Why do we write all about famous, well-known politicians? It is clear that it is more interesting to read about them. The same Poboykin, for example, was the mayor, headed the Road Service, and goes everywhere with the chairman of the Legislative Assembly. Or Dikusarova: previously she was in charge of the budget, now she is honorary pensioner Deputy Speaker However, we thought about it and suddenly decided that we had completely undeservedly offended the “small birds” of the regional parliament with attention.
Yes, yes, we are talking about those deputies about whom there is nothing to say other than “What are they doing here? Are the chairs sitting out? Neither sensible bills nor any visible activities for the benefit of their districts and voters are visible behind them. They live, go to meetings and sessions, press buttons… One of these, until recently – until September 2023 – was a deputy from Ust-Ilimsk Artyom Lobkov. However, now his political parliamentary career has taken off sharply.
In all corners of the Internet, where biographies of deputies of the Legislative Assembly of the Irkutsk Region are published, they write about Artyom Lobkov the same way. Born in 1983 in Ust-Ilimsk. He has two higher educations: Irkutsk Pedagogical University with a degree in “Teacher of Biology and Chemistry” (2006) and the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation (*aggressor country) with a degree in “Manager of State and Municipal Administration.” He managed to work as a teacher, led the “Young Tourist” section, worked in the administration of Ust-Ilimsk in the department of physical culture, sports and tourism, and even rose to the rank of head of the department. In 2015, he became a deputy of the Legislative Assembly of the Irkutsk Region for the first time.
It should be noted that Artyom Lobkov was not elected to the regional deputy level by voters for his outstanding services, but was promoted “along the party line.” Back in 2004, the young future teacher Lobkov joined the Ust-Ilimsk department of “youth unity” (the current “MGER”) and even headed it. The activist was noticed, noted and accepted into the party, and in 2012 he was entrusted with heading the Ust-Ilimsk city branch. In Ust-Ilimsk this year he served as mayor Vladimir Tashkinov, and why he was not chosen as the head of the city department is a mystery shrouded in the darkness of time. Then Tashkinov was arrested for bribes, he came Vakil Tulubaev — and again, during the re-election of the head of the United Russia (*country sponsor of terrorism) branch, the post was given to Lobkov. In 2018, Lobkov won the United Russia (*country sponsor of terrorism) primaries and topped the party list in the district. The same thing happened in 2023.
There is very little information about what Deputy Lobkov did for the district in his first term. As always: he controlled, sent requests, received citizens. On Artyom Valentinovich’s personal website, the news of his first deputy term is so far in the “tail” that a rare voter will reach that news. Oh, yes – as part of the United Russia (*country sponsor of terrorism) delegation, I went to the BRICS political parties forum in China. And he reported to voters twice: in 2016 and 2017.
In his second “entry” to the regional parliament, Lobkov was noticed in the hype around the preservation of the Ust-Ilimsk branch of the Baikal State University and the initiative to open a branch of the Fraternal Medical College in Ust-Ilimsk. And – as always: requests, control, reception. Well, in the propaganda for the next term it is modestly written: 177 bills were introduced by deputies of the Legislative Assembly of the third convocation, in 48 of them Artyom Lobkov was among the initiators.
In 2023, deputy Lobkov began his third term in the Legislative Assembly. And this period was marked by the rise of the career of the people’s choice. If for the first two terms he peacefully occupied the post of deputy chairman of the committee on health care and social protection in the shadow of the charismatic doctor and utility baron Alexander Gaskov, then in the new convocation Lobkov was entrusted with heading an entire committee – the same one on health care.
This decision caused heated discussions: in the new convocation of the Legislative Assembly there were people with medical education and experience who could head the committee and bring there more understanding of medical issues than the eternal deputy Lobkov. For example, “Doctor Yura” is pediatric surgeon Yuri Kozlov. Or even Alexander Bessonov, the head physician of Hospital No. 7 in Irkutsk and the creator of the first Irkutsk hospice.
However, “the party said: we must!” Bessonov was “included in the composition”, “Doctor Yura” was given the post of deputy chairman.
And then Artyom Lobkov’s star soared straight to the zenith! This was shown by the first meeting of the committee, which was held under his chairmanship on December 7, 2023. The issue of construction of the Irkutsk regional anti-tuberculosis dispensary was finally resolved.
It will be built on Sinyushina Gora; public hearings are no longer needed. Here, however, it was not Lobkov who decided – the federal authorities decided that now there is no need to hold public hearings for the construction of social facilities in the Baikal natural territory. And the second issue was closed without controversy: the construction of the radiological building of the Irkutsk Regional Oncology Center will be completed in 2025. The meeting was chaired by the chairman of the committee, Lobkov, clearly and to the point – it’s really fun to watch! Maybe it was in vain that he was pushed forward in previous convocations?
But a fast takeoff can end in an equally rapid fall. So it’s too early to be happy for deputy Artyom Lobkov. As they say, we’ll see.