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Sergey Shoygu

Sergey Kuzhugetovich Shoigu[1][a] (born 21 May 1955) is a Russian politician and General of the Army who serves as Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Defense of the CIS since 2012. Previously, Shoigu was Minister of Emergency Situations from 1991 to 2012, and briefly served as Governor of Moscow Oblast in 2012. Shoygu holds the military rank of General of the Army.

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Early life and education[edit source]

Shoigu was born on 21 May 1955 in Chadan, Tuvan Autonomous Oblast, to an ethnic Tuvan father, Kuzhuget Shoygu (1921–2010) and a Ukrainian-born Russian mother, Alexandra Yakovlevna Shoygu (1924–2011), who was a member of the Tyvas People’s Deputy Regional Council. He graduated from School No. 1 of Kyzyl city in Tyva Republic.[2]

In 1977, Shoigu 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.[3]

Minister of Emergency Situations[edit source]

Sergey Shoygu as the Minister of Emergency Situations, 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.

Governor of Moscow Oblast[edit source]

In March 2012, he was announced as one of the potential candidates for the Governor of Moscow Oblast.[4] 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.[5]

Minister of Defence[edit source]

Shoygu, Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev at the Moscow Victory Day Parade, 9 May 2014General Shoygu with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 21 January 2015Shoygu with Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu. 17 October 2017Shoygu holds a meeting with U.S. National Security Advisor John R. Bolton in Moscow on 23 October 2018Sergei Shoigu, President of RussiaVladimir Putin and Chief of the General StaffValery Gerasimov at the Center-2019 military exercises. Orenburg Oblast, 2019

On 6 November 2012, Shoigu was appointed Minister of Defence by Putin. According to expert Sergey Smirnov, the so called “Petersburg group” of siloviki (Sergei Ivanov, Sergey Chemezov and Viktor Ivanov) had wanted one of its associates to succeed Anatoliy Serdyukov, but Putin was reluctant to strengthen the clan and opted for a neutral Shoigu.[6]

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.[7] In August that year he ordered to dress all Defense Ministry civilian workers, other staff and management employees in so-called “office suits”.[8]

In February 2014, Shoigu said Russia was planning 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.[9] Since then, only an agreement with Vietnam was effectively signed.[10]

In July 2014, Ukraine opened a criminal case against Shoigu; he was accused of helping to form “illegal military groups” in Eastern Ukraine who at the time fought against the Ukrainian army.[11]

On 30 September 2015, Russia began a military operation in Syria. The operation was carried out by the Russian Aerospace Forces, with the support of the Russian Navy.

Shoygu was reappointed in 2018 (in Medvedev second government) and 2020 (in Mishustin government).

As defence minister, Shoigu on multiple occasions accompanied Putin during week-end breaks that the pair would spend at undisclosed locations in Siberian countryside.[12]

Defender-Europe 21, one of the largest U.S.-Army, NATO-led military exercises in Europe in decades, began in mid-March 2021 and will last until June 2021. It will include “nearly simultaneous operations across more than 30 training areas” in Estonia, Bulgaria, Romania, Kosovo and other countries.[13][14]

On 11 February 2022, he met UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace. Shoygu denied that Russia was planning an invasion of Ukraine.[15]

Personal life[edit source]

Family[edit source]

Father — Kuzhuget Sereevich Shoygu[16] (1921–2010) (born Shoygu Seree oglu Kuzhuget, his name order was changed because of passport error, according to Tuva official line; more likely he Russified the name from the Turkic oglu “son of…”; such a step showing acceptance of the primacy of things Russian was propitious for one’s advancement), editor of the regional newspaper, later worked in the Party and for the Soviet authorities, was the secretary of the Tuva Party Committee and retired with the rank of first deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Tuva ASSR. Also he led the Tuvan State Archives and spent six years as editor of the newspaper Pravda; wrote the novels Time and People, Feather of the Black Vulture (2001), Tannu Tuva: the Country of Lakes and Blue Rivers (2004).

Mother — Alexandra Yakovlevna Shoygu (née Kudryavtseva) (1924–2011). Born in the village of Yakovlev in the Oryol Oblast. From there, shortly before the war, her family moved to Kadievka (now Stakhanov) in the Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine. A zootechnician, Honored Worker of Agriculture of the Republic of Tuva, until 1979 – Head of the Planning Department of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic, was repeatedly elected deputy of the Supreme Soviet (parliament) of the Tuva ASSR.[17]

Granduncle — Seren Kuzhuget, commander of the Tuvan People’s Revolutionary Army from 1929 to 1938.[18]

Sisters — Larisa Kuzhugetovna Shoygu (1953–2021[19]) (deputy of the State Duma) and Irina Zakharova (1960) (psychiatrist).[20]

Wife — Irina Alexandrovna Shoygu (née Antipina). She is president of the business tourism company Expo-EM.

Daughters — Yulia[21] (1977) and Ksenia (1991).[20] According to Alexei Navalny, Ksenia is suspected to be a figurehead of her father in the ownership of a palace in the outskirts of Moscow, valued at about £12 million. In 2012, the estate was transferred to the formal ownership of Yelena Antipina.[22]

Hobbies[edit source]

Sergey Shoygu enjoys studying the history of Russia of Peter the Great‘s time and 1812–1825 (French invasion of Russia and the Decembrist revolt).[23]

Shoygu is fond of sports and is a fan of the CSKA Moscow hockey team. He also enjoys football and is a fan of Spartak Moscow. In March 2016, together with Sergey Lavrov, Shoygu presented the Russia People’s Soccer League, with aims to unite fans of the sport from all over Russia.

Shoygu collects Indian, Chinese, and Japanese swords and daggers. He also enjoys bard songs and plays the guitar. He does water color paintings and graphics. He also enjoys collecting old pieces of wood, some of which he has shown to Putin.[24][25][26]

Awards[edit source]

Notes[edit source]

  1. ^ Russian: Сергей Кужугетович Шойгу, IPA: [sʲɪrˈɡʲej kʊʐʊˈɡʲetəvʲɪtɕ ʂɐjˈɡu]; Tuvan: Сергей Күжүгет оглу Шойгу, romanized: Sergey Kyzhyget oglu Shoygu, IPA: [siɾˈɡɛj kyʒyˈɣɛt ɔˈɣlu ʃɔjˈɣu].

References[edit source]

  1. ^ “Sergei Shoigu : Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation”. Eng.mil.ru. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  2. ^ “Первой школе Кызыла – 95 лет”. Tuvaonline.ru. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
  3. ^ 0divider. “Сергей Шойгу · Биография”. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
  4. ^ Shoigu Tipped as Next Moscow Region Governor, The Moscow Times.
  5. ^ “Murmansk Governor Out, New Moscow Region Governor In – News”. The Moscow Times. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
  6. ^ “Министр обороны Сергей Шойгу на новом посту рискует растерять свой высокий рейтинг”. Gazeta.ru. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
  7. ^ “Ъ-Огонек – Новая летопись военного строительства”. Коммерсантъ. 2 September 2013. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
  8. ^ Golts on Shoygu’s Tenure (Part II), September 2014, Russian Defense Policy Blog.
  9. ^ “Russia Seeks Several Military Bases Abroad – Defense Minister”. En.ria.ru. 26 February 2014. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
  10. ^ David Brunnstrom (8 March 2015). “U.S. asks Vietnam to stop helping Russian bomber flights”. Reuters. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  11. ^ “Ukraine calls businessman and Russian defense minister ‘accomplices of terrorists'”. Wqad.com. 22 July 2014. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
  12. ^ Trip to Siberian Federal District Kremlin.ru, 21 March 2021.
  13. ^ “Massive, Army-led NATO exercise Defender Europe kicks off”. Army Times. 15 March 2021.
  14. ^ “NATO, US to stage large-scale military exercises around Serbia until summer”. Euractiv. 22 March 2021.
  15. ^ “UK urges Russian action to back up denial it plans to invade Ukraine”. Reuters. 11 February 2022.
  16. ^ “Государственный деятель Тувы Кужугет Шойгу похоронен в Москве”. Tuvaonline.ru. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
  17. ^ “Мать Сергея Шойгу стала заслуженным работником сельского хозяйства Тувы”. Regnum.ru. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
  18. ^ “Yesterday’s gone ‘Meduza’ correspondent Andrey Pertsev reviews Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu’s new book”. Meduza.io. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  19. ^ “Умерла депутат Госдумы Лариса Шойгу, сестра министра обороны России”. Meduza.io (in Russian). Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  20. ^ Jump up to:a b “Высокопоставленные родственники. Полпреды”. Slon.ru. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
  21. ^ “Родня во власти”. 24 September 2007. p. 30. Retrieved 25 December 2016 – via Kommersant.
  22. ^ “Russia’s defence minister ‘secretly builds £12 million palace’, say campaigners”. The Daily Telegraph. 29 October 2015. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  23. ^ “Шойгу Сергей Кужугетович”. Ria.ru. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
  24. ^ “Константин Ремчуков: Герой России Сергей Шойгу”. Ng.ru. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
  25. ^ “Тайна шкатулки губернатора”. Mk.ru. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
  26. ^ @marcbennetts1 (21 March 2021). “Sergei Shoigu, Russia’s defence…” (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  27. ^ “Министр обороны РФ Сергей Шойгу получил знак почётного гражданина Тульской области : Министерство обороны Российской Федерации”. xn--80ahclcogc6ci4h.xn--90anlfbebar6i.xn--p1ai. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  28. ^ “President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev receives Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Sergei Shoigu — Official site of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan”. Akorda.kz. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
Wikiquote has quotations related to: Sergey Shoygu
Political offices
Preceded byPosition establishedMinister of Emergency Situations
1991–2012		Succeeded byVladimir Puchkov
Preceded byBoris GromovGovernor of Moscow Oblast
2012		Succeeded byAndrey Vorobyov
acting
Preceded byAnatoliy SerdyukovMinister of Defence
2012–present		Incumbent
Party political offices
New officeLeader of United Russia
2001–2005		Succeeded byBoris Gryzlov
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