Ksenia Sobchak's mother, Lyudmila Borisovna Narusova, after the death of her husband, Anatoly Sobchak, decided to go into politics and was even elected to the State Duma. In addition, she is a member of many public organizations, as well as the chairman of the foundation named after her husband. Despite the fact that all members of her family, including herself, are public figures, few people know where they come from and what Lyudmila Narusova did before her marriage. Her biography and personal life are also rarely advertised. In this article we will present to you some details of the life of this famous woman. Surely you will also be interested in how her relationship with her only grandson is.
Lyudmila Narusova: biography, parents
The future senator was born in 1951, in May, into a family of employees who lived in the city of Bryansk. Her mother, Valentina Khlebosolova, was a native of Leningrad, she went through a concentration camp, and after liberation she worked as a translator in the military commandant’s office in the German town of Herzberg, the commandant of which was Lyudmila’s father, Boris Moiseevich Narusovich (Jew), who changed the ending of his last name and began to be called Narusov . The translator and the commandant liked each other, and soon got married. In 1949, they wanted to return to Leningrad, but due to the fact that the woman was in a concentration camp, they were not allowed to settle in the Northern capital, and then the couple left for Bryansk, where Boris Narusov had relatives (he himself was from Smolensk). Here Lyudmila’s mother got a job as an administrator at a local cinema, and after some time became a director, and her father, who was hired as the director of the House of Culture, at the same time studied at the correspondence department of the pedagogical institute, specializing in defectology, and after graduation became the director of a school for the deaf and hard of hearing children. The couple had two daughters - Larisa and the heroine of our story, Lyudmila Narusova, a biography whose personal life will be described in this article. Both girls studied “excellently” at school, were great activists, pioneers and Komsomol members.
Childhood and family of Lyudmila Narusova
The future politician and professional historian was born on May 2, 1951 in Bryansk into a family of employees. Her parents met in 1945 and got married a year later in the small German town of Herzberg, where her father, who had gone to the front as a volunteer from Smolensk, served as a military commandant, and her mother, a native of Leningrad, who had gone through a concentration camp and forced labor, worked in the commandant’s office as a translator.
Lyudmila Narusova in her youth
In 1949, they returned to their homeland and settled in Bryansk (my father had relatives there). Because their mother was a prisoner of war, they were not allowed to live in Leningrad, where she dreamed of returning. For the same reason, her aspiration to become a German language teacher was not destined to come true, and her father’s further career as a military man was banned. Mom got a job as a cinema administrator, and dad, having graduated from the defectology and history departments of the pedagogical institute, worked as the director of a high school for hearing-impaired children. Their family had two daughters - the eldest Larisa and the youngest Lyudmila.
Starting from the 10th grade, Luda worked at a school for the deaf as a laboratory assistant. In 1969, she became a student at the history department of the state university in the city on the Neva. Then, as a graduate student at the Academic Institute of History, she defended her thesis “Socio-political views of the Decembrists in the 50-60s of the 19th century” and taught at the university since 1978. In 1981, she went to work at the Institute of Culture. N. Krupskaya, received the title of associate professor and began preparing her doctoral research work to receive her next academic degree.
Nationality
Being a military man in the past, Boris Moiseevich instilled in his daughters such qualities as willpower, determination, mutual assistance and support, etc. Lyudmila Narusova herself, whose nationality in adulthood began to interest many ill-wishers, said that she and her sister were raised in the commandments of the Old Testament - the holy book of the Jews. Despite the fact that their mother was Russian, their father introduced his daughters to the history and culture of his people from childhood. However, as you know, the definition of Jewishness is established by the mother, and not by the father, so it is difficult to give an unambiguous answer to the question of what people Lyudmila Narusova belongs to. The nationality indicated in her passport is, naturally, Russian, but self-identification is much more important than this. Growing up, the girl did not particularly like to talk about this topic.
Education
Lyudmila Narusova graduated from school with a gold medal. However, even before her graduation, in 10th grade, she began working as a laboratory assistant at the school where her father was the director. In 1969, she went from Bryansk to Leningrad (St. Petersburg) to enter the history department of Leningrad State University. As at school, she studied excellently here, so after receiving her diploma she easily entered graduate school at the academic Institute of History. The topic of her PhD thesis was: “Decembrists: socio-political views in the 50-60s of the 19th century.” She defended it with great success, and received an invitation to work as a teacher at her native university (from 1978 to 1981). After that, she was invited as a highly qualified specialist in history at the Institute of Culture. Krupskaya, where she received the title of associate professor. Lyudmila Narusova did not want to stop there and began to prepare to defend her doctorate. By this time, her daughter Ksenia had already been born.
Study and work
Lyudmila Narusova was born in the regional city of Bryansk on May 2, 1951. At the age of 16, she first went to work at a school for the deaf and hard of hearing as a laboratory assistant. Almost two years after her first job, Lyudmila entered the Leningrad Zhdanov University as a full-time student. In 1974 she successfully graduated from it. But Narusova was in no hurry to build a career, and decided to continue her studies and graduated from graduate school at the Leningrad branch of the Institute of History of the USSR of the USSR Academy of Sciences.
L. Narusova: photo
In 1978, Lyudmila was hired as a teacher at her native Leningrad State University, and she also worked as an editor at the printing house at the same university. She was not afraid to take on any work, so her life led her to the library where she worked. Her experience also includes work on organizing hospices in St. Petersburg for terminally ill people.
Lyudmila Narusova: personal life
She got married for the first time while still a 2nd year university student. She doesn’t particularly like to talk about this marriage, especially since the marriage was childless. It is only known that her first husband was a psychiatrist. At the same time, it will not be possible to completely avoid this topic, since her acquaintance with Anatoly Sobchak happened precisely “thanks” to her first husband. And this is how it happened. Lyudmila Narusova in her youth was a very active and independent girl, and she chose her husband without even consulting her parents, who could only come to terms with their daughter’s choice, despite the fact that neither her mother nor her father particularly liked the young son-in-law. He did not have housing, and then her parents, in order to please their daughter, gave them an apartment, but due to some circumstances the apartment had to be registered in the name of their son-in-law.
Personal life
Lyudmila Narusova's first husband was a young psychiatrist. This marriage happened as a student, when Lyudmila was in her 2nd year at university. But the relationship between the young spouses deteriorated, and after 2.5 years of marriage the couple separated.
Lyudmila Narusova and Anatoly Sobchak
As they say, there would be no happiness, but misfortune would help. During the divorce proceedings and the division of the cooperative apartment, Narusova met Anatoly Sobchak: she consulted with him as a lawyer. Love at first sight did not happen. Sobchak was 15 years older. Behind him was also a failed first marriage.
In many photos, Lyudmila Narusova in her youth is a bright and charming woman. At some point, lawyer Sobchak noticed this. And soon he realized that he always wanted to be next to this erudite beauty. The lovers got married in 1980. And in 1981 they had a daughter, Ksenia.
Lyudmila Narusova with her daughter
The personal life of Lyudmila Narusova and Anatoly Sobchak was happy. They were a harmonious couple, where the wife provided home comfort, took care of everyday life and turned out to be the right hand and ally of her husband.
It is noteworthy that in her youth Lyudmila Narusova was a fan of actor Emmanuel Vitorgan and even dreamed of meeting him. The dream came true in adulthood thanks to her daughter Ksenia. Now Lyudmila Borisovna and Emmanuil Gedeonovich have become related. They are the grandparents of the one born
in 2020, the grandson of Plato, who was given to them by their children Ksenia and Maxim Vitorgan. Lyudmila Narusova notes that the boy grows up calm and is capricious on rare occasions.
Lyudmila Narusova with her son-in-law
The politician supports his daughter in all endeavors, even if he disagrees with her. Lyudmila Narusova does not have a profile on Instagram, but her photos with Ksenia Sobchak often appear on this social network. Lyudmila Narusova had some doubts about her daughter’s participation in the election race for the presidency, but in the elections she voted for Ksenia, which she mentioned in an interview. Narusova also supported her daughter after the release of the documentary “The Sobchak Case,” which premiered in May 2020 at the Cannes Film Festival.
Divorce
After two and a half years, a wall of alienation began to grow between the newlyweds, and then the moment came when the husband told Lyudmila that he was no longer going to live with her and that he wanted to get a divorce. Moreover, he “asked” her to vacate the apartment. His impudence took her breath away! She had never seen such rudeness before. Should she vacate the apartment given to her by her parents? However, from a legal point of view, the husband was the owner of the apartment, and nothing could be done about it. She began to look for a way out of the situation and turned to the help of lawyers. However, they all unanimously insisted that the matter was obviously a losing one, and they did not want to take on it for any money. And then she was advised to contact an innovative lawyer who teaches at the Faculty of Law of Leningrad State University.
Meeting Sobchak
One cold winter evening, Lyudmila Narusova came to a meeting with that same lawyer, whose extraordinary thinking was legendary. He had a lecture and she had to wait a long time. When the bell rang from the course lecture, especially the female students did not want to leave, and surrounded the teacher and began to ask him countless questions. Lyudmila noticed how everyone looked at him with loving eyes, and involuntarily drew attention to his appearance. He was a man not in his early youth (as it later turned out, he was 39 years old), slender, tall, neat and with a very intelligent expression on his face. When the students finally left, she approached him and introduced herself. Then they left the university building and walked along the street. Larisa tried to tell him the essence of the problem, but she was not very successful. Excitement and bad weather bothered her. Sobchak suggested that she go to some cafe and tell her the story over a cup of tea. And so they did. Once in the warmth, Lyudmila unraveled and, bursting into tears, told him her whole life. He listened very carefully; it turns out that at that time he himself was divorcing his first wife Nonna, with whom he had a daughter, Masha. After the young woman felt a little better, they left the eatery, he escorted her home, found out the contact information of her husband and, without promising anything, restrainedly bid her farewell. After some time, the ex-husband suggested that Lyudmila get a divorce and registered the apartment in her name. To all her questions, Sobchak answered her that he simply spoke to him very harshly and convincingly. Of course, all this sounded simply fantastic, but she was very grateful to him and, having bought a large bouquet of chrysanthemums and grabbed an envelope with 300 rubles (the entire assistant professor’s salary), she went to see him. He took the flowers, but did not agree to take the envelope, but advised her to go to the market and buy pomegranates and persimmons, since she looked very pale. The woman became embarrassed and left without answering.
Serious relationship
Several months passed, but Lyudmila did not stop thinking about Anatoly, and then one day they met by chance at some reception. She recognized him immediately, but he, on the contrary, asked her where he could have seen her, her face was too familiar, maybe she was his student? Lyudmila did not know what to think out of frustration, but she was not embarrassed and told about the circumstances of their acquaintance. After this meeting, she did not let him forget her. Slowly they became closer, spent a lot of time together, but there was no close relationship between them. It turned out that Sobchak was a big conservative on this issue. In 1980 they got married, and a year later the daughter of Lyudmila Narusova and Anatoly Sobchak, Ksyusha, was born.
Start of career and personal life
After graduating from high school, Lyudmila Narusova, a Jewish nationality, whose biography and personal life arouse public interest, was in no hurry to decide on her choice of profession. She was in no hurry to go to university and decided to try herself as a laboratory assistant at a school for the deaf in the evening department. Only two years later, in 1969, she entered the history department of Leningrad State University.
Lyudmila Borisovna's personal life improved early. The student got married for the first time in her second year at the Faculty of History, to a psychiatrist. But by the time they passed their final exams, their marriage fell apart due to housing issues, as often happens with early romantic relationships.
Lyudmila Narusova with her husband Anatoly Sobchak
Having received a specialist's diploma in 1974, she entered the graduate school department. After 4 years, Lyudmila Narusova, whose biography and personal life, as well as nationality, are of interest to the public, took the post of history teacher at Leningrad State University. In parallel with teaching students, she was engaged in social activities, working in the library and holding the position of editor at the university printing house.
During one of the difficult periods of her life, a resilient woman came for a consultation with lawyer Sobchak and met a new love. Already in 1980, she became the constant life partner of a famous political figure. They lived in a happy marriage for 20 years, and it ended only with the death of their beloved spouse at the turn of the millennium.
In 1981, the woman, who did not forget about the development of her own career, became an associate professor in the department of history and a doctor of science at the University of Culture and Arts.
With Emmanuel Vitorgan
Over the following years, Lyudmila Narusova, who did not want to change her maiden name, continued to develop as a scientist. She believed that the main thing for a woman is not to stand out due to her husband’s achievements, but to achieve something in life on her own. She wanted to become independent and strong, but at the same time, as the wife of a politician, Narusova tried to support her man in everything. The woman accepted his decisions and respected his opinion.
Scientific activity
After the birth of her daughter, she began teaching, first as an assistant, and then as a senior teacher, associate professor of the history department of the Leningrad Institute of Culture and Arts, and at the same time began writing her doctoral dissertation. After her husband became involved in politics and a new stage began in her life. She helped him in the election campaign for the chairman of the Leningrad City Council (1990, May 23), and then in the elections for the mayor of Leningrad (1991, July 12). The northern capital was renamed St. Petersburg after his election.
Lyudmila Narusova's husband - Anatoly Alexandrovich Sobchak
Anatoly Sobchak was the first mayor of St. Petersburg, a well-known personality around whom conflicting opinions arose in the public. From 1980 to 2000, he was the husband of Lyudmila Narusova and together with her was engaged in political activities.
Sobchak graduated from Leningrad State University with a law degree. Anatoly Alexandrovich's political career began with his election as a people's deputy of the Supreme Council. Sobchak then became a member of the Leningrad City Council, and in 1991 he was elected mayor of St. Petersburg.
Charity
As the mayor's wife, Lyudmila Narusova began creating hospices in the city - hospitals for cancer patients at the last stage. Then she supported Patriarch of All Rus' Alexy II in the burial of the remains of the imperial family: Nicholas II, Maria Feodorovna and children. For this she founded the Mariinsky Foundation. In the early 90s, she became addicted to rallies, which greatly amused her husband Anatoly Sobchak. She stood in the crowd, and then told her husband about what people were saying, what fables they were making up about Sobchak, not knowing that his wife was standing next to them. The participation of the mayor's wife in political affairs unnerved his opponents; they began to compare her with Raisa Gorbacheva. Did the people of St. Petersburg like Lyudmila Narusova? Reviews about her were different. Someone considered her an intriguer who set her husband up against certain politicians, but there were people who considered her together with Sobchak, and if they loved him, they also sympathized with his wife.
Political career
Was L. Narusova successful as a public and political figure? Many believe that her advancement was helped only by the name of her husband and his connections. Come to think of it, she was never a popular favorite. Nevertheless, in 1995 she was elected to the State Duma of the Russian Federation from the NDR (“Our Home is Russia”). Here she became the head of the commission on the problem of paying compensation to prisoners of fascist camps. Four years later, she nominated herself for the lower house of the Federal Assembly, but was defeated.
Political views of Lyudmila Narusova
Lyudmila Narusova, whose biography is closely connected with politics, advocates limiting the activities of Russian nationalist political organizations. In her opinion, some of their slogans are criminal and unconstitutional.
She also actively supports the activities of foreign foundations and various organizations in Russia. He believes that the country should turn towards the West and be more loyal to it. Lyudmila considers herself an oppositionist and believes that Russia needs many liberal reforms.
In 2012, when the bill on rallies was being considered, Lyudmila Borisovna protested against its promotion. And she even pointedly left the meeting room. In July of the same year, she participated as a witness in one high-profile trial regarding the theft of budget funds and non-payment of taxes on an especially large scale. Lyudmila made several scandalous statements after the end of the trial, since she was dissatisfied with its results.
Lyudmila Narusova does not always support the country’s foreign policy activities. She speaks negatively about Russian planes in Syria and believes that the Russian leadership should not interfere in this conflict.
Trustee of GDP
In the 2000 presidential elections, Putin chose her as his confidant. After Sobchak’s death, his wife and daughter always felt the support of the first person of the state - V.V. Putin. Naturally, after that all doors were open to them, because the president of the country does not always act as a patron. Narusova always said that Putin is a loyal and very reliable person, that he is a devoted friend. After the death of Anatoly Sobchak, she created a foundation named after her late husband and managed it, at the same time she acted as an adviser to the head of the Kremlin administration, as well as the head of the national council of the Harmony Foundation (FC). By the way, it was thanks to her that some financial abuses in this fund were revealed. After that, she went international and represented Russia on the Board of Trustees of the English and German divisions of the EVZ Foundation. In 2002, she became a senator and joined the commission on information policy (since 2006 she has been its chairman), science and culture, housing and communal services, education and health care. Since 2010, Lyudmila Borisovna became the representative of the Bryansk region in the Federation Council.
Biography and personal life of Lyudmila Narusova
Lyudmila Narusova was born in Bryansk. The girl was independent from childhood and learned to work hard. Already at the age of 16, she worked part-time at a school for the deaf and dumb in Bryansk, and after graduating from school, she entered the Faculty of History in Leningrad. After graduating from university and graduate school and defending her dissertation, Lyudmila Borisovna taught for some time at the Leningrad Institute. Even during her student years, Narusova began a relationship with her first future husband, who after college became a psychiatrist.
In their second year, the young people got married, but after 2.5 years their marriage broke up. The lawyer who advised Narusova during the trial after the divorce was Anatoly Sobchak. Despite the fact that Sobchak already had one unsuccessful marriage, Lyudmila Borisovna charmed him with her beauty and intelligence, and in 1980 they got married. In this happy and harmonious marriage, the couple had a daughter, Ksenia. The career of Anatoly Sobchak, who soon took the chair of the mayor of St. Petersburg, was rapidly going uphill, and Lyudmila Borisovna all this time helped her husband and supported his projects - a fund to support the elderly, as well as the Mariinsky Charitable Foundation. In 1995, Narusova was elected as a deputy of the State Duma.
In 2000, Lyudmila Borisovna experienced the loss of her beloved husband, but the tragedy did not break her: Narusova did not stop working. A career advancement awaited her - Narusova was approved as an adviser to the head of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation, and then as head of the Anatoly Sobchak Charitable Foundation. Lyudmila Borisovna climbed higher and higher up the career ladder: in 2002 she became a representative of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly from the Parliament of Tuva, then a member of the Federation Council.
Lyudmila Borisovna was active and fearlessly expressed her ideas, without fear of condemnation from the outside. Thus, she opposed the ideas of nationalist organizations, participating in the “Union of Civil Resistance to Fascism” movement. As a member of the Federation Council, Narusova also actively opposed changes to laws on rallies, as she considered them to be a violation of civil rights. Perhaps because of her active position and strong protests against the laws that she considered “repressive and unconstitutional,” Lyudmila Borisovna had many ill-wishers. Thus, at one time, statements about the extermination of Russians began to appear on Twitter on her behalf, but soon the suspicions were refuted and it became clear that Narusova never used social networks, and that her nationalist statements were allegedly published online from an IP address in Holland.
