Former Fakel President and Ex-Speaker: Vladimir Klyuchnikov of Voronezh Regional Duma

Last year, elections were held in Voronezh Oblast. Residents of the region elected deputies to the eighth convocation of the regional duma, while residents of Voronezh city elected deputies to the sixth convocation of the city duma.

56 regional parliamentarians and 36 city deputies will shape the life of the region and its main city over the next five years. Who are they? To introduce the people«s representatives, we have launched a series of publications called »Voronezh Dumas«. Today, we focus on one of the veterans of the regional duma, deputy Vladimir Klyuchnikov.

Klyuchnikov represented the United Russia party in the elections. He won in electoral district No. 14, which includes the Nizhnedevitsky and Semiluksky districts of Voronezh Oblast. The deputy received 34,000 votes—one of the worst results among single-mandate district winners in the region. Only Dmitry Shiryaev in district No. 19 (22,908 votes) and Nikolay Domnich in district No. 27 (22,656 votes) received fewer.

In the current convocation, Klyuchnikov is the chairman of the committee on property and land relations and is a member of the committee on transport, road infrastructure, and safety.

Vladimir Klyuchnikov was born on April 16, 1949, in the village of Kuchugury, Nizhnedevitsky District, Voronezh Oblast. In 1971, he graduated from the Voronezh Forestry Technical Institute with a degree in automotive transport. Later, he earned the title of candidate of technical sciences and professor.

After graduation, the future deputy served in the army, and by 1984, he completed the Rostov Higher Party School. Vladimir Klyuchnikov began working in 1972, employed at automotive enterprises in Voronezh. From 1980 to 1982, he was an instructor in the department of the Voronezh Regional Committee of the CPSU, then became the chief engineer of the Central Black Earth Territorial Automotive Transport Administration. In the late 1980s, he was the head of the transport, communications, and defense industry department of the Voronezh Regional Committee of the CPSU.

In 1991, Klyuchnikov started working at «Voronezhavtotrans,» where he rose from chief engineer to general director. He led the enterprise until 2005, when «Voronezhavtotrans» was headed by the deputy«s son, Alexander Klyuchnikov, who has been the general director ever since. The elder Klyuchnikov has been the deputy general director for general affairs since 2022.

«Voronezhavtotrans» is a company that specializes in leasing and managing non-residential real estate. It is located at: Voronezh, 25 Oktyabrya Street, 45. It leases premises, for example, to the regional Ministry of Tariff Regulation (a year and a half ago, the rent for the ministry was 1,361 rubles per sq.m per month, approximately $15 at current rates). In 2024, the company«s revenue was 32.1 million rubles (approximately $357,000 at current rates), with a net profit of 21.5 million rubles (approximately $239,000 at current rates).

Vladimir Klyuchnikov was first elected to the regional duma in 1997—this was the second convocation. Since then, the deputy has not missed a single convocation. In 2005, he was appointed deputy chairman of the regional parliament and soon became chairman. Initially, the appointment was forced—after the tragic death in a car accident of the previous speaker of the regional duma, Yuri Titov. However, later Klyuchnikov was re-elected to the post, and he headed the regional parliament until 2015. Later, when Vladimir Netesov became speaker, Klyuchnikov remained an ordinary deputy.

The deputy«s activities are not limited to politics and real estate business. In the late 2000s and early 2010s, he was actively involved in the region»s sports life. In particular, Klyuchnikov was for some time the president of the football club «Dinamo Voronezh,» which was in its final years, and the club «Fakel-Voronezh,» which initially had no relation to the main «Fakel.» The latter was going through hard times in those years: the club played in the Second and Third divisions, and eventually was essentially disbanded. «Fakel-Voronezh» was renamed to simply «Fakel»—this club still exists today. Vladimir Klyuchnikov was its first president.

In addition, Vladimir Klyuchnikov is the founder of several management companies in Voronezh that appeared after the departure of the GC «PIK-comfort» from the city—TsUK and «Master.» Until recently, he was also the founder of three other Voronezh management companies: «Invest,» «Kontinent,» and «Masterok.»

According to the regional election commission, in 2024, Vladimir Klyuchnikov earned 5.5 million rubles (approximately $61,100 at current rates)—about 459,000 rubles per month (approximately $5,100 at current rates). Sources of income: salary from «Voronezhavtotrans» and the regional duma, pension, and interest from deposits.

The deputy officially has no real estate in his ownership. He owns a garage with a workshop in Voronezh measuring 72.3 sq.m, a 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class car, and a 2005 Yamaha snowmobile. Klyuchnikov has 5.7 million rubles in bank accounts.

To contact Vladimir Klyuchnikov, you can use either the electronic reception of the regional duma or the parliament«s reception phone: +7 (473) 277-93-13.