Vinnik, Irina Borisovna

Irina Vinnik was born in an intelligent family: her father Boris Sergeyevich dreamed of becoming an astronomer, but became a military engineer, having graduated from the Air Force Academy. N.E. Zhukovsky . Mother, Anastasia Ivanovna, before the war in Kharkov received the specialty of a teacher of Ukrainian language and literature and was distributed in the village of Novaya Parafievka , where she met her chosen one. During the war, Anastasia Ivanovna hid in the basement for a year and a half to avoid being stolen to Germany, and fell ill with tuberculosis, becoming disabled for life. However, after the war, Boris Sergeyevich and Anastasia Ivanovna got married and lived happily together until the end of their days.

Irina was born in the German city of Galle , where her father served. In 1951, the family moved to Riga.

In 1965, Irina Vinnik graduated from the 25th secondary school in Riga with a gold medal, and in 1971 graduated with honors from the Faculty of Biology of Latvia State University , receiving the specialty “Biologist, Teacher of Biology and Chemistry”. However, Irina preferred journalism to her specialization. Her career in this area began with the position of a freelance and then full-time correspondent for the newspaper Sovetskaya Molodezh and a freelance employee of Latvian Radio .

26 years on television

In 1977, Irina Vinnik was invited to the Latvian television by special correspondent, to prepare reports for the Central Television of the USSR . As she said, this invitation came by accident: at the LTV (Panorama) news service, it was decided to create a Russian-language storyline reporter group for the Central Television Center under the leadership of Richard Labanovsky, deputy director of Panorama. He heard Vinnik on the air of Latvian radio and was amazed at what and how she said “without a piece of paper”. Irina refrained from inviting for four months, fearing a new world of television for her, but took a chance and ... remained for 26 years ^[2] .

Recalling the Soviet era, Irina Vinnik noted that in the USSR the mass media told only good news: it was not accepted to report to the media about the tragedies and corruption. “I always worried that people would not know about something and would not be able to prepare. There should be more good news, but bad news needs to be reported. On the other hand, when the Soviet Union collapsed, we were given freedom of speech in Latvia, with which we did not know what to do, ”she said ^[3] .

Since 1991, Irina Borisovna has become the host of Latvian television news in Russian. She recalls this time as the most difficult. So, after the tragic events of January 13 in Vilnius, we received a video of the collision at the television center. It was decided to interrupt the Vremya program and go live with a report from Vilnius. This was done by Irina Vinnik, and the next day at the television studio she and her colleagues were waiting for an Interfront picket with posters and a demand to dismiss "Russian collaborators disseminating false information." At the same time, Latvian journalists on Latvian television demanded the dismissal of their Russian colleagues as representatives of the “fifth column” ^[2] .

Later, I. Vinnik prepared and conducted informational and analytical programs “8th floor”, “Essential Question”, in parallel - informational, popular science and educational programs for different editions of Latvian television (“Health”, “For those who study Latvian language ”, the program for youth“ Mosaic ”and others).

For almost four years, Irina Vinnik was the author and host of the television series Meetings on Marupez Street - half-hour programs about interesting people.

In 1996, for six months, she was a project manager, personnel manager and developer of the format of the News Service of the private channel WNA TV (Russian edition of NTV-5).

On the occasion of the 800th anniversary of Riga (2001), she created the series of programs “Beloved City of Riga”.

Irina Vinnik developed and conducted a number of copyright cycles: “Native language” (about the languages ​​of the world), “Brownie” (weekly television magazine), “My Choice”.

Her most recent LTV projects were the Process discussion series and the weekly Native Nest program.

Working in the media, Irina Vinnik was simultaneously engaged in public and cultural-educational work in the field of preserving the culture and ethnic identity of the national minorities of Latvia. Created the society “National minority program“ Zelta kamoliņš “(“ Golden Glomerulus ”)”. She was the leader of the National Minorities Festival “Latvijas vainags” (“Latvian Wreath”) in the program of All-Latvian Song and Dance Holidays in 1998, 2001, 2003 and 2008.

Integration Department

From 2003 to the end of 2008, Irina Vinnik worked as Director of the Department of National Minorities of the Secretariat of the Minister for Special Assignments for Society Integration. She left work of her own free will, explaining this by fatigue primarily from the fact that “in our country, an official has been turned into a classic villain who is obliged to be responsible for all the troubles and misfortunes that occur. Although officials do not accept laws ” ^[4] .

The so-called Russian parties called for the closure of the department, as it “disguises that everything is bad in the country” ^[5] . National radical Latvian parties insisted that the work of the department undermined the foundations of the nation state. In the Sejm, the initiative to express distrust to the first Minister of Integration, Neil Muiznieks, was simultaneously supported by extreme nationalists and the opposition.

“I believe that I did everything I could in this post,” said I. Vinnik. - Integration is a complex and multidirectional process. We could not define it, we tried only to set certain directions, to put emphasis that would remove the obstacles to the participation of certain groups in a single society. In general, our society is characterized by a destructive attitude towards ourselves and those around us: everything is bad around, how to do better, we don’t know and don’t want to know ... Personally, I try to live according to Confucius. Instead of shouting about total darkness, take and light your little candle. And it will become brighter ” ^[5] .

In the Riga City Council

In 2009, Irina Vinnik was elected as a deputy of the Riga City Council according to the list of the Latvian First Party / Latvian Way , in 2013 and 2017 she passed to the Duma according to the list of the Social Democratic Party “Consent” / “ Honor to Serve Riga ”. He is currently deputy chairman of the “Honor to Serve Riga” faction, deputy chairman of the Riga City Council committees on social issues and on housing and the environment.

Having extensive experience working with non-governmental organizations , Vinnik considers their activities very important for the development of civil society. If in Denmark up to 50% of the population are grouped into interest groups, while in Latvia about 4% of the population are members of NGOs, another 16% are grouped into interest groups. “NGOs are representative offices with which both the state and self-government can speak directly. Therefore, such organizations are very important for the Riga City Council. Through them, we enter into a dialogue with residents in order, firstly, to know what it is better for the Duma to spend money, and also to understand the real problems on the ground, ”Vinnik explained in the Latvian Radio 4 program“ Day after Day ” ^[6] .

Irina Borisovna continues to engage in public work herself - leads concerts, the youth discussion club Pro et Contra of the ISMA higher school, and gives lectures.

• Brother - Alexander Borisovich Vinnik, retired lawyer, lieutenant colonel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
• Daughter Margarita, an English teacher by education, works in electronic media.