Vyacheslav Volodin

Background

Vyacheslav Viktorovich Volodin has served as Chairman of the State Duma since 2016, making him one of the most prominent figures in Russia’s federal legislature. In that role, he presides over the lower house of parliament, oversees legislative proceedings, and plays a central part in shaping the agenda of state lawmaking. As speaker, he is a key institutional intermediary between the executive branch and the parliament, and his position gives him major influence over domestic political decision-making in Russia.

Born on 4 February 1964, Volodin built his political career through senior posts in both party and state institutions. He served as a deputy in the State Duma from 1999 until 2011, returned to the chamber in 2016, and has remained there since. He was the Secretary-General of the United Russia party, served as Deputy Prime Minister of Russia from 2010 to 2012, and later became first deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration of Russia. He also worked as an aide to President Vladimir Putin and holds the federal state civilian service rank of 1st class Active State Councillor of the Russian Federation.

Volodin has been closely associated with the consolidation of the political system under Vladimir Putin and is widely identified with the presidential inner circle. He was described as having engineered Putin’s conservative turn during the president’s third term, linking him to the broader ideological direction of the Kremlin in the 2010s. His career has placed him at the intersection of party management, parliamentary leadership, and presidential administration, giving him a significant role in Russian public affairs and state policy.