Yevgeny Roizman

He was born in Sverdlovsk to a Jewish father and Russian mother. His father was a schoolteacher of Russian Language and Literature. His mother was an artist. Roizman claims to have left home at age 14, to have traveled across the country and later to have started work at Uralmash as a welder. He graduated from Ural State University as a historian/archivist. He was sentenced to a two-year prison term in 1981 on charges of theft and fraud.[2]

Roizman is the founder of Museum of Nevyansk Icon at Sverdlovsk region.[3] This is the first private museum to collect icon-paintings. It is located in the city of Yekaterinburg. This museum has over 600 exhibits, including icons, gospel covers, crosses, books and wooden sculptures. The earliest icon is The Egyptian Mother of God (1734), the latest is Christ Pantocrator (1919). Roizman worked in finding, searching and restoration of the icons.

In 1999, Roizman cofounded the City Without Drugs program. He operates a drug rehab center in Yekaterinburg. He was accused by city officials of kidnapping drug-addicts[1] and imprisoning patients and using violence as part of therapy.[4][5] He was accused during the Yekaterinenburg 2013 mayoral race of entertaining strong ties with local mafia bosses,[6] including members of the Uralmash gang.[7]

Roizman was a State Duma deputy between 2003-2007, and attempted to run for parliament from the A Just Russia party in 2007, but was taken off the election list after a conflict with party leaders.[8] Until 2015, he was a political ally of Prokhorov[9] and was supported by the Civil Platform party.[8]

Mayor

Roizman with part of his paintings collection.

He was elected Mayor of Yekaterinenburg on September 9, 2013, with over 30 percent of the vote, beating United Russia candidate Yakov Silin who got under 29 percent.[10][11]