| Office | 1st Governor of Kaliningrad Oblast |
|---|---|
| Term start | 25 September 1991 |
| Term end | 20 October 1996 |
| Successor | Leonid Gorbenko |
| Birth name | Yuri Semyonovich Matochkin |
| Birth date | 18 October 1931 |
| Birth place | Simskoye, Iglinsky District, Bashkir ASSR, RSFSR, Soviet Union |
| Death date | 6 July 2006 (aged 74) |
| Death place | Svetlogorsk, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia |
| Party | Independent |
| Native name | Юрий Маточкин |
Yuri Semyonovich Matochkin (Russian: Юрий Семёнович Маточкин; 18 October 1931 – 6 July 2006)[1][2] was a Soviet and Russian politician. He was the first post-Soviet governor of Kaliningrad Oblast, having been appointed to that position by Boris Yeltsin in September 1991.[3] Matochkin was elected to the Federation Council in 1993 and served on the International Affairs Committee.[3] He was a Professor of Economics.[4]
Just prior to the breakup of the Soviet Union, a Free Economic Zone was established in Kaliningrad and Matochkin represented it in the USSR.[3] He continued to support a free economic zone, as well as closer cooperation with the West, particularly the European Union,[3] and placing an emphasis on foreign investment in Kaliningrad.[5] He felt it was necessary to formulate a single state policy regarding Kaliningrad.[6] He regarded Germany as especially important.[7] Matochkin envisioned Kaliningrad as a free-trade region with significant administrative autonomy.[7] He also favoured upgrading the region from an Oblast to a republic of Russia.[8]
In 1994 he persuaded Russia to adopt a document emphasizing foreign cooperation, especially with the European Union.[9] Matochkin succeeded in restoring Kaliningrad's special economic zone advantages in January 1996, and also secured the region's first major foreign investment, an agreement with the automobile manufacturer Kia.[10]
Yuri Matochkin contested the 1996 elections for regional governor in 1996, and was defeated in the second round of voting by Leonid Gorbenko.[5][11] After the election, Gorbenko was subjected to hounding by supporters of Matochkin.[5]
Personal life
In 1965 he married Valentina Dmitrievna. It was his second marriage. She wrote a book about Yuri Matochkin "A man. Citizen. Personality." (Russian: «Человек. Гражданин. Личность»).[12] It was published in 2009.[13]
Awards
- Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 4th degree (18 September 1996)[14]
- Order of the Red Banner of Labour[15]
- Medal "Defender of a Free Russia" (22 December 1993)[15]
- Medal "For Distinction in the Protection of the State Borders" (26 June 1995)[15]
References
- ^ "Yuri Matochkin". Council of Europe. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
- ^ "ru:Умер первый калининградский губернатор Юрий Маточкин: воспоминания и редкие фото" (in Russian). Regnum. 2006-07-06. Retrieved 2010-07-11.
- ^ Krickus, Richard (2002). The Kaliningrad Question. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 51, 68. ISBN 0-7425-1704-7.
- ^ Antonenko, Oksana & Kathryn Pinnick (2005). Russia and the European Union: prospects for a new relationship. Routledge. p. 146. ISBN 0-415-35907-4.
- ^ "Russia's policy towards Kaliningrad". British Helsinki Human Rights Group. 2003-02-18. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
- ^ Waller, Michael; Bruno Coppieters; Alekseĭ Vsevolodovich Malashenko (1998). Conflicting loyalties and the state in post-Soviet Russia and Eurasia. London: Frank Cass Publishers. p. 108. ISBN 0-7146-4882-5.
- ^ Knudsen, Olav (1999). Stability and security in the Baltic Sea region. Frank Cass. p. 134. ISBN 0-7146-4492-7.
- ^ "Globe". Globe. 6 (1–6). 1993. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
- ^ Lieven, Anatol & Dmitriĭ Trenin (2003). Ambivalent neighbors: the EU, NATO and the price of membership. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. p. 151. ISBN 0-87003-200-3.
- ^ Hanson, Philip & Michael Bradshaw (2000). Regional economic change in Russia. Edward Elgar. p. 247. ISBN 1-84064-107-X.
- ^ Huisman, Sander (March 2002). "A new European Union policy for Kalinigrad". Institute for Security Studies. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 2010-08-10.
- ^ "Вдова Юрия Маточкина: Судьба нас долго водила одними морскими дорогами и свела в Калининграде" (in Russian). www.kaliningrad.kp.ru. 2024-10-15.
- ^ "10 лет назад ушёл из жизни Юрий Маточкин: чем запомнился первый губернатор" (in ru-RU). klops.ru. 2016-07-06. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
- ^ http://pravo.gov.ru/proxy/ips/?docbody=&link_id=0&nd=102043391&bpa=cd00000&bpas=cd00000&intelsearch=%F3%EA%E0%E7+++[dead link]
- ^ "Маточкин, Юрий Семёнович" (in Russian). The new building portal - Новый строительный портал: новости и технологии. Retrieved 2024-10-15.