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Yegor Altman

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In this name that follows East Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Ilyich and the family name is Altman.
Egor Altman
Егор Альтман
Altman in 2020
Born22 April 1975 (1975-04-22) (age 50)
Moscow, Soviet Union
CitizenshipRussian, Israeli
EducationInternational Institute of Advertising, Stockholm School of Economics
Occupation(s)Businessman, gallerist, collector
Children3
Websitealtmansgallery.com

Egor (Georgy) Ilyich Altman (Russian: Георгий Ильич Альтман, Hebrew: גיורא אלטמן, translit. Giora Altman; born 22 April 1975) is a Russian-Israeli entrepreneur, media executive, and gallerist.

He was born and raised in Moscow. His father, originally a research scholar, later went into business. His mother worked as a theatrical designer; his stepfather, Igor Vulokh, was an artist →.

Altman held a number of executive positions in the media industry and was the owner and co-owner of several companies in this field →. In 2015, he founded the art gallery Altmans Gallery and gradually focused his professional efforts on its development →.

Alongside his business career, he has been involved in public service and philanthropy →. He has received several awards for his professional and civic contributions →. Egor Altman was married twice and has three children. He is a collector with an interest in contemporary art and phaleristics →.

Biography

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Altman was born in Moscow. His mother, Natalia Olegovna Tukolkina-Okhota, formerly worked as a theatrical designer,[1][2] and his father, Ilya Alexandrovich Altman, originally a research scholar, later became a businessman after the collapse of the Soviet Union.[3] His paternal grandfather, Alexander Altman [ru], was a scholar and an expert in satellite communication systems.[4]

Shortly after Altman's birth, his parents divorced. At the age of one and a half, he moved in with his great-grandmother, with whom he lived until the age of six,[5] returning to his mother shortly before starting school.[6]

Soon after that, Altman's mother remarried. His stepfather was the abstract painter Igor Vulokh (1938–2012), who had a strong influence on Altman.[2][6] From that marriage, Altman gained a sister, the film scholar Lidia Vulokh.[2][6]

Attending school less and less frequently, Altman began engaging in commercial activity from an early age.[7][8] He later earned a degree in education with a specialization in history, and also graduated from the International Institute of Advertising and the Stockholm School of Economics with a specialization in strategic business management and marketing.[9][10]

Business career

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Media business and advertising

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At the age of 17, Altman was invited by relatives who had launched one of the first cable television channels in Moscow — Lefortovo TV — to serve as its commercial director.[3][9] He later co-founded, together with his father, NAST — one of the first companies in Russia specializing in the production and placement of outdoor advertising.[9][11]

In 1996, marking his first fully independent venture, Altman founded and headed the advertising agency HIDALGO (also known as Hidalgo Image). He was later joined by Dmitry Solopov [ru] as a co-owner.[12][13][8][14] The agency was ranked among the top 30 media agencies in Russia.[13][15] The agency was known for its work with major pharmaceutical companies, including winning tenders from Pfizer for advertising campaigns in Russia.[16][17][18][19] Altman has described this business as the key milestone in his professional career.[20]

Altman also held executive positions in advertising and external communications at the Stolichnaya Vechernyaya Gazeta, the publishing house Moskovskiye Novosti, Master Bank, Investbank [ru], and the Antiviral pharmaceutical company.[9][21][22] He also served as First Deputy General Director[14] and was one of the shareholders of the media holding company United Media [ru].[9]

As part of the United Media holding, in 2007 Altman was among the co-founders of Business FM [ru], Russia's first business-focused radio station, which achieved significant success.[23][24][25] The brand name was proposed by the HIDALGO agency.[26] In 2009, amid the Great Recession, the main shareholder of United Media, Arcadi Gaydamak, sold the holding to Vladimir Lisin, and Altman soon left the company.[27][14][28][29]

Since 2015, Altman headed a new advertising agency he founded, AltCommunicationGroup.[30] In 2016, the company received the RuPoR public relations award in the Corporate Communications category.[31] In 2017, it was awarded the Silver Archer [ru] national public relations prize.[32] That same year, the agency ranked 11th nationwide by media spend.[9] In 2021, part of the business was sold by Altman to the communications group Twiga.[30]

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In November 2015, Altman and his wife founded Altmans Gallery in Moscow. The gallery specializes in prints by renowned 20th-century artists, including Marc Chagall, Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Andy Warhol, and Yuri Norstein.[33] The Altmans Gallery has carried out a number of major exhibition projects.[33][34]

From 2017 to 2020, the gallery also operated a branch in Tel Aviv, presenting exhibitions of modern and contemporary art to Israeli audiences. The gallery hosted themed exhibitions, including Chagall,[35] Dali,[36] Picasso[37] and Norstein.[38] Alongside paintings of contemporary artists, it also exhibited works by contemporary Russian artists in ceramic, porcelain, and sculpture formats.[39][40] Altmans Gallery has also hosted events, including a solo show by illusionist Uri Geller, organized in collaboration with the artist himself.[41][42] Some of the gallery’s events were attended by prominent public figures, including political personalities such as Sara Netanyahu[41] and Avi Gabbay.[43]

Since 2020, Altman has focused on developing his art business.[44]

Public activities

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Art and educational projects

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Altman produced an exhibition dedicated to the 70th anniversary of his stepfather Igor Vulokh at the ART4 Contemporary Art Museum (2008), where poems by Gennady Aygi were played as a sound backdrop.[45] Altman also organized an exhibition of Vulokh's works at the Moscow Museum of Modern Art (2013).[2][46]

After the artist's death, Altman founded and headed the Igor Vulokh Creative Heritage Foundation in 2013.[9][46][47] In 2015, the Yekaterina Cultural Foundation hosted a solo exhibition titled "Repatriation", featuring 43 works by Vulokh that had been discovered in Europe by his widow Natalia Tukolkina-Okhota and Egor Altman and brought back to Russia.[47][48] In 2023, Altman organized the exhibition "Twin Fields" at the Ruarts Foundation space, dedicated to the 85th anniversary of Vulokh, which traced the artist’s personal and creative journey, as well as his connection with the poets Aygi and Tomas Tranströmer.[49]

Altman curated the release of limited-edition art plates featuring designs by Igor Vulokh and Michail Grobman. These collectible items were produced as part of broader efforts to preserve and promote the legacy of Soviet nonconformist artists.[50][51]

Altman has also lectured at Bar-Ilan University in Israel.[52] Since 2022, he serves as a lecturer in the online course How to Become a Collector on the Synchronize platform (Russia), developed in collaboration with Sotheby’s and Art Basel.[53][54] Altman also co-authored the book Fame, Money and Neurosis (2025) with psychotherapist Tsiala Krikheli. The publication explores psychological factors that shape the behavior and motivation of high-achieving individuals.[55]

Media and industry involvement

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Altman served as vice president of the Association of Communication Agencies of Russia [ru] (ACAR) and co-chair of the ACAR Commission on Small and Medium Business.[56][9] He was one of the main speakers at the Kazakhstan Media Summit in 2018.[57] In 2021, Altman was elected a member of the Russian Academy of Advertising.[58] He curated the New Media section at the Russian Creative Week in 2020.[30]

Charity and Jewish community engagement

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Altman chairs the Public Council of the Russian Jewish Congress,[52][9] and serves on the Academic Council of the Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center.[59] In 2017, to mark the 130th anniversary of Jewish artist Marc Chagall, the Israeli Embassy in Russia hosted a reception at the Moscow branch of Altmans Gallery, in cooperation with the Russian Jewish Congress.[60]

Altman has organized charity auctions of contemporary art, with proceeds donated to organizations supporting critically ill children.[61][62] As part of its philanthropic activities, Altmans Gallery has donated portions of its proceeds to charitable organizations, including Encore Charity,[63] the Tel Aviv Foundation[64][65] and Save a Child’s Heart. The latter received all funds raised during a charity auction held in collaboration with Uri Geller in 2020.[66][67]

Awards and recognition

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In 2007, Altman was ranked among the top five financial directors in the media business according to the Kommersant ranking. He received the diploma “A Year with Kommersant” for developing the idea of the “Kommersant of the Year” award. He won the national “Media Manager of Russia” award three times (in 2008, 2012, and 2016).[9] In 2019, Altman was awarded the honorary badge “Tikkun Olam” for his contribution to Jewish philanthropy, including support for the installation of a monument to Samuil Marshak and the organization of a series of events dedicated to the Righteous Among the Nations.[52][68][69] He received the "Gratitude from the Mayor of Moscow" award for his contributions to the city's cultural life.[52][70]

Personal life

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Egor Altman was married twice: first to journalist Kira Altman,[71][72][73] and later to Kristina Altman. In his second marriage, he had three children: Eva, Matvey, and Ida.[74][9] Altman is also a collector, with interests in contemporary art and phaleristics.[9]

Following in his stepfather's footsteps, he began collecting military insignia, decorations, photographs, and documents related to the White Army and White émigrés at the age of 27, eventually amassing a substantial collection.[71]

References

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Footnotes

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  1. ^ "На выставке к 85-летию Игоря Вулоха показали рифмы противоречий". Moskovskij Komsomolets (in Russian). 1 July 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d "Скончался художник-нонконформист Игорь Вулох". Vechernyaya Moskva (in Russian). 29 November 2012. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
  3. ^ a b Altman & Krikheli 2025, p. 253.
  4. ^ Altman & Krikheli 2025, pp. 258–259.
  5. ^ Altman & Krikheli 2025, p. 248.
  6. ^ a b c Altman & Krikheli 2025, p. 249.
  7. ^ Altman & Krikheli 2025, p. 251.
  8. ^ a b Voskresensky 2012, p. 196.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Егор Альтман". Snob [ru] (in Russian). Retrieved 18 April 2025.
  10. ^ "89 Notable Alumni of the Stockholm School of Economics". EduRank.org. 11 August 2021. Retrieved 1 May 2025.
  11. ^ Altman & Krikheli 2025, pp. 253–254.
  12. ^ "Переживая приятные стрессы. Интервью с Егором Альтманом". E-xecutive.ru [ru] (in Russian). 23 October 2006. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
  13. ^ a b Altman & Krikheli 2025, p. 254.
  14. ^ a b c "Холдинг "Объединенные медиа" покинул один из основателей Business FM". Lenta.ru (in Russian). 17 December 2009. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
  15. ^ "Рейтинг медиаагентств и холдингов". Sostav.ru (in Russian). 2016. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  16. ^ "Hidalgo выиграл тендер Pfizer". Sostav.ru (in Russian). 7 February 2008. Retrieved 1 May 2025.
  17. ^ "Pfizer снова выбрал Hidalgo". Sostav.ru (in Russian). 8 December 2009. Retrieved 1 May 2025.
  18. ^ "Hidalgo – лучший поставщик Pfizer". RWR.ru (in Russian). 14 October 2010. Retrieved 1 May 2025.
  19. ^ "Pfizer признал Hidalgo лучшим поставщиком 2010 года". Фармацевтический вестник (in Russian). 15 November 2010. Retrieved 1 May 2025.
  20. ^ Voskresensky 2012, p. 198.
  21. ^ "Егор Альтман занял должность старшего вице-президента Инвестбанка". Banki.ru (in Russian). 21 August 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  22. ^ "Даниил Купсин возглавил фармкомпанию "Антивирал"". Sostav.ru (in Russian). 12 May 2010. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  23. ^ Avraamov 2017, p. 165.
  24. ^ Altman & Krikheli 2025, p. 246.
  25. ^ "Егор Альтман и Дмитрий Солопов. Хулиганы российского медиарынка". Sostav.ru (in Russian). 11 April 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  26. ^ Voskresensky 2012, p. 24.
  27. ^ Avraamov 2017, pp. 167, 200.
  28. ^ "«Я сожалею, что не смог предотвратить преждевременную продажу Business FM»". MediaProfi (in Russian). 28 February 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
  29. ^ "Rumedia". TAdviser.com. Retrieved 1 May 2025.
  30. ^ a b c "Егор Альтман продал часть своего бизнеса коммуникационной группе Twiga". Sostav.ru (in Russian). 21 October 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  31. ^ "Итоги премии «RuPoR» 2016 года подведены — Премия в области развития общественных связей RuPoR". Regionpr.ru (in Russian). 21 August 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  32. ^ "Новости национальной премии". Silver Archer Award [ru] (in Russian). 17 February 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  33. ^ a b "Altmans Gallery". Культура.РФ (in Russian). Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  34. ^ "В галереях «Времена года» открылась выставка". Vedomosti (in Russian). 10 March 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  35. ^ "אלו הם חייו: החיים והפנטזיה של מארק שאגאל". Haaretz (in Hebrew). 13 November 2017.
  36. ^ "В галерее Altmans открылась выставка графики Сальвадора Дали". Mignews [ru] (in Russian). 10 March 2019. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  37. ^ "המסתורין של פיקאסו מגיע לתל אביב". Israel Hayom. 28 February 2018.
  38. ^ ""Стол поэта": этой осенью Юрий Норштейн – в Израиле". Newsru.co.il [ru] (in Russian). 5 August 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  39. ^ "Altmans Gallery". Time Out. 23 April 2019. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  40. ^ "Altmans Gallery". Secret Tel Aviv. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  41. ^ a b "Sara Netanyahu bends her mind with psychic Uri Geller". Jerusalem Post. 30 December 2019. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  42. ^ "Uri Geller Fantasy – תערוכה בגלרית אלטמן" (in Hebrew).
  43. ^ "פוליטיקאים ואנשי עסקים: כשמזכיר הממשלה חגג 60 אביבים". Ynet (in Hebrew). 11 March 2019. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  44. ^ "Егор Альтман". Russian Jewish Congress (in Russian). Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  45. ^ "Вулох". Garage Museum of Contemporary Art (in Russian). Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  46. ^ a b "«Ценность искусства эмоциональна, но деньги — это тоже эмоции»". РБК (in Russian). 30 July 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  47. ^ a b "Зима Морзе. «Репатриация» Игоря Вулоха в фонде «Екатерина»". Kommersant (in Russian). 14 March 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  48. ^ "Игорь Вулох. Репатриация. Альбом" (PDF). Moscow State University (in Russian). 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  49. ^ "Открытие выставки «Поля-двойники», посвященной 85-летию выдающегося художника Игоря Вулоха". Altmans Gallery (in Russian). 9 June 2023.
  50. ^ "Егор Альтман сдержал обещание: выходит серия тарелок по эскизам его отчима". Snob [ru]. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  51. ^ "Выпущена первая авторская тарелка из трилогии Михаила Гробмана". Artinvestment.ru. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  52. ^ a b c d "Альтман Георгий Ильич". Russian Jewish Congress (in Russian). 1 December 2024. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  53. ^ "Как стать коллекционером". online.synchronize.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 1 May 2025.
  54. ^ "Егор Альтман стал одним из экспертов курса «Как стать коллекционером»". Altmans Gallery (in Russian). 30 March 2022. Retrieved 1 May 2025.
  55. ^ Altman & Krikheli 2025.
  56. ^ "Егор Альтман занял пост вице-президента АКАР". Outdoor.ru (in Russian). 26 April 2016. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  57. ^ "Как построить медиабизнес, рассказали на ежегодном Казахстанском медиасаммите". Forbes Kazakhstan (in Russian). 18 November 2018.
  58. ^ "Пять экспертов рекламного рынка вошли в состав Российской академии рекламы". Sostav.ru (in Russian). 3 June 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  59. ^ "Ученый совет". Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center (in Russian). Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  60. ^ "К 130-летию Шагала посольство Израиля устроит прием". Bright Magazine (in Russian). 20 December 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  61. ^ "Эстампы во благо: в ТЦ Галереи «Времена года» открылась Altmans Gallery". Vedomosti (in Russian). 28 March 2019. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
  62. ^ "РЕК направил деньги с аукциона работ Шагала малоимущим семьям к Пуриму". RIA Novosti (in Russian). 4 March 2016.
  63. ^ "Благотворительный фонд Encore charity собрал больше 63 млн руб". Robb Report (in Russian). 24 May 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
  64. ^ Hinich, Masha (13 November 2017). "У каждого свой Шагал". Israelculture.info (in Russian). Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  65. ^ Hinich, Masha (22 November 2017). "Выставка работ Марка Шагала в TLV Altmans Gallery продлена до 15 декабря 2017 года". Israelculture.info (in Russian). Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  66. ^ "Выставка Ури Геллера в Израиле". Newsru.co.il [ru] (in Russian). Archived from the original on 27 July 2022. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  67. ^ "רכילות עסקית: למה פרגנה שרה נתניהו לאורי גלר? - וואלה כסף". וואלה [he] (in Hebrew). 29 December 2019. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  68. ^ "Егор Альтман". Russian Jewish Congress (in Russian). Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  69. ^ "Евреи распилили ленинское бревно". Kommersant (in Russian). 3 September 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  70. ^ "О галерее Altmans Gallery". Altmans Gallery (in Russian). Retrieved 6 May 2025.
  71. ^ a b Altman & Krikheli 2025, p. 260.
  72. ^ Voskresensky 2012, p. 22.
  73. ^ "Книга вслух: Почему у нас не получилось? Или получилось". Книга вслух (in Russian). Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  74. ^ Altman & Krikheli 2025, p. 262.

Bibliography

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  • Altman, Egor; Krikheli, Tsiala (2025), Слава, деньги и невроз (Fame, Money and Neurosis) (in Russian), Moscow: Eksmo, p. 320, ISBN 978-5-04-216088-2
  • Avraamov, Pavel (2017), Стратегия Го: Древняя игра и современный бизнес, или Как победить в конкурентной борьбе (Go Strategy: The Ancient Game and Modern Business) (in Russian), Moscow: Olimp-Biznes, p. 420, ISBN 978-5-9909050-2-3
  • Voskresensky, Yury (2012), Хулиганы в бизнесе: История успеха Business FM (Hooligans in Business: The Success Story of Business FM) (in Russian), Saint Petersburg: Saint Petersburg School of Television, p. 236, ISBN 978-5-9614-1841-5
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