Biography:
Born on January 8, 1962 in the village of Kholmsky, Abinsk district of the Krasnodar region. In 1984 he graduated from the Leningrad Institute of Soviet Trade in the specialty of economist. In 1984-1991 years he served as Deputy Сршуа, later - chief of a section in the shop № 3 of “Lenmebeltorg”. In 1991 he was appointed deputy director for commercial work in"Lenmebeltorg”. In the same year the company was reorganized into OAO "Saint Petersburg Industrial Company” and Serdyukov became its CEO. In 1993-2000, he was deputy director, later - as marketing director, general director of AO "Furniture Market”.
In 2000 he defended his thesis on "The Concept and the systematic organization of the formation of consumer-oriented business organizations”, Ph.D. in economics.
In October 2000, began working in the Inspectorate of the Ministry of Taxes and Levies (MTL), of Russia, becoming the deputy head of an inter-regional level #1 in St. Petersburg.
In 2001 he received a second degree in legal sciences, graduated from the St. Petersburg State University.
In May 2001 he was appointed deputy the head of the Office of Tax Ministry of Russia in St. Petersburg, Viktor Zubkov. In November of that year he became head of government.
On March 2, 2004 Serdyukov was appointed Deputy Minister of the Russian Federation on taxes and levies. On March 16, 2004 he was appointed an acting minister.
July 27, 2004 -he became the head of the Federal Tax Service of Russia.
9 February 2007 a number of media reported that Serdyukov entered the new Board of Directors in OAO “Khimprom” as one of the representatives of the main shareholder - the Federal Property Management Agency.
February 15, 2007 - Serdyukov was appointed, Defense Minister of the Russian Federation by President Vladimir Putin.
March 23, 2007, he was elected chairman of the board of directors in the Volgograd "Khimprom”.
April 12, 2007 – under the presidential decree Serdyukov was included in the Security Council of Russia.
12 September 2007, he had been appointed Acting Defense Minister in connection with the fact that Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov had asked President Vladimir Putin on the resignation of his Cabinet as a whole. Putin accepted the resignation and asked the prime minister and other ministers temporarily to perform their duties. Fradkov's successor was Viktor Zubkov.
On September 18, 2007 Serdyukov filed resignation to president. It was reported that he had decided to resign as defense minister of Russia, because he was a relative of the new prime minister Zubkov (in the past Zubkov used to be the head of Serdyukov in St. Petersburg - his father-in).
On September, 24 President did not accept resignation of Serdyukov and preserved for him his former minister's portfolio.
After creating the state corporation "Rostekhnologii" in the fall of 2007, Serdyukov was appointed chairman of its supervisory board.
On May 12, 2008 (after Dmitry Medvedev ran as the RF President and Vladimir Putin - as Prime Minister) Putin made appointments in the government of Russia. Serdyukov again became head of the Defense Ministry.
According to published data on income and fortune of Serdyukov and his wife for the year 2009, the annual earnings of the Minister is about 2.8 million rubles, while his spouse earned nearly 8.4 million rubles for the year.
Serdyukov is the author of several books, including the textbook "Taxes and taxation”.
In general, the media have characterized Serdyukov as a silent man, avoiding public.
Serdyukov married to Julia Zubkova; this is his second marriage. According to some reports, they met during joint studies in the corresponding Law Faculty, both earned a second degree there, and after that Serdyukov arrived to work in the tax department.
Serdyukov has two daughters - from the first and the second marriage.
http://lenta.ru to be updated on 11/05/2010
Dossier:
As written in the press, in the 80’s Serdyukov traded walls in a furniture store "Dresden" in Leningrad, then he had obtained serious relationships, friendships with the directors of major department stores.
Source: "Moskovsky Komsomolets" from 01.03.2007
It was reported that head of the Federal Tax Service of Russia, deputy head of presidential administration, then presidential aide - Viktor Ivanov played a key role in Serdyukov’s appointment in November 2001.
The press wrote that when leading the Federal Tax Service, Serdyukov had completely changed the people who hold key positions in those areas working with major taxpayers. Colleagues of Serdyukov from St. Petersburg replaced them.
Source: "Kommersant" from 16.02.2007
It was reported that under Serdyukov the FTS went permanently closed to journalists.
As written in the press, some experts estimate the activity of Serdyukov as head of FTS in a positive way, while others were of the opinion that he had ruined the tax office.
Source: Vedomosti , № 28 (1802) on 16.02.2007
In 2004, the press mentioned Serdyukov in connection with the scandal of tax claims by OAO “VimpelCom” for 157 million dollars. As reported, Serdyukov dismissed Alexey Klimov – manager who had been bent on that interregional inspection N7. The official reason for dismissal was that Klimov had willfully filed the claims against the company, without consulting the leadership. But the press noted that he could hardly dare to undertake such a step. The shareholders of VimpelCom were Alfa Group and holding Telenor associated with the Norwegian Government. The tax claims against VimpelCom, as written in the press, could have appeared in connection with the conflict over the shares of MegaFon, and Minister of Communications Leonid Reiman allegedly had been linked to it partly. According to the media, dismissal of Klimov could mean that VimpelCom had agreed with the stakeholders – i.e.government and those who had relation to the shares in MegaFon.
Source: skandaly.ru on 10.02.05 with reference to the "Novaya Gazeta», newsru.com of 15 December 2004
In 2005, the press reported that Serdyukov, as the head of the Federal Tax Service, was able to convey his opinion to President Putin, bypassing his supervisor - Finance Minister Alexey Kudrin. As reported, Serdyukov did so through the then deputy head of Kremlin administration, Igor Sechin. As written in the press, the most famous example of insubordination was a letter by Serdyukov writing they needed to change the system for collecting tobacco excise taxes, which fell to Putin’s table without a visa of Ministry of Finance, which had the opposite opinion on the matter.
Source: "Kommersant” № 145 (3229) on 06.08.2005
According to the press reports, the appointment of Serdyukov, who did not know military affairs and military language, the post of defense minister was a shock. Some called it a "humiliation of the army", which "will not help stabilize the country." Others felt that an "apparatus for implementing the president's plans” had been created." Still others argued that Serdyukov was to restore in the military financial discipline.
Sources: Kommersant »№ 25 (3601) on 16.02.2007, skandaly.ru on 18.09.07," The New Times "on 14.05.07
In 2007, the press reported that Defence Minister Serdyukov was rumored to be a candidate number 3 to "receive" Putin's presidency (the first two - Dmitry Medvedev and Sergey Ivanov).
Source: "Dengi” № 24 (630) from 25.06.2007
In March 2007 the press reported about the intention of the Minister of Defense to pass a crash course of training at the Military Academy of the General Staff designed specially for him so that he could get an idea of the strategy and operational art, the theater of operations, knowledge of the organization and management of the Armed Forces.
Source: "Rossiyskaya Gazeta" on 30.03.2007
Becoming Defense Minister, Serdyukov’s first impulse was to change out the army uniform. A competition was held, and the fashion designer Valentin Yudashkin won it. But the mass production of the new form, which would cost 2.2 billion rubles, did not occur: the economic crisis impeded.
Kommersant № 79 (4134) on 05.05.2009
As written in the press, the new Minister Serdyukov began his work with stripping the army leadership from henchmen of the former Defense Minister, as well - with getting control over the huge financial flows passing through the military department.
Source: "The New Times" on 14.05.07
In October 2008, Serdyukov announced the beginning of the military reform, which provided a significant reduction in the total number of the armed forces. It was reported that the officer corps should have been be reduced from 315 thousand to 150 thousand people, the Institute of Ensigns and Warrant Officers was eradicated, the number of generals was reduced and the apparatus of the Ministry of Defense will decrease by two and a half times. According to the press reports, the system of military trade, military agriculture and some military federal state unitary enterprises were planned to be transferred to civilian OAO “Oboronservis”, and Center for procurement and supply of material and technical logistics means was redefined in the civilian Federal agency of procurement and supply.
As written in the press, shortly after the reform, information about it has become very proportioned. And in November, a disposal appeared prohibiting from distributing information about the progress of reforms, the problems and the morale climate of the troops.
Meanwhile, the press reported that due to existing disagreements with the reform, starting from the fall of 2008 a number of senior military commanders began to resign. It was also reported that representatives of the Communist Party openly challenged the reforms, saying the reform was"expensive" and "ill-conceived", "posing a threat to the country's defense”, as the army was loosing " highly qualified cadre” as a result of the downsizing . As the press wrote, the communists, even demanded the resignation of Serdyukov.
Source: Kommersant, № 218 (4035) 29.11.2008, Kommersant, № 196 (4013) on 28.10.2008, Kommersant, № 221 (4038), 04.12.2008, "Noviy Region 2", 03.12.2008
On February 21, 2008 Acting Chief of Service quartering and resettlement, Colonel-General Viktor Vlasov committed suicide. The press reported that on the eve of the death Vlasov had a conversation with Serdyukov, during which they discussed the fact that in the course of official inspections numerous violations had been revealed in the service controlled by Vlasov.
Source: newsru.com February 27, 2008, "Strana.ru" from 03.03.08
Serdyukov was mentioned in the press in connection with the scandal, which caused the death of hockey player of Omsk Avangard - Alexey Cherepanov. It was reported that the Chief of Cherepanov, the commander of the 48-th separate railway Omsk brigade Oleg Alborov, was proposed to write a letter of resignation. Alborov turned to reporters instead and published information about the corruption that pervades the system of the Army Sports. In particular, the colonel claimed that Cherepanov had never seen him. After the publicity Serdyukov signed an order of Alborov’s dismissal because he did not pass Certifying Commission in 2008.
Sources: Kommersant № 237 (4054) on 26.12.2008," Noviy Region "from 30.10.08
According to the press, in the summer of 2008, foreign observers pointed out that there was a struggle for control over the army in Russia. And at that time civilians headed by the Minister Serdyukov were winning the fight.
Source: newsru.com December 3, 2008
In April 2009 the press reported that the Defense Ministry suspended the dismissal of generals and officers due to the restructuring activities. In this case the soldier was supposed to be paid a sum equal to 185 thousand rubles. In the absence of funds they began to offer the troops to quit on their own will, of course, without any compensation payments.
Source: newsru.com April 15, 2009
In April 2009 the press reported that Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov finished trimming the top management of the former personnel of Ministry of Defense. It was reported that almost all the key positions had been taken by Serdyukov’s insiders.
Source: novayagazeta.ru from 29.04.2009
In early 2010 the foreign press noted that despite numerous permutations in the leadership of Defense Ministry, Serdyukov failed to control the Russian armed forces.
Source: newsru.com on January 14, 2010
As written in the press, by December 2009, despite strong performances by opponents of the reform, the management structure of the army was considerably changed, and the officer corps was reduced significantly - from 355 thousand officers' posts to 150 thousand.
Source: “Nezavisimaya Gazeta” 30.12.2009
As written in the press, most of the leaders of Defense from Serdyukov appeal had never experienced the major military posts, had not fought in the hot spots.
Source: newsru.com March 24, 2008
It was reported that the reorganization of the army property was taken up by a group of people formed of top managers of the St. Petersburg construction companies connected with the corporation LSR (Lenstroyrekonstruktsiya in some way; it belonged to Senator Andrey Molchanov. According to the sources in the military directorate, there were such assistants to Serdyukov as Lev Vinnik (former head of the St. Petersburg administration of investments and top manager in LSR), Leonid Sorokko (ex-director general of ZAO "Petr Veliky”) and Alexander Gorubnov (resigned director general of St. Petersburg defense plant “Leninets ").
Source: Moskovsky Komsomolets on 13.11.07
As written in the press, the arrangement management of the Defense Ministry troops was led by Oleg Koval, who had previously worked as a foreman in various civil construction projects and rose to general director of OOO "Block Monolith”. Koval was reported to have no experience in military construction.
Source: Kompromat.ru, February 2008
According to the press, Serdyukov put Gregory Naginsky as the head of the quartering and arrangement. In the press he is told to be the father-founder of the construction company "Titan-2", a member of the Federation Council and the uncrowned emperor of Sosnovy Bor. As written in the press in early 2010, he is to dispose of 113 billion rubles allocated for the construction of housing for defenders of the Motherland in 2010.
Source: "Nasha versiya na Neve" from 28.01.2010
The press describes a number of scandals associated with the privatization of military equipment, referred to Serdyukov.
According to media reports, Serdyukov has gained the right to sell a number of properties belonging to the Ministry of Defense. The relevant documents reportedly were signed by the then Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov.
Source: versia.ru on July 21, 2008
They wrote that Serdyukov obtained the right to "sell" the military objects in violation of the Russian law. He was supposed to sign the relevant papers not with his father-in-law, but with the head of the Federal Property Fund, as it is required by law.
Source: newsru.com24 March 2008
Press reported that with the advent of Serdyukov a project on the General Staff of the Navy, the Academy of Peter the Great, CSK complexes and many other objects moving from the capital to other cities has begun. They wrote that the building of the Minister of Defense on Myasnitskaya Street went by auction, thus, an old mansion of quartering and settlement service in the heart of Moscow was released from the officers.
Source: Kompromat.ru, February 2008
According to media reports, Serdyukov said that in 2008 the Defense Ministry planned to sell at auction more than 20 empty military installations throughout the country, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad and Vladivostok. As he insisted, all the money was to be solely for the acquisition of permanent housing and the construction of social facilities for the military.
Source: Kommersant-Online, 27.05.2008
Press wrote that a reformed Ministry of Defense auctioned off the two military camps in Moscow at a time: at the Rublevsky highway and in the Levoberezhny area.
Source: newsru.com on March 24, 2008
According to the press, the First Deputy Defense Minister, Colonel General Alexander Belousov was allegedly fired, due to the fact he did not want to give to the civilian businessmen the two land areas. Air Force Commander Vladimir Mikhailov was reported to be a wrong person, as he was against the withdrawal of the Academy n.a. Zhukovsky from Moscow. And besides, he opposed active usage of military transport aircrafts on commercial purposes and insisted on dominance of the military in the ground-based deployment, not of civilian air fleet. Former Chief of Military Medical Command Igor Bykov reportedly opposed the transfer of military hospital from the Kamenny Island in St. Petersburg or its transfer to civilian businessmen.
Source: "Vremya novostey", 22.02.2008
In 2008, as written in the press, the Defense Ministry began to struggle for the property, land and finance of the public organization ROSTO (DOSAAF). There were about 7 thousands of real estate and land in most regions of Russia. By the end of 2009 the status of the ROSTO was changed from a public organization into the social and state one. Defense took control over financial flows of the organization, which was 12 billion rubles by 2008. Property value of ROSTO was estimated to be worth up to 1 trillion rubles at the time. They wrote that the leaders of ROSTO called the attack on the social organization a "blatant corporate raid."
Sources: Kommersant № 71 (3888) on 25.04.2008, Kommersant № 229 (4284) on 08.12.2009
Serdyukov was mentioned in the press in connection with the scandal of the Kubinka airfield realigning –it was used to be a base for the famous aerobatic teams of "Strizhi" and "Russkie Vityazi" - into an airport for business aviation. According to the press, ZAO "Airport" Kubinka” embarked to implement this project (owned by OOO "Nafta-Moscow", included in the financial-industrial group of Suleiman Kerimov).
Source: novayagazeta.ru from 15.06.2009
In 2008, the press reported that as a part of the deliverance of "unnecessary" property by the Ministry of Defense, the Military Engineering Academy was evicted from the Bulvarnoe Koltso, and the editorial department of the Military University - from the Sadovoe Koltso. Defense also gave up on Aviation Engineering Academy n.a. Zhukovsky and the Academy of Strategic Rocket Forces n.a. Peter the Great in China-town.
Source: "Vremya novostey", 22.02.2008
According to press reports, the actions by Serdyukov on selling military lands were clearly endorsed by the top leaders of the country. For example, Dmitry Medvedev under his campaign announced a few abstract ideas formed by the team of Serdyukov. Among those were - the need to create a fund for the land owned by the Ministry of Defense which is not used for its original purpose, as well - the privatization of excess military property in the cities of Russia.
Source: newsru.com from 27 February 2008
The press noted that the lack of money the Defense Ministry did not prevent him from making expensive purchases and investing in questionable projects.
As written in the press, in December 2008, Serdyukov, together with the head of bank VTB Andrey Kostin and governor of Saint Petersburg Valentina Matvienko signed a memorandum on the establishment of a joint military training and research center the Naval Academy in Kronstadt. «The project was proposed by the company "VTB-Development" led by the son of Matvienko - Sergey, and is estimated at over 100 billion rubles.
Source: "Kommersant» № 233 / P (4050) on 22.12.2008
In November 2009, according to the media, Serdyukov demonstrated to Putin 450 homes purchased by the Ministry of Defense for military personnel in the cottage settlement "Novaya Izhora” in the southern part of St. Petersburg. It was reported that each house cost 6-6.5 million rubles. The press noted that Putin was not surprised that Serdyukov told him about the purchase only then. Besides, the law did not provide the purchase of houses for the military, but apartments only. And the footage was several times greater than the agreed one.
Source: newsru.com on November 24, 2009
In April 2010 the Defense Ministry announced the public procurement of 125 pieces of furniture at 18.3 million rubles. The military took everything - from wardrobe to the floor cloakroom. It was reported that, under the terms of the contract, the country of origin of most of the furniture was Italy.
Source: newsru.com on April 21, 2010
In April 2008, the Chamber published the data on that in 2006-2007 the Ministry of Defense spent 164.1 million rubles inappropriately.
Source: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, 04.04.2008
In January 2010, the press reported with reference to the source in the appropriate committee of the Federation Council that according to the Chamber, in 2009, the Defense Ministry paid in the budget a sum 10 times less than that agreed in the sale of property projects and military equipment: not 10 billion rubles, but 1.5 billion.
Source: Interfax, 03.01.2010
In March 2010, Chief Military Prosecutor (CMP) of Russia reported that in 2009, public procurement for the defense order damaged the state at 1 billion rubles.
" A person familiar with the matter " in the Defense Ministry told reporters that in fact the corrupt picture looks even gloomier: perhaps, not less than 50% of funds allocated for arms purchases is spent in vain. And this is more than 200 billion rubles only for the year 2009.
Source: "Komsomolskaya Pravda", 06.03.2010
In the press viewed the relationship between Anatoly Serdyukov and the group "Soyuz" uniting producers of furniture. It is reported that the de facto leader of this enterprise is a respected businessman Alexey Sargin, known as "Lesha-fat" in some circles. According to some information, Sargin is protected by one of the leaders of the Tambovskaya criminal group - Vasily Vladykovsky, nicknamed "Vasya-Bryansky". The former head of raider tax inspection # 15 in Petersburg, Sergey Markevich is among the founders of "Soyuz"; he is rumored to enjoy the favors of Serdyukov during his time in the tax authorities. It was also reported that Serdyukov was on friendly terms with other co-founders of "Soyuz", the closest business partners of Sargin are Brothers Alex and Peter Usov, the rumor is they belong to the Tambovskaya criminal group.
Sources: apn-spb.ru 2007-02-27, fontanka.ru on 17/05/2010
In June 2009, media sources reported that representatives of the Russian mafia (including Malyshev and Petrov), detained in 2008 during Operation “Troika” maintained an active relationship with the authorities of Russia. As reported, Defense Minister Serdyukov was among them.
Sources: svobodanews.ru from 08.06.2009.
According to Internet resource Ruspress, Alexander Malyshev and Gennady Petrov controlled "Spanish channel" of illegal supply of Russian arms to Iran. Petrov’s discussion with Defense Minister Serdyukov was intercepted by the Americans. Then there were reports in the Spanish press that Petrov’s group was engaged in illegal arms trade and had contacts with senior officials of Russia. After that, reportedly, an attempt was made to revive arms sales to Iran via Algeria. But the cargo ship «Arctic Sea» was intercepted on its way from Kaliningrad (Russia) to Bejaia (Algeria). According to the press, Operation of search and return of «Arctic Sea» was commanded by the Defense Minister Serdyukov personally. On August 19, 2009 Estonian admiral, an expert on the EU in anti-piracy Tarmo Kyuts declared publicly that "Arctic Sea" had been carrying an illegal cargo of weapons for Iran.
Source: rospres.com 11.11.2009