Mikhail Men

Mother — Natalia Fyodorovna Grigorenko (1933—2021).

During his school years, he played the main role in the film "Deniskin's Stories" based on the stories of Viktor Dragunsky.

While at school, he graduated from a music school in the direction of classical guitar.

He performed as a member of VIA "Shkolniye Gody", where he composed music himself and performed as a singer and bass guitarist.

He was born in the family of a priest and theologian Father Alexander Men (1935—1990).

Mikhail Alexandrovich Men (Михаил Александрович Мень; born 12 November 1960) is a Russian statesman and public figure, entrepreneur, musician, composer, producer.

In 1978, immediately after graduating from high school, he entered the Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas, but he did not finish his studies there.

Later, he underwent professional retraining at this university by the program "Economics and Management at oil and gas enterprises".

From 1983 to 1991, he worked in cultural institutions in Moscow and Moscow Oblast.

In parallel with this work, Mikhail Men launched a number of musical projects.

In 1986 together with the guitarist Alexey Tumanov they created the rock band Most.

Mikhail Men co-wrote most of the songs, also he recorded vocals and played bass guitar on the band's first album.

Later he created the project "Morskoy Patrul" with the famous musician, participant of VIA "Nadezhda", Yuri Stozharov.

In the early 90's, having assembled the old line-up VIA "Shkolniye Gody", he released old songs of the group as a separate album.

Together with the famous songwriter Alexander Yelin, they produce the rock band "Primadonna", which won Grand Prix at the All-Union Music Competition "Miss Rock-88".

In 1990–1993, Mikhail Men was a chairman of the Board of the humanitarian and charitable organization "Alexander Men Foundation".

He studied at special courses at the VIPKLESPROM Liedership Training Center on the basics of foreign economic activities, engaged in entrepreneurial activities.

Since late 1990's, the heads of regional administration have been called governors by journalists, but at the official level only in 2007 Mikhail Men established a name of governor.

In 1993 Mikhail Men was elected as a deputy of the Moscow Oblast Duma from Sergiyevo-Posadsky District.

Deputy Chairman of the Culture Committee of the State Duma of the Russian Federation (1995—2000).

He worked until 1995 as a member of the Committee on Local Self-Government.

He was trained by course "The political and economic system of the USA" at Center for Inter-Parliament Cooperation (Washington, USA).

In 1995 he was elected as a deputy of State Duma of the second convocation in 104th electoral district (received 18.24% of the votes).

Men was a Deputy Chairman of the Culture Committee by Stanislav Govorukhin, member of the deputy group "Yabloko".

In September 1999, he was included in federal list of electoral association"Yabloko" at No.3 in Moscow Oblast in regional part of the list for participation in elections to the 3rd State Duma.

Later, in November 1999, Men was registered as a candidate for the post of vice-governor of Moscow Oblast, paired with a candidate of governor Boris Gromov.

On December 19, 1999, Gromov and Men took second place and advanced to the second round together with Gennady Seleznev and Vladimir Kashin.

On January 9, 2000, in the second round of elections, Boris Gromov and Mikhail Men were elected to the posts of governor and vice-governor of Moscow Oblast, respectively.

In March 2000, Men announced his withdrawal from the "Yabloko" association.

Due to changes in regional legislation, on November 1, 2002, Mikhail Men announced an early resignation of vice-governor of Moscow Oblast.

For three years, from November 2002 to November 2005, Mikhail Men worked as deputy Mayor of Moscow in interregional cooperation and sports.

From 2003 to 2005, he headed the Commission on Human Rights by Mayor of the capital and Moscow Clemency Board.

On November 22, 2005, deputies of the Legislative Assembly of the Ivanovo Oblast approved the candidacy of Mikhail Men for the post of Head of Administration of the Ivanovo Oblast, submitted by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.

32 deputies voted for, none against, two were absent.

Mikhail Men became the third member of Yuri Luzhkov team (after former Vice Mayor Valery Shantsev (Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Oblast) and Vice Speaker of the State Duma Georgy Boos (Governor of the Kaliningrad oblast), appointed by the Kremlin administration to the governor's post.

From December 1, 2008, to May 25, 2009 — Member of Presidium of the State Council of the Russian Federation.

On October 19, 2010, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev submitted to the Ivanovo Oblast Duma the candidacy of current region's head, Mikhail Men, to give him governor's powers for a second term.

By the decision of the Ivanovo Oblast Duma's deputies Mikhail Men's powers were extended.

Deputy Governor of the Moscow Oblast (1999—2002), Deputy Mayor of Moscow (2002—2005), Head of Administration (Governor) of the Ivanovo Oblast (2005-2013), Minister of Construction Industry, Housing and Utilities Sector (November 1, 2013 — May 18, 2018), Auditor of the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation (June 20, 2018 — June 2, 2021), Full State Councilor of the Russian Federation, 1st class, Candidate of Philosophical Sciences.

On October 16, 2013, Men prematurely, at his own request, resigned from the post of Governor of the Ivanovo Oblast.