Sergei Naryshkin

Background

Sergei Yevgenyevich Naryshkin is the director of the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), a post he has held since 2016. In that role, he leads one of Russia’s main intelligence agencies, which is responsible for foreign intelligence collection and related state security functions. His position places him among the senior figures in Russia’s security and governing system, with access to national policy discussions on external threats, intelligence, and state interests abroad. He is also a participant in high-level state meetings concerning constitutional and security issues.

Naryshkin was born on 27 October 1954. Before becoming head of the SVR, he served as Chairman of the State Duma from 2011 to 2016, giving him a prominent role in the lower house of parliament. From 2008 to 2012, he was Kremlin Chief of Staff, a senior administrative post within the presidential executive office. He also chaired the Historical Truth Commission from May 2009 until it was dissolved in February 2012, and he holds the federal state civilian service rank of 1st class Active State Councillor of the Russian Federation.

Across his career, Naryshkin has been associated with institutions central to Russian state power, including the presidential administration, the legislature, and the intelligence services. His roles have connected him to decision-making on domestic governance, historical policy, and national security. As a senior official who moved from parliamentary and administrative leadership into intelligence, he has remained part of the circle of figures involved in shaping and implementing state policy. His continued presence in top-level government and security settings reflects his significance in contemporary Russian public affairs.