Nikolay Rybakov

Born in, Leningrad, USSR, in 1978, Nikolay graduated at the Petersburg State Transport University in the academic department of Economics of the Construction Industry. Nikolay started his career at age 13 working in agriculture and then in construction. From 1997 till 2000, he worked as an aide to the deputy of the Legislative Assembly of Saint Petersburg, Mikhail Amosov.

He was elected to the municipal council in the municipality "Svetlanovskoe" in St.Petrersburg and served one term from 2000 to 2004. At the same time in 2001–2003, he was teaching law in the school for children who were hard of hearing. In 2004 was elected to the municipal council in the neighboring municipality "Grazhdanka" and became a chair of the budget, law and information committee. In 2006, he was elected as the head of the municipal administration in the municipality "Grazhdanka".[3] In 2008 was evicted out of his post. According to one story, it so happened because he and the head of the municipal council Olga Shtannikova initiated a law draft, which banned public financing of the construction of Okhta Center—a skyscraper office of Gazprom.[4] However, according to another story, he was removed from his post for the initiation of the investigation, which showed violations in the conscription process in municipality.[5]

In 2008–2015, he worked as an executive director of the Environmental Rights Centre BELLONA. In 2010–2015, he was the chief editor of the Internet media "Bellona.ru", in 2014–2015, he was the chief editor of the magazine Environment and Rights.

Since December 2015, he is the vice-chair of the Yabloko party. Nikolay Rybakov was elected as the fourth chairman of the Yabloko party on the 21st congress of the party, with 69 votes out of 137. The 21st party congress was held on the 14th of December 2019.

Nikolay Joined the youth wing of the Russian United Democratic Party Yabloko in 1995 at the age of 16. In 1999–2000, he was the chair of the youth wing. In 2005, he was elected in the bureau of the St.Petersburg branch of the party. From 2005 to 2009 was an editor of the party bulletin Democrat. Since 2008, he is the member of the national bureau of the party. In 2015 he ran for the position of the chair in the party but did not win and became a vice-chair, while Emilia Slabunova became a chair.[6]

Rybakov was one of the organizers of the protests against the construction of Gazprom's planned headquarters, the 400 meter Okhta Center skyscraper, which would have towered over Saint Petersburg's historical center (a World Heritage Site). He logged a complaint in court against the city government order to allow construction of the 400-meter-high office for Gazprom on the border of the historical center. The court adjudicated but after public outcry, the St.Petersburg government decided to abolish the order.[7]

Nikolay Rybakov is one of the authors of the movie about crimes during the second Chechen war «Aldy. No limitation period» (in Russian – «Алды. Без срока давности») together with Ekaterina Sokirianskaia from Memorial (society) and Elena Vilenskaya («House of peace and non-violence»). The journalist and human rights activist Natalia Estemirova, assassinated in 2009, and an actor Aleksey Devotchenko were contributing to the movie.

In March 2000 at the age of 21 was elected in the municipal council of the municipality Svetlanovskoe with the most votes among all candidates in all municipalities in St.Petersburg. At the polling station closest to the home address of Nikolay Rybakov he received 54% of votes.[8] In December 2002 was running for the Legislative Assembly of Saint Petersburg in Vyborgsky district under the block the SPS+Yabloko and came on the second place.[9]

In March 2004 was elected in the Municipal council of the municipality Grazhdanka (Kalininsky district, St.Petersburg). Till December 2004 combined council work in two municipalities. On the elections in municipality Svetlanovskoe on 19 December 2004 received 75% of votes. However as a result of ballot stuffing in favour of the United Russia candidates was not acknowledged as an elected candidate. The procurator of St.Petersburg initiated proceedings on electoral fraud but the investigation was not conducted properly and was closed.[10][11]

Was a candidate to the Legislative Assembly of Saint Petersburg in 2007 (Yabloko list was removed from elections due to its active position against construction of Okhta-Center) and in 2011 (Yabloko officially received 12.5% of votes). Participated in national elections as a candidate on the party list in 2007 and 2011.[12][13]

On the Yabloko General Assembly on 1–3 July 2016 was placed in the party list for the 2016 Russian legislative election on the seventh place in the national part of the list (10 candidates).[14] Also he was running for office in Central St.Petersburg single-member constituency №216.[15] According to official data Rybakov received 13.98% of votes in the constituency (18974 votes, 4th place).[16] The Yabloko list received less than 5% (1,99 %, 1 051 335 votes)[17] and did not get any MPs in the 7th State Duma. Due to a lot of electoral frauds Yabloko did not acknowledge the results of elections and appealed to court.[18] However the Supreme Court has denied the claim.[19]

On the regional elections on 18 September 2016 was the first in the Yabloko list for the Legislative Assembly of Leningradsky region.[20] Yabloko did not get any seats in the Assembly because according to the official data the party got less than 5% of votes (3.71%).[21]

• History of the garden near the Silver pond (in Russian);
• The siege of Leningrad. 61 year after (in Russian);
• Remember Solovki. The book of impressions (in Russian);
• History of the Piskaryovski memorial (in Russian);
• How to write an appeal to authorities right (in Russian).