Gennadiy Seleznyov facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gennadiy Seleznyov Геннадий Селезнёв
7th Chairman of the State Duma
In office 17 January 1996 – 29 December 2003
Preceded by	Ivan Rybkin
Succeeded by	Boris Gryzlov
Member of the State Duma
In office 12 December 1993 – 2 December 2007
Leader of the Party of Russia's Rebirth
In office 29 October 2002 – 19 July 2015
Succeeded by	Viktor Arkhipov (acting) Igor Ashurbeyli
Personal details
Born	Gennadiy Nikolayevich Seleznyov (1947-11-06)6 November 1947 Serov, Sverdlovsk Oblast, RSFSR
Died	19 July 2015(2015-07-19) (aged 67) Moscow, Russia
Nationality	Russian
Political party	Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1964 - 1991) Communist Party of the Russian Federation (1991–2002) Party of Russia's Rebirth (2002–2015)
Spouse	Irina Seleznyova
Children	Tatyana Seleznyova and Kirill Seleznyov
Alma mater	Saint Petersburg State University

Gennadiy Nikolayevich Seleznyov (Russian: Геннадий Николаевич Селезнёв; born November 6, 1947 – died July 19, 2015) was an important Russian politician. He served as the Chairman of the State Duma, which is like the speaker of Russia's parliament, from 1996 to 2003.

Early Life and Career

Gennadiy Seleznyov was born in Serov, a town in Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia. He went to school from 1954 to 1964. After school, he studied journalism at university and joined the Communist Party. In 1969, he finished his studies and began working for the Pravda newspaper.

When the Communist Party of the Soviet Union was no longer allowed in 1991, Seleznyov left it. However, in 1993, he joined a new group called the Communist Party of the Russian Federation. This party was led by Gennady Zyuganov.

Chairman of the State Duma

The State Duma is the lower house of the Russian parliament. It's where laws are made and debated. The Chairman of the State Duma is like the leader or speaker of this important group.

First Term as Chairman

In the 1995 elections, the Communist Party won the most seats in the Russian Parliament. Gennady Zyuganov, the party leader, was busy with his campaign to become president. So, he suggested that Gennadiy Seleznyov become the speaker of the Duma instead. Seleznyov took on this role in 1996.

As speaker, Seleznyov often disagreed with the reforms proposed by President Boris Yeltsin. For example, his party rejected a plan in 1998 to completely privatize land. When Prime Minister Sergey Kiriyenko tried to open up the markets, Seleznyov argued that Russia's economy was not ready for such big changes. In 1999, the Communist Party again won the most seats, and Seleznyov was re-elected as Chairman.

Public Confusion Incident

During his time as speaker, Seleznyov was involved in a confusing event. Shortly before a real apartment bombing happened in Moscow, he mistakenly announced that a building in Volgodonsk had been bombed. This mistake was initially overlooked. However, when Volgodonsk was bombed just three days later, politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky questioned Seleznyov about his early announcement. This incident caused a lot of discussion and confusion at the time.

Second Term as Chairman

Gennadiy Seleznyov and Vladimir Putin, 21 November 2001

Gennadiy Seleznyov first supported the new President Vladimir Putin. He often agreed with Putin on many issues. In 2001, the Communist Party lost many seats in the parliament. Seleznyov did not protest this loss. He said that the Communist Party needed to change and become more modern. He thought it should adopt more liberal ideas, like a "Eurocommunist" party.

However, the party leader, Gennady Zyuganov, did not agree with these ideas. In 2002, Seleznyov was removed from the Communist Party. Even after being expelled, Seleznyov remained the Duma Speaker. He faced criticism from both left-wing and right-wing politicians. He received support from former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev. Many people saw Seleznyov as a Social Democrat, a politician who believes in social justice and economic equality.

In 2003, the party United Russia, which supported President Putin, won the majority in the Duma. Boris Gryzlov then became the new Speaker. Seleznyov ran for the Duma again, leading a new party called the Party of Russia's Rebirth. His party did not win many votes. However, Seleznyov himself won a seat in Saint Petersburg, defeating another politician named Irina Khakamada.

Personal Life and Passing

Gennadiy Seleznyov had a son named Kirill Gennadiyevich Seleznyov (born in 1974). Kirill is a well-known Russian businessman and a senior manager at Gazprom, a large energy company. Gennadiy Seleznyov passed away in Moscow on July 19, 2015. He died from health problems related to lung cancer.

Honours and Awards

• Order For Merit to the Fatherland, 2nd class
• Order of Friendship of Peoples
• Medal of Merit for the Stavropol Krai (2003)
• Order of Francesc Skarina (Belarus, 2001)
• "Person of the Year" award
• "Silver Cross" of the Russian Biographical Institute
• Gold badge of honour "Public Recognition"
• "Dove of Peace" of the International Public Foundation "World Without Wars" (Moscow)
• Academician and Member of the International Academy of Social Sciences
• Associate Professor of the Moscow University for the Humanities
• Honorary Professor of Journalism, St. Petersburg State University
• Member of the International Academy of Information Technology