Voronenkov Denis Nikolayevich (April 10, 1971, Gorky — March 23, 2017, Kyiv) was a Russian politician and lawyer, a deputy of the State Duma of the 6th convocation (2011–2016), and a native of Nizhny Novgorod. He was killed in Kyiv, where he had emigrated after the end of his term as a deputy.[1]

Origins and education

Voronenkov was born in Gorky (now Nizhny Novgorod) on April 10, 1971. According to some sources, the family left the city when Denis was about a year old; according to others, when he was seven.[2] His father was a military officer, which meant frequent moves: the family lived in Karelia, Petrozavodsk, Minsk, Kyiv, and Leningrad.[1] Besides Denis, two brothers, Andrey and Maksim, and a sister grew up in the family.[1]

In 1988, Voronenkov graduated from the Leningrad Suvorov Military School.[1] In 1995 he graduated with a gold medal from the Military University of the Russian Ministry of Defense, and in 1996 from the Law Faculty of Ryazan State University named after S. A. Yesenin.[1] In 1999 he defended his candidate's dissertation, "Legal Nihilism and Legal Idealism," at the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia; in 2002 he was awarded the academic title of docent. In 2009 he defended his doctoral dissertation, "Theoretical and Regulatory Foundations of Judicial Review in the Mechanism of the Separation of Powers," at the Russian Law Academy of the Russian Ministry of Justice; in 2013 he received the title of professor.

Career

From 1995 to 1999, Voronenkov served in the Military Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation, holding the positions of investigator, assistant prosecutor, and deputy prosecutor.[1] From 2000 he worked as a senior aide in the staff of the Unity faction in the State Duma. In April 2001 he was detained while accepting a bribe of $10,000 from the businessman Yevgeny Trostentsov for lobbying his interests in the Duma, but on July 30 of the same year the case was closed.[1]

From 2001 to 2006 he served as deputy mayor of Naryan-Mar, then rose to first deputy head of the administration of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug for work with the Russian government and the Federal Assembly.[1] In 2004–2007 he was listed as subordinate to General Aleksandr Bulbov in the Federal Drug Control Service; Bulbov later stated that Voronenkov was not among the 12 people who worked on the "Three Whales" case.[1] From 2006 he taught at the Law Institute in Saint Petersburg, and from February 2010 he headed its Department of Theory and History of State and Law.

From December 2011 to October 2016, he was a deputy of the State Duma of the 6th convocation from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (KPRF) and a member of the Committee on Security and Anti-Corruption.[3] He co-authored 24 bills, including one banning foreigners from controlling more than 20% of the capital of mass media outlets. In June 2013, the KPRF unsuccessfully nominated him as an auditor of the Accounts Chamber.[1] In 2014, his possible nomination for the post of head of Nizhny Novgorod Region was discussed. In March 2015, Voronenkov married United Russia deputy and opera singer Maria Maksakova in a ceremony held in the State Duma.

Emigration and death

In October 2016, Voronenkov emigrated to Ukraine together with his wife; in December of that year he received Ukrainian citizenship, renouncing his Russian citizenship. He explained his decision as a result of persecution by Russian security agencies. In Ukraine, Voronenkov gave testimony against former president Viktor Yanukovych.[2]

On February 15, 2017, the Investigative Committee of Russia issued a resolution to bring charges against Voronenkov in a case involving falsification of the Unified State Register of Legal Entities and fraud; on the same day he was put on the federal wanted list, and on February 27, on the international wanted list. On March 23, 2017, Voronenkov was shot dead in central Kyiv outside the Premier Palace hotel: eyewitnesses reported seven shots, and six shell casings and a Makarov pistol were found at the scene.[3] Voronenkov's bodyguard was seriously wounded. Andriy Kryshchenko, head of the Kyiv police department, described the incident as a possible contract killing.[3]

Nizhny Novgorod connection

Voronenkov was born in Gorky (Nizhny Novgorod) and was regarded as a native of that city throughout his political career.[3] In 2014, regional media discussed the possibility of Voronenkov being nominated as a candidate for governor of Nizhny Novgorod Region, but this did not come to pass.[1]

Links

  • Wikidata (Q19817635 — entry in the free knowledge base)
  • VIAF (78255028 — Virtual International Authority File)
  • ISNI (0000000039604566)
  • GND (1128376474 — German National Library catalog)

Sources

  1. stuki-druki.com — Denis Voronenkov
  2. 24smi.org — Denis Voronenkov (Deputy) — Biography, Photos, Personal Life, Escape, Cause of Death — 24SMI
  3. Pro Gorod Nizhny Novgorod — Former State Duma Deputy Denis Voronenkov Killed