Penza, 29 April 2014. PenzaNews. On Tuesday, April 29, Vasiliy Bockharev, governor of Penza region, celebrates his 65th anniversary. For more than 20 years, he has been one of the most promonent regional politicians in Russia. He has been leading Penza region, which is included into the list of federal subjects with maximal social and political stability, for 16 years non-stop.

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Vasiliy Kuzmich Bochkarev was born on April 29, 1949, in Iva village in Nizhny Lomov region of Penza territory. He graduated the Alatyr forest engineering college, and then the Mari El Polytechnical Institute with a degree in Forestry Engineering. In 1994, he graduated the Penza State University with a degree in State and Municipal Management. He worked as a master forester in Kameshkir region of Penza territory.

For around ten years, he worked in car transport sphere, and since 1987, he went into politics. For many years Vasiliy Bochkarev was a head of a municipal executive committee. Since 1991, he was a deputy in the 1st Supreme Soviet of RSFSR.

On the elections in 1998, Vasiliy Bochkarev became a governor of Penza Region. In April 2002, he was re-elected for the second term, outrunning Victor Ilyukhin, deputy for CRPF.

In 2005, according to the active legislation, Vasiliy Bochkarev’s nomination for the position of governor was introduced by the President Vladimir Putin for consideration by the deputies of Penza Region Legislative Assembly. The nomination was approved on the 35th session of Legislative Assembly on May 14, 2005.

On April 21, 2010, the President Dmitriy Medvedev introduced Vasiliy Bochkarev’s nomination to be given the position of governor of Penza region for another five-year term to the members of regional Legislative Assembly.

On April 29, 2010, the deputies of regional Legislative Assembly approved the Vasiliy Bochkarev’s nomination for the position of governor. Thus, the period of 2010-2015 became the fourth active term for the current governor.

In his economic policy, the head of the region strives to improve market relations, revive the village through stimulating cattle and plant production. Also, he actively develops small and medium enterprises, involving investors and introducing technological innovations.

Vasiliy Bochkarev is a member of the High Council of “United Russia” political party, and a member of the State Council of Russian Federation.

He is married, and is a father of a single daughter.

Was awarded the Order for Merit for the Fatherland of the 4th and 3rd classes, the Order of Honor, awards from Russian Orthodox Churc and the United Spiritual Directorate of the Muslims of European Russia.

Has received the following awards: the Order of Peter the Great of the 1st degree, “The Award of the Millennium” “For merit for the humanity,” the rank of holder of the national prize from the Russian Academy of Business and Entrepreneurship, the national award “Professional of the year – 2013,” and the order “Volunteer’s Virtue.”

He is a full-fledged member of the International Informatization Academy, professor emeritus of the Modern University for the Humanities, Moscow, and a Honorary Worker of Transport Industry of Russia.