Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch: life path and career
He started his career in the 1980s by opening his first business. In 1999, he left entrepreneurship and went into politics, simultaneously doing charity work. His Foundation, “Generation” (“Pokolenie”), allocated more than 15 billion rubles to help people in the Belgorod Region.
Andrei Skoch: biography and business experience
Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch was born in 1966 in the village of Nikolskoye in Moscow. He spent his childhood there. He moved to Moscow permanently after serving in the army.
After the service, Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch and his friend Lev Kvetnoy had the idea of opening their bakery, which they implemented at the end of the 1980s. The business was growing, but the small size of the enterprise and the industry specifics made it impossible to reach the desired level of income. They were in a constant search for new solutions to potentially profitable projects. Over time, the partners opened several other companies:
- PC component sales. As part of this business, Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch and Kvetnoy were also engaged in the assembly of computers for individual customer requests;
- The production of petroleum products. The business people bought oil and refined it into gasoline;
- Sales of fuel. Sales were wholesale and through a network of gas stations in Moscow.
During a period of instability in the Russian economy in the mid-1990s, the entrepreneurs faced a shortage of raw materials, which caused their enterprises to cease operations. At that time, they met Alisher Usmanov, who suggested they leave the oil refining sphere and invest in his company “Interfin.”
The partners entered the capital of Usmanov’s business, and after some time, the organization began to buy out stakes in large metallurgical plants in the Belgorod Region. Later it was renamed “Metalloinvest.”
Work in the Duma and charity
Elections to the State Duma of the third convocation took place in 1999, and Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch was elected to it. During 22 years in the lower house of parliament, the politician proved to be an active participant in law-making processes. With deputy Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch, more than 160 legislative documents were created.
The primary public project of Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch is his charitable foundation “Generation” (Pokolenie”), which was founded in 1996, and still exists. During this time, the organization has supported such spheres as:
- Health care: assistance from the Foundation is provided to medical institutions of the Belgorod region, as well as to individuals of the area suffering from severe diseases. The organization purchases medical equipment and medicines and builds new hospitals, clinics, and feldsher-midwife stations;
- Military-patriotic: the Foundation reconstructs monuments, supports thematic public associations, and purchases personal vehicles for veterans;
- Social: financial aid is provided to low-income families. Parents with many children are provided with cars;
- Educational: schools and university buildings are repaired; prizes and contests for students are established;
- Sports: new facilities are being renovated and built.
Also, during the coronavirus pandemic, Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch introduced a system of bonuses for medical workers who worked in the “red zone.”
Featured Image by Alexander Grishin from Pixabay
