Vladimir Rostislavovich Medinsky—Russian politician, journalist, writer, aide to the President of the Russian Federation, Minister of Culture of Russia (2012–2020), and a deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation in its 4th and 5th convocations (2003–2011).
Place of Birth, Education
He was born on July 18, 1970, in the city of Smila, Cherkasy Oblast. His father was in the military, and his mother was a physician specializing in internal medicine. As a child, the family moved frequently due to his father’s military service. In the early 1980s, they moved to Moscow, where Medinsky graduated from high school.
After high school, he tried to enroll in the Moscow Higher Combined Arms Command School, but was rejected because of his eyesight.
In 1987, he enrolled in the Faculty of International Journalism at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO). He was a member of the committee of the All-Union Leninist Communist Youth League (Komsomol) and served on the Academic Council.
He completed a journalism internship at local newspapers, TASS, and the Novosti news agency.
From 1991 to 1992, he served as an intern at the Embassy of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), and later of Russia, in the United States. In 1992, he graduated from MGIMO with honors.
From 1993 to 1997, he was a graduate student at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), majoring in “Political Science.”
In 1997, he defended his master’s thesis, and in 2000, his doctoral dissertation. He was appointed professor in the Department of International Information and Journalism. Later, he defended another doctoral dissertation in history.
Career
Back in 1989, while still a student, he founded a private advertising agency—the “OKO” Association of Young Journalists.
Business
In 1992, Vladimir Medinsky, along with his classmates Sergei Mikhailov, Sokur, Bolmatov, and Yegor Moskovin, founded the advertising agency “Corporation ‘Ya’.” The shares were distributed as follows: Medynsky and Mikhailov each received 30%, while the remaining 40% was divided among Sokur, Bolmatov, and Moskvinin. The company worked with “Autobank,” “TverUniversalBank,” major tobacco companies, and pyramid schemes.
In 1996, after external administration was imposed on “TverUniversalBank,” significant funds intended to pay for media advertising were frozen in the agency’s accounts. Due to these debts, some publications refused to run ads, clients began leaving the company, and “Corporation ‘Ya’” was forced to cut salaries and reduce its workforce.
Later, Mikhailov exchanged his stake for a controlling interest in the company “Mikhailov & Partners” and left the business.
Specifically, Medinsky headed the UCA until 1998 and remained a shareholder until 2003. After being elected to the State Duma, he transferred his shares to his father.
Civil Service
In the summer of 1998, Medinsky became vice president of the Russian Public Relations Association. He was responsible for liaising with the regions and developing the regional network.
In October, he joined the civil service, becoming an image advisor to Sergei Almazov, director of Russia’s Federal Tax Police Service.
In May, a year later, at the invitation of Minister Georgy Boos, he became head of the Information Policy Department of the Ministry of Taxes and Levies of the Russian Federation.
In November, he was promoted to the rank of State Tax Advisor, 2nd Class.
Political Career
In 1999, Medinsky left public service and headed the regional media efforts for the “Fatherland—All Russia” bloc’s campaign headquarters during the elections to the State Duma of the Third Convocation. He was also a member of the “Fatherland” Central Council.
After Boos became deputy speaker of the State Duma, Medinsky served as his advisor until 2002.
In December 2001, he joined the “Unity and Fatherland—United Russia” party, which was formed following the merger of the “Fatherland” and “All Russia” movements and the “Unity” faction. He served on the party’s Central Council, headed the Moscow Executive Committee from 2002 to 2004, and led the election campaign headquarters in Moscow in 2003.
In 2004–2005, he served as deputy head of the Central Executive Committee of “United Russia.” In particular, he was elected to the State Duma on the party’s all-Russian list and joined the “United Russia” faction.
In the State Duma of the 4th convocation, he served as deputy chair of the Committee on Information Policy, deputy chair of the Committee on Economic Policy, and deputy chair of the Commission on Technical Regulation.
Since 2004, he has been a member of the Presidium of the General Council of “United Russia. “
From 2004 to 2005, he served as deputy head of the party’s Central Executive Committee for information and analysis.
He was elected to the State Duma of the 5th convocation as a candidate from the “United Russia” party in the Lipetsk Oblast. In 2008–2009, he initiated amendments to laws on advertising and restrictions on tobacco use.
During his second term as a deputy, he coordinated the cooperation group with the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea and served as a member of the Federal Assembly delegation to the “Russia–European Union” committee. He also chaired the Subcommittee on Ecology of the Committee on Natural Resources and served as a member of the Commission on the Activities of Natural Monopolies and State Corporations.
In 2010, he was appointed to the presidential commission on combating the falsification of history, where he served until 2012.
In July 2011, he joined the board of the “Russkiy Mir” Foundation, which promotes the Russian language and culture. In November 2011, he became chairman of the State Duma Committee on Culture.
He then became an aide to dictator Vladimir Putin.
During Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine in 2022, he led the Russian delegation in negotiations with Kyiv.
Marital Status
Medinsky is married. He and his wife are raising two sons and two daughters.
