Scandal of day
PRIME MINISTER'S PRIVY COUNCILLOR
Lately the mass media has published articles saying that the old Family is regenerating into a new Family by getting rid of useless members (like B. Berezovsky) and accepting new members, but without changing the Family essence and continuing to be a shadow structure with power and money concentrated in it's hands.
Nevertheless, informed people believe that the new Family can't be the former immovable monster who ruled Russia in the Yeltsin epoch and that the new Family members are simultaneously vowing fidelity and scheming against each other.
As an example, let's talk about a not too well known but very important member of the Family - Igor Shuvalov, who now holds an insignificant, at first sight, but actually very important post of a Head in the Russian Government Administration.
This rather young official was born in 1967 in Bilibino, Magadan district (now it is the Chukotka Autonomous Region). In 1988 Igor Ivanovich began to study at the Faculty of Law in the Moscow State University. Soon after graduation he met Alexander Momut, who offered him a job in the "ALM" bureau of attorneys. In the middle of the nineties he rather successfully began his official career, and in 1988 he held the post of Chairman of the Russian Fund of Federal Property (which is an agency of the Russian government). This agency deals with questions relating to privatization, and this means that the Family made Shuvalov the head of this structure so that privatization would take the "right" course and that the "right" people would buy state property at the "right" price. Shuvalov successfully worked at this post for two years and in 2000 he was promoted and became the Head of the Government Administration.
One would think that he should be grateful till the end of his life to the people who, instead of letting him become an unknown lawyer or legal expert, helped him make a brilliant career. They helped him to obtain a well-to-do life and comfortable old age. Shuvalov's financial affairs, for instance, the fact that the MDM bank that belongs to the Family advanced him noninterest bearing credit, which to all appearances didn't need to be paid back, are a separate theme for discussion. But no - behind the back of his "older relatives" Igor Ivanovich is carrying out some intricate intrigues.
As some informed people say, some time ago Shuvalov was very active in trying to find contacts with high-placed members of the so-called "cheka" (security officers) team, and, as they say, he was very successful at it. After that he gave them information about his immediate chief, one of the most important Family members - M. Kasyanov. We don't need to tell you how much delicate information Igor Ivanovich possesses. For instance, he informed the security officers in the President's entourage beforehand about the planning of the scandalous appointment in "Slavneft."
It's easy to explain Shuvalov's actions. Being a clever man, Igor Ivanovich realizes the vague prospects of the new Family, and having reached such a high position at such an early age he doesn't want to lose it. Sure, he may go into commerce but he doesn't have any problems with money anyway. Or at the worst, he may became a member of the Council of the Federation, or a deputy of his friend - Abramovich in his native land - Chukotka, but all these possibilities are of quite another field that he has no desire of getting into.
We may only guess what post the Kremlin security officers promised to give Shuvalov, but it seems that all this is the beginning of the end of the Family epoch.
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