Maria Zakharova facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maria Zakharova
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Мария Захарова
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Zakharova in 2016
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| Director of the Information and Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation | |
| Assumed office 10 August 2015 |
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| Minister | Sergei Lavrov |
| Preceded by | Alexander Lukashevich |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 December 1975 Moscow, Soviet Union |
| Spouse |
Andrei Makarov
(m. 2005) |
| Children | 1 |
| Alma mater | Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO-University) |
Maria Vladimirovna Zakharova was born on December 24, 1975. She is a Russian politician and works as the director of the Information and Press Department for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. Since 2015, she has been the main spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This means she shares information and answers questions from the media about Russia's foreign policy.
She has a special degree called "Candidate in Historical Sciences," which is similar to a PhD in history.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Maria Zakharova was born into a family where both parents were diplomats. Diplomats are people who represent their country in other nations.
In 1981, when Maria was young, her father, Vladimir Zakharov, moved the family to Beijing, China. He worked at the Soviet embassy there. The family returned to Moscow in 1993, after the Soviet Union had ended. Her mother, Irina Zakharova, is an expert in art history and worked at Moscow's Pushkin Museum.
In 1998, Maria Zakharova finished her studies at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. She studied international journalism and orientalism, which is the study of Eastern cultures. Before she graduated, she gained experience by working at the Russian Embassy in Beijing.
Career Beginnings
From 2003 to 2005, and again from 2008 to 2011, Maria Zakharova worked in the Information and Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This department handles how the Ministry communicates with the public.
Between 2005 and 2008, she was the press secretary for Russia's team at the United Nations in New York City. Her job was to speak for Russia's mission there.
From 2011 until August 10, 2015, Zakharova was the Deputy Head of the Information and Press Department. Her responsibilities included organizing press conferences for the Ministry's spokesman. She also managed the Ministry's official social media accounts. Additionally, she helped provide information for the Foreign Minister's trips to other countries.
Maria Zakharova is well-known for appearing on Russian TV talk shows. She also shares her thoughts on important political topics on social media. She is one of the most often quoted Russian diplomats.
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Spokeswoman for Foreign Affairs
On August 10, 2015, Maria Zakharova was appointed as the director of the Information and Press Department. She was the first woman to hold this important position. In 2016, the BBC recognized her as one of their "100 Women."
In 2017, Zakharova spoke about the European Union's actions regarding different independence movements. She compared the situation in Crimea to the events in Catalonia, Spain. She noted that hundreds of people were hurt when Spanish police tried to stop Catalans from voting in a referendum. She questioned why Europe would comment on Crimea's referendum but not on Catalonia's situation.
Also in 2017, Zakharova appeared on Yahoo News to discuss international relations. When asked about reports of abuse against LGBT individuals in Chechnya, she stated that Russia was investigating the matter.
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In June 2019, Zakharova honored those who died on the western front during World War II. She said that Moscow appreciated the efforts of the Allied forces. However, she also stated that the Normandy landing did not have the most important impact on the war's outcome. She explained that the victory was already decided by the Soviet Union's major wins, especially at Stalingrad and Kursk.
In 2021, Zakharova criticized a large NATO military exercise called Defender-Europe 21. She claimed that NATO was gathering a "strike force" near Russia's borders. She also mentioned that NATO planned seven military exercises in Ukraine that year.
During the Conflict in Ukraine
On February 16, 2022, before the major conflict began, Zakharova joked about Western media predictions of an invasion of Ukraine. She asked for the invasion schedule so she could plan her vacation. On February 28, 2022, she wrote that Russia was "ending" a war, not starting one. She claimed Russia was acting to stop the "systematic extermination" of people in Donbas since 2014.
On June 2, 2022, Zakharova warned that Turkey's actions in northern Syria would violate Syria's independence. She said it would also increase tensions in the region.
On June 15, 2022, she praised Russia's strong partnership with China. She noted that energy supplies to China were increasing. She contrasted this with Western countries, saying they were harming themselves with their policies.
On July 5, 2022, Zakharova stated that Israel's attacks in southern Syria were "unacceptable." She said these actions violated Syria's independence and international law. She demanded that they stop.
In January 2023, she spoke about France's past as a colonial power in Africa. She said that the time when African countries had to ask France for permission to make their own decisions was over.
On July 6, 2023, U.S. President Joe Biden approved sending cluster munitions to Ukraine. Zakharova said this decision showed the U.S.'s "aggressive anti-Russian course." She believed it was aimed at making the conflict in Ukraine last longer.
On October 7, 2023, after an attack on Israel, she said the Israeli–Palestinian conflict could only be solved through diplomacy. She called for an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, living peacefully with Israel.
In December 2023, she stated that peace in the Russo-Ukrainian War would only happen if Ukraine accepted "new territorial realities" and became neutral. She said Russia would not allow an "aggressive Nazi state" on its borders that threatened Russia and its neighbors. She also mentioned that China was a "like-minded partner." She noted that Russia had built ties with many countries in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. According to Zakharova, Russia offers "honest and good-faith co-operation" without forcing others. She pointed out that 80% of the world's population lives in countries that have not placed sanctions against Russia.
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In March 2024, she did not blame the Islamic State – Khorasan Province (IS-K) for an attack in Moscow. Instead, she accused the United States of using Islamic State as a "bogeyman" to cover for Ukraine.
On August 10, 2024, she spoke out against an attack on a school in Gaza. She said it harmed international efforts to calm the conflict and reach a ceasefire.
On August 11, 2024, Zakharova protested against Ukraine's actions in the Kursk Oblast region. She stated that Ukraine was continuing "terrorist activity" to scare Russian civilians. She added that these actions made no military sense.
On August 17, 2024, The Washington Post reported that Ukraine's actions in Russia had stopped plans for talks to halt attacks on energy buildings. Zakharova said there were no direct or indirect talks between Russia and Ukraine on this topic. She added that after the Kursk Oblast events, President Putin ruled out such talks.
On August 20, 2024, she criticized a vote by Ukraine's parliament to ban a branch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. She accused Ukraine of trying to "destroy true Orthodoxy."
In May 2025, Zakharova asked both sides in the Indo-Pakistani conflict to act carefully and avoid further escalation.
In June 2025, when Blaise Metreweli was appointed to a high position in the United Kingdom, Zakharova commented on it. She noted that his grandfather had been a Nazi collaborator. She said this was part of a trend of putting "descendants of the Nazis in leadership positions" in Western countries.
Sanctions
On February 23, 2022, the day before Russia's major actions in Ukraine, the European Union placed sanctions on Maria Zakharova. She was seen as a key figure in government communication. The sanctions included being unable to travel and having her assets frozen.
After the conflict began, Australia also placed sanctions on Zakharova on March 8. On March 18, Japan added her to its list of sanctioned individuals. The United States Department of the Treasury sanctioned Zakharova in June 2022. New Zealand and the United Kingdom also followed with their own sanctions later that year.
Personal Life
Maria Zakharova married Andrei Makarov on November 7, 2005, in New York City. They have a daughter named Maryana, who was born in August 2010.
See also
In Spanish: María Zajárova para niños
