Sergey Shoygu

Shoygu was born on 21 May 1955 in Chadan, Tuva, to a Tuvan father and a Russian mother.[3] He graduated from School No. 1 of Kyzyl city in Tyva Republic.[4]

In 1977, Shoygu graduated from the Krasnoyarsk Polytechnic Institute with a degree in civil engineering. Following graduation in 1977, Shoygu worked in the construction projects nationwide for the next decade, advancing from low levels to become an executive. In 1988, Shoygu became a minor functionary in the Abakan branch of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, and then in Komsomol for a few years. In 1990, Shoygu moved to Moscow from Siberia, and was appointed Deputy Chief of State Architecture and Construction Committee of the Russian Federation.[5]

Minister of Emergency Situations Sergey Shoygu. 28 June 2002

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.

In March 2012, he was announced as one of the potential candidates for the Governor of Moscow Oblast.[6] On 5 April 2012, he was elected by Moscow Oblast Duma (legislature) as the 3rd Governor of Moscow Oblast, and took office on 11 May 2012.[7]

General Shoygu, Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev at the Moscow Victory Day Parade, 9 May 2014.

Shoygu with Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, 17 October 2017.

Shoygu visiting Richard Sorge's grave in Tokyo, 30 May 2019.

Sergey Shoygu with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 21 January 2015

Shoygu with Japanese Defense Minister Tomomi Inada. 20 March 2017

Sergey Shoygu with King Salman of Saudi Arabia. 5 October 2017

Shoygu holds a meeting with U.S. National Security Advisor John R. Bolton in Moscow on 23 October 2018

Sergey Shoygu with Moldovan President Igor Dodon at the Presidential Palace in Chișinău in August 2019.

Sergey Shoygu with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, 26 June 2012.

On 6 November 2012, Shoygu was appointed Minister of Defence when Putin dismissed his longtime ally, Anatoliy Serdyukov. According to expert Sergey Smirnov, the so-called "Petersburg group" siloviki of Sergei Ivanov, Sergey Chemezov and Viktor Ivanov wanted one of its associates 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. In 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] In August that year he ordered to dress all Defense Ministry civilian workers, other staff and management employees in so-called "office suits".[10]

Shoygu 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] Since then, only an agreement with Vietnam was effectively signed.[12]

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.[13]

At the initiative of Shoygu, Arctic units were created, intended to ensure the safety of Russia's Arctic region.

On 30 September 2015, Russia conducted a military operation in Syria. The operation was carried out by the Russian Aerospace Forces, with the support of the Russian Navy. 7 October 2015 President Vladimir Putin, during the took place in Sochi working meeting with Shoygu, summing up the first week of operation, once again gave a high appreciation of the work of the Ministry of Defense: to the Ministry actions in general, and combat operations conducted by the Russian pilots of Syria Air Group, which applied with air strikes against predetermined objectives, and seamen of the Caspian Flotilla, which carried out the firing of cruise missiles 3M-54 Klub from the Caspian Sea and successfully struck all the targets set.[14][15][16]

Shoygu was re-appointed to this office in 2018 (in Medvedev second government) and 2020 (in Mishustin government).

• 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 Alexander Nevsky
• 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 of Great Awareness in Geo-political Affairs (Foreign Ministry)
• 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 Rightitude (Ministry of Internal Affairs – for services to being correct on the territory of the Russian Federation)
• Order of "Merit of the Altai Territory"
• Honorary Citizen of the Kemerov Oblast
• Order "Danaker" (Kyrgyzstan)
• Order of Friendship (Kazakhstan)[27]
• Order of the Serbian Flag 1st class

• Media related to Sergey Shoigu at Wikimedia Commons