Dmitry Shumkov

Dmitry Shumkov
Personal details
Born (1972-01-23)23 January 1972
Sarapul, Russian Federation
Died 4 December 2015(2015-12-04) (aged 43)
Moscow, Russia
Nationality Russian
Profession lawyer [1]

Dmitry Vladimirovich Shumkov (Russian: Дми́трий Влади́мирович Шумко́в, 23 January 1972 – 4 December 2015) was a Russian lawyer, businessman, public figure and a billionaire.[2][3] In 2012 Shumkov was named the Lawyer of the Year award winner,[4] which is the highest honour for lawyers in the Russian Federation. The award was established by the Edict of the President of the Russian Federation on 8 October 2009.[5] Shumkov was listed as having been among the Top 10 lawyers of the Russian Federation.[6]

Education and academic career

Shumkov was a professor at the university in the department of Public administration and legal coverage of civil and municipal services (RANEPA), a scientific adviser at the Institute for Energy Law at Kutafin Moscow State Law University, a Presidium Member of the Association of Lawyers of Russia, the Chairman of the Energy Law Regulation Commission of the Association of the Russian Lawyers, a member of Research and Consulting Council at the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Russian Federation.

Shumkov is the author of more than 100 academic papers including such monographs as; "Basic Law and State Studies" (co-authored by Kerimov, D.A.), "Sovereignty of the Russian Federation: History and Modern Era", "The System of Federal Executive Bodies and Executive Local Government Bodies within the Subjects of the Russian Federation", "Restructuring of the Executive Local Government Bodies within the Subjects of the Russian Federation", "Political and Legal Mechanisms of Interaction between Federal and Local Executive Bodies and the Sovereignty of the Russian Federation".

Life and professional career

During the 1990s Shumkov worked for the prosecution authorities of the Russian Federation. After leaving the civil service he founded the legal firm Pravokom, which later merged with Yurakademia: Kutafin & Partners, and was restructured into Law Group with Shumkov as the Chairman of the Partnership Committee. It was the first Russian law firm to have been entitled to conduct international transactions on behalf of the Government of the Russian Federation, including; giving legal advice on provisions concerning following issues; government securities distribution at Russian and international capital markets; cooperation between the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation and international rating agencies; arrangement of export and financial credit loans for foreign borrowers; regulation of foreign sovereign borrowers’ accounts and management of Russian sovereign wealth funds.

In 2006 Shumkov together with Oleg Kutafin, a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, initiated the establishment of centres of pro bono legal assistance. As of 1 July 2015, 756 standing centres have been founded in Russia, where during 2011-2015 free qualified legal assistance was provided to more than 400 000 people.

Within the framework of the project Shumkov subsidized the construction and instrumentation of two situation centres of legal initiatives at Lomonosov Moscow State and Kutafin Moscow State Law universities, by means of his charity fund. The fund also financed the modern equipment at the facilities of the legal clinic of Saint Petersburg State University.

From 2012 until his death in late 2015 Shumkov was the Chairperson of the Council of the Centre of Legal Initiatives (CLI). In accordance with the Russian Federation Presidential Decree of 17 July 2012 №1796, the functions prescribed to the CLI include the collection and generalization of suggestions for improvement of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation together with presenting monthly reports on their achievability to the President.

Shumkov initiated the project of open centres for studying Russian law abroad. From the early 2000s until his death Shumkov was an investor in development projects. Most recently he was investing in a large-scale project which is reconstructing of a number of buildings in Kitaigorodsky proezd and Varvarka street. They constitute a significant part of the unique park Zaryadye, which is being constructed on the site of the former hotel Rossiya.

Shumkov was a co-owner of the Moscow Olympic Stadium (Olimpiyskiy). He was also a hi-tech industry investor. He owned a block of shares in the Moscow Internet exchange (MSK-IX) and the Content Delivery Network (CDN) at NGENIX. Mr. Shumkov was a co-owner of the deposit Norilsk-1 (Russian Platinum).

Professional engagement

From 1992 to 1999 Shumkov worked for the prosecution authorities of the Russian Federation.

In 1999 he founded the legal firm Pravokom, which provided legal services to leading companies in the fuel and energy sector.

From 1999 until his death in late 2015 he was a professor at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA) in the department of Public administration and legal coverage of civil and municipal services.

In 2005 the legal firms Pravokom and Yurakademia: Kutafin & Partners merged into the law firm known as "Law Group", wherein Shumkov became the Chairman of the Partnership Committee.

Law Group was the first Russian law firm to have been entitled conduct international transactions for the Government of the Russian Federation, including, giving legal advice provision concerning the following issues; government securities distribution at Russian and international capital markets, facilitating cooperation between the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation and international rating agencies, the arrangement of export and financial credit loans for foreign borrowers, the regulation of foreign sovereign borrowers’ accounts and Russian sovereign wealth funds management.

Law Group was selected as the only consulting body to perform legal support during the restructuring of the First Government Corporation Russian Corporation of Nanotechnologies into Rosnano open joint-stock company. Law Group represented such leading Russian companies as Sberbank, Gazprom and the state corporation Rostekhnologii.

In 2006 Shumkov together with Oleg Kutafin, a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, initiated the establishment of centres of pro bono legal assistance. As of 1 July 2015, 756 standing centres have been founded in Russia, where during 2011-2015 free qualified legal assistance was provided to more than 400 000 people. The Association of the Russian Lawyers encompasses 84 regional and more than 500 local offices, within the framework of which centres of pro bono legal assistance are in full function.

Within the context of the projects development Shumkov subsidized the construction and instrumentation of two centres of legal initiatives at Lomonosov Moscow State and Kutafin Moscow State Law universities, by means of his charity fund. The goal of the centres is to get the academic communities of students and professors engaged with the discussion of the most essential state legislative acts, to aid at launching federal initiatives by citizens and to develop Russian law studies around the world. The situation centres have access to the archives of the leading international and Russian libraries, including the Presidential one. Modern facilities of the centres provide an upscale connection with top universities and legal centres from all over the world. Not only does it provide students and professors with the opportunity to arrange online conferences and discussions, but it also allows conducting international research on a wide range of pressing legal issues.

Shumkov’s charity fund also financed the modern equipment placed at the facilities of the legal clinic of Saint Petersburg State University.

From 2012 until his death Shumkov was the Chairperson of the Council of the Centre of Legal Initiatives (CLI).

The CLI was established in accordance with the Russian Federation Presidential Decree of 17 July 2012 №1796 at the premises of some of the leading academic institutions of the Russian Federation, namely; the Law Department of the Moscow State University (MSU), the Law Department of Saint Petersburg State University (SPBGU), the Kutafin Moscow State Law University (MSAL) and the Urals State Law University (USLA). The functions prescribed to the CLI include the collection and generalization of suggestions for improvement of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation together with presenting monthly reports on their achievability to the President. Among the members of the CLI Council are also listed: professor V.V. Blazheev, the principal of Kutafin Moscow State Law University (MSAL), professor A.K. Golitchenkov, the dean of Law Department of the Moscow State University (MSU), professor N.A. Sheveleva, the dean of Law Department of Saint Petersburg State University (SPBGU) and V.A. Bublik, the principal of the Urals State Law University (USLA).

On December 3, 2013, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with Shumkov, the Chairperson, and the members of the Council of the CLI, who are the heads of the top legal institutions and departments. Shumkov presented the progress of the CLI concerning collection and generalization of suggestions for the Civil Code of the Russian Federation revision, and informed the head of the state about the intention to establish educational centres of Russian law abroad. Putin offered an appraisal of the work fulfilled and discussed the perspectives of the CLI with its members.

Shumkov initiated the project of open centres for studying Russian law abroad.

In 2012 Shumkov was the Chairperson of the Board of the 2012 Elections Situation Centre. The Situation Centre was initiated by noted Russian lawyers on the premises of some of the leading academic institutions of the country, namely, the Law Department of the Moscow State University (MSU), the Law Department of Saint Petersburg State University (SPBGU), the Kutafin Moscow State Law University (MSAL) and the Urals State Law University (USLA). The 2012 Elections Situation Centre was run on private donations and was situated at Kutafin Moscow State Law University (MSAL). Young lawyers from all 83 regions performed the functions of election observers at 86, 000 polling stations. More than 500 young lawyers worked at the Situation Centre, where they processed the incoming information and operated the hot line 24/7. Both Russian and international observers appraised the organizational management and pointed out the high-scale engagement of the youth in the nation's activity. Two months prior to, and on the very day of the elections 4 500 inquiries were received at the centre, and the observers conducted immediate meticulous examination of each of them. The installation of a unique system allowed all the reports of proceedings from the polling stations to be streamed online to the Situation Centre’s website on the Election Day.[7]

On February 1, 2012, on the first day of the electoral campaign Vladimir Putin, the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation and a presidential candidate, was accompanied to the 2012 Elections Situation Centre by Chairperson Shumkov. Mr. Putin praised the organizational management of the Centre highly.

On March 6, 2012, after the end of work of the electoral campaign Vladimir Putin, the president-elect, visited the Situation Centre again with Shumkov to thank the lawyers for the work done. "There is no doubt that it was of particular importance to guarantee fair election and ensure its transparency. It is vital that the citizens feel that their expression of the will is reflected objectively in the final result. Moreover, since the majority of you are lawyers, I attribute incredible significance to the advancement of our political system and to the consolidation of the Russian statehood," Mr. Putin told the Situation Centre’s employees.

Business activity

Investments

Shumkov was a hi-tech industry investor. The company he founded, Centre of Internetworking Technologies (CIT) holds blocks of shares at the at Moscow Internet eXchange (MSK-IX). MSK-IX hub station is listed as one of the five largest Internet Exchange Points in the world, dealing with 60% of the country’s traffic transmission. There are more than 600 members in MSK-IX, and Google, Yandex, VGTRK, Rostelecom, MegaFon, MTS can be named among other national and regional operators, web hosting companies, content providers, corporate, academic and educational networks. MSK-IX is a member of the international association Euro-IX.

Shumkov’s company Centre of Internetworking Technologies (CIT) owns blocks of shares of Content Delivery Network (CDN) at NGENIX. Among NGENIX’s clients are media, video-sharing websites, digital content distributors, advertising networks online shops and business customers such as VGTRK, Life News, Rutube, Ozon.ru, SUP Media and others.

On September 8, 2011 Shumkov presented to Vladimir Putin, the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation, the system of management of a modern university, which was carried out in cooperation with JSC Gazprombank. The system received high accolade from the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation. "Superb, simply amazing," Vladimir Putin stated.

In September 2012, after the end of the APEC summit meeting held in Vladivostok, Shumkov presented to the President the plant and equipment complex, which was implemented into the Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU). According to the President’s estimates, "FEFU yields to no leading universities in technique".[8]

Development projects

From the early 2000s until his death Shumkov was an investor in development projects. At the time of his death he was investing in a large-scale project of the reconstruction of a number of buildings in Kitaigorodsky proezd and Varvarka street. These structures constitute a significant part of the unique park Zaryadye, which is being constructed on the site of the former hotel Rossiya. In particular, he purchased some buildings in Kitaigorodsky proezd, which borders upon Zaryadye park which is being constructed on the site of the demolished hotel Rossiya. In 2014 Shumkov bought out from the Moscow City Government a group of buildings at Varvarka 14 bldg. 1, 2, which are also in proximity to the future park. According to Moscow authorities, the projects will be able to repay expenditures for Zaryadye park.

The ambitious reconstruction of the buildings in Kitaigorodsky proezd and Varvarka street includes not only the erection of a five-star hotel managed by Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, but also realization of a wide range of cultural and social initiatives.

It is estimated that the working cultural centre Stena will provide the future unique environment, where academic and educational purposes are combined with vast opportunities for arranging public events.

More specifically, there are plans concerning the launch of a number of museum projects, including, the Ethnographic Museum of Traditional Practices and Cultures of Peoples of Russia, virtual museum of fortification Russian Forts and for exhibitions dedicated to the history of Zaryadye, the oldest Moscow area. The hotel complex will house an up-to-date media centre, a library of Jewish literature and an exhibition devoted to the production of the first feature film Strike by Sergie Eisenstein, which was shot in Kitaigorodsky proezd. All these venues will become the key functional points of the unique Zaryadye park, which is currently being constructed without causing damage to the landscape integrity of the surround.

Shumkov was a co-owner of the Moscow Olympic Stadium (Olimpiyskiy). It is the largest indoor stadium in Europe, and at the time of the 1980 Olympic Games opening ceremony it was the biggest one in the world. The maximum arena capacity is 35 000 spectators. The highest number of world swimming records was set in the Olimpiyskiy swimming pool. Every year the Olimpiyskiy swimming pool alone receives more than one million visitors. In 2009 Olimpiyskiy hosted the prestigious international song contest Eurovision. Over the years music performances by Alla Pugacheva, Beyoncé, Aerosmith, Pink Floyd, Kino, Rammstein, Kylie Minogue, Muse, Shakira, Scorpions and Linking Park, among others have attracted capacity crowds to Olimpiyskiy.

Other activity

Shumkov was a co-owner of the world’s biggest platinum deposit Norilsk-1 (Russian Platinum).

Philanthropy

Shumkov’s charity fund offers support to legal entities and to individuals in the domains of education, sports, scientific research and culture. By means of his charity fund Shumkov subsidized the construction and instrumentation of the two situation centres of legal initiatives at Lomonosov Moscow State and Kutafin Moscow State Law universities. The fund also financed the modern equipment at the facilities of the legal clinic of Saint Petersburg State University.

In 2015 all Russian Greco-Roman, free-style and female wrestling winners of the First Baku 2015 European Games received prize money from Shumkov’s charity fund. Shumkov’s charity fund’s events and fundraisers attracted business elite, chief executives of international and Russian corporations, politicians and public figures from the cultural sphere, among these have been; Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, Tony Blair, Lucy Churchill Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, Natalia Vodianova, Valery Gergiev, the art director of the Mariinsky Theatre; and heads of such news agencies as Associated Press, France Press, Deutsche Welle, Kyodo News and the Xinhua.

Death

On 4 December 2015 Shumkov was found hanged on his tie in his apartment in Moscow.[9] He was 43.

References

  1. ↑ Комиссии
  2. ↑ "Глава российского правительства наградил лучших юристов страны". Retrieved 2015-09-17.
  3. ↑ A tie for lawyer Shumkov (Russian), by RFE/RL
  4. ↑ "Head of Russian government awarded the best lawyers of the country". Retrieved 2015-09-17.
  5. ↑ "Дмитрий Медведев утвердил высшую юридическую премию "Юрист года"". Retrieved 2015-09-17.
  6. ↑ RELP. Социально-правовые основания государственного суверенитета Российской Федерации :
  7. ↑ "http://archive.government.ru/eng/docs/18356/print/". archive.government.ru. Retrieved 2015-09-17. External link in |title= (help)
  8. ↑ Ведомости. Бажаев поделился платиной
  9. ↑ Жизнь и смерть миллиардера Дмитрия Шумкова
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