25 Facts About Valentina Matviyenko

Valentina Ivanovna Matviyenko is a Russian politician and diplomat serving as a Senator from Saint Petersburg and the Chairwoman of the Federation Council since 2011.

From 1998 to 2003, Valentina Matviyenko was Deputy Prime Minister for Welfare, and briefly the Presidential Envoy to the Northwestern Federal District in 2003.

Some actions and practices of Governor Valentina Matviyenko have drawn significant criticisms from the Saint Petersburg public, the media, and opposition groups.

On 22 August 2011, soon after completion of the Saint Petersburg Dam, Valentina Matviyenko resigned from office.

Valentina Matviyenko Tyutina was born in Shepetivka in the Khmelnytskyi Oblast of Western Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union.

In 1972, Valentina Matviyenko graduated from Leningrad Institute of Chemistry and Pharmaceutics, where she met her husband, Vladimir Vasilyevich Valentina Matviyenko.

Valentina Matviyenko held various leadership positions within the Komsomol organization until 1984.

Valentina Matviyenko graduated from the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Academy in 1985 and became a party official in Leningrad's municipal government.

Valentina Matviyenko was elected as a people's deputy to the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union and headed the committee on women, family and children affairs.

Between 1991 and 1998, Valentina Matviyenko served in the diplomatic service and held diplomatic positions including posts of Russian ambassador to Malta and Greece.

On 24 September 1998, Valentina Matviyenko was appointed Deputy Prime Minister of Russia for Welfare, and occupied this position until 2003.

On 24 June 2003, after Saint Petersburg governor Vladimir Yakovlev resigned ahead of schedule, Valentina Matviyenko announced that she was ready to run for governor.

Valentina Matviyenko's nomination was supported by the United Russia political party and President Vladimir Putin.

On 5 October 2003, Valentina Matviyenko won the second round with 63 percent and was elected governor of Saint Petersburg, the head of the Saint Petersburg City Administration.

Valentina Matviyenko became the first female head of government of Saint Petersburg.

On 6 December 2006, one year before her term as elected governor would expire, Valentina Matviyenko asked Vladimir Putin to nominate her for approval according to the new legislation, and he agreed.

Valentina Matviyenko was approved by the Saint Petersburg Legislative Assembly on 22 December 2006.

On 19 May 2007, the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation announced it had detained several members of an undisclosed youth religious group on 16 May who were alleged to be preparing an assassination attempt on Valentina Matviyenko's life using hand grenades and plastic explosive.

Valentina Matviyenko developed a large number of megaprojects in housing and infrastructure, such as building of the Saint Petersburg Ring Road including the Big Obukhovsky Bridge, completion of the Saint Petersburg Dam aimed to put an end to ill-famous Saint Petersburg floods, launching Line 5 of Saint Petersburg Metro.

On 22 August 2011, soon after completion of the Saint Petersburg Dam along with the Saint Petersburg Ring Road, Valentina Matviyenko resigned from the office of the governor of Saint Petersburg.

Valentina Matviyenko was backed by President Dmitry Medvedev as a candidate to head the Federal Assembly or Upper House of the Russian Federation.

Valentina Matviyenko was put on a sanction list by the United States and Canada on 17 March 2014, the European Union on 21 March 2014, Switzerland on 2 April 2014, Liechtenstein on 17 April 2014, Australia on 19 June 2014, and Ukraine on 16 October 2016.

Valentina Matviyenko was sanctioned by the UK government in 2014 in relation to the Russo-Ukrainian War.

Valentina Matviyenko has a son, Sergey, with her husband, Vladimir Vasilyevich Matviyenko.

In May 2003, Sergey Valentina Matviyenko was appointed vice-president of the Bank Saint Petersburg.