Valentina Matviyenko facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Valentina Matviyenko
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Валентина Матвиенко
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Matviyenko in 2024
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| 4th Chairwoman of the Federation Council | |
| Assumed office 21 September 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Alexander Torshin (acting) Sergei Mironov |
| Russian Federation Senator from Saint Petersburg |
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| Assumed office 31 August 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Vladimir Barkanov |
| 3rd Governor of Saint Petersburg | |
| In office 15 October 2003 – 22 August 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Alexander Beglov (acting) Vladimir Yakovlev |
| Succeeded by | Georgy Poltavchenko |
| 2nd Presidential Envoy to the Northwestern Federal District | |
| In office 11 March 2003 – 15 October 2003 |
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| President | Vladimir Putin |
| Preceded by | Victor Cherkesov |
| Succeeded by | Ilya Klebanov |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Russia for Welfare |
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| In office 24 September 1998 – 11 March 2003 |
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| Prime Minister |
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| Preceded by | Portfolio established |
| Succeeded by | Portfolio abolished |
| Russian Ambassador to Greece (Hellenic Republic) | |
| In office 1997–1998 |
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| President | Boris Yeltsin |
| Preceded by | Valery Nikolayenko |
| Succeeded by | Mikhail Bocharnikov |
| Russian Ambassador to the Republic of Malta | |
| In office 1991–1994 |
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| President | Boris Yeltsin |
| Preceded by | Vladimir Plechko |
| Succeeded by | Yevgeny Mikhailov |
| Personal details | |
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Valentina Ivanovna Tyutina
7 April 1949 Shepetivka, Kamianets-Podilskyi Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Ukraine) |
| Citizenship | Russian |
| Political party | United Russia |
| Spouse |
Vladimir Vasilyevich Matviyenko
(died 2018) |
| Children | Sergey Matviyenko (b. 1973) |
| Alma mater | Leningrad Institute of Chemistry and Pharmaceutics |
| Occupation |
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| Profession | Pharmacist |
| Signature |  |
Valentina Ivanovna Matviyenko (born 7 April 1949) is a powerful Russian politician and diplomat. She is currently the Chairwoman of the Federation Council (a top part of the Russian parliament) and a Senator from Saint Petersburg. She has held this important role since 2011. Before that, she was the Governor of Saint Petersburg from 2003 to 2011.
Valentina Matviyenko was born in the Ukrainian SSR, which was part of the Soviet Union at the time. She started her political career in the 1980s in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg). In the 1990s, she worked as a Russian Ambassador in Malta and Greece. From 1998 to 2003, she was a Deputy Prime Minister in charge of social welfare. She also briefly served as a special representative for the President in the Northwestern Federal District in 2003.
She became a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. This alliance helped her win the election to become the governor of Saint Petersburg, which is Putin's hometown. She was the first woman to lead Saint Petersburg. During her time as governor, the city's economy grew a lot. The quality of life for people in Saint Petersburg improved greatly. The city also became more important in Russian politics. She started many big building projects, like new roads and a dam to stop floods. She also helped bring many car companies to the city. Tourism in Saint Petersburg also grew a lot under her leadership.
Some of her actions as governor faced criticism. For example, some new buildings were thought to clash with the city's old, beautiful architecture. A very tall skyscraper project was moved to a different location after public complaints. She also faced criticism for how the city handled heavy snow in some winters. In 2011, she left her role as governor. Soon after, she was elected as the Chairwoman of the Federation Council, which is the third-highest elected position in Russia.
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Early Life and Education
Valentina Tyutina was born in Shepetivka, a town in the Ukrainian SSR. This was part of the Soviet Union. In 1972, she finished her studies at the Leningrad Institute of Chemistry and Pharmaceutics. There, she met her husband, Vladimir Vasilyevich Matviyenko. They had a son named Sergey in 1973. Before becoming a politician, Valentina Matviyenko held several leadership roles in a youth organization called Komsomol until 1984.
Early Political Career
Valentina Matviyenko continued her education and graduated from the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Academy in 1985. She then became an official in the local government of Leningrad. From 1984 to 1986, she was a top leader for the Communist Party in the Krasnogvardeysky District of the city.
She was chosen as a people's deputy for the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. In this role, she led the committee that focused on issues related to women, families, and children.
Diplomatic Roles
From 1991 to 1998, Matviyenko worked as a diplomat. She served as the Russian Ambassador to Malta from 1991 to 1995. Later, she was the Ambassador to Greece from 1997 to 1998.
On 24 September 1998, she was appointed as the Deputy Prime Minister of Russia for Welfare. She held this important position until 2003. In June 1999, she also joined the board of directors for the ORT TV channel.
In 2000, she was considered as a candidate for the Russian presidency but decided not to run. She also thought about running for governor of St. Petersburg but later withdrew. On 11 March 2003, she left her Deputy Prime Minister role. She was then appointed by President Vladimir Putin as his special representative to the Northwestern Federal District.
Governor of Saint Petersburg
Becoming Governor
On 24 June 2003, the governor of Saint Petersburg resigned. Valentina Matviyenko then announced she was ready to run for the position. She received support from the United Russia political party and President Vladimir Putin. Putin publicly supported her candidacy.
In the first round of elections on 21 September 2003, Matviyenko received the most votes. She won the second round on 5 October 2003, with 63 percent of the votes. This made her the governor of Saint Petersburg. She was the first woman to become the head of government for the city.
Continuing in Office
In 2005, a new law in Russia changed how governors were chosen. Instead of being elected by people, they would be suggested by the President and approved by local lawmakers. In 2006, Valentina Matviyenko asked Vladimir Putin to nominate her under this new law. She was approved by the Saint Petersburg Legislative Assembly on 22 December 2006.
City Development and Improvements
Budget and Income Growth
When Matviyenko became governor, she promised to bring more tax money from the national government to Saint Petersburg. President Putin, who is from Saint Petersburg, supported this idea. This helped the city's finances.
Rising Political Importance
The new governor also wanted Saint Petersburg to have a bigger role in national politics. The city's importance grew, and the Constitutional Court of Russia even moved from Moscow to Saint Petersburg in 2008.
New Infrastructure Projects
Matviyenko started many large building projects for homes and transportation. These included building the Saint Petersburg Ring Road, which has a major bridge over the Neva River. She also oversaw the completion of the Saint Petersburg Dam. This dam was built to stop the famous floods that used to happen in the city. A new metro line, Line 5 of Saint Petersburg Metro, was also opened.
Growth in Industry
Several big car manufacturing companies were encouraged to build factories in or near Saint Petersburg. These included well-known brands like Toyota, General Motors, Nissan, and Hyundai. This turned the city into an important center for making cars, especially foreign brands.
Booming Tourism
The city government started programs to attract more tourists. They advertised abroad and helped build new hotels. Between 2003 and 2010, the number of tourists visiting Saint Petersburg doubled. It reached 5.2 million visitors, making the city one of the top five tourist destinations in Europe.
Cultural Events
The annual "Scarlet Sails" celebration for graduating students grew much larger under Matviyenko. This event, part of the White Nights Festival, even began to be shown on national television.
Chairwoman of the Federation Council
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On 22 August 2011, after the Saint Petersburg Dam and Ring Road were finished, Matviyenko resigned as governor. Georgy Poltavchenko took over as acting governor. President Dmitry Medvedev supported her to become the head of the Federal Assembly, which is the upper house of the Russian parliament.
As a member of the United Russia party, Matviyenko participated in a local election in August. This was a necessary step for her to legally become the Chairwoman of the Federation Council. She won the municipal election with a very high percentage of votes. On 21 September 2011, Valentina Matviyenko was elected as the Chairwoman of the Federation Council.
Sanctions
Due to her role in the Crimean status referendum, Valentina Matviyenko was among the first people to face sanctions. Sanctions are like official penalties. The United States and other countries placed her on a list. These sanctions meant her assets (like money or property) in the US could be frozen. She was also banned from entering the United States. Other countries like Canada, the European Union, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Australia, and Ukraine also put her on their sanction lists.
The UK government also sanctioned her in 2014. This was related to the Russo-Ukrainian War. In response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the United States added her to another list of sanctioned individuals in April 2022.
Family Life
Valentina Matviyenko has a son named Sergey. He was born on 5 May 1973. His father is Vladimir Vasilyevich Matviyenko, Valentina's husband. Sergey Matviyenko has held important positions in banks. He was vice-president of Bank Saint Petersburg and later of Vneshtorgbank. Sergey was married to a Russian pop singer named Zara Mgoyan for about a year.
Honors and Awards
Valentina Matviyenko has received many awards and honors throughout her career. These awards recognize her significant contributions to the state and her long service.
Some of her notable awards from Russia and the Soviet Union include:
- Hero of Labour of the Russian Federation (2024)
- Order of St. Andrew the First-Called (2019)
- Various classes of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" (starting in 1999)
- Order of Honour (1996)
- Order of the Red Banner of Labour (1981)
She has also received awards from other countries, showing her work in international relations:
- Order of Solidarity (Cuba, 2022)
- Dustliq Order (Uzbekistan, 2021)
- Order of Francysk Skaryna (Belarus, 2019)
- Order of Friendship, 1st class (Kazakhstan, 2019)
- Dostlug Order (Azerbaijan, 2019)
- National Order of Merit (Malta, 2013)
- National Order of the Legion of Honour (France, 2009)
- Grand Cross of the Order of Honour (Greece, 2007)
She has also received awards from the Russian Orthodox Church and various government departments.
Images for kids
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Valentina Matviyenko's signature.
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- Saint Petersburg City Administration
