Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch – Deputy from the Belgorod Region

German sociologist and political economist Max Weber said, “An idea is no substitute for work”, and according to the American publicist Wendell Phillips, “politics is the pulse of society”. In other words, to be a good politician, it is not enough to theorize about what citizens need for a good life. It is necessary to feel what people want and act accordingly. This is what Andrei Skoch, a deputy of the Russian State Duma from the Belgorod region, showcases.

Starting a career: Andrei Skoch’s first businesses

Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch’s business career began in the 1990s. At that time, the young businessman started various projects and later invested the earned money into the company “Interfin” together with his business partner Lev Kvetnoi. By the end of the decade, the holding acquired shares in the Oskol electrometallurgical plant, 40% of which went to the entrepreneurs, and a stake in Lebedinsky mining and processing plant. In the latter, A. V. Skoch, as a representative of the parent company, took the post of deputy general director.

Subsequently, Andrei Skoch realized that he saw his future in politics rather than business, and so he transferred the assets to his father – an experienced industrial figure. He then ran for the post of deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation.

Legislative initiatives and political work of Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch

Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch has repeatedly stated that the main goal of his life is to help people. That is what inspired him to get involved in politics. Thus, in 1999, he was nominated for the post of a deputy of the State Duma of Russia from the Belgorod region. After gaining more than 53% of the vote, A. V. Skoch became a member of the State Duma of the Russian Federation of the third convocation.

Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch has held the post of deputy for 20 years. During this time, he was the co-author of over 150 different legislative initiatives, many of which have passed the stage of publication. Among them is the prolongation of the ‘dacha amnesty’ until March 1, 2021. The draft law allows registering the title to country houses, bathhouses, garages, and other real estates under a simplified scheme. Andrei Skoch also participated in the development of amendments to Article 20 of the Federal Law “On Fundamentals of Health Protection of Russian Citizens”. It establishes that citizens must provide informed voluntary consent to medical personnel for any procedures or operations, that is, they must be aware of their state of health, treatment plan, and possible risks.

In addition, with the participation of Skoch Andrei, amendments were created:

• in Art. 3 of the Federal Law “On monetary allowances of military personnel and the provision of certain payments to them” on what social support measures will be provided to actual educators of military personnel;
• in Art 69 of the Federal Law “On Education in Russia” about what level of higher education is required for continued education;
• in Part 2 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation on launching investment projects for environmental protection in the land territories of the Arctic zone of the country;
• in articles 56 and 56-1 of the Federal Law “On contract system in the sphere of procurement of goods, work, and services for state and municipal needs” on the procurement of services for the organization of recreation and health improvement for children.

In 2000, A.V. Skoch also headed the Expert Council on metallurgy and mining. After his re-election to the State Duma of the fourth convocation, he joined the “United Russia” party. A few years later, the politician became a member of the Committee on CIS Affairs and Relations with Compatriots.

Creation and Development of the Pokolenie (Generation) Foundation

The desire to help people, which was passed on to Andrei Skoch from his father, prompted him to take up philanthropy. Thus, in 1996, his international humanitarian foundation “Healthy Generation” was created, whose activity was aimed at helping sick children. Over time, the name of the organization was changed to the Pokolenie (Generation) Foundation, and it began to allocate millions of rubles to support hospitals and clinics, war veterans, university students, aspiring writers, and many others.

The charitable foundation annually purchases various medicines, wheelchairs, and prosthetics for medical institutions of the Belgorod region. It also purchased 500 units of medical equipment worth over 385 million rubles. In addition, the Pokolenie Foundation defrays part of the expenses of treatment and rehabilitation of patients. From 2015 to 2019, with his financial support, about 30 first-aid stations were opened in the region, and several clinics in Belgorod and Stary Oskol were built and equipped with his funds:

• •  neuro-orthopedic;
  •  medical;

• •  ophthalmologic.

Andrei Skoch’s organization also helps veterans and socially vulnerable citizens, donating more than 5 million rubles annually to 26 councils of veterans and 11 social support organizations.

The Pokolenie Foundation also established the “Best Student of the Year” scholarship for the most enterprising students of the Belograd region in the early 2000s. Winners are determined annually by SMS voting. In 2020, 30 finalists were selected, who shared first and second places in 15 categories. They were awarded first (15,000 rubles) and second (10,000 rubles) degree scholarships. The total amount of funding for the project exceeded 86 million rubles.

In addition, with the assistance of Andrei Vladimirovich Skoch, the “Knowledge Fund” project was developed, which allows residents of the Belgorod region to take free online courses in many different disciplines. In 2020, the deputy allocated over 2 billion rubles for the construction and overhaul of several dozen social facilities in the same region.