good studies and active social activities played a significant role in the fate of the future politician. Having been at the institute a Komsomol member of the faculty and the chairman of the Komsomol committee of the university, Matvienko understands that she does not want to connect her life with medicine. And again she becomes a student, but now at the Academy of Social Sciences under the CPSU Central Committee. In addition, the girl attends diplomatic courses at the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where she studies several languages at once.
Career
After working in the regional Komsomol committee for five years, in 1977, deputy Matvienko received an offer to become secretary of the regional committee of the Komsomol of the city of Leningrad. For 10 years, Matvienko overcame the thorny path to success. As a result, by the end of the 80s, she became deputy head of the executive committee, where she managed cultural issues, and soon, as head of the committee, she resolved issues related to women’s affairs and family protection.
In the 90s, the politician became the ambassador of the USSR and then the Russian Federation in Malta. Upon returning to his homeland, Matvienko heads the department for relations with the regions of the country at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The governor's new path
At the beginning of the 2000s, a female politician became the governor of the cultural capital of Russia. And she immediately decides to transform St. Petersburg. Having taken charge of her beloved city, Matvienko decided to seriously engage in its changes after the “difficult 90s”.
At the same time, the politician had to solve the problem of winter collapse. In the winter of 2011, an unprecedented amount of snow fell in the northern capital of Russia. The governor ordered students and homeless people to be involved in the cleaning. With this, Matvienko wanted to solve the problem of employment of the above categories of the population. However, public activists in the country criticized the governor’s idea.
In 2010, Valentina Matvienko took the post of Chairman of the Federation Council. Her candidacy was proposed by the head of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Rustem Khamitov, who was supported by the president. The political career of the “Iron Lady” took off. Two years later, with the active participation of Valentina Ivanovna, the “Dima Yakovlev Law” was adopted, which prohibits the adoption of Russian children by US citizens. The document was approved by the Federation Council.
Two years ago, news appeared in the media that Matvienko spoke out about unacceptably low salary bonuses for officials in Russia. She said that “high salaries can attract real specialists,” and “cheap officials cost the state dearly.” These statements by the Speaker of the Federation Council were critically received by the public.
In 2016, Valentina Ivanovna proposed a bill banning any physical influence on debtors by debt collectors. Initially, the draft document completely prohibited collection activities, but was finalized, since in the first version it would have provoked the emergence and development of criminal groups.
Men in the life of politics
Valentina Matvienko’s husband worked as a teacher at the institute until the beginning of the 2000s. Having retired, he began building a dacha. Today Vladimir is in the shadow of his wife and fully supports her.
Valentina and Vladimir Matvienko became parents in 1973. Their only son, Sergei Matvienko, was born. Having matured, the young man received two economic educations. Today he is one of the most successful and richest people in the country - the vice president of several banks and the owner of several structures of large companies.
At the beginning of 2004, Sergei got married. His chosen one was the famous singer Zara. True, the marriage did not last long. Two years later, Sergei and Zara filed for divorce, citing as the reason that they “didn’t get along.” A few years later, Sergei Matvienko reappeared in the registry office. This time he decided to get engaged to a young student, Yulia Zaitseva. In 2009, their daughter Arina was born.
Today Valentina Matvienko is the first female deputy in Russia, Speaker of the Federation Council, and permanent member of the Security Council of the Russian Federation. She is not only a successful politician, but also a happy wife, mother and grandmother. Despite her age, 68 years old, she loves to do housework, cook delicious food and paint pictures. In addition, she monitors the condition of her body, adheres to healthy eating rules, regularly swims in the pool and goes to the gym, thereby keeping herself in good shape. Author: Anastasia Kaykova
Matvienko Valentina Ivanovna is a well-known figure in the world of politics, taking an active part in the political and diplomatic activities of Russia. Since 2011, she has served as Chairman of the Federation Council and is a member of the Bureau of the Supreme Council of the United Russia party.
Before the Federation Council, she held the position of governor and chairman of the government of St. Petersburg and is currently a representative of the executive authorities of this city in the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. The speaker of the upper house of parliament is the most influential woman in Russia, whose opinion is listened to by the main figures in the country's political arena.
Valentina Ivanovna Matvienko (nee Tyutina) was born on April 7, 1949 in the Ukrainian village of Shepetovka, Khmelnytsky region, in the family of front-line soldier Ivan and costume designer Irina. Rumors claim that Valentina’s nationality is half Ukrainian – on her father’s side. Soon the family moved to Cherkassy, where the chairman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation spent her entire childhood.
The father of the future governor of St. Petersburg died when Valya was not yet seven years old, leaving her mother alone without support in her arms with three daughters, among whom Valentina was the youngest. In connection with the tragedy, the Matvienko family began to experience serious financial difficulties, which became a key factor in choosing a future profession.
Valentina Matvienko at school age After graduating from high school with a silver medal, Valentina, without hesitation, entered medical school in order to quickly get a profession and start earning money on her own and helping her mother. Having received a diploma with honors from the Cherkassy Medical School as a paramedic, the future diplomat decided not to interrupt her studies and moved to Leningrad to enter the Leningrad Chemical-Pharmaceutical Institute, after which she was assigned to graduate school.
However, it was at the university that Valentina Matvienko’s biography radically changed direction, as the girl began to engage in social work and realized that medicine was not her calling. She decided to get an education in a new profile and entered the Academy of Social Sciences under the CPSU Central Committee, after which she supplemented her knowledge with advanced training courses for senior diplomatic officials at the Diplomatic Academy of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
During this time, the Russian statesman went through a thorny path from an ordinary member of the Communist Party to the secretary of the Leningrad Regional Committee of the Komsomol. At this stage, Matvienko’s rapid and successful political career began, which, thanks to her perseverance and desire, reached significant heights in the Russian political arena.
Even in his youth, at the beginning of his political career, Matvienko received a rather strange nickname “Valka-glass”. Evil tongues claimed that all decisions at Komsomol congresses were accompanied by drinking, and sometimes even political meetings turned into drinking. It was undignified for a young politician, especially a woman, to break away from the team, so, according to rumors, Valentina drank vodka with her colleagues, and sometimes she even put a glass on the table and offered them a drink after the meeting.
Young Valentina Matvienko (center) Be that as it may, Valentina Ivanovna’s career confidently went uphill. She now speaks about the origin of her nickname with a bit of irony, declaring that she doesn’t remember a glass, but there was half a glass, and wonders if there was anyone at that time who didn’t have one.
Policy
In 1986, Valentina Matvienko entered the world of big politics and took the position of deputy chairman of the executive committee of the Leningrad City Council of People's Deputies. She oversaw issues of culture and education in Leningrad, and a few years later she became a people's deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and took the post of chairman of the Supreme Council Committee for the Protection of Family, Children and Women. In this field, the woman and politician in one person achieved great success, which allowed her to become the plenipotentiary ambassador of the USSR, and after the collapse of the Union and the Russian Federation in the Republic of Malta.
Valentina Matvienko (right) as Ambassador of the USSR Three years later, Valentina Ivanovna returned to Russia and headed the department for relations with the regions of the Russian Federation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In 1998, with the coming to power of the former Prime Minister of Russia, Valentin Matvienko received the position of Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, which she retained for 5 years. She consistently oversaw the country's social policy, despite four changes in leadership. Matvienko was able to retain her position under Primakov, and under.
In 2003, Matvienko received an offer to return to the Northwestern Federal District and literally a few months later she was able to become the governor of her beloved city of St. Petersburg. In the same year, Valentina Ivanovna was introduced to the Security Council of the Russian Federation.
Governorship
Having won the gubernatorial elections in 2003, Valentina Ivanovna actively took up the restoration of the city after the crisis of the late 90s. According to her, she literally “pulled” St. Petersburg out of the end of the 20th century by force. However, her opponents call all of Matvienko’s achievements during her governorship and the innovations of the new mayor “outrageous.”
The appearance of St. Petersburg under Matvienko changed significantly - many old buildings were demolished, in the place of which new buildings and shopping and entertainment centers “grew”, and significant restructuring of transport interchanges took place. For such active construction, Governor Matvienko was subjected to a barrage of criticism for the demolition of historical buildings in favor of the development of modern construction.
The governor also suffered the communal collapse of 2010-2011, when very unfavorable weather conditions developed in St. Petersburg. Then Valentina Ivanovna called for the involvement of students and homeless people to clear the snow. Poor cleaning of the city was also attributed to the “sins” of the mayor - Matvienko was criticized by many famous personalities.
In 2006, Valentina Matvienko submitted her resignation, but Russian leader Vladimir Putin rejected it and reappointed her as governor of St. Petersburg for a second term. In June 2011, the head of Bashkortostan R.Z. Khamitov proposed Matvienko’s candidacy for the post of chairman of the Federation Council. The then-current President of the Russian Federation supported the candidacy of Valentina Ivanovna, in connection with which she submitted an application for early resignation as governor of her own free will, which was approved.
The early vacated post of governor of St. Petersburg after Matvienko’s resignation was taken by Georgy Poltavchenko, who, after taking office, appointed her as the representative of St. Petersburg in the Federation Council of Russia. Literally two weeks later, Valentina Ivanovna was unanimously elected to the post of Chairman of the Federation Council, gaining 140 votes from senators, of which only one abstained.
Valentina Matvienko became the first woman in Russian history to become speaker of the upper house of parliament. The day after the elections, Valentina Ivanovna became a permanent member of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, and a year later, due to changed Russian legislation, she automatically became a member of the State Council of the Russian Federation.
Personal life
Valentina Matvienko's personal life is as stable as her political career. As a fifth-year student at LHFI, Valentina Ivanovna married her fellow student Vladimir Matvienko, with whom she lived in a happy marriage until the last days of her husband’s life.
Matvienko’s husband taught at the Military Medical Academy until 2000, and after retiring, he began independently building a dacha near St. Petersburg. Recently, Vladimir Matvienko was confined to a wheelchair and did not leave the Leningrad region, living in a built mansion near the Gromov railway station.
In 1973, a son, Sergei, was born into the Matvienko family. The parents gave their only son a good education; he has two diplomas in economics. The son of Valentina Matvienko, after graduating from prestigious universities, was vice president of the St. Petersburg Bank and the largest Vneshtorgbank for 7 years. Sergey Matvienko is the owner of the Empire company, which has 28 subsidiaries and is engaged in development, transportation, cleaning and the media market.
Since 2003, Matvienko’s son has been repeatedly accused of various illegal activities, but such data have not had official confirmation.
In 2004, Sergei married a girl whom the whole country later recognized as a popular singer. The marriage turned out to be passionate, but short-lived. As the spouses themselves stated, they simply did not get along in character - in 2006, the young people separated.
In 2008, Sergei married for the second time to a simple St. Petersburg student. A year later, son Sergei and his wife Yulia Zaitseva made Valentina Matvienko a happy grandmother, giving her the long-awaited granddaughter Arina.
In her free time from government work, Valentina Matvienko likes to do housework and enjoys cooking and painting. The most influential woman in Russia, despite her age (she turned 70 in 2019), is in impeccable physical shape, visiting the pool and gym.
On August 30, 2018, a tragedy occurred in the family - the husband of Valentina Matvienko. In the last years of his life, Vladimir was seriously ill and was confined to a wheelchair. Matvienko’s husband was a retired medical service colonel. The couple had been married for 45 years.
Valentina Matvienko now
According to Russian media surveys, the statuesque (woman's height is 170 cm) Valentina Matvienko is the most influential woman in Russia, having established connections with the country's main people - Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev. This is not denied in the Kremlin either - Valentina Ivanovna is considered an influential person whose opinion everyone listens to.
Against the backdrop of the current situation in Ukraine, Valentina Matvienko, like many other political figures, came under sanctions against Russia. She was one of the first in the ranks of active participants in the events during the beginning of the Russian campaign in Crimea: one of the number of politicians who convened an emergency meeting of the Federation Council and gave the Russian leader the right to send troops into Ukrainian territory.
Anti-Russian sanctions prohibit Matvienko from entering the EU and provide for the seizure of her assets and property in the United States. In America, the Speaker of the Federation Council is considered the main Russian figure responsible for violating the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.
At the beginning of 2016, Valentina Matvienko introduced a bill “On Collectors” to the State Duma. The new law is designed to limit the actions of debt collectors against individuals, prohibiting the use of physical violence against debtors. In this way, the authorities hope to overcome the ever-increasing lawlessness on the part of collectors and the banks that hire them. Initially, the law was supposed to completely ban collection activities, but politicians were stopped by the fact that a ban on legally collecting debts would lead to criminal groups doing it. But even in its softened form, the bill caused a lot of criticism from experts.
In March 2016, the speaker of the Federation Council commented on the 40% increase in salaries of officials. Valentina Matvienko spoke quite categorically about increasing salaries for officials, citing the fact that high wages make it possible to recruit really good specialists into this field and avoid staff turnover. According to Matvienko, reducing the salaries of officials will only cost the country more. The speaker's words caused a wide resonance among the public, which rather negatively perceived the idea of increasing the salaries of officials.
In 2017, the politician held a meeting with workers in the social sphere of the village, where she talked with teachers and the press about teachers’ salaries. Valentina Matvienko expressed particular concern about teachers' salaries in the Ivanovo region, after she learned first-hand that teachers' salaries had dropped to 7 thousand rubles. Matvienko instructed the Minister of Education to figure out the reason why teachers receive so little. Not only do such low salaries contradict the “May” decrees of the President of the Russian Federation, they also do not correspond to Rosstat data.
On March 29, 2019, President Vladmir Putin awarded Valentina Matvienko the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called "for her outstanding contribution to the development and creation of new special equipment, as well as for strengthening the country's defense capability."
Chairman of the Federation Council and member of the Security Council since September 2011, representative of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg in the Federation Council since August 31, 2011. Member of the Supreme Council of the United Russia party since November 2009. Previously, she served as Governor of St. Petersburg (2003-2011), Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the Northwestern Federal District (2003), Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs (1998-2003), and worked in the diplomatic service (1991-1998). She began her career as a Komsomol and party functionary. He has the diplomatic rank of ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary. He is a member of the Council under the President of the Russian Federation for the implementation of priority national projects.
Valentina Ivanovna Matvienko (nee Tyutina) was born on April 7, 1949 in the city of Shepetovka, Khmelnitsky region, Ukrainian SSR. In 1967 she moved to Leningrad. In 1972 she graduated from the Leningrad Chemical-Pharmaceutical Institute, in 1985 from the Academy of Social Sciences under the CPSU Central Committee, in 1991 from advanced training courses for senior diplomatic officials at the Diplomatic Academy of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Since 1972, Matvienko has been involved in Komsomol and party work. She climbed the career ladder from the head of a department of the Petrograd district committee to the first secretary of the Leningrad regional committee of the Komsomol. From 1984 to 1986 she worked as first secretary of the Krasnogvardeisky district committee of the CPSU. From 1986 to 1989 she worked as deputy chairman of the executive committee of the Leningrad City Council of People's Deputies on issues of culture and education. From 1989 to 1992 she was a people's deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. From 1989 to 1991, she served as chairman of the Supreme Court Committee on Women's Affairs, Family Protection, Motherhood and Childhood.
From 1991 to 1994 she worked as Ambassador of the USSR and the Russian Federation to the Republic of Malta. From 1994 to 1995, she served as Ambassador at Large for the Group of Ambassadors at Large. From 1995 to 1997, she was director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's department for relations with the constituent entities of the Federation, parliament and socio-political organizations and a member of the ministry's board. From 1997 to 1998 she worked as the Russian Ambassador to Greece. On September 24, 1998, she was appointed Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, overseeing a block of social issues in the government of Evgenia Primakova. She was deputy prime minister in the governments of Sergei Stepashin (since May 1999) and Vladimir Putin (since August 1999). Retained her post in the government of Mikhail Kasyanov (since May 2000).
In March 2003, Putin appointed Matvienko as the Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the Northwestern Federal District. After the appointment of the Governor of St. Petersburg, Vladimir Yakovlev, as Deputy Prime Minister, Matvienko took part in the gubernatorial elections held on October 5, 2003, and won. Earlier, in March 2000, she had already announced her decision to run for governor, but then abandoned her intention.
Since 2006, Matvienko has been a supporter of the construction of the 300-meter Gazprom City skyscraper in the historical center of St. Petersburg.
On May 18, 2007, law enforcement agencies informed the media that an attempt on Matvienko’s life had been prevented. In April 2008, the three defendants who stood trial were acquitted by a jury.
In October 2007, the non-party Matvienko was included in the list of candidates from United Russia in the elections to the State Duma of the fifth convocation in St. Petersburg (her name was included at number two, and the list was headed by the speaker of parliament, party leader Boris Gryzlov). After the party's victory in the elections held on December 2, 2007, it, as expected, refused its parliamentary mandate.
In November 2009, Matvienko became a member of United Russia and joined the party's Supreme Council. In June 2011, it became known that Matvienko would leave the post of governor of St. Petersburg to head the Federation Council. On August 21, 2011, Matvienko won municipal elections in two districts of St. Petersburg and the next day became a deputy of the Krasnenkaya Rechka district. She needed a deputy mandate to get into the Federation Council. On August 22, 2011, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev accepted Matvienko's voluntary resignation and appointed Georgy Poltavchenko, the presidential envoy to the Central Federal District, as acting governor of St. Petersburg. On August 31, upon taking office as governor, he appointed Matvienko a member of the Federation Council. On September 21, the upper house of the Russian parliament elected her as its chairman, and on September 22, Matvienko became a permanent member of the Russian Security Council.
Matvienko was awarded several times, including the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, the Order of the Badge of Honor and the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, III and II degrees. She has the diplomatic rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and is a member of the Council under the President of the Russian Federation for the implementation of priority national projects.
Matvienko is married, she has a son, Sergei, vice president of VTB Bank (in 2006 he headed the company VTB Capital CJSC, which manages real estate owned by Vneshtorgbank; in 2010 he was mentioned as the general director of VTB Development CJSC). Since 2003, Russian media have published materials accusing Sergei Matvienko of various illegal activities, but these data have never been officially confirmed.
Valentina Matvienko is a politician, diplomat and one of the most influential women in Russia, whose opinion is listened to by top officials of the state.Valentina Matvienko's childhood
Valentina Matvienko (nee Tyutina) was born in the small Ukrainian town of Shepetivka, but soon moved with her family to Cherkassy. Ivan Tyutin, Valentina’s father, went through the war and died when the girl was in second grade. Mother Irina worked as a costume designer in the theater. On a very modest salary, she alone had to raise Valentina and her two older sisters. 
Studying was easy for Valentina - in 1966 she graduated from school with a silver medal, and a year later she received a red diploma from the Cherkassy Medical School. This opened the door for her to one of the prestigious Leningrad universities - the Chemical-Pharmaceutical Institute, from which she graduated in 1972, receiving a postgraduate placement.
The beginning of Valentina Matvienko's career
In parallel with her studies at the institute, Valentina Matvienko began to engage in social work, going from an ordinary Komsomol member to the first secretary of the Leningrad Regional Committee of the Komsomol.Realizing that pharmaceuticals was not her calling, Valentina decided to get an education in a new field for her. In 1985, Valentina became a graduate of the Academy of Social Sciences under the Central Committee of the CPSU, after which she completed advanced training courses for senior diplomatic officials at the Academy of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is worth noting that Matvienko speaks Ukrainian, English, German and Greek.
The year 1986 became significant in its own way for Valentina Matvienko - she entered the world of big politics, taking the position of deputy chairman of the executive committee of the city Council of People's Deputies of Leningrad. Her responsibilities included overseeing cultural and educational issues.
Three years later, in 1989, Valentina Ivanovna became a people's deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, heading the committee for the protection of families, children and women. Her outstanding business qualities and organizational skills helped her achieve great success and receive a new assignment.
Valentina Matvienko's work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
In 1991, Valentina Matvienko was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the USSR (and then the Russian Federation) to Malta. Since 1994, she held the position of Ambassador at Large for the Russian Foreign Ministry for two years.From 1995 to 1997, Matvienko was director of the Department for Relations with Subjects, Parliament and Organizations of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as a member of the board of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After Matvienko, she held the position of Russian Ambassador to the Greek Republic for a year.
In the fall of 1998, with Yevgeny Primakov coming to power, Valentina Matvienko became Deputy Prime Minister of Russia. She worked in this position until March 2003, overseeing social policy under Stepashin, Putin and Kasyanov. Then for several months she was the plenipotentiary representative of the Russian President in the Northwestern Federal District, after which she became a member of the country's Security Council.
Governor of St. Petersburg Valentina Matvienko
On September 21, 2003, early elections for the post of governor of the city were held in St. Petersburg. This happened in connection with the transfer of Vladimir Yakovlev to the post of Deputy Chairman of the Russian Government. In the first round of the elections, Valentina Matvienko, who received 48.73% of the votes, advanced to the second round, where she took a leading position and became the governor of St. Petersburg.Exclusive interview with Valentina Matvienko
On December 6, 2006, Valentina Matvienko sent Vladimir Putin an application for early resignation as the head of the city, but was reappointed to the position.
In November 2009, the politician became a member of the United Russia party. As Valentina Matvienko noted in her final speech as governor of St. Petersburg, she considers her main achievement to be the return of capital functions to the city on the Neva. With the move of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation from Moscow, St. Petersburg became the second capital of our country.
Resignation of Valentina Matvienko
In the summer of 2011, the head of Bashkortostan, Khamitov Rustem, proposed appointing Valentina Matvienko to the position of Chairman of the Federation Council. This candidacy was also supported by President Dmitry Medvedev. Since only deputies could apply for a high post, at the end of July 2011, Valentina Ivanovna applied to participate in the pre-elections to the municipalities “Krasnenkaya Rechka” in the Moscow Region and “Petrovsky” in St. Petersburg. She received 97.29% and 95.61% of the votes respectively. The high results and the overall organization of the elections drew criticism from the opposition.Spravorossy stated that they did not recognize the elections as legitimate, and Boris Nemtsov, leader of the PARNAS party, called Matvienko "a disgrace for the city and the country." Communist Gennady Zyuganov compared these elections and their results with elections in the North Caucasus republics, where candidates receive 90-100% of the votes. The politician herself stated that “there have never been more transparent elections in St. Petersburg in history.”
On August 22 of the same year, Valentina Matvienko sent her resignation to the head of state in connection with her election as a deputy of the Krasnenkaya Rechka municipality. She was relieved of her post as governor of St. Petersburg.
On August 31, 2011, the head of St. Petersburg Georgy Poltavchenko signed a resolution appointing Valentina Matvienko as a member of the Federation Council, a representative of the Federation Council from the government of St. Petersburg.Less than a month later, the politician was elected Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of Russia. Then Valentina Ivanovna received 140 votes from senators, one abstained from voting, which was uncontested. As a result, Matvienko became the first woman in Russia to head the upper house of parliament. At the same time, the ex-governor of St. Petersburg became a permanent member of the Russian Security Council.
Valentina Matvienko in Posner's program
Personal life of Valentina Matvienko
In her fifth year at LHFI, Valentina married her classmate Vladimir Vasilyevich Matvienko. Until 2000, my husband taught at the Military Medical Academy, and after retirement, he devoted his free time to building a country house near St. Petersburg. Now he is confined to a wheelchair and does not travel outside the Leningrad region, living in a country mansion near the Gromovo railway station. 
In 1973, a son, Sergei, was born into the Matvienko family. In 2004, he took a senior position in one of the large Russian banks and married singer Zara, but the marriage turned out to be fragile. After 2 years, the couple separated. Now Sergei is married again, and Valentina Matvienko’s granddaughter Arina is growing up.
Valentina Matvienko now
Valentina Ivanovna takes an active part in the political and diplomatic activities of Russia. He is interested in art, enjoys cooking in his free time, and visits the swimming pool and gym.Interview with Valentina Matvienko to Russia Today TV channel
Valentina Ivanovna Matvienko(maiden name Tyutina; April 7, 1949, Shepetivka, Kamenets-Podolsk region, Ukrainian SSR) - Soviet and Russian statesman, politician, diplomat. Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation since September 21, 2011, member of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation - representative in the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation from the executive body of state power of the city of St. Petersburg since August 31, 2011. Governor and Chairman of the Government of St. Petersburg in 2003-2011, Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation in 1998-2003. Member of the Bureau of the Supreme Council of the United Russia party.
Full holder of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland.
Valentina Tyutina was born on April 7, 1949 in Shepetovka, Kamenets-Podolsk region of the Ukrainian SSR (now Khmelnitsky region of Ukraine). Father - Ivan Tyutin, a front-line soldier, mother - Irina Tyutina, worked as a costume designer in the theater. She has two older sisters, Lydia and Zinaida. She spent her childhood in Cherkassy. Her father died when Valentina was in second grade.
She graduated from school with a silver medal (1966), and with honors from the Cherkassy Medical School (1967). In 1972 she graduated from the Leningrad Chemical and Pharmaceutical Institute. In her fifth year at the institute, she married Vladimir Matvienko. She recalled that after college she was assigned to graduate school. In her young years, Valentina Matvienko wanted more to be a scientist than a politician. However, she received an invitation to work at the district Komsomol committee and, after a meeting with the rector of the institute, accepted the invitation, deciding to return to graduate school in 2-3 years.
In 1985 she graduated from the Academy of Social Sciences under the Central Committee of the CPSU, in 1991 - advanced training courses for senior diplomatic officials at the Diplomatic Academy of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Speaks Ukrainian, German, English and Greek.
Party and Soviet career
- In 1972-1977 - head of department, secretary, first secretary of the Petrograd district committee of the Komsomol, Leningrad.
- In 1977-1978 - secretary of the Leningrad regional committee of the Komsomol.
- In 1978-1981 - second secretary of the Leningrad regional committee of the Komsomol.
- In 1981-1984 - first secretary of the Leningrad regional committee of the Komsomol.
- In 1984-1986 - first secretary of the Krasnogvardeisky district committee of the CPSU of the city of Leningrad.
- In 1986-1989 - Deputy Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Leningrad City Council of People's Deputies (oversaw issues of culture and education).
- In 1989-1991 - People's Deputy of the USSR from the Union of Soviet Women, Chairman of the Committee of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on Women's Affairs, Family Protection, Motherhood and Childhood, member of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
Work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Since 1991 - Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the USSR to the Republic of Malta.
- In 1992-1994 - Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Malta.
- In 1994-1995 - Ambassador at Large for the Russian Foreign Ministry.
- In 1995-1997 - Director of the Department for Relations with the Subjects of the Federation, Parliament and Social and Political Organizations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
- In 1995-1997 - member of the board of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
- From October 2, 1997 to September 24, 1998 - Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to the Hellenic Republic.
Work in the Government and Administration of the President of Russia
From September 24, 1998 to March 11, 2003 - Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation.
From March 11 to October 15, 2003 - Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Northwestern Federal District.
In June 2003, she was added to the Security Council of the Russian Federation. Valentina Matvienko’s colleagues described her as “a combative and very active social deputy prime minister who fought for every social object, for every line of the budget.” Thus, among her merits are the repayment of many years of arrears in wages and pensions, an increase in sick leave payments, and increased funding for the implementation of the law on persons with disabilities. Meanwhile, it should be noted that the Deputy Prime Minister’s successes were greatly facilitated by the general improvement in the economic situation in the country in the early 2000s. After the 1998 default and the massive devaluation of the ruble, export revenues were converted into rubles at a significantly higher dollar exchange rate, as a result of which the government was able to pay off old debts to the social sphere.
Governorship
On September 21, 2003, in the first round of early elections for the post of governor of St. Petersburg, appointed in connection with the transfer of Vladimir Yakovlev to the post of Deputy Chairman of the Government of Russia, she gained 48.73% of the votes and entered the second round.
On October 5, she won the second round (Valentina Matvienko - 63.12%, Anna Markova - 24.2%) and became governor.
On December 6, 2006, she sent a statement to V.V. Putin with a request for the early resignation of the governor and then on December 20 she was reappointed by the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin to this position, thereby confirming her powers for a new term in accordance with the new appointment procedure governors in the subjects of the federation.
In the period 2010-2012, at the invitation of Kazimira Prunskiene, she was the honorary president of the Baltic Women's Basketball League.
On June 24, 2011, the head of Bashkortostan R.Z. Khamitov put forward the idea of appointing Valentina Matvienko as Chairman of the Federation Council. Matvienko’s candidacy was supported by the President of the Russian Federation D. A. Medvedev.
On August 22, 2011, the President of the Russian Federation accepted the resignation of V. I. Matvienko from the post of governor at his own request.
Work in the Federation Council
On August 31, 2011, the Governor of St. Petersburg G.S. Poltavchenko signed a resolution on her appointment as a member of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation - a representative in the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation from the executive body of state power of the city of St. Petersburg. The resolution came into force from the date of its signing.
On September 21, 2011, Valentina Ivanovna Matvienko was elected by 140 votes of senators with 1 abstention as Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. The voting was uncontested. V. I. Matvienko thus became the first woman in the history of Russia to hold the post of chairman of the upper house of parliament.
Since July 11, 2012 - member of the State Council of the Russian Federation. In accordance with Decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated July 11, 2012 No. 946 “Issues of the State Council of the Russian Federation,” the Chairman of the Federation Council, ex officio, is a member of the State Council.
On December 27, 2012, the Federation Council unanimously approved an “anti-orphan” law establishing a ban on the transfer of children who are citizens of the Russian Federation for adoption by US citizens, as well as the activities of bodies and organizations on the territory of the Russian Federation for the purpose of selecting children who are citizens of the Russian Federation, for adoption to US citizens wishing to adopt these children. According to sociologists from the Levada Center, the “anti-orphan” law was supported by 50% of the country’s population. Despite the fact that the majority of the population had a positive attitude towards the adoption of this law, the “anti-orphan” law caused a resonance in society. Until the meeting of the Federation Council, at which the draft of this law was discussed, the Federation Council did not develop a unified position on this issue, and Valentina Matvienko, several weeks before the meeting, called for not rushing to adopt this law and carefully consider all issues.
In 2011 and 2012, she was recognized as the most influential woman in Russia in a ranking compiled by Echo of Moscow, Ogonyok and RIA Novosti. According to journalist Alexei Venediktov, Matvienko is indeed extremely influential: “...She has very well established connections with the main decision makers - Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev. She influences them. Secondly, we must not forget that Matvienko is a member of the Security Council, the only female permanent member of the Security Council. I’ll emphasize once again that my interlocutors in the Kremlin, to whom I showed this rating and discussed it with them, because I was interested in their opinion, they told me that Valentina Ivanovna is an influential person, and they listen to her.”
Sanctions
Matvienko was one of the most active participants in the Russian campaign in Crimea from the very beginning. On March 1, she convened the Federation Council for an emergency meeting, during which senators unanimously gave President Vladimir Putin permission to use troops on Ukrainian territory.
On March 17, 2014, Matvienko was subject to US government sanctions, which include a ban on entry into the United States, as well as seizure of assets and property located in the United States. The American side considers the Speaker of the Federation Council to be one of the main Russian parliamentary figures responsible for violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Similar measures have been taken by the Canadian government. According to Forbes magazine, sanctions were imposed against her because “the ex-governor of St. Petersburg publicly defended the right of the residents of the peninsula to a referendum on the status of autonomy and justified the legality of the scheme to annex the region to Russia as a subject of the Russian Federation.”
Also included in the sanctions lists of the European Union, Switzerland and Australia.
Diplomatic ranks and class rank
- Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (1997)
- Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary 1st class (December 10, 1995)
- Acting State Councilor of St. Petersburg, 1st class.
Family
While studying in her fifth year at LHFI, she married fellow student Vladimir Vasilyevich Matvienko, who is currently confined to a wheelchair and lives almost forever in the Leningrad region in a country mansion near the Gromovo railway station.
The Matvienko spouses have a son, Sergei Matvienko, born in 1973. He has two higher education degrees in finance and credit and international economics. In 2003-2010, Sergei Matvienko was vice president of Bank St. Petersburg. In 2004, Sergei Matvienko took the post of vice president of one of the largest Russian state banks - Vneshtorgbank. In 2006, he headed the company CJSC VTB Capital, which manages real estate owned by Vneshtorgbank and its investment projects in construction, while retaining the status of vice president of VTB Bank; in 2010 he was mentioned as the general director of VTB-Development CJSC, affiliated with the bank. In addition, it was noted that Sergei Matvienko was the owner of Imperia CJSC, a company that had 28 subsidiaries “carrying out activities in the field of development, transportation, cleaning and media market” (among the most famous were Nord-West Sergei Matvienkomanagement LLC, CJSC "Parameter", LLC "Kronstadt Sails", CJSC "Versia" and LLC "Douglas"). He was called Matvienko and the owner of MST-Holding CJSC - until October 2010, co-owner of the fixed-line operator Metrocom (45 percent of the shares of the OJSC). The second co-owner of the CJSC (55 percent) in 2009 was the Committee for City Property Management (KUPI) of the St. Petersburg City Hall.
There is a granddaughter Arina Sergeevna Matvienko.
Awards
Awards of Russia and the USSR
- Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 1st class (2014)
- Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II degree (2009) - for services to the state and great personal contribution to the socio-economic development of the city
- Order of Merit for the Fatherland, III degree (1999) - for services to the state and many years of conscientious work
- Order of Merit for the Fatherland, IV degree (2003)
- Order of Honor (1996) - for services to the state, great contribution to the implementation of foreign policy and ensuring the national interests of Russia, courage and dedication shown in the performance of official duty
- Order of the Red Banner of Labor (06/17/1981)
- Order of the Badge of Honor (1976)
- Medal "In memory of the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg"
- P. A. Stolypin Medal, 1st degree (2014)
Encouragements from the President of Russia
- Certificate of Honor from the President of the Russian Federation (January 27, 2010) - for active participation in the preparation and holding of meetings of the State Council of the Russian Federation
- Gratitude of the President of the Russian Federation (September 2, 2008) - for active participation in the preparation and holding of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum and meetings of the heads of state - participants of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
- Gratitude of the President of the Russian Federation (August 14, 1995) - for active participation in the preparation and holding of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.
Departmental awards
- Medal "For Interaction" (Russian Prosecutor's Office, 2010)
- Medal "For Merit in Ensuring National Security" (Security Council of the Russian Federation, 2009)
- Medal “For Strengthening the Customs Commonwealth” (Federal Customs Service, 2008)
- Medal “100 years of St. Petersburg University of the State Fire Service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia” (Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia, 2006)
- Medal “Admiral N. G. Kuznetsov” (Russian Ministry of Defense, 2005)
- Medal “For interaction with the FSB of Russia” (FSB of Russia, 2004)
- Badge “For personal contribution to the protection and improvement of civil defense” (2004)
- Medal "For Merit in the Field of Civil Aviation" (Interstate Aviation Committee, 2004)
- Medal “For Military Commonwealth” (Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, 2003)
- Medal “For Services to National Healthcare” (Ministry of Health of Russia, 2003)
- Badge “Excellence in Border Troops” (FPS, 2003)
- Medal “For Strengthening the Military Commonwealth” (Russian Ministry of Defense, 1999).
Awards of the constituent entities of Russia
- Badge of honor “For services to St. Petersburg” (August 31, 2011).
Foreign awards
- Order “For great love for independent Turkmenistan” (Turkmenistan, 2009) - for his great contribution to strengthening Turkmen-Russian relations
- Order of Friendship of Peoples (Belarus, 2009)
- Grand Knight's Cross of the Order of the Lion of Finland (Finland, 2009)
- Medal “For outstanding contribution to the national years of China and Russia” (PRC, 2008)
- Order of the Legion of Honor (France, 2009)
- Grand Cross of the Order of Honor (Greece, 2007)
- Order of Princess Olga III class. (Ukraine, 2002) - for significant personal contribution to the development of Ukrainian-Russian cooperation, active participation in ensuring the implementation of the Year of Ukraine in the Russian Federation
- Order of Merit (Austria, 2001)
- Dame of the Order of Merit (Malta, 2013)
Confessional awards
- Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh, 1st degree (2010) - in consideration of the assistance of the Russian Orthodox Church
- Order of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, 1st degree (ROC, 2006)
- Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh, II degree
- Order of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, II degree (ROC, 2001)
- Order of the Holy Martyr Tryphon, II degree (ROC, 2001) - for his great personal contribution to the fight against drug addiction, alcoholism and other harmful phenomena
- Order of Saint Sahak and Saint Mesrop (Armenian Apostolic Church, 2012) - for his important contribution to strengthening the friendship of the Armenian and Russian peoples, to the preservation of Armenian spiritual and national values in St. Petersburg
Honorary titles and academic degrees
- Honorary Member of the Russian Academy of Arts
Awards
- Prize of the Government of the Russian Federation in the field of science and technology (2010)
- Laureate of the national award for public recognition of women's achievements "Olympia" of the Russian Academy of Business and Entrepreneurship for 2001.
Other awards
- Medal of A. S. Pushkin “For great merits in the dissemination of the Russian language” (International Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature, 2003).
- In the ranking of “100 most influential women in Russia” by Ogonyok magazine, published in March 2014, she took 1st place.
- Imperial Order of the Holy Great Martyr Anastasia (12 July 2013, Russian Imperial House) - in reward of services to the Fatherland and as evidence of OUR special favor
Criticism
The appearance of St. Petersburg under Matvienko has undergone significant changes: many buildings, shopping centers and transport interchanges have been demolished and built. Meanwhile, active construction caused a flurry of criticism against the governor, who was reproached for condoning the so-called “compressive development”, as well as the demolition of historical buildings in the city center for the sake of the construction of expensive new buildings. In particular, the construction of a 300-meter Gazprom City skyscraper in the historical center of St. Petersburg, which Matvienko supported, was actively discussed in the media, in connection with which a number of rallies of human rights organizations and civilians were held in 2011. However, in this particular case, public protests were heard and it was decided to abandon the project.
In connection with Matvienko’s resignation from the post of governor, on July 4, 2011, an issue of the weekly Kommersant Power was published under the heading “For icicles before the Fatherland,” which contained assessments of her tenure at the head of St. Petersburg. However, according to the Kommersant publishing house, at least 90% of the circulation of this magazine was confiscated in St. Petersburg.
Communal collapse in winter 2010-2011
In the winter of 2010-2011, a difficult weather situation developed in St. Petersburg: in December, 81 mm of precipitation fell, which is more than 60% higher than the precipitation norm for the city of 50 mm, and for 18 days in January 2011, the precipitation norm was already exceeded. Combined with problems in the supply of snow removal equipment, the quality of city cleaning was considered unsatisfactory by the mayor herself. Matvienko suggested involving homeless people and students to clear snow.
Regarding the poor cleaning of the city, as well as several deaths that occurred in connection with it, the work of the governor was publicly criticized by famous personalities, including actor Mikhail Trukhin, music critic Artemy Troitsky, cartoonist Andrei Bilzho, and deputy Oksana Dmitrieva.
In response to criticism, in connection with the death of a six-year-old orphan Vanya Zavyalov from a fallen icicle, Matvienko suggested that children and the elderly not leave the house unless absolutely necessary. At the same time, she said that “the city is cleaning up significantly better than last year,” and that the criticism is due to the fact that “some politicians are whipping up hysteria to discredit the authorities.” A year earlier, on February 2, 2010, Matvienko put forward a proposal to shoot down “icicles,” as she put it, with a laser or steam. Philologists claim that the word “icicles”, which does not exist in the Russian language, sounds indecent in the mouth of the governor. However, in Dahl’s dictionary this word is: “Icicle. icicle, - a medicine that can be sucked, or which is given such a look, appearance, as if it is intended for a pacifier, sucking.”
Elections as a deputy
Elections in the municipal districts “Krasnenkaya Rechka” and “Petrovsky”, in which Valentina Matvienko was one of the candidates, were criticized. Among the violations committed during the election process were the following:
- concealing information about the elections from the municipal district election commission and preventing opposition candidates from participating in them. Political scientist Valery Ostrovsky, however, said that information about the elections was published. But at the same time, the circulation of newspapers in which information about the elections was published was not published on time and was published in a different design from the traditional one.
- illegal campaigning for Matvienko
- elections in the districts from which Matvienko ran were not previously planned (they were announced in the Aleksandrovskaya and Lomonosov districts)
According to the head of the St. Petersburg City Electoral Commission, Dmitry Krasnyansky, the elections were recognized as legal.
The state of St. Petersburg under Matvienko
Economics and budget
Matvienko herself claims that she “pulled” the city out of the end of the 20th century, in which it seemed to be stuck” and increased the city budget several times. V. Matvienko has repeatedly stated the need to support small businesses. From 2002 to 2007, the number of small enterprises in St. Petersburg increased by 41% (from 89.7 thousand to 126.8 thousand). During Matvienko’s reign, hundreds of retail outlets at public transport stops and near the metro were liquidated; with her direct participation, the largest market in the North-West, Apraksin Dvor, was destroyed, and more than 20,000 people lost their jobs.
Ecology
The area of parks and squares is steadily decreasing. In the period from 2003 to 2006 alone, the total area of green space in the city decreased from 11,970 to 10,535 hectares. The city administration also plans to significantly reduce the city's green areas (out of 2,250 public areas, only 1,389 may remain by the end of 2010).
At the same time, green spaces in St. Petersburg continue to be cut down, and practically no new ones appear. According to some estimates, at the beginning of the 21st century, about 1.5 million people in St. Petersburg live in conditions of environmental discomfort, and about 500 thousand live in areas of extreme discomfort.
Every year, 250 thousand tons of pollutants are emitted into the atmosphere of St. Petersburg, which is about 50 kg for each city resident. At the same time, the city committee for ecology and environmental management notes that this is not so much. The level of air pollution in St. Petersburg is on average 10 times higher than the maximum permissible concentrations (MPC). Most of the air in St. Petersburg contains nitrogen dioxide (2 MPC), the source of which is cars and industrial enterprises. Emissions from motor vehicles are almost 200 thousand tons per year and annually increase in proportion to the number of cars by 7%. At the same time, St. Petersburg cannot be called a green city. The most populated areas, Central and Admiralteysky, have the lowest density of green spaces - less than 20% of the area. The Kalininsky district is best provided with green spaces - 40-50% of the territory. Most areas of the city have a green space density of 20-30%.
Convenience level
In the list of the most comfortable cities in the world compiled by The Economist magazine, St. Petersburg in 2009 took 68th place out of 139 possible.
In the list of large cities published annually by the influential American consulting firm Mercer, Moscow and St. Petersburg took 166th and 170th places, respectively. According to the calculations of the compilers of the list, in terms of living standards, Russian capitals are slightly inferior to Caracas (capital of Venezuela, 165) and Libreville (capital of Gabon, 156). When calculating the place on the list, the level of crime, political stability, the number of hospitals and the quality of medical care, the convenience of the transport system, the presence of cafes and restaurants, recreational facilities, climatic conditions, the level of civil and political freedom and other factors were taken into account - a total of 39 criteria.
State of historical heritage
During Matvienko’s governorship, the process of demolition of buildings in the historical center of St. Petersburg that were of historical value took place, the construction of parks and squares of the metropolis was carried out, and the historical urban landscape, which is under the protection of UNESCO, was destroyed.
At the corner of Nevsky Prospekt and Vosstaniya Square under Matvienko, the demolition of historical buildings of the 19th century was carried out. On the site of the lost monuments, the Finnish Stockmann shopping center was built with a modern glass roof, which contrasts with the surrounding buildings and noticeably exceeds them in height. The governor motivated the destruction of the historical part of the city with the following considerations: “A huge department store for the middle class will appear here. It is my responsibility to ensure the financial well-being of the city.”
Similarly, the ancient houses 55 and 59 on Nevsky Prospekt were demolished in order to build a multi-level garage (parking) and an 8-story commercial center "Nevsky Plaza" in their place.
In January 2011, Valentina Matvienko appealed to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin with a request to exclude St. Petersburg from the list of historical settlements.
Construction and transport support of the city
The problem of traffic jams and parking has not been resolved and has become acute. Garage builders argue that “as long as the state tolerates parking on lawns, nothing will change.” At the same time, it was under her that large-scale demolition of the so-called began (and continues to this day). “flat” garages with the subsequent construction of commercial real estate in their place (less often - road network objects and residential real estate): at the moment, several dozen GSC and UAS have been demolished in different areas of the city, which causes large-scale dissatisfaction among citizens, since the destruction of privately owned garages often does not entail adequate compensation as required by law.
The intensification of the construction of a dam designed to protect the city from floods is called a success of the Matvienko administration, although the second cycle of work began several months before Matvienko came to the governor’s post, when she still held the post of Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Northwestern Federal District, after which the terms completion was postponed twice, and the dam was also financed from the federal budget and funds from the EBRD loan provided to the Government of the Russian Federation.
The attitude of St. Petersburg residents towards Matvienko
In February 2010, the Megapolis Sociological Center monitored St. Petersburg residents’ assessment of the effectiveness of the city government. According to the Megapolis report, the governor of St. Petersburg received the “greatest losses and negative gains” over the past two months. In October 2009, almost 45% of respondents had a positive view of the governor, in December - 38.5%, and in February 2010 - almost 33%. At the same time, the number of her opponents actually doubled in four months: in October 2009, slightly more than 10% assessed the governor’s activities negatively, in December - 13%, and in February 2010 - almost 20%. By December of the same year, the share of St. Petersburg residents who negatively assessed the activities of V. I. Matvienko increased to 28%. In July 2011, Matvienko’s work as governor of St. Petersburg was considered bad by 34% of citizens, average by 42%, and good by only 18%.
At the same time, on May 19, 2010, at a press conference, V.I. Matvienko stated, “I will remain in my post as long as the people of St. Petersburg and the President trust me.”
On June 6, 2009, V.I. Matvienko found herself at the center of a scandal after a party took place on board the cruiser Aurora, which caused a wide resonance in society.
Social sphere
On July 21, 2009, at a meeting of the Government of St. Petersburg, Valentina Matvienko harshly criticized the management of the St. Petersburg Metro for the provision allowing children under 8 years of age to travel for free only if they have a residence permit in St. Petersburg:
There are no words for outrage. This is not typical for St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg has always been a hospitable city. We are interested in not only foreign tourists coming to us, but also residents of all regions, so that children come to us, especially now during the holidays. Who came up with such nonsense? Why do leaders on their own consider it possible to make decisions that then disturb the entire city and damage the image of St. Petersburg?
Amendment 1-1 to the law “On additional measures of social support for children and youth in St. Petersburg,” according to which registration was required, was included in the law at the request of Valentina Matvienko herself, published in a letter to the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg No. 07 -105/716 dated June 16, 2008.
Valentina Matvienko - photo
