Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch is a Russian businessman, partial owner of the steelmaker Lebedinski Mining. After being elected a deputy of the State Duma, Andrei Skoch transferred his business assets to his father, Vladimir Nikitovich Skoch. According to Forbes, in addition to a 30% holding in USM, Vladimir Skoch also owns a share in Vnukovo airport. Andrei Skoch’s family fortune in 2021 is estimated at $8.8 billion.
According to Forbes Magazine, Skoch is among the richest Russians and was listed in The World’s Billionaire in 2012.
Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch is a Russian politician, a member of the “United Russia” party, a deputy of the State Duma from the Belgorod region. He was born on January 30, 1966, in the village of Nikolskoye in the Moscow region. After school he served in the army and then entered the Moscow State Pedagogical University, specializing in psychology. In the 1990s, he built a successful entrepreneurial career.
In 1990, Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch and his business partner Lev Kvetnoi were engaged in business in different spheres: they started with the sale of computer components, then they opened a bakery. The first business that brought them a tangible income was oil refining and the sale of gasoline. In the mid-90s, Skoch invested part of his earnings in the “Interfin” Investment Fund.
Eventually, he transferred his assets to his father and became involved in politics. He has been working in this field for more than 20 years: with his assistance, more than 150 important bills were developed. Today, he is also engaged in the development of the Pokolenie (Generation) Foundation with the help of his father, Vladimir Nikitovich.
Table of Contents
Russian State Duma deputy Andrei Skoch
In 1999, Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch decided to leave the business world and ran for the position of deputy of the Russian State Duma from the Belgorod Region.
He gave his Interfin shares to his father Vladimir Nikitovich Skoch, a man with extensive experience in industrial activities. Skoch Sr. worked for many years in a machine-building plant, and in recent years had held a leading position in the trade union.
Skoch Andrei Vladimirovich, during his 20 years of work as a deputy, participated in the development of more than 150 legislative initiatives, many of which were approved by the State Duma. Among them are bills which concern amendments:
- to Article 3 of the Federal Law “On monetary allowances for military personnel and the provision of separate payments to them”;
- to Article 69 of the Federal Law “On education in the Russian Federation;
- to part two of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation, which regulates the implementation of environmental investment projects in the Arctic zone of Russia;
- to Articles 56 and 56-1 of the Federal Law “On the contract system in the procurement of goods, works, services to meet state and municipal needs”.
In 2000, the deputy was appointed head of the Expert Council on metallurgy and mining. In 2012, he became a member of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs and Relations with Compatriots.
Andrei Skoch’s Charity Foundation
Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch has been engaged in charity work for a long time. In 1996, he founded the Pokolenie (Generation) Foundation, an organization that provided assistance to children with heart disease. Today, the foundation has a wide range of areas it attends to, but health care is still the main one. The Foundation donates to hospitals and clinics for the purchase of medicines and medical equipment, including X-ray machines, computer systems for vision correction, stationary digital ultrasound scanners, ophthalmological equipment, X-ray surgical equipment, and much more.
Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch’s Foundation also financed the opening of several medical facilities. Thus, in 2001, an ophthalmology center was opened in Stary Oskol. Diagnostics and treatment are available there not only for adults, but also for children; treatment is free for the latter. In 2010, a Medical Center was founded in Belgorod, which uses the latest equipment to conduct a full range of diagnostic examinations. In December, 2017, a neuro-orthopedic center was opened in Belgorod where complex surgeries, including on spines, hands, and feet are performed.
In the period from 2015 to 2019, 29 feldsher obstetrical stations were opened with funding from Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch’s Foundation. The penultimate point, 28th FOS, which appeared in the village of Terekhovo in the urban district of Stary Oskol, changed locations twice, and water had to be carried there in buckets from a water pump. The new FOS is equipped with a sterilization room, a treatment room, and a toilet. Today it serves more than 480 local residents and more than a hundred children. In the medical center, one can undergo a cardiogram and take tests for cholesterol and sugar.
The 29th FOS was opened in the village of Sorokino of the Stary Oskol district, where more than 1200 people live. This FOS employs a district therapist, a paramedic and a nurse. The charity organization Pokolenie gave the 29th FOS two “Gazelle” cars for the transportation of patients for hemodialysis. About 120 local residents undergo this procedure three times a week.
Projects supported by the Pokolenie Foundation
The Pokolenie Foundation, created by Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch, helps not only with projects related to medicine, but also funds education, science, sports, art, and other areas of the social sphere.
The contest “The Best Student of the Year”, established by Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch’s Foundation, is held annually. The winners are students of higher educational institutions in the Belgorod region who demonstrate academic excellence and participation in the life of their educational institutions. The winners receive a scholarship. In 2020, the finalists were selected by SMS voting on their website. As a result, 30 people took first and second place in 15 categories. The size of the scholarship for the first-place winners is 15,000 rubles, and for those who took second place – 10,000 rubles. The award ceremony was held in February at BelSU. Over the entire period of the contest, 3,000 people have become winners, and more than 80 million rubles were spent on the scholarships.
Twice a year, Andrei Skoch’s charity organization runs the New Generation camp, where young people are taught acting skills, the ability to build partnerships, and public speaking.
The charitable organization has repeatedly supported sports organizations, including the Federation of Sambo and Judo, and the Council of Handball Veterans.
The literary prize “Debut” was held for 16 years by the foundation. Works written in Russian by authors under the age of 35 were nominated. The monetary component of the prize was one million rubles.
Doctors who made progress in the organization of pediatric medical care, as well as in the field of cardiovascular surgery, could receive:
- the “Healthy Childhood” award;
- the prize of Academicians of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences A.N.Bakulev and A.I.Burakovsky.
The “Parental Record” contest was held to support parents with many children. From 2011 to 2016, 22 families were named winners in four nominations: mother with many children, father with many children, the ‘open heart’ award, and the largest family in the region.
Supporting medical institutions during the pandemic
The charity organization Pokolenie provided financial assistance to the medical institutions of the Belgorod Region in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic outbreak in the country. In just a month and a half, the institution spent about 60 million rubles for this purpose.
Several batches of personal protective equipment were sent to local medical institutions. First, the organization sent antiseptic, as well as fabric and fittings for sewing protective suits and masks. The next shipment consisted of 10,000 masks, 3,000 respirators, 7,500 goggles, and 1,000 medical overalls. The third batch consisted of 50,000 masks, 7,500 pairs of gloves, and 1,000 coveralls.
In parallel, 40,000 masks and 1,000 suits were delivered to the infectious disease hospital. Volunteers who interacted with pensioners every day were provided with 10,000 masks and 7,500 pairs of gloves too.
The Pokolenie Foundation also donated equipment for the decontamination of streets and buildings for employees of the Belgorod Region Ministry of Emergency Situations. First of all, kindergarten No. 45 in Belgorod, which has 147 children, was treated. The area of the building is 500 square meters.
Awards
The activities of Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch in such areas as philanthropy and lawmaking have been recognized with state and honorary awards of Russia, which include:
- Medals of the Order “For Merit to the Fatherland” (First and Second Degrees);
- Order of Alexander Nevsky (closed list);
- Medal “For Services to the Land of Belgorod” (1st degree);
- Order of Honor;
- Commendations of the President of the Russian Federation and the Chairman of the State Duma.
Personal life and family of Andrei Skoch
Andrei Skoch is a Russian politician and public figure, as well as the head of the charity foundation Pokolenie. Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch’s aspiration to help people and restore social justice was brought up in him by his parents. The father of the parliamentarian – Vladimir Nikitovich – continues to be his moral ideal, a friend and a person who he can ask for advice. Despite his age, he actively participates in the activities of the Pokolenie Foundation.
Andrey Skoch is the father of ten children, four of whom are quadruplets born in 1994: Nikita, Sofia, Alexandra, and Yulia.
