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Yuri Mikhailovich Luzhkov (Ю́рий Миха́йлович Лужко́в) (born September 21, 1936 in Moscow, Russia, USSR) is a Russian political figure. He is serving as a mayor of Moscow since 1992.
 Yuri Mikhailovich Luzhkov Family
His father Mikhail Andreyevich Luzhkov moved to Moscow from a small village in the Tula Oblast in the 1930s, he was a woodworker. His mother Anna Petrovna was originally from Bashkiria.
Professional Career
In 1958, Luzhkov graduated from the Gubkin Moscow Petrochemical & Gas Industry Institute with the qualification of "mechanical engineer" and for the next few years worked as a researcher in the Moscow Scientific Research Institute of Plastics. Joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) in 1968. For the next 20 years worked on automation initiatives on different levels in the chemical industry (1964-1971: management automation department chief, State Chemistry Committee; 1971-1974: automated management systems department chief, Chemical Industry Ministry of the Soviet Union; 1974-1980: CEO, Experimental Design Office of Automation, Chemical Industry Ministry of the Soviet Union; 1980-1986: CEO, Scientific-Industrial Association "Petrochemautomation".)
Political Career
He was first appointed as a member of the Moscow city council (Mossovet) in 1977, and beginning in the 1987, he transferred to work for the executive branch of the Moscow city government (Mosgorispolkom). He held different positions, most of the time one level below the Mayor. In 1991, Gavriil Popov was elected Mayor of Moscow in the first open free elections. However, Popov was not an experienced bureaucrat or manager, but rather an university professor who got popular because of his democracy-promoting speeches and articles. Eventually Popov became overwhelmed by his position's responsibilities, and resigned in June 1992. Luzhkov, who held the position of Prime-Minister in the Moscow city government at the time, was appointed Mayor by Boris Yeltsin on June 6, 1992. He did not have much political ambition, and paid more attention to the mundane everyday tasks of managing the city than Popov has done, that helped to attract wide popular support of the Muscovites. Was elected as Mayor on June 16, 1996 (winning 95% of the votes), and later re-elected on December 19, 1999 (69.9% of the votes) and again on December 7, 2003 (75% of the votes). In 1998, when it became clear that Boris Yeltsin will be retiring relatively soon, Luzhkov formed his own political party, Otechestvo (Fatherland), to serve as his base for the upcoming presidential election. Many powerful Russian politicians such as regional governors supported his party, and when it merged with another governors-backed party, Vsya Rossiya (All Russia) to form Otechestvo-Vsya Rossiya, it became even more powerful. However, Boris Yeltsin appointed Vladimir Putin as prime-minister in August 1999, and Putin gained very fast in popular support after decisively managing the beginning of the Second Chechen War. Otechestvo-Vsya Rossiya never formally nominated Luzhkov as their presidential candidate, and they ended up endorsing Putin in the 2000 presidential elections, which he won easily. After that, Luzhkov became less active in federal politics. Later Otechestvo-Vsya Rossiya joined the United Russia party.
Registration Controversy
In the Soviet Union every citizen had to get a permission to settle in some cities, such as Moscow, before they could move to live there. The government wanted to limit the migration inflow into the big cities. In the new democratic Russian constitution every Russian citizen has the freedom of movement. However, Luzhkov tries to restrict the process by keeping the registration process difficult, imposing Moscow-specific limitations and regulations on it. His rationale is that Moscow city infrastructure (roads, school, police, and so on) is not designed to handle rapidly growing population, essentially claiming that economic necessity holds precedence over Constitutional human rights. People without registration have trouble getting legal employment and are regularly harassed by the police. Some of the most blatant limitations have been removed by the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court after a long fight with Luzhkov's lawyers, making the registration process somewhat simpler. Right now a person can spend 90 days in Moscow without any registration.
Corruption Accusations
Luzhkov was frequently accused of corruption in press for being "too close" to major businessmen, such as billionaires Vladimir Gusinsky or Vladimir Yevtushenkov and for suspicious privatization deals for formerly city-owned property. Mr. Luzhkov's wife Yelena Baturina, according to Forbes magazine, is a billionaire. The construction and plastic furniture companies she owns receive a large number of lucrative municipal contracts. No allegations have been ever brought to court and he never was formally accused of any improprieties. Paul Klebnikov, chief editor of Forbes Russia was shot dead soon after publishing the list of Russia's wealthiest people, including for the first time the name of Baturina.
Personal
Married his first wife, Marina Bashilova, in 1958 and had two sons with her, Mikhail and Aleksandr. She has died from liver cancer in 1989. Married his second wife, Yelena Baturina in 1991, they have two daughters, Alyona (born 1992) and Olga (born 1994). Frequently appears in public at different festivals and celebrations, very enthusiastic in promoting Moscow as a city. Plays public soccer games against other politicians, also plays tennis and is a hobbyist beekeeper. Often wears a leather cap, which has become his "trademark".
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