Mikhail Prokhorov's niece was called a "ragamuffin" as a child
Irina supports her famous uncle in everything // Photo: prokhorovfund.ru
Irina Prokhorova is a rare guest at social events. She is successful in her profession and devotes most of her time to work. The billionaire's niece serves as executive director of the Mikhail Prokhorov Charitable Foundation. Irina also has two children: daughter Alexandra and son Mikhail. Two years ago, a successful businesswoman separated from her husband after fifteen years of marriage.
However, the childhood of the businessman’s niece was not the happiest. Her family lived quite modestly. Irina recalled an incident when she was called a “ragamuffin” on the playground.
“When I was probably eight or nine years old, I had a girlfriend whose family, by Soviet standards, lived very well: her father headed the MUR or something like that. One winter, she and I were playing our favorite game near the school. They ran away, fell on their stomachs and rolled on the ice on the asphalt. We are riding, and then grandma comes for her. He abruptly lifts his girlfriend from the asphalt and begins to scold: “You have such an expensive, beautiful coat! Do you want to be like this ragamuffin? It’s disgusting to look at her!” I was a ragamuffin. They are gone. And I still remember how I looked after them and thought: “I will grow up, and I will have so many beautiful coats that you never even dreamed of,” Irina recalled.
Irina’s youngest son’s name is Mikhail // Photo: prokhorovfund.ru
Today Irina lives in the Moscow region in a two-story mansion in the village of Gorki-6. Prokhorova bought the house with her husband, a former gas executive. The couple met while studying at the Financial Academy under the Government of the Russian Federation.
“It was love at first sight, just as I wanted. The first marriage should be for love. No, the next ones too, of course, but the first one for sure. It’s always been like this for me: I see a person and immediately understand whether he’s my hero or not. Six years ago, daughter Alexandra was born, and son Mikhail was born in May 2016. And in August 2016, after fifteen years of marriage, “they became completely different people,” Irina shared.
According to Prokhorova, youth ends at thirty to thirty-five, so a person already clearly understands what he wants from life. Irina noted that if fate separates spouses, there is no need to save the marriage for the sake of the children.
“I have seen many families where the parents did not divorce and completely destroyed the children’s psyche. Maintaining human, friendly relationships after a divorce is much better for children. We succeeded,” the businesswoman emphasized.
Irina herself experienced her parents’ divorce when she was one year old. Mom Irina Dmitrievna Prokhorova raised the heiress alone. “The period before I was ten or twelve years old was not fun for me. That’s why I, for example, don’t like to be in our apartment - we lived on Kibalchicha Street near the VDNH metro station. I was sick as a child, then my grandparents died one after another, which they didn’t tell me about for a long time. It was especially difficult for my mother in those years: she worked, took care of her dying parents, and raised me alone,” Prokhorova said.
Irina Dmitrievna is the editor-in-chief of the magazine “New Literary Review” // Photo: Persona Stars
Irina admitted that in life she is a very shy person. It’s difficult for Prokhorova to be in unfamiliar company. However, if a business woman is friends with someone, then this relationship is forever.
“It’s hard for me to communicate with new people, I’m a shy person. I sincerely envy those who can come to any company, immediately get acquainted with everyone and in two days already be friends. But if I have become friends with someone, I will never let that person go. My mother always told me: “In our country you cannot accumulate anything, wealth comes and goes, only education, dignity and true friends will always remain with you,” Irina noted.
Prokhorova emphasized that her mother helps her in raising the heirs of Sasha and Misha. Irina Dmitrievna comes to her daughter’s mansion on the weekend. “Mom never raises her voice. If the daughter begins to be capricious, she quietly says: “Sasha, please calm down, I’ll now tell you a story that happened to me...” She believes that this way the child will understand: adults are not some kind of ideal people who never make mistakes, they don’t cry,” Irina noted.
Prokhorova also spoke about the children’s relationship with their great-uncle Mikhail Prokhorov. A billionaire can also be strict with his household. “I remember when we were still living together in Skolkovo, Sasha was driving around the house in a children’s car and stopped by Misha’s guest room, and he just returned with friends. Everyone tells us: “Oh, Ira, Sasha, hello!” - and Misha decided to show severity and said: “Why are you skating here so late?” My daughter looked him up and down, said: “I don’t have time to talk now,” and left. Everyone laughed, and he stood there and looked at me in confusion,” Irina shared her memory.
Prokhorova said that she hates the gym, but maintains her slim figure by doing exotic dancing. For example, she practices triball - a mixture of belly dancing, Indian and modern dances.
Irina hinted in an interview with Tatler that she is currently in love, but chose not to name her chosen one. “But you know, they usually say: “I’m in love like I was when I was sixteen.” And now I know what to say: “I’m in love like I was at thirty-six.” These are completely different sensations,” noted Irina Prokhorova.
Irina Prokhorova, daughter
Despite the fact that Irina Prokhorova herself is a self-sufficient person and has achieved a lot in life, she gained fame thanks to her brother, entrepreneur and politician Mikhail Prokhorov. Irina Dmitrievna is a literary critic, editor-in-chief of the magazine “New Literary Review”, which she founded, and head of a publishing house under the same name. In 2004, she initiated the creation of the Mikhail Prokhorov Foundation, whose activities are aimed at supporting Russian culture. Irina Prokhorova’s daughter, Irina Paliy, also joined this foundation in 2010 and headed the Moscow branch, which deals with federal and international projects.
In the photo is the daughter of Irina Prokhorova
Irina Paliy has a Financial Institute and five years of work in an advertising agency behind her. Later, Irina Prokhorova’s daughter became the executive director of the foundation - she organizes book exhibitions, meetings with cultural figures, holding round tables and discussions, and concerts. Irina Prokhorova is divorced from Irina Paliy’s father, and now she lives with her, her son-in-law and granddaughter in the big house of Mikhail Prokhorov. Irina Dmitrievna says that their whole family consists of very busy people, so they are rarely at home together.
In order to always have a normal dinner waiting for them in the house, they hire a cook, while the Prokhorov family is accustomed to very simple food, the same as most Russians - they don’t have all sorts of pickles on ordinary days.
In the photo - Irina Paliy
Irina Prokhorova’s daughter has an excellent relationship with her mother, Irina Dmitrievna says that she and her daughter are like friends, and she gets along great with her son-in-law. By profession, Irina Paliy’s husband, like her, is a financier, and their family has just an ideal relationship. Irina Prokhorova’s daughter began working at the foundation when her daughter was still very young, but she did without a nanny and was able to combine work and raising a child.
In the photo - Irina Dmitrievna Prokhorova
The office of the executive directorate of the Mikhail Prokhorov Foundation is located in Krasnoyarsk, and its main goal was to help integrate Russian culture into the global cultural space. Initially, the foundation was involved in supporting remote regions of Russia, primarily the Krasnoyarsk Territory, where a book culture fair is organized annually. Over time, the fund’s activities have expanded significantly, and it takes part in a number of projects not only at the federal but also at the international level. Also read in this section: Irina Shevchuk, daughter and Irina Khakamada, daughter
Mikhail Prokhorov's older sister made a splash in the world of politics
Anna Nemtsova
Especially for RN
Despite the fact that Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov lost the 2012 presidential election, he managed to light a new star in Russian politics - and that star was his own sister.
Irina Prokhorova has been managing her brother’s charitable foundation for many years and is the head of the New Literary Review publishing house. However, during the election campaign of Mikhail Prokhorov, who put forward his candidacy for the post of President of the Russian Federation, Irina acted in a completely new capacity for herself - a convincing and bright defender of liberal ideas. Irina Prokhorova's passion and eloquence have led some political observers to suggest that she should have entered this election as a candidate herself.
“My family taught me to respect the human person - that’s why it’s so difficult for me to live in modern society.”
A number of opposition figures, including Boris Nemtsov, spoke with admiration of her participation in the election debates as a confidant of Mikhail Prokhorov. Irina’s popularity came from debates with an experienced polemicist and longtime supporter of Vladimir Putin, Nikita Mikhalkov, who was so amazed that he didn’t even know what to answer her. Some political scientists have suggested that voters would prefer Irina to her brother, who is better known outside Russia as a playboy and owner of the American basketball club New Jersey Nets.
However, Irina has repeatedly emphasized that she sees herself exclusively as a cultural figure, and not as a politician. She is not a fan of Vladimir Putin and believes that during his years in power, Russian culture was “on the brink of crisis.” In her opinion, in the future, Russia's greatness will be measured not by the size of its military budget, but by the degree of development of its culture.
House on Arbat
Irina Prokhorova and her brother Mikhail grew up in a family of intellectuals. When Irina talks about the rule that reigned in her parents’ house, her eyes shine. She recalls the dance evenings that took place in their cozy apartment on Arbat, one of the most famous and, in a sense, poetic streets in Moscow (nowadays you can find mainly tourists and shoppers on this street).
“My family taught me to respect the human person - that’s why it’s so difficult for me to live in a modern society where this respect is completely absent,” says Irina, struggling to contain her emotions. “The fear of Stalin’s repressions haunted our parents all their lives. This is a trauma that cannot be overcome in one generation - we are still haunted by the ghosts of that era.” Despite the fact that the fortune of 47-year-old Mikhail Prokhorov is estimated at $13 billion, and news about his parties and entertainment at one time shocked ordinary Russians, his sister (Irina is 9 years older than Mikhail) prefers family values and adheres to a conservative style in clothing.
Irina says that she made every effort to ensure that her daughter was raised as an ordinary child, and not a spoiled child of the “new Russians.” Irina considers her most precious treasure to be her family library, where the well-read volumes of Jack London, I. S. Turgenev, A. P. Chekhov and Guy de Maupassant are kept.
“To get some of these books, my parents had to stand in lines outside bookstores at night,” she says.
“I think my decision to become a publisher was influenced by the deep trauma of artificial cultural isolation.”
Prokhorova graduated from the Faculty of Philology of Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov. Despite the fact that the Soviet era was already coming to an end, her diploma, dedicated to the fantasy world of J. R. Tolkien, caused considerable surprise. “There was a smell of scandal in the air, but I managed to overcome my fear. She sang like a nightingale, assuring the audience that Tolkien was a realist writer in its purest form, calling in an allegorical form for the triumph of social justice,” she recalls.
Irina received her diploma, but did not stop trying to open the public's eyes to what form of literary criticism was acceptable in Soviet universities. “Most of the topics I suggested were inevitably banned,” she says.
However, with perestroika the general atmosphere also changed. Irina and several of her classmates became famous literary critics - representatives of the last Soviet generation of literary critics.
“It seems to me that my decision to become a publisher was influenced by the deep trauma of artificial cultural isolation,” says Irina.
The New Literary Review has become a laboratory for the study of intellectual trends, giving rise to dozens of book series, periodicals, and annual literary conferences. Prokhorova's research activities focus on the transformations of post-Soviet society. “Our ultimate goal is to try to create an ‘alternative’ history,” she explains.
An English version is also available .
Autumn of the oligarch: what awaits Mikhail Prokhorov’s charitable foundation
Billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov is unlucky: there are persistent rumors that he is selling off all his Russian assets after searches of his companies. And even though the oligarch sold off the Krasnoyarsk business a long time ago, he still has Mikhail Prokhorov’s charitable foundation in the region, which over the years of work here has become practically the second ministry of culture, only better.
Last week, information appeared that oligarch Mikhail Prokhorov was selling all his Russian assets. The businessman allegedly made this decision after searches in his Onexim group. The interest of the security forces is associated with the work of Prokhorov’s media holding RBC, which published investigations about the relatives and friends of President Vladimir Putin. True, the group of companies themselves deny these rumors.
In Russia, Onexim, according to federal media reports, has shares in the mining and metallurgical industry (UC Rusal, Uralkali), finance (insurance, banks Renaissance Capital, Renaissance Credit, IFC), energy (" Quadra"), real estate (OPIN), media (RBC, "Snob").
According to Forbes estimates, the oligarch reached the peak of his wealth in 2008 - $22.6 billion. After the crisis, it decreased significantly and in 2020 amounted to $7.6 billion.
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
In previous years, the oligarch had a lot in common with the Krasnoyarsk Territory. In 2009, Prokhorov even formally became its resident, registering in the village of Eruda, allegedly at the request of his friend, then-governor Alexander Khloponin. Thus, Prokhorov’s taxes went to the budget of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, replenishing the treasury.
In 2012, during the presidential elections, the oligarch voted in the village of Memory of 13 fighters in the Emelyanovsky district, and then supported opposition candidates in the elections for the mayor of Krasnoyarsk. Later, Mikhail Prokhorov left Yeruda, and last year the village itself was liquidated.
Even before this, in the late 00s - early 10s, the billionaire sold shares in his Krasnoyarsk assets - MMC Norilsk Nickel (after the scandal with Courchevel and the subsequent “divorce” with his long-term business partner Vladimir Potanin) and the gold mining holding “ Polyus Gold. Thus, Prokhorov is now connected financially with the region, perhaps, only by participation in the RUSAL holding, which owns, among other things, the Krasnoyarsk Aluminum Plant.
***
In Krasnoyarsk, however, there is still an office of the Mikhail Prokhorov Charitable Foundation, the activities of which the average Krasnoyarsk resident is probably more interested in than the future of global financial and industrial corporations.
The billionaire created his foundation in 2004; his sister, editor-in-chief of the magazine and publishing house “New Literary Review” Irina Prokhorova, became the co-founder and head of the organization. The organization comes up with its own and supports third-party cultural events, holds grant competitions and distributes scholarships.
Initially, the foundation supported cultural projects only in Norilsk, where its office was located. In the northern city, the foundation’s major events included, for example, the Taimyr Cactus contemporary art festival and the Norilsk Seasons theater festival. Since 2006, the organization has expanded to Krasnoyarsk, where a year later the Krasnoyarsk Book Culture Fair (KrYAKK) was held for the first time, becoming one of its flagship projects.
Photo: vk.com/prokhorovfund
The fund’s budget, according to its annual reports, grew every year: if in 2005 it was only about 32 million rubles, then in 2007 it was already 80.4 million (of which, for example, 9.97 million were spent on KrYAKK rubles)
In 2008, several of the foundation's competitive programs expanded to the Urals, Siberia and the Far East. Accordingly, funding increased sharply - immediately to 240.2 million rubles. The organization's popularity also grew: more than 320 thousand people took part in the foundation's operational (own) projects in Norilsk, Krasnoyarsk and Moscow - more than in all previous years of the charity organization's existence.
In 2009, after Mikhail Prokhorov parted ways with his business partner Potanin and Norilsk Nickel, the fund’s central office moved to Krasnoyarsk. The entrepreneur himself explained the move by the “hostile environment” and “open repression” under which the organization’s employees had to work after the division of the business of two billionaires.
“Threats against friends and employees of the foundation continue... I do not consider it possible to endanger the fate of people,” Prokhorov explained then.
With the loss of the charity organization’s headquarters, Norilsk residents lost the “Taimyr Cactus”, “Norilsk Seasons” and other fund events. Meanwhile, the fund’s budget in 2010 already exceeded 321 million rubles.
At the same time, almost every year information appeared in the press that Mikhail Prokhorov’s foundation was either leaving the region, concentrating on the European part of Russia, or was closing down altogether. Irina Prokhorova regarded such rumors as a compliment. “Since such rumors appear, then, apparently, the foundation is valued and they are afraid that it will disappear,” she said in an interview in 2013, assuring that the organization does not plan to leave Krasnoyarsk.
However, serious structural changes in the fund still occurred. Firstly, the headquarters moved to Moscow: to the delight of Krasnoyarsk residents, there was no talk of closing the Krasnoyarsk office. Secondly, the businessman’s niece and daughter of Irina Prokhorova, Irina Paliy, became the executive director of the fund. The former director Oksana Daineko was fired, the Krasnoyarsk branch was headed by Natalia Troitskaya, who had worked at the fund since 2004.
Irina Paliy and Irina Prokhorova. Photo: vk.com/kryakk
The reorganization was then explained by the fact that the fund had grown greatly in recent years and was needed,” said Irina Paliy.
Neither the reorganization nor the post-Crimean economic sanctions financially affected the state of the charitable foundation. At least, this is what follows from the organization’s annual reports: over the past five years, its budget has varied between 320-339 million rubles, and in 2014 it even reached a record 360.5 million rubles (“rolling back” to 330.5 million in 2015 -ohm).
There will be no significant budget changes in 2020, the press service of the Mikhail Prokhorov Foundation told Prospekt Mira, without specifying the figures.
At the same time, some projects supported by the fund still suffered - some temporarily, others for a long time. For example, almost 18 million rubles were spent on the Theater Syndrome festival in 2013, only 10 million in 2014, and last year funding was increased again to 16.2 million.
For comparison, KrYAKK-2013 cost 28.5 million rubles, a year later - 34.2 million, in 2015 - 28.8 million. But the educational project “School of Cultural Journalism” was less fortunate - its funding was reduced by almost twice: from 8.8 million rubles in 2011 to approximately 4.6 million in subsequent years.
— Well, yes, the budgets of some programs are being cut, like all budgets in our country. What's surprising? — says Prospekt Mira’s interlocutor, close to the fund.
The sudden pressure on Mikhail Prokhorov and rumors about the sale of assets, however, again gave reason to fear for the fate of his charitable organization. The press service of Mikhail Prokhorov’s foundation, in response to such concerns, assures that “transactions and negotiations taking place in the assets of the Onexim group do not in any way affect the work of the organization.” The fund is operating as usual, several sources working with the organization confirm to PM.
The other day, the Mikhail Prokhorov Foundation announced the date of the next, tenth Krasnoyarsk Book Culture Fair. It will be held from November 2 to 6, the theme of KrYAKK is “Modernity as a dialogue with traditions.”
Cover photo: mihail-prokhorov.ru
