Skoch Andrei: biography and career of the deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation.

Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch – statesman and founder of the charitable foundation “Pokolenie”

Andrei Skoch is a politician at the federal level. For more than 20 years, he has been a State Duma deputy from the Belgorod Region and does a lot for the social development of the region, not only as a politician but also as a philanthropist. His charitable foundation annually directs tens of millions of rubles towards helping people.

Biography: education and early career

Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch was born on January 30, 1966. His parents lived near Moscow, in the village of Nikolskoye, now Odintsovo district of the Moscow region. Andrei Skoch was an ordinary Soviet schoolboy who did his military service, later receiving his secondary education. He graduated from the Sholokhov Moscow State Open Pedagogical University with a degree in Psychology.

His career began in the entrepreneurial field. In the 1980s, Skoch opened his first enterprise: a cooperative bakery. He built the business from the ground up together with his business partner Lev Kvetnoi. Soon, Andrei Vladimirovich started a business selling computers, and then he moved into the fuel supply industry and created a network of gas stations.

Skoch earned capital and invested it in a new project, this time in the securities sector: he became a co-owner of Alisher Usmanov’s company “Interfin”. Later this firm acquired shares in large industrial facilities of the country and was renamed “Metalloinvest”.

Work in the federal parliament

The next step for Andrei Skoch was his participation in the 1999 Duma elections. He was elected to the lower house from the Belgorod region and was one of the youngest members of parliament. He could not and did not want to combine political activity with business, so he transferred his assets to his father, Vladimir Skoch.

The elected deputy immersed himself in lawmaking and work in his constituency. This yielded great results: in the subsequent elections to the State Duma, he won again and again. His total experience in the Duma today is 22 years.

The deputy has said more than once that he considers improving the lives of people a priority for himself. Therefore, Skoch has co-authored some of the most significant federal laws in the field of social policy. He participated in the preparation of such initiatives as:

  • Financial support by the state for military service personnel;
  • Implementation of investment projects of environmental importance on the territory of the Arctic zone of Russia;
  • prompt removal of information and materials on animal cruelty from the Internet;
  • social guarantees for teachers who participate in the organization and conduct of the unified state exam and the state final certification;
  • free additional secondary or higher education for people with disabilities;
  • organization of state purchases in the sphere of drug provision, which made it possible to provide citizens with vitally necessary medicines.

During his time in the State Duma, the deputy helped develop more than 160 bills.

Since Skoch was a businessman in the past and was well aware of the problems faced by entrepreneurs, he also defended the interests of small, medium, and large businesses in his work as a deputy.

The “Pokolenie” (“Generation”) Foundation

Andrei Vladimirovich is engaged in solving public problems outside the walls of the State Duma. Back in 1996, he founded the charitable foundation “Pokolenie” (“Generation”). Its programs are aimed at supporting low-income citizens, seriously ill children and adults, veterans, medics, and families with many children.

Vladimir Nikitovich renders great assistance to the fund. He and his son make donations and help with the fund’s humanitarian initiatives.

Helping seriously ill children, buying medicines, and paying for treatment and rehabilitation are all priority areas of Pokolenie’s work.

The organization has financed the construction of 40 medical institutions in the Belgorod region, including a neuro-orthopedic center, a minimally invasive surgery center, a family clinic, a children’s polyclinic, an ophthalmologic hospital, and 29 obstetric stations.

In addition, over the years the fund has bought 160 new cars for medical and social institutions in the region.

In 2020, on Skoch’s initiative, 90 medical professionals who treated patients with coronavirus, received bonuses totaling more than 10 million rubles. In addition, the deputy provided clinics with protective equipment (masks and suits) and antiseptics.

Pokolenie’s programs include the construction and modernization of sports facilities. Since 2017, 60 sports grounds have been installed using the organization’s funds, and a sports palace has been built in Stariy Oskol. Every year, the foundation offers children’s and youth sports centers new equipment for lessons.

Educational programs

The construction and overhaul of kindergartens and schools and the purchase of equipment for educational institutions are also included in Pokolenie’s priorities. Thus, in 2021, the fund allocated more than two billion rubles for the modernization of social facilities in the Belgorod region.

Skoch is especially keen on supporting gifted young people, which is why Pokolenie organizes a competition every year among students who have distinguished themselves in studies, sports, and creativity. The winners receive cash prizes.

On the initiative of Andrei Vladimirovich, the educational camp “New Generation” was created. The camp is a youth platform, whose participants develop oratorical and leadership skills, undergo training, and master classes in creative directions and personal growth. For example, in 2021, the camp was visited by the best speakers of Russia and France on public speaking and acting, stage speech, psychology, marketing, and experts on vocals and dancing.

“The kids here learn to reason, speak, and act. This will help our country develop leaders with moral and ethical standards, for society – people who can take responsibility, to form a team to achieve a common goal,” – says Andrei Vladimirovich.

The charity also organizes educational programs for adults. They take place online and are free of charge for Belgorod residents.

From 2000 to 2016, the international literary prize “Debut” was held for novice writers and poets. Winners in various categories were given grants for the publication of their works.