Dmitry Gudkov facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dmitry Gudkov
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Дмитрий Гудков
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Gudkov in 2017
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| Leader of the Party of Changes | |
| In office 23 June 2018 – 30 March 2020 |
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| Preceded by | Andrei Nechayev |
| Succeeded by | Andrei Nechayev |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Dmitry Gennadyevich Gudkov
19 January 1980 Kolomna, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Political party | A Just Russia (until 2013) Party of Changes (2018–2020) |
| Spouses |
Sofya Gudkova
(m. 2002; div. 2012)Valeria Sushkova
(m. 2012) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent | Gennady Gudkov |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Known for | Opposition to President Vladimir Putin |
Dmitry Gennadyevich Gudkov (Russian: Дмитрий Геннадьевич Гудков; born 19 January 1980) is a well-known Russian politician. He is known for being an opposition leader. This means he often disagrees with the current government.
Dmitry Gudkov was a member of the State Duma (like Russia's parliament) from 2011 to 2016. His father, Gennady Gudkov, was also a politician in the Duma. Both of them were part of the party called A Just Russia.
In 2013, Dmitry Gudkov was asked to leave his party. This happened because he was accused of asking American officials to get involved in Russia's affairs. Later, in 2018, he worked with Ksenia Sobchak to create a new political group called the Party of Changes.
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Dmitry Gudkov's Early Life and Education
Dmitry Gudkov was born on January 19, 1980, in Kolomna, a city near Moscow. His parents were Maria and Gennady Gudkov. His father worked in the KGB (a security agency) before starting his own security company.
Dmitry finished school in Moscow in 1996. He studied physics and math. After school, he went to Moscow State University to study journalism. While he was a student, he worked for different magazines. He also helped his father with his political campaigns.
After university, Dmitry continued his studies. He also got a second degree in World Economy. This helped him prepare for his future in politics.
Dmitry Gudkov's Political Journey
Starting in Politics
Dmitry Gudkov often followed in his father's footsteps in politics. When his father became a member of the Duma in 2001, Dmitry started working with him. They both joined the People's Party of the Russian Federation (NPRF).
Dmitry helped with the party's youth programs. He also helped create the Youth Public Chamber of Russia. This group aimed to get young people involved in politics. In 2007, the NPRF joined with "A Just Russia" party. Dmitry then became the head of the press department for this new, bigger party.
He also helped lead a youth movement called "Pobeda" (meaning "Victory"). This group brought together young people from different political parties. In 2009, Dmitry became a member of the Central Council of "A Just Russia". He also became an advisor to Sergey Mironov, who was a top leader in the Russian government.
Working in the State Duma
In December 2011, Dmitry Gudkov was elected to the 6th State Duma. He worked on laws about how the government is set up. He suggested many new laws. For example, he wanted to make it easier to take away academic degrees if someone copied their work. He also suggested changes to laws about economic sanctions.
Another idea he had was to change the law about "foreign agents." This law labels some non-profit groups as "foreign agents" if they get money from outside Russia and are involved in political activities. Gudkov wanted to remove this label for many groups. He felt they were not truly involved in politics.
Most of the laws Dmitry Gudkov suggested were not passed. However, he did vote for a law that changed Russia to permanent winter time. He also voted against a law that stopped American citizens from adopting Russian orphans. This law was known as the "Dima Yakovlev Law."
Gudkov also did not vote for the law that brought Crimea into Russia. He explained that he worried about the political and economic effects. But he also respected the people of Crimea.
Joining Protest Movements
Dmitry Gudkov and his father were known for being against President Vladimir Putin. They were important leaders in the 2011–2012 Russian protests against Putin's re-election. Dmitry often spoke at these rallies. He tried to protect protesters from being arrested.
In 2012, Dmitry Gudkov, his father, and Ilya Ponomarev spoke for 11 hours straight in the Duma. They were trying to stop a bill that would fine people heavily for protesting. This was seen as a very strong act of opposition in Russia's parliament.
Leaving "A Just Russia" Party
In January 2013, Dmitry Gudkov took part in a protest called "March against Scoundrels." After this, his party, "A Just Russia," asked him to choose. He had to either leave the protest movement or leave the party. Gudkov refused to leave the protest movement.
So, on March 13, 2013, Dmitry Gudkov and his father were removed from "A Just Russia." The party said they were doing things that hurt the party. This decision got a lot of attention in the news. Dmitry Gudkov believed the party was making a mistake by going along with the government.
Running for the 7th State Duma
In 2016, Dmitry Gudkov ran for the 7th State Duma. He joined the "Yabloko" party for this election. He also got support from the "People's Freedom Party."
He raised a lot of money for his campaign. But it was not enough. He lost the election to his main opponent. Even though he was high on his party's list, his party did not get enough votes to enter parliament. Gudkov said that low voter turnout and people not trusting elections were reasons for his loss.
United Democrats and Local Elections
Before the 2017 Moscow municipal elections, Gudkov helped create a group called "United Democrats." This group helped people who wanted to become local politicians in Moscow. They helped candidates with money, paperwork, and campaign materials.
The goal was to help these local politicians get elected. This would then help bigger elections later on. "United Democrats" helped 266 people get elected to local councils. However, Gudkov later stopped working with his partner in this group because they had disagreements.
Forming the Party of Changes
On March 15, 2018, Dmitry Gudkov and Ksenia Sobchak announced a new political party. They called it the Party of Changes. It was built on an existing party called Civic Initiative.
Leaving Russia
In June 2021, Dmitry Gudkov was held by the police. He was accused of causing property damage. His lawyer said the case was about an old debt from a company owned by Gudkov's relatives. Gudkov said he only learned about the debt on the day he was held.
A few days later, Dmitry Gudkov was released. He then left Russia and went to Ukraine. He later said he would join his parents in Bulgaria. His father, Gennady Gudkov, had already moved to Bulgaria in 2019.
Dmitry Gudkov is against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He believes Russia should not win the conflict. In 2023, the Russian government added Gudkov to its list of "foreign agents."
Dmitry Gudkov's Family Life
Dmitry Gudkov's mother is Maria Petrovna Gudkova. She leads a group of security companies. His father is Gennady Vladimirovich Gudkov, a politician and businessman. Dmitry also has a younger brother, Vladimir Gudkov. Vladimir runs a company that helps collect debts.
Marriages and Children
Dmitry Gudkov has been married twice. His first wife was Sofya Gudkova, a journalist and TV producer. They were married for almost 10 years. They have two children, Anastasia and Ivan. After their divorce in 2012, Sofya left her job at a TV channel. Gudkov said she did this so she wouldn't have to work on shows that criticized him.
His second wife is Valeria Gudkova (her maiden name was Sushkova). She used to be a press secretary for a youth group in "A Just Russia" party. They got married in July 2012. In August 2013, they had a son named Alexander.
Hobbies
When he was in school, Dmitry Gudkov was good at basketball. He even reached a high level in the sport. He has said that he still plays basketball sometimes. He also enjoys going to the gym and playing the guitar.
Filmography
- 2012 — Term [ru] — a documentary film about Russian protests.
Images for kids
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Dmitry Gudkov giving an interview to "Voice of America" in 2013
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