Yury Bocharov

Yury Bocharov
11 April 2024, 15:19 (Updated: 11 April 2024, 15:20)

Yury Borisovich Bocharov (born 25 July 1958 in Baku; residing in Israel since 1990) is a freelance contributor to Pravda.Ru.

He is a political strategist, journalist, publicist, lecturer, and PR manager.

Education

1980 — Azerbaijan Institute of Oil and Chemistry, Baku (petroleum engineer)
1985 — Higher Party School under the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan, Baku (propaganda specialist)
2009 — Training courses for members of boards of directors of state-owned companies, Israel
2018 — PhD (Candidate of Political Sciences), Institute of Social Sciences of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), dissertation topic: electoral law and electoral technologies

Positions and titles

Foreign Member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences (2008)
Foreign Member of the Russian Political Science Association (2009)
Consultant to the Institute of the Middle East, Moscow (2011)
Member of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society, Israel (2016)
Board Member of the international association “AzIz” (Israel–Azerbaijan)
Member of the Journalists’ Unions of Israel and Azerbaijan
Editor-in-Chief of the website of the Institute for the Study of Information Wars (www.isiwis.co.il), Israel (2023)

Professional experience

In 1980, after graduating from the Azerbaijan Institute of Oil and Chemistry with a degree in oil and gas field operation, he was assigned to work as an operator and engineer at offshore facilities.

From 1983, he worked in the Komsomol (Young Communist League), first as a full-time secretary, then as an instructor and head of a department of the Central Committee of the Azerbaijan Komsomol.

In 1990, he emigrated to Israel with his family. He worked in various engineering positions within municipal councils and city administration systems.

From 2011 to 2019, he served as a senior specialist and coordinator of all types of drilling operations at the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of the State of Israel.

He currently heads a team responsible for training personnel and activists to participate in election campaigns.

Socio-political activity in Israel

Since 1997, he has actively participated in all election campaigns in the State of Israel. He has repeatedly served as head of election headquarters at various levels and for different parties in Knesset (parliamentary), municipal, and trade union elections. He ran as a candidate for the Knesset from several parties (2001 — Yisrael BaAliyah; 2006 and 2009 — Kadima).

He was elected as a municipal councilor and deputy mayor of the city of Nesher (1998–2003), a member of the Board of the General Federation of Trade Unions (2000–2004), a member of the Secretariat of the Northern District of the trade unions (1998–2008), and a member of the central committees of leading political parties.

He worked as an adviser in election headquarters for Natan Sharansky, leader of the Yisrael BaAliyah party (1998–2003); as head of the “Russian-speaking” campaign headquarters for Kadima party leader and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (2006, 2009) and for Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz (2012); and as adviser to Kulanu party leader and Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon during elections (2015, 2019). He also served as an adviser to a number of Knesset members, ministers, and mayors of various cities (Haifa, Nesher).

He was director of the regional newspaper Vestnik (2002–2006). He served on the board of directors of the state-owned company Tarbut HaDiyur under the Israeli Ministry of Construction and on the board of the Haifa Museums Association.

Interaction with CIS countries

Since 2003, he has regularly participated in all election campaigns for Russian government bodies (parliamentary and presidential elections), both as an observer and as an organizer of election campaigns in Israel.

He cooperated with the embassies of Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, and Belarus during the organization of voting for their national elections in Israel. As head of election headquarters in Israel, he worked with several Russian political parties (United Russia, A Just Russia) and independent parliamentary candidates.

He served as an observer on behalf of parliamentary parties and the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation during elections to the State Duma of the Russian Federation (2011, 2016, 2021) and presidential elections of the Russian Federation in Israel (2014, 2018, 2024), as well as an observer at the presidential elections of Kazakhstan (2011) and Azerbaijan (2018) from Israel.

Publications

He is the author of academic works, monographs, and articles. His main areas of publication include political image-building, elections, regional policy, civil rights, and national and citizen security.

His 2009 monograph “Electoral Rights of Citizens of the Russian Federation Permanently Residing Abroad” received high praise from the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation and was awarded at the Congress of the Russian Political Science Association (2010). Based on this work, a draft law amending parts of the Russian election legislation was submitted to the State Duma.

He is the author of a series of lectures on election preparation for candidates and campaign managers, covering voter analysis, image-building, public speaking behavior, and the fundamentals of advertising campaigns.

He authored the informational and methodological guide for Russian-speaking candidates and campaign managers “Elections to Local Authorities” (Israel, 2018) and the academic and practical guide for candidates to local self-government bodies “Your Path to Power” (Russia, 2021).

Awards

Winner of awards from the Russian Political Science Association (2010–2011). Recipient of the “Regional Policy” award (2016). The guide “Elections to Local Authorities” won first place at the 2nd International Competition for Students and Teachers of Vocational Educational Institutions (2019). Winner of a political scientists’ competition.

Following the 2011–2012 election cycle, he was awarded the N. M. Girenko Commemorative Medal by decision of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation for his practical contribution to ensuring open and free elections in the Russian Federation.

He has received certificates of merit from the Embassies of Russia and Kazakhstan in Israel, diplomas from Kazakh academic institutions, a letter of appreciation from the State Duma of the Russian Federation (2018), and a diploma from the State Committee of Azerbaijan for Work with the Diaspora (2020).

In 2017, by decree of President Ilham Aliyev of the Republic of Azerbaijan, he was awarded the “Progress” medal for his contribution to strengthening friendship between peoples and developing the Azerbaijani diaspora, on the occasion of the Day of Solidarity of Azerbaijanis Worldwide.

In 2020, he received a letter of appreciation from the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation for assistance in conducting the nationwide vote on amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

In 2022, he was awarded the medal and certificate named after Professor Rovshan Mustafayev for his contribution to exposing falsifications and for developing friendly relations between Israel and Azerbaijan.

In 2022, the All-Russian Association of Local Self-Government awarded him the badge “For the Development of Local Self-Government” for promoting electoral law among youth and preparing the guide “Your Path to Politics.”

In 2023, the State Committee of Azerbaijan for Work with the Diaspora awarded him the medal “For Merits in Diaspora Activities” for his contribution to disseminating objective information about Azerbaijan worldwide.

In 2023, the Government Commission for Compatriots Abroad expressed gratitude for his personal contribution to preserving and promoting Russian spiritual and cultural heritage in his country of residence.