Aleksandr Sergeyevich Makarov was the mayor of Tomsk from 1996 to 2011. He was born in Slavyansk-na-Kubani, Krasnodar Krai, before moving to Tomsk with his family. After graduating from the Tomsk Medical Institute, he worked as a surgeon in Krasnoyarsk Krai before returning to Tomsk to work inthe localpsychiatric hospital. He later entered the Tomsk State Pedagogical University and earned his teaching certification. After two years of teaching, Makarov entered public service: first as the chairman of the presidium of Sovietskii Rayon and later as the head of the Sovietskii raion administration. In 1994, he won a seat in the Tomsk Oblastduma. His seat in the duma became a springboard for his run for the mayorship of the city in 1996. Makarov defeated Gennadiy Konovalov that year and was re-elected in 2001 and 2006. From 1996–2001 he served simultaneously as mayor and as a duma deputy.
Arrest
On 6 December 2006, Makarov was taken into custody on charges of abusing his office. He was initially accused of extorting over three million rubles from residents by threatening to destroy their real estate and preventing them from rebuilding. After further investigations, the police reported that they discovered Makarov held over $1.5 million worth of cash in his apartments. A search of his home uncovered one million rubles with another 300,000 rubles on the mayor himself. During the search of his home, Makarov suffered a heart attack and was admitted to the hospital. Legal proceedings were suspended while he is being treated. However, the prosecutor, Sergei Panov, is considered further charges and alleged that Makarov made threats against investigators. Panov has also alleged that the former mayor's condition is sufficiently healthy to allow the trial to move forward. On 12 December the official charges against Makarov were announced. Makarov's attorney, Natalia Azurova, protested to the court that the prosecutor's actions were illegal. Specifically, she claimed that searches were conducted at the homes of his children, sums of money found were not in the "eight figures" claimed by prosecutors, and no actual witnesses had stepped forward. She also alleged that the arrest and charge of the mayor of Tomsk should be considered a political action. Makarov became the informal leader of cities known for reducing their authority for the benefit of the governors. He was perturbed by the legislative leadership cancelling elections for mayor, of which a number of deputies from "Unified Russia" have put forward for discussion of the Russian parliament and have said was dangerous and even criminal. Advice of Europe had acted against the given bill. Makarov's daughter declared that the governor of Tomsk, Viktor Kress, was also involved in the arrest of her father apart from Maltseva and Jidkih. On 26 December 2006, further charges were brought against him by the prosecutor's office after it was claimed that the police found large amounts of opium in his apartment. On 26 January 2007 Makarov was charged with abusing official authorities for personal gain. In April 2007, the European Court considered the Makarov's arrest as an issue of human rights. On 27 April 2007 the mayor was accused of bribery and wrongful participation in enterprise activities. For more than two years Makarov was confined in a prison with poor sanitary conditions. On 9 April, the Supreme Court of Russia released him on bail for 4 million rubles. On 3 November, the jury found him guilty on 7 out of 9 charges. On 15 November, The Tomsk provincial court found him guilty and dismissed him from the position of mayor. He is sentenced to 12 years in prison. On 18 October 2011 the Criminal Division of the Russian Supreme Court dismissed the complaint of lawyers regarding Makarov. Makarov was transferred from prison to correctional colony No.4 in Tomsk before being moved to penal colony number 3 in Irkutsk in March 2012. On 3 September 2015 the Kuibyshev district court granted parole for Makarov. On 11 September the prosecutor's office appealed the court's decision before the Irkutsk Regional Court dismissed their appeal on 8 June 2016: The action the Kuibyshev District Court of Irkutsk took on the parole Alexander Makarov was declared lawful; he was released the following day.
