Dmitry Kozak

Dmitry Nikolayevich Kozak
Дмитрий Николаевич Козак
Deputy Prime Minister of Russia
Assumed office
October 14, 2008
Minister of Regional Development
In office
September 24, 2007  October 14, 2008
Preceded by Vladimir Yakovlev
Succeeded by Victor Basargin
Personal details
Born (1958-11-07) 7 November 1958
Bandurovo, Kirovohrad Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union

Dmitry Nikolayevich Kozak (Russian: Дми́трий Никола́евич Коза́к; IPA: [ˈdmʲitrʲɪj nʲɪkɐˈlajɪvʲɪtɕ kɐˈzak], Ukrainian: Козак Дмитро Миколайович; born November 7, 1958, Bandurovo, Kirovohrad Oblast, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, USSR), is a Ukrainian-born Russian politician, serving since October 2008 as deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation. He is known as the Cheshire Cat (Russian: Чеширский кот) because of his smile and is part of the Vlast' (Russian: Власть) or power group from St. Petersburg close to Putin.[1][2][3][4][5]

He was previously a regional development minister in the Russian cabinet, headed by Viktor Zubkov. From 2004 to 2007, he served as Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the Southern Federal District (North Caucasus and Southern European Russia).[6]

Dmitry Kozak is known as a close ally of Vladimir Putin, having worked with him in the St Petersburg city administration during the 1990s and later becoming one of the key figures in Putin's presidential team. During the 2004 Russian presidential election he was head of Putin’s election campaign team.[7] Kozak was one of several members of Putin's circle touted in the media as a possible candidate to succeed Putin as president in 2008.[8]

Kozak is married and has two sons. As of 2016, he lives in Moscow in the same house as Sergei Ivanov, Victor Ivanov, and German Gref.[2]

Early life and career

Dmitry Kozak was born on 7 November 1958 in the village of Bandurovo, in the Kirovohrad region of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (part of the USSR).[9]

From 1976 to 1978, Kozak worked in the Soviet military's Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU).[10]

Kozak graduated from Leningrad State University (now St. Petersburg State University) in 1985 with a degree in law. From 1985 to 1989 he worked in the Leningrad prosecutor's office as a Prosecutor and Senior Prosecutor. He moved into the business sector in 1989, working as head of the legal department at Monolit-Kirovstroy construction company and chief legal consultant for the Association of Trade Ports.[11]

Political career

Kozak worked as a public prosecutor in Leningrad and after the collapse of the Soviet Union, holding various legal offices in the city’s administration. In 1998 he became Deputy Governor of Saint Petersburg.

In 1999, along with other St. Petersburg city officials, he joined the government of Vladimir Putin. He was Chief of Staff from 1999 to 2000. Dmitry Kozak became deputy head of the presidential administration and remained in this position under various titles until 2004. In 2003 he briefly entered international politics and unsuccessfully attempted to solve the conflict between Transnistria and Moldova (see Kozak memorandum).

In September 2004, Kozak was appointed Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Southern Federal District, replacing Vladimir Yakovlev. On September 24, 2007 he was appointed to the new Russian cabinet headed by Viktor Zubkov as regional development minister, succeeding Vladimir Yakovlev again, and leaving his previous position. On October 14, 2008 he became deputy prime minister of Russia.

According to Stanislav Belkovsky, Kozak is not well liked by Putin's entourage, but Vladimir Putin does like Kozak apparently wanting to appoint Kozak as prime minister in 2004 and tapping Kozak as the successor to Putin as president in 2008, however, Dmitry Medvedev won the presidential race. Alexei Makarkin of the Center for Political Technologies said that Putin trusts Kozak as one of his men.[10]

Dmitry Kozak was the main overseer for the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.[12]

Following Russia's intervention into Crimea, Kozak was appointed to greatly strengthen Crimea's social, political, and economic ties to Russia.[10][13]

Sanctions

On April 28, 2014, following the Crimean status referendum, the U.S. Treasury put Kozak on the Specially Designated Nationals List (SDN), a list of individuals sanctioned as “members of the Russian leadership’s inner circle.”[14][15][16] The sanctions freeze any assets he holds in the US[15] and ban him from entering the United States.[17][18][19]

On April 29, 2014, Kozak was added to the European Union sanctions list due to his role in the 2014 Crimean crisis.[20][21] He is barred from entering the EU countries, and his assets in the EU are frozen.[22]

Honours and awards

References

  1. Работнова, Виктория владимировна (November 10, 2003). "В ПИТЕРЕ ЕГО СРАВНИВАЛИ С ЧЕШИРСКИМ КОТОМ: Казалось, улыбка Дмитрия Козака оставалась висеть в воздухе даже после того, как ее хозяин уже попрощался и убежал". Novaya Gazeta (in Russian). Moscow. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Козак Дмитрий Николаевич" (in Russian). Перебежчик.ру. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
  3. Илья, Булавинов. "Колода РФ. "Питерские" (трефы)" (in Russian). Компромат.Ru. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
  4. Булавинов, Илья (January 12, 2003). "Колода Российской Федерации". Kommersant (in Russian). Moscow. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
  5. ""Вертикаль власти" становится тверже: Путин и Козак будут выявлять неугодных губернаторов, составляя рейтинг" (in Russian). Moscow: NEWSru. April 11, 2008. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
  6. "Putin announces new Russian government line-up". Reuters. September 24, 2007. Archived from the original on May 20, 2011. Retrieved September 27, 2007.
  7. "Putin ally takes charge of 2014 Olympics preparations". Russia Today. October 14, 2008. Archived from the original on November 14, 2012. Retrieved June 12, 2009.
  8. "Russia's Medvedev: Expect surprises in Kremlin race". Reuters. September 30, 2007. Archived from the original on November 14, 2012. Retrieved June 14, 2009.
  9. "Biography of Dmitry Kozak". Kommersant (in Russian). Moscow. September 25, 2007. Archived from the original on November 14, 2012. Retrieved June 14, 2009.
  10. 1 2 3 Sukhov, Oleg (March 28, 2014). "From Olympics to Crimea, Putin Loyalist Kozak Entrusted with Kremlin Mega-Projects". The Moscow Times. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
  11. Дмитрий Козак. Биография [Biography of Dmitry Kozak] (in Russian). RIA Novosti. September 24, 2007. Archived from the original on March 8, 2012.
  12. Kuzmin, Vladimir (May 24, 2012). "Назначенцы-2012" [Appointees 2012]. Rossiyskaya Gazeta (in Russian). The Kremlin in Moscow. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
  13. Dawisha, Karen (2014). Putin's Kleptocracy: Who Owns Russia?. Simon & Schuster. pp. 87, 377. ISBN 978-1-4767-9519-5.
  14. "Specially Designated Nationals List (SDN)". United States Department of the Treasury.
  15. 1 2 "Announcement Of Additional Treasury Sanctions On Russian Government Officials And Entities". US Treasury. April 28, 2016. Retrieved February 29, 2016.
  16. Rupar, Terri (April 28, 2014). "U.S. announces new sanctions on Russians: Who's on the list". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 29, 2016.
  17. President of The United States (March 10, 2014). "Ukraine EO13660" (PDF). Federal Register. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
  18. President of The United States (March 19, 2016). "Ukraine EO13661" (PDF). Federal Register. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  19. "Ukraine and Russia Sanctions". United States State Department. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
  20. "Factbox: EU targets politicians, military chiefs in sanctions on Russia". Reuters. 2014-04-29. Retrieved 2014-05-15.
  21. "Council Implementing Decision 2014/238/CFSP of 28 April 2014 implementing Decision 2014/145/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine (EUR-Lex - 32014D0238 - EN)". EUR-Lex. 2014-04-29.
  22. "Ukraine crisis: Russia and sanctions". BBC. December 19, 2014. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
  23. Награждённые государственными наградами Российской Федерации. Kremlin.ru (in Russian). March 24, 2014. Archived from the original on March 24, 2014. Retrieved March 26, 2014.
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Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
Vladimir Yakovlev
Presidential Envoy to the Southern Federal District
September 13, 2004 - September 24, 2007
Succeeded by
Grigory Rapota
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