Sergey Shoygu

Sergey Shoygu Сергей Шойгу
Minister of Defense
Incumbent
Assumed office November 6, 2012
President	Vladimir Putin
Prime Minister	Dmitry Medvedev
Preceded by	Anatoliy Serdyukov
Governor of Moscow Oblast
In office May 11, 2012 – November 6, 2012
Deputy	Ruslan Tsalikov
Preceded by	Boris Gromov
Succeeded by	Andrey Yuryevich Vorobyov (Acting)
Leader of United Russia
In office December 1 2001 – April 15, 2005
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Boris Gryzlov
Minister of Emergency Situations
In office April 17, 1991 – May 11, 2012
Prime Minister	Boris Yeltsin Yegor Gaidar (acting) Viktor Chernomyrdin Sergei Kiriyenko Viktor Chernomyrdin (acting) Yevgeny Primakov Sergei Stepashin Vladimir Putin Mikhail Kasyanov Viktor Khristenko (acting) Mikhail Fradkov Viktor Zubkov Vladimir Putin Viktor Zubkov (acting) Dmitry Medvedev
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Vladimir Puchkov
Personal details
Born	Sergey Kuzhugetovich Shoygu (1955-05-21) May 21, 1955 Chadan, Soviet Union (now Russia)
Political party	Communist Party of the Soviet Union (Before 1991) Independent (1991–1995) Our Home-Russia (1995–1999) Unity (1999–2001) United Russia (2001–present)
Spouse(s)	Irina Shoygu
Children	Yuliya Kseniya
Alma mater	Krasnoyarsk Polytechnical Institute
Awards	(with swords)
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Soviet Union  Russia
Service/branch	Military Council of the civil defense troops of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation
Years of service	1991 — present
Rank	General of the Army

Sergey Kuzhugetovich Shoygu (Russian: Серге́й Кужуге́тович Шойгу́, Tyvan: Сергей Күжүгет оглу Шойгу; born May 21, 1955) is a Russian political figure who has served in the government of Russia as Minister of Defence since 2012. Previously he was Minister of Emergency Situations from 1991 to 2012 and briefly served as Governor of Moscow Oblast in 2012. He holds the military rank of General of the Army. He is also the President of the International Sport Federation of Firefighters and Rescuers.^[1]

Early life and education

Shoygu was born in Chadan, Tuva to a Mongolian father and a Russian mother.^[2] In 1977, Shoygu graduated from the Krasnoyarsk Polytechnic Institute with a degree in Civil Engineering. Following graduation in 1977, he worked in the construction projects worldwide for the next decade, advancing from low levels to become an executive. In 1988 he became a minor functionary in the Abakan branch of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and then in Komsomol for a couple of years. In 1990 he moved to Moscow from Siberia and was appointed Deputy Chief of State Architecture and Construction Committee of the Russian Federation.^[3]

Ministry of Emergency situations

In 1991, he was appointed the head of Rescuer Corps, which was later given more responsibilities and renamed first to the State Committee on Emergencies, and eventually to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, making Shoygu a government minister. He became popular because of his hands-on management style and high visibility during emergency situations, such as floods, earthquakes and acts of terrorism. In 1999 he became one of the leaders of the Russian pro-government party Unity. He was awarded Russia's most prestigious state award – Hero of the Russian Federation – in 1999.

Governor of Moscow Oblast

In March 2012, he was announced as one of the potential candidates for the Governor of Moscow Oblast.^[4][5] On April 5, 2012 he was elected by Moscow Oblast Duma (legislature) as the 3rd Governor of Moscow Oblast, and took office on May 11, 2012.^[6]

Minister of Defence

On November 6, 2012 Shoygu was appointed Minister of Defence^[7] when Putin ousted his longtime ally, Anatoly Serdyukov. According to expert Sergey Smirnov, the so-called "Petersburg group” siloviki of Sergei Ivanov, Sergey Chemezov and Viktor Ivanov wanted one of its guys to take Serdyukov’s place at the Defense Ministry. But Putin didn’t want to strengthen them, so he took the neutral figure Shoygu.^[8]

On 7 November 2012 the minister decided to resurrect the tradition of Suvorov and Nakhimov cadets participating in the 9 May parade. On July 2013 Shoygu ordered commanders to begin every morning in the barracks with a rendition of the Russian Anthem, to compile an obligatory military-patriotic book reading list and take the preparation of demob albums under their control.^[9] On August that year he ordered to dress all Defense Ministry civilian workers, other staff and management employees in so-called "office suits".^[10]

Shoigu stated on 26 February 2014 that Russia planned to sign agreements with Vietnam, Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, the Seychelles, Singapore and several other countries either to house permanent military bases and/or to house airplane refuel stations in those countries.^[11]

In July 2014 Ukraine opened a criminal case against Shoygu; he was accused of helping to form “illegal military groups” in Eastern Ukraine who at the time fought against the Ukrainian army.^[12]

Personal life

Sergey Shoygu is married to Irina Shoygu, and has two daughters (Yuliya, born 1977 and Kseniya, born 1991).^[3] In his spare time, Shoygu enjoys sports such as gaelic football, a legacy of his time spent in Ireland, horseback riding, and enjoys music of Vanessa Mae and The Ramones. He speaks nine languages, including English, Japanese and Turkish. He also has the largest collection of ancient samurai swords in Russia, worth over $40 million.

Shoygu with Vladimir Putin and Prince Albert in Tuva, 2007

Russian scientist Viktor Petrik attempted to use Shoygu's name to market his water filters. Shoygu has requested that Petrik cease using his name to market products.^[13]

On May 16, 2011, Shoygu fired his personal driver because of the driver's threat to shoot a motorist made during a row on the Moscow Ring Road.^[14]

Awards

• Order of St Andrew with swords
• Hero of the Russian Federation
• Order of Merit for the Fatherland 2nd class
• Order of Merit for the Fatherland 3rd class
• Order of Honour
• Order for Personal Courage (USSR)
• Medal "For the Return of Crimea"
• Medal Defender of a Free Russia
• Medal "In Commemoration of the 850th Anniversary of Moscow"
• Medal "In Commemoration of the 300th Anniversary of Saint Petersburg"
• Medal "In Commemoration of the 1000th Anniversary of Kazan"
• Three Medals "For Strengthening Military Cooperation" (Ministry of Defence)
• Medal "For Diligence in Engineering Tasks" (Ministry of Defence)
• Medal "200 Years of the Ministry of Defence" (Ministry of Defence)
• Medal "200 Years of the Ministry of Internal Affairs" (MVD)
• Medal "For Merit of the Stavropol Territory"
• Honoured Rescue Worker of the Russian Federation
• Order of "Merit of the Altai Territory"
• Honorary Citizen of the Kemerov Oblast
• Order "Danaker" (Kyrgyzstan)
• Order of the Serbian flag 2nd class

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sergey Shoigu.

Current Cabinet of Ministers of the Russian Federation Current Government of Russia Prime Minister and his Deputies Dmitry Medvedev Igor Shuvalov Olga Golodets Arkady Dvorkovich Alexander Khloponin Yuri Trutnev Dmitry Kozak Dmitry Rogozin Sergei Prikhodko Federal Ministers Sergey Lavrov Vladimir Kolokoltsev Anton Siluanov Sergey Shoygu Vladimir Puchkov Alexander Konovalov Denis Manturov Andrey Belousov Oleg Govorun Veronika Skvortsova Maxim Topilin Maxim Sokolov Dmitry Livanov Sergey Donskoy Alexander Novak Vitaly Mutko Vladimir Medinsky Nikolai Nikiforov Nikolay Fyodorov Mikhail Abyzov Alexander Galushka