IVANOV, Sergei Borisovich
Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Russian Federation

Former First Deputy Minister of the Government of the Russian Federation

Former Defense Minister of the Government of the Russian Federation

Sergei Borisovich Ivanov (Сергей Борисович Иванов) was born January 31, 1953 in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg)

1976 - graduated from the translation department of the philological faculty, Leningrad State University, where he majored in English and Swedish
1977 - graduated from the Higher Courses of the KGB at the USSR State Security Committee in Minsk; and in 1981 from School No. 101 of the KGB First Main Directorate  (now the Andropov Red-Banner Institute)
1976 - began his service in the KGB. Upon graduating from the Higher Courses of the KGB in Minsk, Ivanov was sent to work at the State Security Department of Leningrad and the Leningrad region, where he met Vladimir Putin.
late 1970s - began working in foreign intelligence, held various posts in Africa and Europe; appointed deputy department chief in the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR); in the mid-1990s, became one of the youngest generals in the SVR.
August 1998-March 2001 - deputy director of the Federal Security Service (FSB), chief of the Department of Analysis, Forecast and Strategic planning of the FSB.
March 2, 1999 - joined the Interdepartmental Commission in charge of Russia's participation in G8 activities.
November 15, 1999-March 28, 2001 - secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation
March 28, 2001- February 15, 2007 - minister of defense; remains a member of the Russian Security Council
May 2001-  elected chairman of the Council of CIS Defense Ministers (SMO).
November 2005 - appointed Deputy Prime Minister
February 15, 2007 - appointed First Deputy Prime Minister, removed from position of Defense Minister. His duties in the new role will include overseeing the development of Russia's military-industrial complex.
May 2008 - appointed Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Russian Federation. As Deputy Prime Minister, Ivanov coordinates the work of the federal organs by giving their constituent commissions questions on the following areas:

 - development and implementation of state policy in the field of industry development
 - maintenance of defense-industry complex, transport and communication
- state policy in the field of science and innovative activity
- fulfillment of state program in armament, state defensive order and programs in development of defensive, nuclear and space-rocket industry
- maintenance of national defense, design and arrangement of Russia's frontier
- preparation for mobilization of the Russian Federation and management of the state material reserves
- export control concerning goods, information, works, services and results of intellectual activity which can be used for the creation of weapons of mass destruction, means of its delivery and other forms of armament and military technology

Rank: Lieutenant-General, retired.

Awards: Rank II Order For Services to the Fatherland (2003).

Hobbies: Fishing and reading detective novels in original languages. Regularly visits CSKA Basketball & CSKA Football matches.

Fluent in English and Swedish.

Married, with two sons.

Just three months younger than Vladimir Putin, Sergei Ivanov’s background has much in common with that of the president.  Both are from St. Petersburg and served in the KGB.  Both men went to specialized schools (Putin in chemistry, Ivanov in English language) before moving on to study at the Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) State University.  Even though their paths continued in parallel as they both moved on to the Higher KGB School in Minsk, Ivanov says that it wasn’t until they were both assigned afterward to work in the same KGB division in Leningrad that they became acquainted.

In 1999, when former President Boris Yeltsin named Putin director of the Federal Security Council, the latter brought Ivanov, then a Lieutenant General with the FSB to Moscow to head the council’s information-analytical department.  Ivanov was also responsible for liaising with foreign security services and counter intelligence.  Their paths have not parted since and, when Putin was picked by Yeltsin as prime minister, Ivanov replaced him as secretary of the Security Council.

Ivanov's November 2005 appointment as Deputy Prime Minister made him second in line to the presidency, after Dmitry Medvedev. His February 2007 promotion, giving him a position equal to that of Medvedev while removing him from the much criticized and tarnished Defense Ministry, increased the chance that Ivanov will become Putin's successor. However, such speculation ended after his colleague Dmitry Medvedev was nominated to run for presidency with Putin's backing. Ivanov expressed his support for Medvedev's candidacy as well.

Related Sources

Government.ru, Profile of Sergei Borisovich Ivanov (In Russian)

Last updated on July 15, 2008