Valentina Ivanovna Matvienko is the most famous woman politician in Russia. She did not receive the scandalous glory of Tymoshenko and other eccentric political ladies. Matvienko is respected by many powerful people of this world, including President Vladimir Putin. Moreover, they respect the Speaker of the Federation Council for intelligence, prudence and will.
Childhood and youth
Valentina Matvienko was born in 1949 in a small village in western Ukraine. Her father was a military man, and her mother worked as a costume designer. Vali had two older sisters, the family lived very amicably. But soon the head of the family died tragically, and the girls who were left without a breadwinner began difficult times.
Valya realized early on that she needed to help her mother and provide for herself, so she entered a medical school. The girl liked her studies, but she lacked something large-scale, and what exactly - Valya herself did not know yet.
Education
After graduating from the Medical School with honors, Valentina left for Leningrad to continue her education. There she entered the Leningrad Chemical and Pharmaceutical Institute, and after graduating from it, she continued her studies in graduate school.
But something went wrong. Valentina began to understand that medicine and pharmaceuticals are not quite her vocation. And the blame for everything was the more and more exciting social life for the girl. Valentina turned out to be a competent organizer, many respected her and listened to her opinion.
Surprisingly, at this time Matvienko received the nickname "Valka-glass" with a hint that no decisions were made by Valentina without the participation of alcohol. The iron lady herself recalls those times with irony and says that the glass was present in those years in the life of almost every citizen.
Political career
Matvienko's political career began back in 1986. Valentina Ivanovna held various positions in the Council of People's Deputies of Leningrad, and then in the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. She mainly dealt with issues of culture, family and social development.
After the collapse of the USSR, Valentina Ivanovna Matvienko was not lost. At first, she worked as the ambassador of the USSR, and then the Russian Federation in Malta, and then for a long time held the position of Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation. Valentina Ivanovna skillfully collaborated with several heads of government and could find an approach to each.
In general, the main distinguishing feature of Valentina Matvienko is her ability to get along with completely different people and establish a friendly atmosphere around herself.
Governor's wife
In 2003, Valentina Matvienko won the elections for the governor of St. Petersburg. And the extensive transformations of the city began. Valentina Ivanovna set herself the goal of leading the city out of the twentieth century, where, in her opinion, it has stagnated. Many historic buildings were demolished and modern shopping centers were built in their place.
It should be noted that not all residents of St. Petersburg were satisfied with Matvienko's "rule". But, nevertheless, the president appointed her for a second term of governorship. Matvienko is also responsible for the largest traffic collapse in St. Petersburg, when the city froze in a traffic jam for many hours. Then even students and homeless people came out to clean the city from the snow.
And yet Matvienko's governorship ended ahead of schedule. She wrote a letter of resignation and moved to the Federation Council.
Speaker of the Federation Council
In the Federation Council, Matvienko's career immediately reached its maximum point. Soon after her employment, Valentina Ivanovna was elected speaker almost unanimously. This honorary position is still held by Matvienko.
Valentina Ivanovna Matvienko is the author of some bills that are important for Russians, including the bill "On Collectors".
Personal life
Valentina Matvienko is a monogamous woman. She has been happily married to her husband for over forty-five years. This relationship was very stable and was based on love and trust between two intellectually developed people.
The wife of Valentina Matvienko was called Vladimir. Young people got married while still students of the medical institute. Vladimir Matvienko worked as a doctor all his life, rose to the rank of colonel of military medicine, taught at the Medical Academy.
The husband of a famous woman politician was incredibly homely, he diligently arranged a family nest - a dacha near St. Petersburg - until the illness knocked him down. The last years of his life, Vladimir Matvienko was confined to a wheelchair. His death in March 2018 was a blow to the entire family.
The Matvienko couple have an only son, Sergei. The guy received a good education and holds a prestigious position. Sergey Matvienko was married twice, the now popular singer Zara became his first wife. But the marriage was short-lived, probably due to the different temperaments of the newlyweds.
Now Sergey Matvienko is married to an ordinary student from St. Petersburg, Yulia Zaitseva. The couple are raising their daughter Arina, the beloved granddaughter of the Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko.
Happiness index
In March 2019, Valentina Matvienko proposed calculating the happiness index of a modern Russian. In her opinion, the well-being of the country directly depends on this indicator. According to Valentina Ivanovna's observations, the human happiness index is not directly related to salary, position in society and politics. On what the happiness of the Russian is based, the deputies have to find out. Well, Valentina Ivanovna herself looks like a rather happy and accomplished woman.
