RHODOS (Greece), October 7 - RIA Novosti, Olga Lipich. Humanity turned out to be not ready for the outlined rates of technological progress, as a result, many ethical and other pressing questions have appeared that need to be answered in the near future through dialogue, said its founding president, ex-head of the 15th Rhodes Forum "Dialogue of Civilizations" Russian Railways, Doctor of Political Science Vladimir Yakunin.
“My answer is no,” he said, answering a question from RIA Novosti about whether a morally modern society is ready for the risks associated with the rapid development of computer technology, breakthroughs in genetic engineering, replacement of human labor with machine labor, and the ability to control privacy.
The dialogue between scientists, politicians, economists, religious and public figures will help to understand and respond to these challenges, according to Yakunin.
So, during the discussion at the Rhodes Forum, the representative of Iran, the head of the organization of Islamic culture and relations Abuzar Ebrahimi Torkaman spoke about the relationship between human nature and the rapid development of science and technology, about the consequences of the emergence of artificial intelligence.
“Millions of people may soon lose their jobs, which will be occupied by artificial intelligence. We ask everyone: what will people do without work? What will happen next? We are faced with technocratic politics and many dangers. people, their mentality, to manipulate society, and there are no boundaries to effectively protect a person from such manipulation, "- said Yakunin.
According to him, in the current conditions of globalism and the instant dissemination of information practically throughout the entire globe, the risk of manipulation of public opinion and, accordingly, the responsibility of civil society and the media increases.
Risks of IT progress
Professor of the University of Oxford, specialist in globalization and development, former Vice President of the World Bank (2003-2006) Ian Goldin in his speech also touched upon the problem of the development of robotics and its replacement of human labor. In addition, he noted the mutual influence of people in the global world. "The world is becoming more mountainous, and we need flexibility, the ability to change professions and so on," said the professor.
The business community's point of view on the risks of IT progress was presented by Natalya Kasperskaya, a data security specialist. She spoke about the threats of loss of the right to privacy, manipulation of consciousness and a new form of colonialism - digital.
“Countries striving for digital independence must join their efforts. We still have the opportunity to create a diverse world in which people will have the right to privacy and their own opinion,” said Kaspersky.
Both Goldin and Kasperskaya believe that the world will face a greater degree of regulation of IT risks by states trying to build borders on the Internet.
"The Rhodes Forum brings together people with different views, often opposing. But it is an opportunity to hear, understand each other, learn from each other. And the opportunity to involve political leaders to realistically solve problems," Yakunin said.
He noted that the Rhodes Forum for several years predicted both financial and migration crises, and the world listens to its forecasts and recommendations.
The 15th anniversary forum "Dialogue of Civilizations", which takes place on October 6-7 on the Greek island of Rhodes, is attended by 250 experts, politicians, businessmen, public, religious leaders and scientists from dozens of countries around the world, from different continents. Among its participants were Prime Minister of France (2005-2007) Dominique de Villepin, President of the Czech Republic (2003-2013) Vaclav Klaus, President of Nigeria (2010-2015) Goodluck Jonathan, President of Mali (2012-2013) Dioncunda Traore, Russian Islamic scholar Alexei Malashenko, director Institute of Europe RAS Aleksey Gromyko, ex-secretary general of the Council of Europe, co-founder of the Dialogue of Civilizations International Foundation, Walter Schwimmer of Austria, former Austrian Federal Chancellor and co-founder of the Dialogue of Civilizations International Foundation Alfred Gusenbauer.
History of the Dialogue of Civilizations
In 2001, at the initiative of Iranian leader Mohammad Khatami, the UNESCO participating countries adopted the "UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity", and the UN General Assembly presented the "Global Agenda for Dialogue among Civilizations", defining the principles and goals of intercultural dialogue. The Dialogue of Civilizations Forum emerged as an attempt to put this initiative into practice - it was founded in 2002 by Vladimir Yakunin, American businessman and public figure of Greek origin Nicholas Papanikolaou and Indian futurist Jagdish Kapoor.
The "Dialogue of Civilizations" is supported by state, public, religious leaders, scientists and cultural figures of the countries of Europe and Asia, the Middle East region, North and South America, Australia. Dialogue cooperates with many public organizations and international institutions around the world, including the UN, UNESCO, ALEXO (Organization of the League of Arab States for Education, Culture and Science), the Council of Europe and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
In 2013, the Dialogue of Civilizations was given consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council.
During its 15-year history "Dialogue of Civilizations" has held more than 100 seminars, round tables and lectures, over 30 regional conferences in Europe, Asia and the Americas, published a lot of scientific literature. The largest annual event since 2002 has been the Rhodes Forum.
In 2016, the World Public Forum "Dialogue of Civilizations" was transformed into the Research Institute of the same name with headquarters in Berlin and offices in Moscow and Vienna. According to the creators, it is "an independent, non-governmental organization engaged in the study of issues of international relations and international security." The main mission of the institute is to develop recommendations for preventing the development of conflicts and reducing tensions in the world. These recommendations, in the form of research and peer review, are intended for national governments and decision-makers, the analytical community, business and the media.
The budget money of Russian Railways is still the main source of personal wealth for the family of the former head of the monopoly, Vladimir Yakunin.
On November 30, the Russian media issued a whole block of information on bribery and corruption at Russian Railways. The state monster thundered with scandals even under Vladimir Yakunin. Then, as a rule, a "big man" figured in them: members of the family of the head of Russian Railways and people from the inner circle - the sons of the Prosecutor General Chaika and the Most company.
The format has changed today. The heroes of the revelatory news are the foreman of the Moscow-Kursk section of the Central Directorate for Heat and Water Supply of Russian Railways (7.5 years of “strokach” for an attempt to bribe 300,000 rubles). Or the head of the Far Eastern Directorate of Healthcare - he received 16 million rubles in two years in the form of "gratitude" for winning auctions for the supply of equipment. Or an inspector of the South Ural Directorate for the Maintenance of Buildings and Structures of the South Ural Railways (she received 176 thousand rubles in bribes, apparently for helping to win tenders for repairs).
It is symptomatic that with the arrival of Oleg Belozerov as president (now CEO) of Russian Railways in August 2015, the number of exposing publications in the media about abuses in the monopoly has sharply decreased. It was strange, because the new chief was appointed in order to optimize the monopoly's expenses, to solve the accumulated problems ... Most likely, they simply gave the command from above “not to notice”.
But why? Was Yakunin's legacy raked out, forgot about the "shy thieves" and started a new life? Not at all.
Same rails, same profile
Soon after Yakunin left the post of President of Russian Railways, our newspaper reported that the family of the main railway worker continues to cut hundreds of millions of rubles at the expense of the monopoly and, of course, Russians. The monopoly on the sale of railway tickets was owned by UFS LLC and Electronic Ticket LLC with the same director and founder - the offshore company AM Abukers Limited, registered in the Cyprus city of Nicosia. According to media reports, both structures are controlled by Andrei Yakunin, the son of Vladimir Ivanovich. The financial performance indicators, even the official ones, are not bad - the net profit annually exceeds a quarter of a billion rubles. How much sales enrich the family not according to reporting documents, but in reality, one can only guess ...
The Venture Investments & Yield Management (VIY Management) fund operated in London, which managed the projects of Tristar Investment Holdings. This CJSC, also founded by Andrey Yakunin, was involved in construction projects on the lands of Russian Railways, as well as development projects on “tasty” sites in St. Petersburg. And about such "little things" as the delivery of the Infratech company controlled by the Yakunin family (owned by the Cypriot offshore company Ais Infrastrakcher Solutions Limited, which belongs to the Cypriot Vivarokko Ltd, and that is already the Cypriot Verlis Nominiz Ltd, behind which the figure of Andrei Vladimirovich looms for the construction of the geore for 1 billion rubles, needless to say.
Exhibitions are a delicate matter. But profitable
A separate story is the business of the Yakunin family, formalized through Business Dialogue LLC. This company has repeatedly become a figurant in anti-corruption investigations of the Russian opposition (experts of the Anti-Corruption Foundation). According to FBK, Vladimir Yakunin has been friends with Business Dialogue for a long time, since 2012. Which is not surprising: according to an extract from the register of legal entities, 25% of this company belongs to the Cypriot offshore company Trussland Co., Ltd., and that, in turn, belongs to another offshore company, the aforementioned Verlis Nominiz Ltd., and his "relative" V.R.L. Nominiz Limited.
According to FBK, the Cypriot companies Verlis Nominiz Limited and V.R.L. Nominiz Limited are nominal holders behind which the real owners of assets are hidden. The same companies were previously named as founders by the Cypriot company RHC Regional Hotel Chain Ltd, which owns Regional Hotel Chain LLC, one of the projects of the VIY Management fund. Managing partner of VIY Management - Andrey Yakunin. By the way, it is for this couple of offshore companies that the infamous estate with a fur store and the house of Vladimir Yakunin's gatekeepers in Akulinino near Moscow is registered.
The participants in the scheme were clearly not worried about stability and prospects for cooperation. After all, they won from themselves and paid themselves. Here is just one example: on October 29, 2014, Russian Railways announces an open tender “for the right to conclude an agreement on the provision of services for organizing the participation of Russian Railways in exhibitions and conferences, as well as organizing, holding and providing exhibitions and conferences for Russian Railways in 2015- 2017 ". The scope of work is standard and uncomplicated - selection of exhibitions for participation, design, maintenance and dismantling of the exposition, logistics of participants (hotels and travel). Everything!
And now the most important thing is the price of the contract. 675 million rubles for three years. 225 million rubles a year. Or (with equal shares) almost 19 million a month! According to the information on the website of Business-Dialogue LLC, in 2015, for example, this company indicated its participation in 12 exhibitions, i.e. formally, one per month.
Let us ask ourselves a question: how much did the actual participation in the forum cost? For example, "Transport week -2015". Venue - Gostiny Dvor in Moscow. It is clear that there is no need to drag any carriages. Exclusively stand building. Look at the Russian Railways stand - a tiny and dismal island-type exposition. In terms of costs, it clearly does not pull, not so much as 19, but even 3 million. However, there is no doubt that Yakunin's people have successfully mastered the required amounts.
The question may arise: did the representatives of FBK confuse something? No, it's all true, the three-year plan was systematically implemented. We go to the site Zakupki.gov.ru, looking for information on Business Dialogue LLC. Here is a purchase from a single supplier (!) No. 31603806700 for 28.5 million rubles. The topic is familiar - “Ensuring the participation of Russian Railways in events organized and conducted by Business Dialogue LLC in 2016”. Or, here's an example of a small purchase - lot no. 31502788897 suggests "Services for organizing the participation of the Company in the International Forum" Innovative mobility: the contours of a multimodal future "to be placed with the only supplier Business Dialogue LLC". The participation of the LLC will be organized for only 200,000 rubles. Date - September 2015, Formally, Yakunin is no longer at Russian Railways. And the friendship with "Business Dialogue" continues.
To be continued
It is clear that in 2015 Yakunin “left” the post of head of Russian Railways in a purely formal way, removed the annoying irritant from the public eye. The people calmed down. And the Yakuninskys continue their business under Belozerov.
And a legitimate question arises: who are you, Oleg Belozerov? An independent leader or just a wedding general. A kind of ersatz, like a used cork, which is used to close an opened bottle. It seems like a cork, and not in place, does not play a role assigned to it. So, temporarily, to mask the process that will continue under this plug.
“The first is the budget and investments, taking into account the rather complex parameters of the current state of the economy and the company's income. And the second is passenger transportation! - this is how Oleg Valentinovich outlined the main directions of his work at the first conference call on September 9, 2015. To preserve the share of railway transport in the segment of freight traffic, to increase passenger traffic, to increase production and technological efficiency ... the words were loud then. And what is the output? "Russian Railways" never came out of the peak, into which the monopoly entered because of the activities of the "family". It seems that Yakunin continues to secretly "steer" this state-owned company. No change happened.
At a meeting with Vladimir Putin, the leadership of the monopoly promised to continue the course of cutting costs in 2018 (in two years they saved 100 billion, promised another 80 billion). The goal, in general, is good if the result was achieved by cutting off real expenditure and unprofitable items and projects that are being implemented by “their own people” with a clear overstatement of costs.
Experts believe that the monopolist will be able to achieve this, including by reducing staff. Dismissal of 4% of office workers (35,000 people), according to Deloitte, will allow the corporation to save 25 to 60 billion 000 people, or 35% of all railroad workers. As a result of the Yakunin-Belozero reforms, it has come to the point that in other departments there are several managers per employee.
The savings are not due to the removal of clan members from the trough, but due to the workers. Having saved the same 200 billion on the salaries of ordinary railroad workers, writes the Internet portal Vgudok.com, members of the Russian Railways board received 2.3 billion rubles in 2016. From 2009 to 2016, the average number of Russian Railways personnel employed in transportation decreased by 37.7%. It turns out that in eight years the monopoly got rid of 420 thousand people: if you count with families, it will pull on the population of a million-plus city like Nizhny Novgorod.
At the same time, Yakunin & Co. feels great. His friends and associates (not only family members) continue to receive lucrative contracts. For example, Alexey Krapivin's 1520 Group of Companies LLC, who is the son of Vladimir Yakunin's advisor, received contracts for 22 billion rubles in the first half of 2017. And the corporation "R-Industry" and the firm "R-Vostok", which are controlled by a longtime friend of the ex-president Vladimir Vasiliev, received a significant part of the contracts for 15.5 billion rubles for construction on the Eastern range.
The personality of Krapivin has already become the subject of consideration by European law enforcement officers in connection with the origin of capital. During Yakunin's work at Russian Railways, firms that are considered controlled by Krapivin Jr. became the largest contractors of the state corporation. It was these companies that received contracts for the development of the Eastern range of Russian Railways worth 184 billion rubles and orders for the design of railway facilities worth 150 billion rubles. According to the publication Beobachter, almost half of the $ 600 million transferred to this country through the "laundry" turned out to be on Krapivin's accounts in Switzerland.
But either the Kremlin has long given up on the smooth operation of Yakunin's "vacuum cleaner" in Russian Railways, or there has not yet appeared such an internal force that could move this mastodon out of the railway business in general (Vladimir Ivanovich Rotenberg was too tough), squandering budget money in the monopoly continues successfully. By the way, we can understand very soon whether Yakunin has left or whether he, like Lenin, is always with us. In 2017, the contract between Russian Railways and Business Dialogue ends. After that, a new competition should take place. And we are very interested in whether Russian Railways will continue to cut money with this structure or not. If Business Dialogue wins it again, and even for the next few years, then we can give up on monopoly: Yakunin keeps his finger on the pulse.
Vladimir Yakunin's awards
Russian awards:
USSR awards:
Medal for Military Merit
Awards of the subjects of the Federation:
2014 - Order of the Pole Star
Confessional awards:
Vladimir Yakunin was born on June 30, 1948 in the town of Melenki, Vladimir region. The boy grew up in a military family. Father, was a pilot and served in the Estonian city of Pärnu, where there was a difficult political situation. Therefore, for security reasons, he sent his wife to the village to her parents. After the situation improved, she returned with her son to her husband's place of service. The boy's childhood was spent on the Estonian coast of the Baltic Sea, in a port and resort town. His mother worked as an accountant. In 1964, his father quit his job, and the family moved to St. Petersburg. There Vladimir graduated from school number 366 and the higher educational institution "Voenmekh".
After receiving higher education in 1972, the young engineer worked at the State Institute of Applied Chemistry, subordinate to the Sixth Directorate, where formulations for ammunition and systems for influencing atmospheric phenomena were developed.
In 1974, Yakunin joined the state security agencies. Three years later, he graduated from the KGB Higher School by correspondence and was sent to the State Committee for Economic Relations under the Council of Ministers. In the period from 1982 to 1985, he headed the department for work with foreigners at the capital's Physics and Technology University, being a KGB counterintelligence officer. Further, since 1985, Vladimir Ivanovich was in the diplomatic service in the United States. Upon arrival at home, he submitted a report on the transfer to the central intelligence apparatus, but was refused and then decided to leave the government service.
At the age of forty-three, Yakunin went into business. In partnership with former colleagues, he established the International Center for Business Cooperation, took part in the formation of the Rossiya Bank, NPP Temp, and headed the Bikar auto center.
Under the control of the department for external relations of the administration of St. Petersburg headed by Vladimir Putin, Vladimir Ivanovich was engaged in the export of non-ferrous metals. At the same time he worked for the Stream company, exporting timber, cotton, oil products. He was also one of the eight founders of Ozer, a cooperative analogous to the Moscow Rublyovka.
In 2002, Vladimir Yakunin was appointed Deputy Minister of Railways, having brilliantly reorganized the department into an open joint stock company. In 2005, he became the head of the Russian Railways Corporation.
In the same 2005, under the guidance of Professor Alexander Solovyov, he defended his Ph.D. thesis "Mechanism for the development of geostrategies in the modern Russian state on the example of the transport and railway sector." Two years later, he received his doctorate for the defense of the dissertation "Processes and Mechanisms of Formation of State Policy in Contemporary Russian Society." Among the scientific works and monographs of Yakunin: "Formation of Russia's geostrategies: the transport component", "Political science of transport: the political dimension of transport development", "Formation of state policy in modern Russia: problems of theory and practice."
Since the end of 2010, Yakunin has been head of the Department of State Policy of the Faculty of Political Science of the Mikhail Lomonosov Moscow State University. Later, in order to increase the prestige of the political science education of Moscow State University, on the initiative of Vladimir Ivanovich, the Political Science Educational Program PolitIQ was being implemented jointly with the Faculty of Political Science of Moscow State University. Yakunin is also a visiting professor at the Stockholm School of Economics and Peking University, and an honorary doctor of the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Acting Governor of the Kaliningrad Region Nikolai Tsukanov on August 17, 2015 proposed Yakunin's candidacy for membership in the Federation Council: a representative from the executive body of state power of a constituent entity of Russia. However, on September 15, 2015, Vladimir Ivanovich resigned from the senatorial post. The reason for this was the legal impossibility of continuing to work in the governing bodies of international public organizations in the status of a senator.
On August 20, 2015, Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Medvedev signed an order to dismiss the President of JSC Russian Railways Yakunin from his post. The most important result of his activities in the railway industry Yakunin called the preservation and development of heavy engineering in the production of domestic locomotives, freight, passenger cars.
In 2016, Yakunin co-founded the Dialogue of Civilizations Research Institute. In the same year, the Istoki Endowment Fund established by Yakunin began a project to train students of the Political Science Faculty of Moscow State University in major universities around the world: in France, China, Great Britain, Singapore and Hong Kong.
Yakunin is the founder and head of a number of charitable organizations. The foundation of St. Andrew the First-Called, founded by him, restored the tradition of bringing the Holy Fire to Russia from Jerusalem.
In mid-March 2019, Canada imposed sanctions against 114 individuals, including Yakunin, over the annexation of Crimea. Vladimir Ivanovich himself called the sanctions "undeserved".
In April 2019, Vladimir Yakunin headed the Department of Political Science at the Center for Political Science of the Institute for Social and Political Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Vladimir Yakunin's awards
Russian awards:
2012 - Laureate of the Prize of the Government of the Russian Federation in the field of science and technology for the development of steels, manufacturing technology, implementation of a set of innovative projects and the development of mass production of railway wheels of increased operational resistance for new generation cars
2005 - Pavel Melnikov Medal for great personal contribution to the development of the transport complex of Russia
2006 - Order of Honor for great contribution to the development of railway transport and many years of conscientious work
2007 - "Honorary Railwayman of JSC Russian Railways" for his contribution to the implementation of measures to reform railway transport, development of a strategy for the development of Russian railways, ensuring a constructive social policy, effective interaction with government bodies of the Russian Federation and constituent entities of the Russian Federation, as well as with foreign railway administrations and international organizations
2007 - Medal "For the development of railways" for a great contribution to the development of railway transport and the achieved labor success
2008 - Order of Merit for the Fatherland, IV degree for a great contribution to the development of railway transport and many years of conscientious work
2008 - Certificate of honor of the Government of the Russian Federation for a great personal contribution to ensuring the efficient operation of railway transport and many years of conscientious work
2009 - Medal "For assistance in providing special programs" for the high organization of work on the implementation of the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation "Issues of mobilization of the Russian Federation"
2009 - Medal "90 years of transport police" for a significant contribution to the protection of public order and in connection with the 90th anniversary of the formation of the internal affairs bodies in transport
2013 - Order of Friendship for the achieved labor success and many years of conscientious work
2014 - Order of Alexander Nevsky for preparation for the Olympic Games in Sochi
2015 - Badge "For Merit in the Development of JSC Russian Railways, I Degree" for many years of conscientious work in railway transport, a great contribution to the development of Russian Railways
2015 - Medal "For impeccable work and distinction" I degree for contribution to the development of the transport complex of Russia, long-term and conscientious work
2015 - Medal of Pyotr Stolypin I degree
USSR awards:
Medal for Military Merit
Awards of the subjects of the Federation:
2009 - Order of Merit for the Altai Territory, I degree for a great contribution to the socio-economic development of the Altai Territory
2015 - Badge of distinction "For services to the Novosibirsk region" for outstanding achievements aimed at the development of the region
Awards of foreign countries:
2002 - Commander of the Order of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Gediminas
2006 - Order "Danaker" for great contribution to the development of economic relations between the Kyrgyz Republic and the Russian Federation
2009 - Order of Friendship for special merits in strengthening cooperation and mutual ties between Azerbaijan and Russia
2011 - Order of Dostyk II degree
2011 - Knight Grand Cross with the Gold Star of the Badge of Honor "For Services to the Republic of Austria"
2011 - Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
2012 - Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit
2012 - Order of Honor for significant contribution to the strengthening and development of cooperation between the Republic of Armenia and the Russian Federation in the field of economics
2012 - Knight Commander of the Legion of Honor
2014 - Order of the Pole Star
2013 - Gold Medal of Merit for organizing humanitarian aid for Kosovo and Metohija, within the framework of which children from Kosovo were able to travel to Russia, as well as organizing trips to Kosovo for Russian journalists
Awards from international and intergovernmental organizations:
2011 - Diploma of the Commonwealth of Independent States for active work to strengthen and develop the Commonwealth of Independent States
2014 - Medal "Honorary Transport Worker of the Commonwealth of Independent States" for great services in the development of transport systems of the Commonwealth states, strengthening cooperation in the transport space of the CIS, active participation in the work of the CIS CCC
Confessional awards:
2005 - Order of the Monk Seraphim of Sarov II degree
2008 - Order of the Holy Blessed Prince Daniel of Moscow, I degree
2008 - Order "Al-Fakhr" I degree for a significant contribution to the development and strengthening of the idea of dialogue between civilizations, the spread of the ideals of peaceful coexistence of peoples and religious traditions, as well as in connection with the 60th anniversary
2009 - Order of the Reverend Andrei Rublev, I degree
2004 - Commander of the Order of the Holy Sepulcher for his great contribution to the development of dialogue between civilizations and peoples and the organization of the pan-Orthodox prayer "Ask for peace for Jerusalem"
2005 - Order of Saint Sava I degree for active love for the fraternal Serbian people and the Serbian Orthodox Church
2009 - Order of Saints Equal to the Apostles Cyril and Methodius for their contribution to strengthening friendship between the peoples of Russia, the Czech Republic and Slovakia
2010 - Commander of the Order of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul for labors for the good of the Orthodox Church
2010 - Order of St. Innocent II degree
2012 - Order of the Synodal Order of the Sign, II degree
2013 - Order of Glory and Honor, II degree in recognition of the help of the Church and in connection with the 65th anniversary
2018 - The Council of Muftis of Russia awarded Yakunin a medal "For Merit" for merits in strengthening the spirit of trust and cooperation between people of different religious traditions in a multinational Russian society, as well as for supporting the ideas of the Council of Muftis of Russia and the Spiritual Directorate of Muslims of the Russian Federation
Awards of public organizations:
2000 - Laureate of the International Prize of St. Andrew the First-Called "Faith and Loyalty" for his contribution to the strengthening of Russian statehood and active participation in the implementation of the project to create the Center of National Glory
Yakunin V.I., Bagdasaryan V.E., Sulakshin S.S. State policy of bringing Russia out of the demographic crisis. Moscow: Scientific expert, Economics, 2007.
Yakunin V.I., Bagdasaryan V.E., Sulakshin C.C. The ideology of economic policy: the problem of Russian choice. Monograph - M .: Scientific expert, 2008.
Yakunin V.I., Bagdasaryan V.E., Kulikov V.I., Sulakshin S.S. Variation and cyclical nature of the global social development of mankind. Monograph - M .: Scientific expert, 2009.
Yakunin V.I., Sulakshin S.S., Simonov V.V., Bagdasaryan V.E., Vilisov M.V., Kuropatkina O.V., Netesova M.S., Sazonova E.S., Silant'ev R A., Khvylya-Olinter A. I., Yarutich A. Yu. Social partnership between the state and religious organizations. Monograph. - M.: Scientific expert, 2009 .-- 232 p.
Yakunin V.I., Bagdasaryan V.E., Sulakshin C.C. Trap: new technologies for fighting the Russian statehood. - M .: Eksmo, Algorithm, 2010.
Yakunin V.I. Railways of Russia and the state - M .: Scientific expert, 2010.
Yakunin V.I., Bagdasaryan V.E., Sulakshin S.S., New technologies of fighting the Russian statehood: monograph. 3rd ed. corrected and add. - M .: Scientific expert, 2013 .-- 472
Social Activities of Vladimir Yakunin
Founding President of the World Public Forum "Dialogue of Civilizations".
Co-founder of the Research Institute "Dialogue of Civilizations"
Co-President of the Franco-Russian Dialogue Association.
Academic Supervisor and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Center for the Study of a Society in Crisis.
Head of the Department of State Policy, Faculty of Political Science, Moscow State University. M.V. Lomonosov.
Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Spread Your Wings! Charitable Foundation for Social Assistance to Children.
Member of the Board of Trustees of the Russkiy Mir Foundation.
Doctor of Political Science. Visiting Professor at the Stockholm School of Economics.
Honorary Doctor of the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Head of the Center for Scientific Substantiation and Implementation of the "Integral Eurasian Transport System" megaproject (ISPI RAS).
Co-chairman of the Russia-France Business Cooperation Council.
Member of the Presidium of the Council of the Russian Society of Political Scientists.
Member of the Russian Academy of Social Sciences.
Visiting Professor, Peking University.
Family of Vladimir Yakunin
Wife - Natalya Viktorovna Yakunina (born January 1, 1948), classmate, engineer by profession. Leads the charitable project "Sanctity of Motherhood".
Eldest Son - Andrey (b. 1975), graduated from the Faculty of Economics of St. Petersburg State University, continued his education at the London School of Business and the Business School of Columbia University. He lives with his family in London, has the best Russian library and a music library for children in the British capital.
Has a son and a daughter. Son Igor graduated from the prestigious London Highgate School.
The United States of America, Canada and the European Union, on March 15, 2019, decided to expand sanctions against individuals and legal entities of the Russian Federation "due to the incident in the Kerch Strait and the illegal annexation of Crimea." Restrictions freeze the assets of Russians in the jurisdictions of countries and prohibit transactions with those on the list.
Vladimir Ivanovich Yakunin - civil servant, ex-head of Russian Railways, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation.Forbes estimated his 2014 income at $ 11 million, ranking him 9th in the ranking of the highest paid Russian executives. However, Grigory Levchenko, the press secretary of the ex-head of the monopoly, denied this information, stating in the media that in reality the amount of Vladimir Ivanovich's earnings was almost 5 times less and amounted to $ 2.4 million.
After his departure from power in the summer of 2015, the former owner of the railways did not agree to become a candidate for senator - at the suggestion of the head of the Kaliningrad region Nikolai Tsukanov, to represent his region in the SovFed. The legal incompatibility of this status with the possibility of continuing activities in the field of international relations, on which he plans to concentrate after his resignation, forced him to abandon his preliminary intention.
Childhood of Vladimir Yakunin
The future high-ranking manager was born on June 30, 1948 in his mother's homeland in the Vladimir region. In those years, his dad, a pilot of the Ministry of State Security, served in the Estonian city of Pärnu, where there was a difficult political situation. Therefore, for security reasons, he sent his wife to give birth in the village to her parents. After the situation improved, she and her son returned back to her husband's place of service. 
Volodya's childhood was spent on the Estonian coast of the Baltic Sea, in a port and resort town. His mom was an accountant, his dad was fond of playing preference cards in his spare hours. In 1964, my father quit, and the family moved from Pärnu to the city on the Neva. There Vladimir graduated from high school and higher educational institution "Voenmekh".
The beginning of the career of Vladimir Yakunin
After receiving higher education in 1972, the young engineer worked at the State Institute of Applied Chemistry (subordinate to the 6th Directorate), where formulations for ammunition and systems for influencing atmospheric phenomena were developed.In 1974, he joined the state security agencies. In 1977, he graduated from the KGB Higher School in absentia and was sent to the State Committee for Economic Relations under the Council of Ministers. In the period 1982-1985. he headed the department for work with foreigners in the capital's Phystech, being a KGB counterintelligence officer.
Vladimir Yakunin: Is there life after Russian Railways
Since 1985, Vladimir Ivanovich was in the diplomatic service in the United States.
Entrepreneurial activity of Vladimir Yakunin
At 43, Yakunin went into business. In partnership with former colleagues, he established the International Center for Business Cooperation, took part in the formation of the Rossiya Bank, NPP Temp, and headed the Bikar auto center. 
Under the supervision of the department for external relations of the administration of the Northern capital, headed by Vladimir Putin, Yakunin was engaged in the export of non-ferrous metals. At the same time, he worked for the Stream company, exporting timber, cotton, oil products. Yakunin's dacha was in the Ozero cooperative - an analogue of the Moscow Rublyovka, which he founded together with the future head of state.
All of its co-owners, including Yakunin, Yuri Kovalchuk, brothers Sergei and Andrei Fursenko, Nikolai Shamalov, during the presidency of Vladimir Vladimirovich occupied significant positions in power and business.
In particular, Yakunin became the Deputy Minister of Railways in 2002, having brilliantly carried out the reorganization of the department into an open joint-stock company. In 2005 he became the head of the Russian Railways.
Analysts noted that the candidacy of Vladimir Ivanovich appeared as the successor to the head of state. But Yakunin allegedly had no desire to run for the presidency, giving way to young candidates, Dmitry Medvedev and Sergei Ivanov.
Vladimir Yakunin - President of Russian Railways
In 2012, in the capital of France, at a meeting of the General Assembly of the International Union of Railways, he was appointed chairman of this organization, designed to harmonize relations between the railways of European countries. 
In 2013, the enterprise headed by Yakunin faced financial problems. To save money resources, the workers of the enterprise were transferred to a shortened week.
In 2014, the head of the country conferred on the head of Russian Railways the rank of ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary. Thanks to the optimization of logistics, Yakunin managed to increase the volume of cargo transportation in containers by a quarter. In 2015, the company's board of directors, by its decision, linked the amount of bonuses to its head with financial performance. In August, the president of Russian Railways was relieved of his post by a government decree. It was rumored that he would go to the senators, but Yakunin refused this proposal.
During Vladimir Yakunin's work at Russian Railways, a high-speed connection appeared in Russia: Sapsans were launched between Moscow and St. Petersburg, reaching speeds of up to 250 km / h. Several series of new rolling stock were put into operation: Swallows (an adaptation of the German Siemens Desiro produced in Russia), Swifts and double-deck trains. At the same time, electronic tickets were introduced, and wireless Internet access appeared at railway stations.
Under Yakunin, a large-scale campaign was launched to reconstruct railway stations and organize parking spaces. Improvement also affected the areas near the station - the squares adjacent to the stations began to be cleared of disorderly stalls, flower growers, illegal taxi drivers and homeless people. Projects for the modernization of the Trans-Siberian and BAM were launched, the project of the Small Ring of the Moscow Railway (now known as the MCC) was revived, and Aeroexpress trains connected Moscow airports with the center. For the Olympics in Sochi, a railway station was built in Adler, and the railway infrastructure of the entire southern coast was reconstructed.
Personal life of Vladimir Yakunin
The ex-head of Russian Railways is married and has two sons - Andrey, born in 1975, and Viktor, born in 1978. He met his wife Natalya while studying at the Leningrad school. They got married in 1971. Like her husband, she graduated from Voenmeh. 
In the early 2000s, she went into business, was one of the leaders of Millennium Bank. Today she acts as a co-founder of the Gelendzhik resort complex-Meridian, MSK Trade LLC, and is engaged in charitable activities. Together with her husband, she became the head of the Trust Fund for Dialogue of Civilizations established in Geneva.
Their eldest son is an economist, graduated from the University of St. Petersburg. He lives in London with his family. The couple have a son and a daughter. He owns a hotel chain of 20 hotels in Russian cities and is also involved in a number of large innovative construction projects.
Son Victor is a lawyer, graduated from the same university as his brother. He then continued his education at the London Business School, and later at the School at Columbia University in New York. Victor is the director of the legal department of the largest international energy group of companies Gunvor. He lives with his wife and two children in the northern capital.
Ex-President of Russian Railways - Doctor of Political Science. He is the Head of the Department of Political Science at Moscow State University, a professor at the Stockholm School of Economics. Vladimir Yakunin has state awards, including the Order of Merit to the Fatherland, IV degree, and the Order of Honor.
Vladimir Yakunin today
After his resignation, Vladimir Yakunin focused on scientific and social activities. He is a co-founder of the Research Institute "Dialogue of Civilizations", Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Andrew the First-Called Foundation, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Spread Your Wings!Media playback is unsupported on your device
Vladimir Yakunin - about his son's British citizenship and his pantry for fur coatsRussian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is not influential enough to create problems for someone, former head of Russian Railways Vladimir Yakunin told the BBC.
So he commented on suggestions that the real reason for his resignation was the Navalny Anti-Corruption Fund, which accused Yakunin of corruption.
In the summer of 2013, Navalny announced that Vladimir Yakunin had a large number of premium real estate properties. He argued that Yakunin is the actual owner of a huge business empire, which he controls through a complex scheme of offshore companies.
Shortly before this, the Russian media reported that Yakunin owned an estate worth almost $ 100 million in the Moscow region, next to which a forest and a river were illegally fenced off. The Internet also actively discussed the topic of a giant fur store, which was allegedly then in the house of the head of Russian Railways.
In an interview with BBC HARDtalk program host Stephen Sakur, Vladimir Yakunin called the fur store "a small pantry for fur coats," and also said that his son bought a house in London worth 5 million pounds, taking out a loan.
The BBC Russian Service is publishing excerpts from the interview, which will air on BBC World News on June 19 at 6:30, 11:30, 17:30 and 22:30 Moscow time.
About Vladimir Putin
BBC: For many years you have been a close associate and advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Overall, if you look at the influence of Vladimir Putin, do you believe that he is leading Russia in the right direction?
Vladimir Yakunin: To be honest, I never considered myself to be Putin's advisor. I was running my own business, I was the head of the company, it is true, but I have never been an advisor to [Putin], or prime minister, or president. As for your question, according to opinion polls, people in Russia believe that his rule is aimed at the development of Russia.
BBC: It is interesting that you mentioned opinion polls, Putin's ratings were very high for a long time - 70-80%. But let's look at the facts. He demonstrates brutal military power in the Middle East and neighboring Ukraine, which has led to the isolation of Russia, international sanctions - for the invasion of Crimea. You can also think about the economy, the growth rate of which has slowed down, and the economic development of the country, which essentially stalled. Few world leaders can hold on to such results.
V.Ya .: Everything is relative. The American president is displaying incredible military strength, and there is nothing special about the Russian president doing it.
BBC: You are well aware that the decision to invade and annex Crimea caused great concern in the world and led to sanctions, and you yourself were named a confidant of Vladimir Putin in 2014and steelsubject to US economic sanctions.
V.Ya .: It was not Russians or Russian troops who staged a coup d'etat in Kiev, it was not Russian politicians who were on the Maidan. There were European and American politicians there. Can you imagine that here in London, a member of the Russian parliament is at the head of the protest? It's impossible.
About cyber attacks and elections in the United States
BBC: Russia carries out a number of covert activities, uses force in cyberspace, soft power around the world - sometimes through the media, sometimes through less public channels. Given that Vladimir Putin appears determined to play an important role - in American, French or German elections, Eastern European politics - how big is this man's ambition?
V.Ya .: A person who understands at least something in information, military affairs and other similar things would never believe that all this huge array of events can have one source, and this source is Russia.
BBC: That is, you deny all the evidence, the absolutely unequivocal statements of the former FBI Director James Comey, that Russia interfered in the US presidential elections, carried out hacker attacks on the Democratic Party and thus was a key player in this campaign, the result of which was the victory of Donald Trump?
V.Ya .: I have not seen any conclusive evidence. Why should I trust the former head of the FBI that he has some kind of proof? Why weren't they presented to the general public? I think that everything is much more complicated here, and there are many respected experts in the West who raise doubts about these statements, because sometimes it is much easier to blame someone else for your mistakes.
BBC: However, things are not going as we would like. Your idea is to represent Russia in a different light in the West, but there is a perception in the US and around the world - intelligence services, police and ordinary people. I can quote if you like, as Angela Merkel and the chief of German intelligence say, that there is no doubt that Russia is trying to influence the elections in Germany.
V.Ya .: The Russians didn’t tap her phone, why didn’t it bother her? They were not Russians. The development of computer technology is an incredibly important and valuable thing in the modern world, but it's not that simple.
About Navalny and a fur store
BBC: The problem in Russia is that open dissatisfaction with the authorities is a question, if not of life and death, then certainly of freedom or imprisonment.[ Alexey] Navalny - I spoke to him recently - is constantly getting some kind of problems with the law, now he is again threatened with far-fetched accusations that could prevent him from participating in the 2018 presidential campaign as he wants. I was in his office - there are constantly searches there. I interviewed Garry Kasparov several times - he says that he cannot live in Russia because he is not safe there. This is the reality in Russia that you are defending.
V.Ya .: You know, I can't say anything, for example, about the personal feelings of Mr. Kasparov. But what can I say [about Navalny] - he did not talk about his attempt to become mayor of Moscow: how did it happen, who supported him? He is a free man. He flies here, he meets you. But no regime likes its opponents.
BBC: He showed me a luxurious estate that you bought in the Moscow region for many millions of rubles.
V.Ya .: Yes.
BBC: He published images - I saw them - they show in detail both houses, and free-standing non-residential premises, and a tennis court, and more ... Is it true that there is a special room inside where you store your fur coats?
V.Ya .: Listen, this is an anecdote, just a fiction. When you find yourself in Moscow ...
BBC: But is the estate yours?
V.Ya .: I invite you to this estate to show you this little pantry for fur coats. You won't find any special furs there. Maybe some kind of fur coats from Siberia - and so on, and so on.
Image copyright Alexei Nikolsky / TASS Image caption Vladimir Yakunin was called one of the closest persons from the circle of Vladimir PutinAbout his son's £ 5m home
BBC: In 2015, you lost your position as head of Russian Railways.
V.Ya .: I resigned, better to say.
BBC: Everything is complicated there. Some in Russia think that Putin has decided ...
V.Ya .: Let them count.
BBC: Good. But the reason you - perhaps - become a problem is because some information has become public. And maybe Alexei Navalny also had a hand in this. It became clear that your son ...
V.Ya .: Oh no, you don't have to make a hero out of him! He's not, you know, influential enough to create problems for anyone in this way.
BBC: Let's get back to the topic. Your own son lives in London, in a very expensive house, and has also received British citizenship.
V.Ya .: What do you call a "very expensive home"?
BBC: Cost inOmany millions of pounds.
V.Ya .: No, no, how much exactly? Do you know this amount?
BBC: It seems to have been worth nearly five million pounds.
V.Ya .: And this is a huge amount of money.
BBC: Yes.
V.Ya .: A very large amount.
BBC: Of course.
V.Ya .: Yes, besides, it was bought, you know, taking into account some loans and all that ... Is it somehow very different from how other people live here?
BBC: This is perhaps very different from how most people live here. But the question is not even about the real estate empire, it is about the British passport. The Russian authorities today constantly talk about how the West is opposed to Russia, how the West is trying to harm and destroy Russia. And in Russia, people were shown how your own son gets British citizenship. And for the Russians - perhaps even for Vladimir Putin - it put you in a position where he no longer wanted to be associated with you.
V.Ya .: No. You know, I never hid that my son lives here. And due to the peculiarities of local rules, according to the law, he received a passport - about which I duly notified the Russian authorities. And besides, you are wrong when you say that all Russians believe that "the bad West wants to harm Russia" and so on ...
BBC: Isn't that the signal they get from the Kremlin?
V.Ya .: No, I do not think so.
