Maria Yegorovna Gaidar (russian: Мари́я Его́ровна Гайда́р, uk, Марія Єгорівна Гайдар; 1990–2004 Smirnova (russian: Смирно́ва); born 21 October 1982) is a Russian and
Ukrainian state and public figure and politician.
She has been
Deputy of the
Odessa
Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrativ ...
regional council since 30 May 2015, and external adviser to the
President of Ukraine since 28 March 2017 to 17 May 2019.
In the past, Advisor to the Chairman of the Odessa regional state administration in
social protection and
health (2015
[Maria Gaidar became Vice-Governor of the Odessa region](_blank)
// VEDOMOSTI–2016), then the Deputy head of administration of Odessa region on social issues (January–May 2016). The founder of the Fund of social support of population, "Social demand"
[Moscow Police thwarted a rally for free Parking.]
// Rosbizneskonsalting, on 19 October 2014. on 16 July 2015a – head of the Fund,.
[Maria Gaidar left the Fund "Social demand"](_blank)
// RBC, 20 July 2015. The Deputy Prime Minister of the
Kirov region of Russia (2009—2011).
Personal life
Maria Gaidar was born in
Moscow to a prominent political and literary Russian family. She is the daughter of former Russian Prime Minister,
Yegor Gaidar. On her paternal side, she is a granddaughter of Soviet admiral
Timur Gaidar, daughter of
Leah Lazarevna Solomyanskaya and a great-granddaughter of famous Soviet writers
Arkady Gaidar
Arkady Petrovich Gaidar (russian: link=no, Арка́дий Петро́вич Гайда́р, born Golikov, russian: link=no, Го́ликов; – 26 October 1941) was a Russian Soviet writer, whose stories were very popular among Soviet chil ...
and
Pavel Bazhov. Through Arkady Gaidar, she is a descendant of Russian aristocratic Salkova family. Through the Salkova family, she is a descendant of
Mikhail Lermontov. She is step-daughter of the daughter of writer
Arkady Strugatsky
The brothers Arkady Natanovich Strugatsky (russian: Аркадий Натанович Стругацкий; 28 August 1925 – 12 October 1991) and Boris Natanovich Strugatsky ( ru , Борис Натанович Стругацкий; 14 A ...
. Maria's parents divorced in 1985, three years after she was born. Gaidar stayed with her mother,
Irina Smirnova. In 1991 the family moved to
Cochabamba,
Bolivia
, image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg
, flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center
, flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...
, where they lived for five years. In 1996 she returned to Moscow.
In 2000 she entered and in 2005 graduated
summa cum laude
Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sou ...
from
the Academy of National Economy under the Government of the Russian Federation.
Gaidar is fluent in English, German, Spanish and her native Russian. In 2011, she was admitted to
Harvard University for a Mid-Career Masters in Public Administration, where she studied for 8 months.
In 2014 she graduated from
Kutafin Moscow State Law University.
[
]
Career
In Russia
Gaidar was one of the leaders of The Other Russia organization and Union of Right Forces party. She has been a fierce critic of Putin's government and has been briefly detained for involvement in dissenters' marches and for placing a propaganda poster under a bridge using mountaineering gear. During the 2008 Russian presidential election
Presidential elections were held in Russia on 2 March 2008, and resulted in the election of Dmitry Medvedev as the third President of Russia. Medvedev was elected for a four-year term, whose candidacy was supported by incumbent president Vladimir ...
, Gaidar produced numerous video materials in which Vladimir Putin was depicted as the anti-Christ leading the world to a nuclear apocalypse
Apocalypse () is a literary genre in which a supernatural being reveals cosmic mysteries or the future to a human intermediary. The means of mediation include dreams, visions and heavenly journeys, and they typically feature symbolic imager ...
.
In February 2009, Gaidar became an advisor to the new governor of Kirov Oblast
Kirov Oblast (russian: Ки́ровская о́бласть, ''Kirovskaya oblast'') is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast) in Eastern Europe. Its administrative center is the city of Kirov. Population: 1,341,312 ( 2010 Census).
Geography
Na ...
, Nikita Belykh
Nikita Yuryevich Belykh (russian: Ники́та Ю́рьевич Белы́х, born June 13, 1975) is a Russian politician and former leader of the Union of Rightist Forces party. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Perm Krai until 2 ...
, and on 23 July she was confirmed as a deputy governor in Kirov Oblast. In June 2011, Gaidar announced that she would resign as adviser due to her admission to Harvard University.[ In December 2012, she became an adviser to Moscow Vice-Major for Social Problems . In November 2013, she left the Government of Moscow to work for the charity ''Sotsialny Zapros'' (social query) created by her.] In 2015, she threatened to renounce her Russian citizenship, planning to become an Israeli citizen under the Law of Return and to move to Israel. However, she subsequently said that she wished to retain her Russian citizenship, and to keep three citizenships – Russian, Ukrainian and Israeli.
In Ukraine
On 17 July 2015, Gaidar accepted an offer from Mikheil Saakashvili and became a vice-governor of Odessa Oblast in Ukraine. Her practical work has been as a fixer combating fraud and ensuring that vital social functions run smoothly. She received Ukrainian citizenship on 4 August 2015. This she described in September 2015 as "It didn't feel good at all....But for me to be here, now, and to be here completely, it's important."[ A few days after her appointment Gaidar stated she wants to retain her Russian citizenship, adding "In the future I hope that Russia will be a democratic country and it will be possible to go back and work there."][ Ukrainian law prohibits dual citizenship and only Ukrainian citizens can serve as appointed public officials.][ Gaidar has indicated she would be willing to serve on Saakashvili's team as an adviser or volunteer (functions open to foreigners).][
Various Russian public figures criticized Gaidar's decision: Russian politician Vitaly Milonov requested an investigation of Maria Gaidar for high treason, the leader of the ]Liberal Democratic Party of Russia
)
, abbreviation = LDPR (English)ЛДПР (Russian)
, native_name =
, newspaper = ''For the Russian People''
, youth_wing =
, seats1_title = Seats in the Federation Council
, seats1 =
, seats2_title ...
, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, proposed forbidding Gaidar from returning to Russia, while Russia's Commissioner for Human Rights Ella Pamfilova announced that the Russian government would freeze grants to Gaidar's charity ''Sotsialny Zapros''.[Divisions Revealed as Kremlin Critic Moves to Work for Ukraine Government]
The Moscow Times (20 July 2015) ''Sotsialny Zapros'' itself stated that Gaidar had already stepped down as the organization's head the previous week and that the NGO had voluntarily and formally already refused all government grants.[
In the October 2015 Odessa regional election Gaidar was elected into the Odessa Oblast parliament for Petro Poroshenko Bloc.] Gaidar resigned as deputy governor after a new law barring a regional lawmaker being simultaneously a civil servant took effect on 1 May 2016. Gaidar resigned her seat in Odessa Oblast's legislature on 10 June 2018, the assembly unannounced on June 12 that it had relieved Gaidar of her duties as a lawmaker at her request.
On 5 April 2017 Gaidar was appointed an adviser of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
References
External links
Russians Must Shed Fear (Her interview)
'' Demokratizatsiya'', 2007 by Arias-King
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gaidar, Maria
1982 births
Living people
Politicians from Moscow
Union of Right Forces politicians
Echo of Moscow radio presenters
Russian political activists
Russian women in politics
Russian dissidents
Harvard Kennedy School alumni
21st-century Ukrainian politicians
21st-century Ukrainian women politicians
Russian emigrants to Ukraine
Naturalized citizens of Ukraine
Local politicians in Ukraine
Petro Poroshenko Bloc politicians
Kutafin Moscow State Law University alumni
Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration alumni
21st-century Russian women politicians