History

The local municipal government in Yaroslavl dates back to 1785, when under the ‘Granted Charter’ the first City Duma (Parliament) was formed. City landscaping, trade and crafts development, protection of the social groups’ rights and, of course, various budgetary funding problems were under its supervision.

Today, when the civil society is developing in Russia, the work of the deputies is based on the experience of representative institutions of the past. Whatever changes are going on, the deputies always care about the same things: how to best organise the life of the city and its inhabitants and provide for normal functioning of the complicated system of municipal economy.

First elections to the City Council took place in 1994 and the second, in 1996. The first two convocations were elected for two-year terms under the Regulations on Election of the Yaroslavl Mayor and the City Council Deputies being an addendum to the City Charter. Sergey Vladimirovich Golubev was twice elected Secretary of the City Council of the first two convocations.

On March 26, 2000, in accordance with the Law of the Yaroslavl Oblast "On election to state authorities of the Yaroslavl Oblast and local self-government authorities of the Yaroslavl Oblast municipal entities", 23 deputies were elected from 23 single-member constituencies to the City Council of the third convocation for four-year terms.

Deputies of the City Council of the third convocation (19 men and 4 women) served part-time being managers of medicine and health care (9 deputies), education (4 deputies), industry and economics (5 deputies), law and journalism.

9 out of 23 deputies were elected for the second term, 5 deputies for the third. 6 deputies were elected to the City Council and the Oblast State Duma at the same time.

The Chairman of the City Council of the third convocation, Valentin Vasilyevich Gobin, was elected from among the deputies.

During the term of work of the City Council of the third convocation it became a tradition to hold hearings on the issues being vital for the city, like on the City Budget execution or on the draft City Budget. Discussions held at such meetings of the deputies and representatives of the City Administration help to solve many contradictions and allow for making right decisions.

On March 14, 2004 and during the repeat voting on May 16, 2004 the Yaroslavl inhabitants elected 36 deputies to the City Council of the fourth convocation from 36 single-member constituencies (32 men and 4 women) for four-year term. Two deputies were elected for the second term, and three of them have been working for three and four terms.

Among the deputies of the fourth convocation there are managers of industrial and transport companies (12), teachers and headmasters of secondary schools (3), doctors and medical institution managers (7), businessmen (12) and lawyers (2).