Rustam Minnikhanov
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Rustam Nurgaliyevich Minnikhanov (born 1 March 1957) is a Russian politician who has served as the
head of Tatarstan The Head of the Republic of Tatarstan (; ), formerly known as the President of the Republic of Tatarstan (1991–2023, ), is the head of the republic and the highest-ranking official of Tatarstan, a federal subject of Russia. The office was es ...
, a
federal subject The federal subjects of Russia, also referred to as the subjects of the Russian Federation () or simply as the subjects of the federation (), are the administrative division, constituent entities of Russia, its top-level political division ...
of
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
, since 2010.


Early life and education

Rustam Minnikhanov was born on 1 March 1957, in a
Volga Tatar The Volga Tatars or simply Tatars (; ) are a Turkic ethnic group native to the Volga-Ural region of western Russia. They are subdivided into various subgroups. Volga Tatars are the second-largest ethnic group in Russia after ethnic Russians. ...
family in the New Arysh village of Rybno-Slobodsky District in the
Tatar ASSR The Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, abbreviated as Tatar ASSR or TASSR, was an autonomous republic of the Russian SFSR. The resolution for its creation was signed on 27 May 1920 and the republic was proclaimed on 25 June 1920. Kazan ...
. He graduated from
Kazan Kazan; , IPA: Help:IPA/Tatar, ɑzanis the largest city and capital city, capital of Tatarstan, Russia. The city lies at the confluence of the Volga and the Kazanka (river), Kazanka Rivers, covering an area of , with a population of over 1. ...
Agricultural Institute in 1978 as mechanical engineer and from Correspondence Institute of Soviet Trade as a commodity expert in 1986. He is a doctor of economic sciences.


Career

After graduating from the institute in 1978, he began his career as an engineer in
Sabinsky District Sabinsky District (; ) is a Administrative divisions of the Republic of Tatarstan, territorial administrative unit and Municipal divisions of Russia, municipal district of the Tatarstan, Republic of Tatarstan within the Russia, Russian Federation. ...
Association of ''Selkhoztekhnika''. He then worked in the district as a senior engineer and chief power engineer in a state timber industry enterprise and was deputy chairman of District Consumer Society Board. From 1985 to 1993, he worked in
Arsky District Arsky District (; ) – is a territorial administrative unit and municipal district of the Republic of Tatarstan within the Russian Federation. The district is located in the northern part of the republic. The administrative center is the city of ...
as chairman of the District Consumer Society Board, Chairman of the Executive Committee of People's Deputies District Council, First Deputy Head of District Administration. In 1993 he was appointed head of
Vysokogorsky District Vysokogorsky District (; ) is a territorial administrative unit and municipal district of the Republic of Tatarstan within the Russian Federation. The administrative center of the district is the village of Vysokaya Gora. The district population a ...
administration.


Minister of Finance (1996–1998)

In November 1996 Minnikhanov was appointed minister of finance of the
Republic of Tatarstan Tatarstan, officially the Republic of Tatarstan, sometimes also called Tataria, is a Republics of Russia, republic of Russia located in Eastern Europe. It is a part of the Volga Federal District; and its capital city, capital and largest city i ...
.


Prime Minister of Tatarstan (1998–2010)

From 10 July 1998 to 25 March 2010, Minnikhanov was prime minister of the Republic of Tatarstan. As prime minister, he was known for his enthusiasm for technological innovation, spearheading the republic's move to digital, paperless government and the streamlining of official business through the use of electronically distributed documents and electronic signing of official documents.


President of Tatarstan (2010–2021)

On 27 January 2010, Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev (born 14 September 1965) is a Russian politician and lawyer who has served as Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia since 2020. Medvedev was also President of Russia between 2008 and 2012 and Prime Mini ...
nominated Minnikhanov to be the new president of Tatarstan and on 25 March 2010, Minnikhanov formally assumed the office of President. His ceremony was presented on
Channel One Russia Channel One ( rus, Первый канал, r=Pervý kanal, p=ˈpʲervɨj kɐˈnal, t=First Channel) is a Russian Television in Russia, federal television channel. Its headquarters are located at Ostankino Technical Center near the Ostankino To ...
by
Maxim Sharafutdinov Maxim Rasimovich Sharafutdinov (, ; born 15 September 1980) is a Russian journalist, television presenter of Channel One (Russia), Channel One. Biography Maxim Sharafutdinov was born on 15 September 1980 in Kazan, Tatar ASSR, USSR. Played in K ...
.


Head of Tatarstan (2021-present)

In December 2021, Putin signed a law abolishing regional presidencies, and as such Minnikhanov's title, despite protests from Tatarstan’s regional assembly and other cultural and political figures.


2014 welcome committee for Crimea

During the
annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation In February and March 2014, Russia invaded the Crimea, Crimean Peninsula, part of Ukraine, and then annexed it. This took place in the relative power vacuum immediately following the Revolution of Dignity. It marked the beginning of the Russ ...
, Minnikhanov acted as a mediator between the Kremlin government and the Crimean Tatar community over concerns raised amongst Crimean Tatars over potential persecution by Russia should it annex the peninsula. On 5 March Minnikhanov signed an agreement on co-operation between Tatarstan and the Aksyonov government in Crimea that implied collaboration between ten government institutions as well as significant financial aid to Crimea from Tatarstan businesses. On 11 March Minnikhanov was in Crimea on his second visit and attended as a guest in the Crimean parliament chamber during the vote on the declaration of sovereignty pending 16 March referendum. The Tatarstan Mufti
Kamil Samigullin Kamil Iskanderovich Samigullin (, ; born March 22, 1985, Mari Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, Mari ASSR, Soviet Union) is the mufti of the Tatarstan, Republic of Tatarstan. He is also the chairman of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims o ...
invited Crimean Tatars to study in madrasas in
Kazan Kazan; , IPA: Help:IPA/Tatar, ɑzanis the largest city and capital city, capital of Tatarstan, Russia. The city lies at the confluence of the Volga and the Kazanka (river), Kazanka Rivers, covering an area of , with a population of over 1. ...
, and declared support for their "brothers in faith and blood". Following news of Crimea's independence
referendum A referendum, plebiscite, or ballot measure is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate (rather than their Representative democracy, representatives) on a proposal, law, or political issue. A referendum may be either bin ...
organized with the help of Russia on 16 March 2014, the Kurultai leadership voiced concerns of renewed persecution, as commented by a U.S. official before the visit of a UN human rights team to the peninsula. At the same time, Minnikhanov was dispatched to Crimea to quell Crimean Tatars' concerns and to state that "in the 23 years of Ukraine's independence the Ukrainian leaders have been using Crimean Tatars as pawns in their political games without doing them any tangible favors". The issue of Crimean Tatar persecution by Russia has since been raised regularly on an international level. On 18 March, the day Crimea was annexed by Russia, and Crimean Tatar was ''
de jure In law and government, ''de jure'' (; ; ) describes practices that are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms, regardless of whether the practice exists in reality. The phrase is often used in contrast with '' de facto'' ('from fa ...
'' declared one of the three official languages of Crimea. It was also announced that Crimean Tatars will be required to relinquish coastal lands on which they squatted since their return to Crimea in the early 1990s and be given land elsewhere in Crimea. Crimea stated it needed the relinquished land for "social purposes", since part of this land is occupied by the Crimean Tatars without legal documents of ownership. The situation was caused by the inability of the
USSR The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
(and later Ukraine) to sell the land to Crimean Tatars at a reasonable price instead of giving back to the Tatars the land owned before deportation, once they or their descendants returned from Central Asia (mainly
Uzbekistan , image_flag = Flag of Uzbekistan.svg , image_coat = Emblem of Uzbekistan.svg , symbol_type = Emblem of Uzbekistan, Emblem , national_anthem = "State Anthem of Uzbekistan, State Anthem of the Republ ...
). As a consequence, some Crimean Tatars settled as squatters, occupying land that was not legally registered.


2017 Iranian envoy

On 20 April 2017 Minnikhanov was Putin's envoy to meet with candidate
Ebrahim Raisi Ebrahim Raisolsadati (14 December 1960 – 19 May 2024), better known as Ebrahim Raisi, was an Iranian politician who served as the eighth president of Iran from 2021 until 2024 Varzaqan helicopter crash, his death in a helicopter crash in 202 ...
in
Mashhad Mashhad ( ; ), historically also known as Mashad, Meshhed, or Meshed in English, is the List of Iranian cities by population, second-most-populous city in Iran, located in the relatively remote north-east of the country about from Tehran. ...
in Raisi's capacity as Head of
Astan Quds Razavi Astan Quds Razavi () is a bonyad based at Mashhad, Iran. It is the administrative organization which manages the Imam Reza shrine and various institutions which belong to the organization. The administrative apparatus of Astan Quds Razavi is con ...
. MP Alireza Rahimi questioned the meeting and asked for explanations about the reasons for it, citing alleged Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections, Russian interference in 2016 U.S. election. “The recent meeting raises the suspicion of interference in the elections, which is not appropriate”, he said. According to the official Islamic Republic News Agency, Minnikhanov also met vice president Eshaq Jahangiri in Tehran one day earlier, discussing bilateral relations.


Other presidential duties

On 18 March 2022 Minnikhanov met and awarded 2022 European Figure Skating Championships, 2022 European figure skating champion and Kamila Valieva#Official probe into allegations of doping and misconduct, provisional 2022 Olympic gold medallist Kamila Valieva a “Duslyk” order and to her mother Alsu Valieva a medal of “100 years of the Establishment of TASSR”.


Corporate directorships

During his tenure as republican prime minister, Minnikhanov continued to be involved in industry, serving as chairman of the board of directors of the oil company Tatneft from 2005 to 2006. In September 2021 Minnikhanov while still President of the Republic of Tatarstan, President of Tatarstan was elected chairman of the board of directors of aircraft manufacturer Tupolev.


Personal life

Minnikhanov is married and fathered two sons. His son Irek Minnikhanov died in the Tatarstan Airlines Flight 363 crash on 17 November 2013. Minnikhanov is a keen motorsports enthusiast and was a regular competitor in the FIA European Rallycross Championship, in 2007 driving a Citroën C4 T16 4x4 with 550+bhp that was built and raced in 2006 by 14-time European Rallycross champion Kenneth Hansen (rallycross), Kenneth Hansen of Sweden. For the 2008 and 2009 ERX series Hansen's team built a brand new C4 for Minnikhanov. In 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006 Minnikhanov won the truck category of the UAE Desert Challenge (a Rally Raid competition) in the United Arab Emirates with his Kamaz 4911 and in 2004 as well as 2005 he finished 3rd overall in the FIA European Championship for FIA autocross, Autocross Drivers with a four-wheel-driven Ford Puma (sport compact), Ford Puma. Minnikhanov is certified to fly a helicopter.


Sanctions

In response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the United States Department of the Treasury added Minnikhanov to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List on 26 January 2023, which results in his assets being frozen and U.S. persons being prohibited from dealing with him. Canada sanctioned Rustam Minnikhanov, together with his wife in April 2023.


Honors and awards

*Order of Merit for the Fatherland, Order of Merit for the Fatherland 4th class *Order of Friendship *Medal "In Commemoration of the 300th Anniversary of Saint Petersburg" *Medal "In Commemoration of the 1000th Anniversary of Kazan" *Awards of the Ministry for Emergency Situations of Russia, Medal "For Distinction in Eliminating the Effects of Emergency Situations" (EMERCOM) *Order "For Merit to the Republic of Tatarstan" *:ru:Орден «Гарашсызлык», Order Garaşsyzlyk (2021) *Dostlug Order (2024)


Notes


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Minnikhanov, Rustam 1957 births Living people People from Tatarstan Heads of Tatarstan Prime ministers of Tatarstan Politicians of Tatarstan United Russia politicians Tatar people of Russia Tatar politicians Volga Tatar people Russian Sunni Muslims Russian aviators Russian racing drivers Helicopter pilots People of the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation Russian individuals subject to U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctions Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List 20th-century Russian politicians FIA European Rallycross Championship drivers