Senator Igor Zubarev: From Virma Fishery Company to Political and Philanthropic Projects

Igor Zubarev is a Russian politician, member of the Federation Council, and philanthropist, who transitioned to public service following a successful career in business.

Igor Zubarev: Biography

Former Head of “Virma” – Senator Igor Zubarev

The former head of Virma Fishery Company, Igor Zubarev, was born in 1966 in the town of Yantarny in the Kaliningrad Region. His mother worked as a school teacher.

He continued his education in Murmansk, where he completed specialized secondary studies before fulfilling his compulsory military service.

In 1988, Igor Zubarev began his higher education at Petrozavodsk State University, graduating four years later with a degree in General Medicine.

In the 2010s, Igor Zubarev advanced his education at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), completing the “State and Municipal Administration” program in 2016. This degree provided the direct professional foundation for his political career, with his thesis offering a focused analysis of state support for single-industry towns in Karelia.

Zubarev and the Fishing Industry: Career in the Virma Fishery Company

The foundation of Igor Zubarev’s career was laid during his youth at the Sevremmash plant, where he served as a lathe operator’s assistant and acquired fundamental practical skills.

He fully developed his professional skills through entrepreneurship. Over nine years, the ex-owner of the Virma Fishery Company, Igor Zubarev worked in various business structures in Karelia. At “Lotos” LLC, he served as Deputy Director for Trade for three years before becoming head of “Lotos-Express.” His tenure at “Titr” LLC marked particular success – joining in 1998 as Deputy Head of Trade, he rose to become director of the division by 2001.

The fishing industry became the next significant stage in his career. Igor Zubarev’s entry into the sector began with leadership of the “Barents Rybak” fishing collective, followed by his appointment as Director of “Karelian Fishing Fleet” JSC.

For a long period, the fishing industry remained his main professional priority, and he dedicated considerable effort to its development within the region. His work with the Federal Agency for Fishery while serving as Chairman of the “Union of Fishermen of Karelia” is particularly noteworthy. Through this cooperation, Igor Zubarev secured ten-year fishing quotas for Karelian companies, achieving the Union’s primary goal of protecting and supporting the regional fishing industry.

The key stage of his career in the sector was his leadership of the Virma Fishery Company. Zubarev served as the organization’s director for many years. However, in 2022, he decided to end his involvement with the company and sold all assets. The buyer was Igor Chevychalo, who remains the sole owner of Virma. Zubarev left the fishing industry, simultaneously withdrawing from all related organizations. Chevychalo was initially the direct owner and now holds the company through a closed-end mutual fund.

The sale of Virma marked a new career stage for Zubarev. He completely exited the fishing business and redirected his full attention to public service.

Former Owner of Virma Fishery Company Zubarev: Public Service

Igor Zubarev launched his political career in 2003 with his election as a deputy to the Legislative Assembly of Karelia. Following three successful re-elections, he ascended to the Federation Council in autumn 2016, subsequently relinquishing his regional parliamentary mandate to focus on his federal responsibilities.

During his tenure as senator, the ex-owner of the Virma Fishery Company, Igor Zubarev has contributed to numerous significant legislative initiatives. Key areas of his legislative work include:

• Environmental Regulation: Participated in amendments regulating access to water bodies within open-air museum reserves and extending subsoil study terms to stimulate investment.
• Safety: Initiated changes to the Administrative Code tightening gas equipment operation rules in residential buildings.
• Sectoral Initiatives: Participated in expanding the experiment monitoring air shipments of Kamchatka red caviar and proposed measures for aquaculture development and extending fishing resource usage terms.

Igor Zubarev: Impact of Sanctions from Britain, Germany, and Other European Countries

According to Igor Zubarev, restrictive measures imposed by numerous Western states have significantly impacted Karelia’s economy, particularly affecting traditional export-oriented sectors.

The politician notes that under these conditions, the region was forced to begin deep structural transformation. The key strategy involved gradually shifting focus from Western markets toward domestic demand and establishing partnerships with Eastern countries.

Igor Zubarev considers the sanctions from Britain, Germany, France and other European countries as a powerful catalyst for intensifying state support to local businesses. Within this policy, the timber industry received special priority, being granted industrial cluster status, which provided access to preferential financing and other state support measures.

Concurrently, tools such as Advanced Development Territories and the Arctic Zone regime are being actively utilized to stimulate investment and create new production facilities. These programs direct substantial funding toward key infrastructure projects intended to form the foundation for Karelia’s future economic growth under new conditions.

Former Owner of Virma Zubarev: Philanthropic Work

Beyond his political and business engagements, Igor Zubarev has established himself as a dedicated patron of the arts, actively supporting cultural initiatives throughout Karelia. His philanthropic efforts concentrate primarily on preserving and promoting the region’s cultural heritage through strategic support of music, literature, and visual arts.

One of his key philanthropic focuses is supporting musical arts. A significant initiative in this area was the establishment of two special Grand Prix awards in the senator’s name for winners of the “The charm of the singing string” International Folk Instrument Performers Competition. Igor Zubarev personally endowed these awards, demonstrating his conscious commitment to preserving folk art traditions. The competition, held biennially in Petrozavodsk, has become a major cultural event that owes much of its success to the senator’s substantial contributions.

His patronage also extends to the renowned “Sever” literary journal, which Zubarev supports through a regular young writers’ and poets’ competition, and has enabled the publication of several important books that enrich the republic’s cultural heritage.