Irina Prokhorova

Irina Dmitrievna Prokhorova (Russian: Ирина Дмитриевна Прохорова; born 3 March 1956) is a Russian philologist, literary critic and cultural historian, chief editor of the publishing house and of the literature academic journal of the same name, co-founder of the . In 2012, she helped her billionaire brother Mikhail Prokhorov in his presidential run, heading his political party Civic Platform from 2013 to 2014.

Biography Family and early years Irina was born in Moscow to Tamara and Dmitri Prokhorov. Dmitri handled international relations for the Soviet Committee of Physical Culture and Sport, while Tamara was a materials engineer at the Institute for Chemical Machine-Building.

Irina entered the English and American Literature Department of the Moscow State University, in 1986 she defended her PhD thesis on English modernism.

Career Upon graduation, Prokhorova started working on TV, she translated fiction and literary criticism, and as a publicist wrote for literary magazines. At the same time she worked as an English teacher. The publishing house released its first book in 1994, it was the ‘Literature as a Social Institution’ by Boris Dubin and Leo Gudkov. As recalled by Prokhorova, she established the publishing house because she needed funds for the magazine. Under those circumstances, a thick scientific magazine about literature couldn't survive without cash infusions. In 1993 NLO founded an annual literature conference ‘Bannye Readings’, named after the Banny lane in Moscow, where the conference took place. By 2016 NLO was publishing more than 100 books yearly,

In 1996 Irina Prokhorova was invited to head the Russian Booker Prize jury.

The NLO third project, the ‘Neprikosnovennyi Zapas’ (Emergency Reserve) magazine, was launched in 1998. The publication features a multidisciplinary approach and offers space to experts of all humanitarian disciplines.

In 2004 Irina and her brother co-founded the aimed to support Russian cultural institutions. The Foundation also established the Krasnoyarsk Book Culture Fair, and a grant competition ‘New Role of Libraries in Education’. Prokhorov Fund supported the Unknown Siberia Festival in France. In 2013 Prokhorova's daughter Irina became executive director of the family foundation.

In 2012-2015 Prokhorova hosted her own radio program ‘Culture of Everyday’ on Komsomolskaya Pravda radio station. In 2012-2017 she also hosted ‘Irina Prokhorova. Value System’ show on RBC TV channel.

Political activism Irina supported her brother Mikhail Prokhorov in a presidential race he joined in 2012. She grew famous when she defeated Nikita Mikhalkov in a public debate. Mikhalkov, who represented Vladimir Putin at the debate, said in the end that he would gladly vote for Irina Prokhorova himself if she were going for presidency. Irina headed Prokhorov's political party Civic Platform in December 2013 - July 2014. She condemned the Russian Annexation of Crimea in 2014 and left the party, because 37 of its regional departments supported the Annexation.

In 2012 she refused an offer from the authorities to become Chair of the Public Council of the Ministry of Culture.

Prokhorova supports multiple civic initiatives, she publicly condemned the Dima Yakovlev Law, and opposed the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine. Despite her anti-war stance, massive exodus of liberals from Russia and her own brother's emigration to Israel, Prokhorova refuses to leave and abandon her publishing house.

Awards Russian State Award for Literature and Art for NLO Magazine (2002); Andrei Bely Prize for literature (2006);