Oleg Kolesnikov

{{short description|Russian politician}}

{{family name hatnote|Alekseevich|Kolesnikov|lang=Eastern Slavic}}

{{Infobox officeholder

|native_name = {{nobold|{{lang|ru|Олег Колесников}}}}

|honorific-suffix = MP

|image = Oleg Kolesnikov.jpg

|caption =

|office = Member of the State Duma for Chelyabinsk Oblast

|term_start = 5 October 2016

|term_end =

|predecessor = constituency re-established

|successor =

|constituency = Zlatoust (No. 193)

|office1 = Member of the State Duma (Party List Seat)

|term_start1 = 24 December 2007

|term_end1 = 5 October 2016

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|09|11|df=y}}

|birth_place = Krasnogorsk, Moscow Oblast, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union

|party = {{plainlist|

• United Russia (from 2011)
• LDPR (until 2011)}}

|spouse =

|parents =

|children =

|nationality =

|alma_mater = South Ural State University

|signature =

|website =

}}

Oleg Alekseevich Kolesnikov ({{langx|ru|Олег Алексеевич Колесников}}; born September 11, 1968, Krasnogorsk, Moscow Oblast) is a Russian political figure and deputy of the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th State Dumas.{{cite web

|url=https://tass.ru/encyclopedia/person/kolesnikov-oleg-alekseevich

|title= Колесников, Олег Алексеевич

|publisher=ТАСС Энциклопедия

|language=ru

|accessdate=2022-02-26}}

In 1989, Kolesnikov started engaging in business, first as an assistant broker on the stock exchange and then as deputy director. From 1996 to 1998, he served as an assistant on commerce and economics at the Chelyabinsk network of pharmacies named "Klassika". In 2005, he was elected deputy of the Legislative Assembly of Chelyabinsk Oblast and ran for the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia. In 2007, he became deputy of the 5th State Duma from the Chelyabinsk Oblast constituency. In 2011, he left the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia to become a member of the United Russia. In 2011, 2016 and 2021, he was re-elected for the 6th, 7th, and 8th State Dumas respectively.{{cite web

|url=https://www.pnp.ru/person/oleg--kolesnikov/

|title=Олег Алексеевич Колесников

|publisher=Парламентская газета

|language=ru

|accessdate=2022-02-20}}

{{cite web

|url=https://rg.ru/2021/09/24/spisok.html

|title=Список избранных депутатов Государственной Думы РФ восьмого созыва

|date=2021-09-25

|publisher=Российская газета

|language=ru

|accessdate=2022-02-18}}

In 2019–2021, Kolesnikov was involved in a series of scandals. For instance, it was revealed that in the 1990s, he was convicted of violating three articles of the Criminal Code of Russia, including "sale and distribution of drugs", "engagement in prohibited types of individual activities", and "conduction of illegal business". At the same time, the accumulated debts of Kolesnikov and his wife's business exceeded 1.3 billion rubles.{{cite web

|url=https://www.ng.ru/politics/2021-05-24/100_113024052021.html

|title=Депутат Олег Колесников попал в центр скандала

|date=2021-05-24

|author=Денис Писарев

|language=ru

|publisher=Независимая Газета

|accessdate=2022-02-28}}

Despite it, Kolesnikov's candidacy was still supported by the governor Aleksey Teksler. According to the local media, in exchange for the support, Kolesnikov promised to build in the region a new aquapark.{{cite web

|url=https://pravdaurfo.ru/articles/197697-kolesnikov-ispolzoval-slabost-edinoy-rossii-i

|title=Колесников использовал слабость "Единой России" и Текслера. Впереди суды и переговоры с Гартунгом

|date=2021-02-15

|language=ru

|publisher=Правда УрФО

|accessdate=2022-02-28}}