For two decades, Mintimer Sharipovich Shaimiev was at the head of Tatarstan. Over this period, the region has made great strides in economic and cultural development.
Children and teenagers
Mintimer Shaimiev was born in 1939 in the village of Anyakovo, to the nearest regional center Aktanysh was 49 kilometers. The surname of politics comes from the name of the Tatar village of Shaimi, in which his ancestors once lived. The boy received the name Mintimer, which translated from his native language meant "I am iron." He was the penultimate child of the large family of the Shaimievs, in total 10 children were born in the family.
Mintimer's childhood is inextricably linked with the years of war and the post-war reconstruction of the country. Father headed the collective farm, so the sons began to work early. Once, in the late 40s, the head of the family, rescuing hungry villagers, gave 2 bags of millet from collective farm supplies. For this act, he almost went to jail. After this incident, Mintimer wanted to become a prosecutor, and changed his mind only before graduation. Father dreamed that his son received a technical education, worked at MTS and insisted that he go to the Kazan Agricultural Institute.
In 1959, Shaimiev graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering. The first place of work was the Muslumovskaya repair station. The young specialist was soon appointed RTS chief engineer. After 3 years, he was offered to head the interdistrict association "Agricultural equipment" in Menzelinsk. Mintimer then turned 25 years old.
Career
Shaimiev was ambitious, membership in the KSPP allowed him to begin a political career. In 1967, a mechanical engineer was appointed an instructor, and then head of the agrarian department of the Tatar Regional Party Committee. After 2 years, an unexpected proposal was received - to head the Ministry of Land Reclamation and Water Resources of the Republic. For a guy from the hinterland this was a real take-off. The 32-year-old minister had difficulty overcoming the rules of hardware games. For 14 years, his career advancement stopped, despite the talent of an administrator, he could not overcome the hierarchy of senior officials that had been established for years.
In 1983, Shaimiev took the post of deputy head of the government of the republic, and after 2 years he headed the Council of Ministers of the Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. A wave of perestroika swept through the country, it made it possible for immigrants from the regions to rise to the political Olympus. Mintimer Shaimiev was able to beat the competition and take the chair of the 1st secretary of the regional committee of the Tatarstan party. Having become the head of the Supreme Council of autonomy, he concentrated all power in one hand.
At the head of the republic
When in 1991 most of the Union republics gained independence, Shaimiev became the first president of Tatarstan. The head of the republic tried to expand the rights and independence of his region, but did not want a complete separation from the federal center. The struggle ended with a declaration of sovereignty. At the initiative of the president, a national referendum was held on the state status of Tatarstan. Most of the population of the republic spoke in favor of building relations with Russia on the basis of equality. This solution was supported by other republics, which helped to avoid ethnic hatred in the country.
Despite the fact that many neighbors experienced a severe crisis in the 90s, the economy of the republic confidently maintained its high rates. Shaimiev made a considerable contribution to the development of Tatarstan in subsequent years. By 2008, the republic was the leader among the constituent entities of the Russian Federation in terms of construction rates and became the second in the agricultural sector. The president considered preserving the unity of the Russian Federation and a new attitude to his people his main achievement.
Criticism of the opposition against the president’s family, which took control of many industries, did not prevent Mintimer Sharipovich from being re-elected twice for a new term. In 1996, he collected more than 90% of the vote, and in 2001, 79% of the population expressed confidence in him.
"United Russia"
In the late 90s, Shaimiev and Yuri Luzhkov founded the political movement Fatherland-All Russia, which, 2 years later, joined the United Russia party. The President of Tatarstan became a co-chair of the High Council, he has been in this position for a long time.
When the presidential term ended in 2010 and new elections were coming, the 73-year-old Shaimiev announced his self-recusation. The leader of Tatarstan thanked the colleagues of United Russia for their many years of trust and expressed confidence that the time has come for young politicians. Shaimiev continues to share his experience and knowledge at the post of State Advisor, as well as remaining a lifetime member of Parliament with the right to introduce legislative initiatives.
