Lawyer Valery Zorkin: biography, awards and family

Long-term chairman of the Constitutional Court, brilliant lawyer Zorkin Valery Dmitrievich lived a long, busy life. His work had a significant influence on the formation of the judiciary in Russia.

Years of formation

February 18, 1943 in the family of a serviceman in the village of Konstantinovka Primorsky Krai was born a son - Zorkin Valery Dmitrievich. When he was still very young, his father was transferred to the capital, and, in fact, the future lawyer grew up as a Muscovite. The boy studied well and was able to pass the school program in an accelerated way. After graduating from school, he goes to serve in the army, but in the footsteps of his father does not want to follow, he wants to get a higher education, and since by reason of his mind he was more of a humanist than a techie, the choice was not great.

Study and scientific career

Zorkin Valery Dmitrievich (whose biography has always been associated with jurisprudence), after serving in the army, makes his main choice and enters the Moscow State University. M.V. Lomonosov at the Faculty of Law. And in 1964 she received a diploma in the specialty "jurisprudence". In high school, he also studied very well, which allowed him to stay at work in the alma mater.

Since 1964, Zorkin Valery Dmitrievich teaches at Moscow State University, his scientific theme is the history of legal doctrines, in particular the early Christian and Renaissance times. In 1967, he defended his thesis on the title of candidate of legal sciences, the theme of the work - "The views of BN. Chicherin on state and law ", becomes an assistant professor and continues to teach. At this time he is very interested in the legal aspects of the philosophy of the Italian thinker of the Renaissance Niccolo Machiavelli. Zorkin worked at Moscow State University until 1977.

In 1976 he tries to defend his doctoral dissertation on the topic "Positivist theory of law in Russia", but in the dissertation council of Moscow State University he lacks one voice, and Zorkin does not receive the academic title. This caused him to leave the university and enter the Institute of State and Law, where in 1978 he successfully defended his doctoral dissertation. From 1979 to 1986 Valery Dmitrievich worked at the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR as a professor at the Chair of Constitutional Law and Theory of State and Law. Only then does he acquire his main vital interest - constitutional law. In 1986, he moved to work at the Higher Law School of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs, where he worked for 4 years.

Work on the Constitution of the Russian Federation

In 1990, Zorkin Valery Dmitrievich, whose full biography is connected with constitutional law, becomes an expert of the Constitutional Commission at the Congress of People's Deputies, which worked on a new text of the main law of the Russian Federation. This work helped Zorkin to go deeper into the legal features of the implementation of this law and became the start for his main activity in life. At this time Valery Dmitrievich proved himself as a principled lawyer and an active supporter of the presidential republic.

In 1991, during the coup, Zorkin together with his colleagues from the Constitutional Committee signed a document stating that the activities of the Emergency Committee, in terms of the law, were an attempt at a coup d'état. This statement was voiced in the Western media and was a significant help in the subsequent career advancement of Zorkin.

The Case of Life: Zorkin Valery Dmitrievich - Chairman of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation

Supporting the course of Boris Yeltsin and working as an expert in the group to create the draft Constitution helped him to get a new appointment. Since October 29, 1991 Zorkin Valery Dmitrievich - the judge of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation. And already on November 1 he is elected Chairman of the Constitutional Court for an indefinite period. Having headed the constitutional branch of power, Zorkin began work on reforming the court and consistently defended the construction of the rule of law in Russia. During all the years of his work in the Constitutional Court he was an active supporter of the idea of separation of powers and the defender of the constitutional system in Russia. In 1993, he played a significant role in resolving the crisis of power by joining the parliament and urging the president to solve problems only in accordance with the country's main law. Zorkin stood between Khasbulatov and Yeltsin. It was thanks to his active participation that the conflict between the president and the congress of people's deputies was overcome and a compromise was found. This event had global consequences in the government of the country: Yegor Gaidar was removed from office, and the government was headed by Viktor Chernomyrdin.

The conflict with Boris Yeltsin was the reason that Zorkin Valery Dmitrievich resigned from the post of chairman of the Constitutional Court in 1993, but a few months later he returned to the court. However, he was accused for a long time of partiality and excessive support of the parliament. The end of these accusations came when, in 1993, the Constitutional Court abolished 27 orders of the head of parliament. Zorkin tried to preserve the independence of the court and to establish the rule of law.

For several years, Zorkin has been working as an ordinary judge, not drawing much public attention to his actions. In 2003, by secret ballot, he was re-elected to the position of chairman of the COP. Later he was elected several times to this position. This time, Zorkin did not begin to change the course of the court, adopted in recent years, but caused a confrontation between the Constitutional and Supreme Courts, implementing the government's position. Zorkin repeatedly appears on the pages of the media, makes loud statements, while remaining a significant figure in Russian politics. In 2012, Zorkin Valery Dmitrievich became the president of the Constitutional Court for the fifth time.

Public activity and civil position

According to Soviet tradition, Zorkin joined the ranks of the CPSU back in 1970 and continued to sympathize with the communist idea for many years. But as a party activist, he did not show himself. In 1990, Valery Dmitrievich, under the influence of social processes, decides to run for deputy, but in the first round he became third and in the second round gave his votes to another candidate.

His views have always been on the side of the Constitution, but in the course of his life he repeatedly hesitated and supported the parliament, then the president. Since 2003, his position has become more specific, he became an active supporter of the presidential course.

As a public figure, Zorkin often makes various statements, in particular, he gives legal assessment of various historical events, for example abolition of serfdom in Russia, comments on events in the country and the world.

Achievements and awards

For his active work Zorkin repeatedly received government and other awards. He has 2 orders "For Service to the Fatherland" and the Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh. Valery Dmitriyevich Zorkin, whose biography, awards and fame testify to his extraordinary qualities, continues to work productively, and his main achievement is the preservation of the dominant role of the Constitution in the government of the country.

Private life

Zorkin Valery Dmitrievich, whose family almost always remains in the shadows, a widower. His wife Tamara Vasilievna was a candidate of economic sciences, he has a daughter Natalia, who, like her father, became a lawyer.