Sergei Shoigu facts for kids

In this article, the patronymic is Kuzhugetovich and the family name is Shoigu.

Quick facts for kids Hero of the Russian Federation General of the Army Sergei Shoigu
Сергей Шойгу
Official portrait, 2014

Secretary of the Security Council
Incumbent
Assumed office 12 May 2024
Chairman	Vladimir Putin
Preceded by	Nikolai Patrushev
Minister of Defence
In office 6 November 2012 – 12 May 2024
Prime Minister	Dmitry Medvedev Mikhail Mishustin
First Deputy	Arkady Bakhin Ruslan Tsalikov
Preceded by	Anatoly Serdyukov
Succeeded by	Andrey Belousov
Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Defense of the CIS
Incumbent
Assumed office 11 December 2012
Preceded by	Anatoly Serdyukov
Governor of Moscow Oblast
In office 11 May 2012 – 6 November 2012
Deputy	Ruslan Tsalikov
Preceded by	Boris Gromov
Succeeded by	Ruslan Tsalikov (acting)
Leader of United Russia
In office 1 December 2001 – 27 November 2004 Serving with Yury Luzhkov and Mintimer Shaimiev
Preceded by	Party established
Succeeded by	Boris Gryzlov
Deputy Prime Minister of Russia
In office 10 January 2000 – 18 May 2000
Prime Minister	Vladimir Putin Mikhail Kasyanov (acting)
Leader of Unity
In office 15 October 1999 – 1 December 2001
Minister of Emergency Situations
In office 17 April 1991 – 11 May 2012
President	List Boris Yeltsin Vladimir Putin Dmitry Medvedev Vladimir Putin
Prime Minister	List Ivan Silayev Oleg Lobov (acting) Boris Yeltsin (as President) Yegor Gaidar (acting) Viktor Chernomyrdin Sergey Kiriyenko Viktor Chernomyrdin (acting) Yevgeny Primakov Sergei Stepashin Vladimir Putin Mikhail Kasyanov Viktor Khristenko (acting) Mikhail Fradkov Viktor Zubkov Vladimir Putin Viktor Zubkov (acting) Dmitry Medvedev
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Vladimir Puchkov
Member of the Security Council of Russia
In office November 2012 – 12 May 2024

Personal details
Born	(1955-05-21) 21 May 1955 (age 70) Chadan, Soviet Union
Political party	Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1977–1991) Independent (1991–1995) Our Home – Russia (1995–1999) Unity (1999–2001) United Russia (2001–present)
Spouse	Irina Shoigu
Children	2, including Yulia
Parent	Kuzhuget Shoigu (father)
Relatives	Larisa Shoigu (sister)
Alma mater	Krasnoyarsk Polytechnical Institute
Awards	Hero of the Russian Federation Order of St. Andrew (with swords)
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Russia
Branch/service	Military Council of the Civil Defence Troops
Years of service	1991–present
Rank	General of the Army
Battles/wars	Insurgency in the North Caucasus Syrian Civil War Russo-Ukrainian War Annexation of Crimea Russian invasion of Ukraine (chairman)

Sergei Kuzhugetovich Shoigu (born May 21, 1955) is a well-known Russian politician and military leader. He served as the Minister of Defence of Russia from 2012 to 2024. He also leads the Council of Defence Ministers for countries that were once part of the Soviet Union.

Before becoming Defence Minister, Shoigu was the Minister of Emergency Situations for a long time, from 1991 to 2012. For a short period in 2012, he was also the governor of Moscow Oblast. In May 2024, he was appointed as the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation.

Early Life and Education
Early Career in Construction
Leading Emergency Services
Minister of Defence Role
Secretary of the Security Council
Personal Life and Family
- Hobbies
Honours and Awards
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Education

Sergei Shoigu was born on May 21, 1955, in a town called Chadan in Russia. His father was from the Tuvan ethnic group and worked as a newspaper editor. His mother was Russian, born in Ukraine, and later became a member of the Tuva Regional Council.

After finishing school, Shoigu studied at the Krasnoyarsk Polytechnic Institute. He graduated in 1977 with a degree in civil engineering, which is about designing and building things like roads and buildings.

Early Career in Construction

For the next ten years, Shoigu worked on many construction projects across Russia. He started at lower levels and worked his way up to become an executive, managing big projects. In 1990, he moved to Moscow and became a deputy chairman for a government committee related to architecture and construction.

Leading Emergency Services

Shoigu as Minister of Emergency Situations, 2003

In 1991, Sergei Shoigu was chosen to lead a new organization called the Russian Rescue Corps. This group was created to handle rescue missions and respond to disasters. It took over from the old Soviet civil defense system.

The Rescue Corps later became the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MChS) in 1994. Shoigu became a government minister. He became very popular because he was often seen helping directly during emergencies like floods, earthquakes, and other serious events. Under his leadership, the ministry grew and took on more responsibilities, including the Russian State Fire Service.

Minister of Defence Role

Shoigu in 2015

On November 6, 2012, Sergei Shoigu was appointed as the Minister of Defence by President Vladimir Putin. In this role, he was in charge of Russia's military forces. He took over from Anatoly Serdyukov, who had made many changes to the army.

As Defence Minister, Shoigu continued to modernize the Russian Armed Forces. One important change was creating the Special Operations Forces Command. This group was designed for quick action in conflicts and for fighting terrorism. Shoigu also worked to increase the number of professional soldiers who serve by choice, rather than relying only on conscripts (people required to serve).

He also brought back some old traditions, like military school cadets taking part in the Victory Day Parade on May 9th. He also ordered that every morning in military barracks should start with the Russian national anthem.

In May 2024, President Putin replaced Shoigu as Defence Minister. Shoigu was then given a new important role as the Secretary of the Security Council.

Secretary of the Security Council

Shoigu in Beijing during Putin's visit to China on May 16, 2024

On May 12, 2024, after President Putin was re-elected, Sergei Shoigu became the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation. This council helps the President make important decisions about national security.

Personal Life and Family

Shoigu and Putin during their vacation in Tuva on July 20, 2013

Sergei Shoigu is known to speak several languages, including English, Japanese, Chinese, Tuvan, and Turkish.

His father, Kuzhuget Shoigu, was an editor and later worked in the Communist Party. He also wrote several books. His mother, Alexandra Shoigu, was a zootechnician (an expert in animal science) and was active in local politics.

Sergei Shoigu has two sisters. One of them, Larisa Kuzhugetovna Shoigu, was a member of the Russian parliament.

Sergei Shoigu is married to Irina Alexandrovna Shoigu. They have two daughters, Yulia (born 1977) and Kseniya (born 1991).

Hobbies

Shoigu, Putin and Arkady Dvorkovich on May 16, 2015

Shoigu enjoys learning about history of Russia, especially the time of Peter the Great and the early 1800s. He collects swords and daggers from India, China, and Japan. He also likes bard songs and plays the guitar. He enjoys painting with watercolors and doing carpentry.

Honours and Awards

Shoigu, Alexander Bastrykin, Valery Gerasimov and other prominent figures at an award ceremony on December 8, 2022

Sergei Shoigu has received many awards for his service to Russia and from other countries. Some of his most important Russian awards include:

Hero of the Russian Federation (the highest honor in Russia)
Order of St Andrew (a very high award)
Several Orders of Merit for the Fatherland
Order of Honour
Medal "For the Return of Crimea"

He has also received awards from countries like Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Serbia, and Vietnam.

Images for kids

Shoigu, Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev at the Moscow Victory Day Parade, May 2014
Shoigu, Putin, Nikolai Patrushev and Dmitry Rogozin at a meeting of the Military-Industrial Commission of Russia on September 19, 2015
Shoigu and Dvornikov (second from the left) alongside other Russian advisors at Khmeimim Air Base, June 2016
Shoigu with Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, October 2017
Shoigu meets U.S. National Security Advisor John R. Bolton in Moscow in October 2018.
Members of the Council of Ministers of Defense of the CIS at the meeting in Moscow in November 2021
Putin meeting with Shoigu in April 2022, after Russia's defeat at the Battle of Kyiv
Shoigu at the SCO defence ministers' meeting in New Delhi, India, April 28, 2023
Shoigu inspects T-90M tanks ready for combat in Ukraine, June 2023.
Shoigu with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang, North Korea, July 27, 2023
Sergei Shoigu, President of Russia Vladimir Putin and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov at the Center-2019 military exercises. Orenburg Oblast, 2019.