Viktor Kress
RussiaEarly Life and Education
Viktor Mikhailovich Kress was born on November 16, 1948, in the German region of the Soviet Union. In 1971, he graduated from the Novosibirsk Agricultural Institute, now known as the Novosibirsk Agrarian University, with a degree in agricultural science.
Career in Agriculture
After graduating, Kress moved to the Tomsk region in 1971. He worked as an agronomist at the "Kornilovsky" state farm from 1971 to 1975. From 1975 to 1979, he served as director of the "Rodina" state farm.
From 1979 to 1987, Kress held various positions in the agricultural sector, including chairman of the regional agricultural chemical association "Selkhozhimiya," deputy head of the agricultural department, and deputy chairman of the agro-industrial committee of the Tomsk region.
Political Career
In 1987, Kress became the first secretary of the Pervomaisky district committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). In 1990, he was elected as a people's deputy to the Tomsk Regional Council of People's Deputies and became its chairman.
On October 20, 1991, Russian President Boris Yeltsin appointed Kress as the head of the Tomsk Regional Administration.
Governorship
In December 1993, Kress was elected to the Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian parliament, from the Tomsk constituency. He served on the Committee on Budget, Financial, Currency, and Credit Regulation, Monetary Emission, Tax Policy, and Customs Regulations.
On December 17, 1995, Kress was elected governor of the Tomsk region. He defeated his main rivals, Pavel Koshel and Igor Tyutkin, with 51.9% of the vote. Kress also ran for the State Duma in 1995, holding the top spot on the regional list of the Our Home is Russia party.
Later Career
Kress remained in the Federation Council until 1996. He was also a deputy chairman of the council of the Interregional Association "Siberian Agreement."
In 1991, Kress resigned from the CPSU in protest against the party's leadership.
