Roman Abramovich: millionaire philanthropist- politician
Jorge Barrera
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Feb 02/01) - A Russian business and political heavyweight is in Yellowknife this weekend on an unofficial visit to meet with local business and government officials.
Roman Abramovich, 34, a millionaire oil man and newly-elected governor of Chukotka, a frozen chunk of Russia across the Bering Strait from Alaska, is visiting Canada for the first time, as guest of a local architecture firm.
Ferguson Simek Clark has 10 years experience with contract work in Russia and brought the governor to strengthen their market position in Chukota.
"It was our idea to bring him so he sees what we do here," said Stefan Simek, FSC's president.
"We want to build for them schools and houses, and this is the best way to sell products."
Abramovich is also scheduled to lunch Premier Stephen Kakfwi and Mayor Gord Van Tighem.
Yellowknife's mayor sees it as an opportunity to strengthen circumpolar trade between the two Northern regions.
Van Tighem said two other Yellowknife firms, Clark Builders and Nova Construction, also have experience with contract work in Russia.
According to Simek, Abramovich is interested in seeing how government works on this side of the North.
"He will meet with government people in different departments to see how they operate and how facilities in small communities operate," said Simek.
Sarah Karush, a reporter with the Moscow Times, said Abramovich has close ties to the Russian political power core.
"He's a Kremlin insider and as far as we know he's in with (current president) Vladimir Putin," said Karush.
Abramovich gained the governor's seat in Chukotka after the incumbent withdrew from the elections when polls that predicted certain defeat.
After landing in the Duma, Abramovich poured millions of dollars into the impoverished region.
A recent Moscow Times story says that Abramovich spent $17 million (US) through his charity fund Polyus Nadezhdy (Pole of Hope).
Chukotka, like the Northern territories in Canada, faces an uphill struggle for economic self-reliance that depends on tapping non-renewable resources.
The region is rich in gold and tin but dogged by high unemployment and shrinking state subsidies. Its population has dropped to 72,000 from 180,000 in the last 10 years.
