Artyom Tarasov facts for kids
Artem or Artyom Mikhaylovich Tarasov (Russian: Артём Миха́йлович Тара́сов) was a Russian businessman and political activist. He was born in Moscow on July 4, 1950, and passed away in Moscow on July 22, 2017. He had Armenian roots.
His Life and Career
Artem Tarasov came from a well-known family of Armenian traders. Some of his relatives included famous people like Nikolai Tarasov, who helped start the Moscow Bat theatre, and Henri Troyat.
Artem Tarasov was very smart and studied a lot. He earned several degrees, becoming an expert in engineering, computer science, and planning for the economy. He had a successful career managing scientific projects.
Early Businesses
Tarasov started a company called Progress. It was one of the first private businesses, called "co-operatives," to be officially registered in Moscow. However, the authorities closed it down. They said it was "amoral" and "dangerous" because it went against the socialist ideas of the time.
After that, he started another successful co-operative called Technika. He also helped create the Kommersant daily newspaper, which was one of the first independent newspapers. He also co-founded Transaero, which was Russia's first independent airline.
Entering Politics
Artem Tarasov was elected to the Russian parliament, known as the State Duma. In 1990, he had some disagreements with Soviet officials. Because of this, he left the USSR and moved to London.
He returned to Russia in 1993 and was again elected to the State Duma. In 1996, he wanted to run for President of Russia. He ran as an independent candidate who supported businesses. However, the Central Election Commission did not allow him to be on the ballot.
Later Years
By the late 2000s, Tarasov spent most of his time in London. In 2005, he wrote a book called Millionaire. This book shared details about how many wealthy business people, known as "oligarchs," became rich after the Soviet Union ended.
Artem Tarasov died in Moscow on July 22, 2017.
Links
- Official site: http://www.artem-tarasov.ru
- The first millionaire of the USSR from rb.ru
- Interview with Artyom Tarasov from Gazeta.ru
- Артём Тарасов: Миллионер Из Трущоб "Artem Tarasov: Slumdog Millionaire", from Interview Magazine
