Nikolai Ivanovich Merkushkin - ex-governor of the Samara region. He held this position for five years - from 2012 to 2017. Prior to that, he headed the Republic of Mordovia - 1995-2012. Currently, he is the president’s special envoy for cooperation with the World Congress of Finno-Ugric Peoples.
The childhood and youth of Nikolai Merkushkin
Nikolai Ivanovich was born in the village of Novye Verkhissy on February 5, 1951. The future politician spent his childhood and youth there. Nikolai Ivanovich's father died when his son turned 18 years old. The young man had to shoulder some worries about a large family on his shoulders. He worked as a machine operator on a collective farm.
The school was graduated with honors. In 1986, Merkushkin became a student at Mordovia University. N.P. Ogareva. Nikolai chose the faculty of electronic technology. The young man became the headman of the group, and by the 3rd year he was appointed chief of staff of the Komsomol Searchlight.
Career stages
After graduating from the institute in 1973, Nikolai became the secretary of the Komsomol in his native educational penates. In 1979, he became the first secretary of the Mordovian regional committee of the Komsomol. 1986 was marked by the fact that Nikolai Ivanovich reached the level of first secretary of the Tengushevsky district committee of the CPSU.
In 1990, he was elected second secretary of the Mordovian Regional Committee of the Communist Party, followed by the post of chairman of the Council of People’s Deputies and elections to the Supreme Council of the Mordovian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. The last attempt was unsuccessful. The same can be said about the presidential elections in the Republic of Mordovia in 1991.
By 1995, having gone through many steps towards the head of his native region, he managed to become one. For 15 years, Merkushkin successfully coped with the duties assigned to him.
It is noteworthy that in the early 2000s, Merkushkin, together with his brothers, built a temple in the native village in the memory of his parents.
