Maria Zakharova Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation biography marital status. Biography of the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Zakharova Maria Vladimirovna. Selected quotes by Maria Zakharova

20.06.2020

The world of Russian politics is literally full of bright personalities, each of which is always interesting to the public. But there are among them standing apart, especially attracting attention. This article will focus on a woman named Maria Zakharova, who is a speech maker of the department that oversees the conduct of foreign affairs in Russia. We will consider her biography in as much detail as possible.

Birth and parents

Maria Zakharova, whose biography will be discussed in the article, was born on December 24, 1975. Her zodiac sign is Capricorn. The father of Maria Zakharova - Vladimir Yuryevich Zakharov - worked in the diplomatic field and was a professional orientalist. In 1971 he graduated from the Leningrad State Institute. Zhdanov and received a diploma of a specialist in Chinese language and literature. In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the USSR and Russia, he worked for 34 years from 1980 to 2014. Of these, for 13 years the diplomat was the head of the Russian consulate in China. From 1997 to 2001 he was an educational and cultural adviser at the same institution. Then there was work as the head of the department of the Asia-Pacific Cooperation Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry. A little later, Vladimir took the post of chief adviser to the minister. From 2014 to this day he has been working as a School of Oriental Studies at the Higher School of Economics. At the same time, he works as the head of the Institute for Scientific and Political Research of the Black Sea-Caspian region.

The mother of our heroine - Irina Vladislavovna Zakharova - was born in 1949. In 1971 she graduated from the walls of the Moscow State University. Lomonosov. She began her career at the Museum of Fine Arts. Pushkin. Today, a woman works as a senior researcher in a department specializing in aesthetic education. In 1949 she successfully defended her Ph.D. thesis at the Russian Academy of Arts. She was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the Russian Federation.

Mary's childhood

Young Zakharova Maria (the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will become a job for her much later) in the early years of her life was very fond of walking along the picturesque Chinese streets, exploring the monasteries and parks of the Celestial Empire with her parents. At school, the girl studied very diligently, regularly getting good grades. She paid special attention to the study of the Chinese language. Like her many peers, Masha became interested in dolls and making small houses for them. This childhood affection has transformed over the years into a real adult hobby - the implementation of miniature interiors.

Maria Vladimirovna Zakharova dreamed of being involved in the same stormy and serious work that her father had. Most likely, that is why the girl fell in love with a TV show called "International Panorama", the main topic of which was a discussion of the main economic and political events taking place abroad.

Education M. V. Zakharova

After graduating from school, Maria Vladimirovna Zakharova returned to her homeland with her parents in order to enter the Moscow State Institute of International Relations at the Faculty of Journalism. As the main specialization, the girl chose oriental studies. In her last year at the university, in 1998, Zakharova went to China for undergraduate practice at the Russian Embassy.

Five years later, Maria brilliantly defended her dissertation at the RUDN University on the topic of celebrating the New Year in China. For this, she was awarded the degree of candidate of historical sciences.

Carier start

Maria began her active career as an employee of the editorial office of the journal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation "Diplomatic Bulletin". There she met her boss Alexander Vladimirovich Yakovenko, who later became the first deputy minister of foreign affairs of Russia. The boss of our heroine adhered to the same life principles as her grandmother. Yakovenko always believed that only clear interaction between all team members ensures a positive result. Maria's grandmother also always told her that everything should be done with the highest quality, even if no one will be able to check it. Therefore, the infusion of the girl into the team was painless.

Promotion

Having proven herself excellently in the editorial office, Maria Zakharova, at the command of the leadership, was transferred to the Press and Information Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry. Having quickly figured out the new environment for herself, Masha took another step up the career ladder - in 2003 she holds the post of head of the operational media monitoring department. A couple of years later, Maria Zakharova, for whom the Foreign Ministry became a matter of life, was seconded to New York, where she assumed the functions of the press secretary of the Russian mission to the UN.

Homecoming

In 2008, Maria again finds herself in Belokamennaya within the walls of her native editorial office. But three years later, she gets the chair of the deputy head of the Department of Press and Information. Somewhat later, she heads this structural unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Such a high appointment of a woman is explained not only by her optimal professional qualities, but also by her enormous popularity in the media sphere. Zakharova was often invited to take part in various talk shows, and she also did not miss the opportunity to express her competent opinion on popular social networks. Her functional duties included organizing and holding briefings by the official representative of the Ministry, making entries in Internet resources on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as providing information support to Sergey Lavrov during his trips abroad. There is even a photo showing the minister, Maria Vladimirovna, the former US Secretary of State and Jennifer Psaki.

In 2014, Zakharova received the "Runet Prize" as the head of the Department, which won the "Culture, Mass Communications and Media" nomination.

Maria was also a member of the organizing committee preparing the Eurasian Women's Forum, which was held in St. Petersburg on September 24-25, 2015.

At the end of December 2015, the ministerial worker was awarded the title of Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the second class, which is a high-level diplomatic rank.

Maria Zakharova (the biography of this woman is interesting to many) is a member of the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy of Russia. He is fluent in English and Chinese.

State award

At the beginning of 2017, Maria Zakharova was awarded in the Kremlin. At a solemn ceremony, Vladimir Putin presented such an honorary badge to a civil servant in the presence of three dozen public and other figures. The President in his congratulatory speech pointed out that all the awardees are actively working with maximum dedication, always achieving their goals. And before that, in 2013, Maria received a Certificate of Honor from Putin.

Also, Maria Zakharova, whose biography may well be an example for the younger generation, was included in the rating of the most influential women on the planet in 2016, according to the authoritative BBC television and radio company. In addition, in February 2017, the civil servant received a letter of trust from the Russian journalistic community.

In 2016, she took second place in terms of citation in the Russian blogosphere.

Dissatisfied statements

Like many other public figures, Maria Zakharova (her biography is not burdened with discrediting facts) has both fans and critics. Many Western media are very negative about Zakharova's emotional and rather straightforward statements. In particular, Yaroslav Shimov, editor of Radio Liberty, noted that Maria's journalistic style, in which she maintains her blog on the Ekho Moskvy website, is far from patriotic, but extremely aggressive.

In turn, journalists Olga Ivshina and Jenny Norton even stated that against the background of already too strained relations between Russia and the West, Zakharova's rhetoric looks too undiplomatic.

Abroad, Maria Zakharova, whose career is very important, is very often referred to as "Putin's sexy, smart and terrible miracle weapon of propaganda." In Russia, she is considered a more perfect "analogue of Jen Psaki."

Family status

Maria Zakharova, whose husband tries to help her in everything, is happily married. Her wife's name is Andrei Mikhailovich Makarov, he is an entrepreneur. The marriage took place on November 7, 2005 in New York, since at that moment Maria was working in the United States of America. Many years later, Zakharova's wedding photos caused a noticeable outcry in society. In 2010, the daughter of Maria Zakharova was born, who was named Maryana.

About the profession

In one of her many interviews, Maria Vladimirovna said that she arrives at work by nine in the morning, but the length of the working day varies, but very often you have to fulfill your professional duties until late at night. Sometimes Zakharova even had to take her little daughter with her to work, who simply had no one to leave at home with.

In those very rare moments when a long-awaited vacation falls, Maria Zakharova (her husband is not such a public person) loves to write poems that she is not ashamed to post on various popular social networks. By the way, it was Zakharova who wrote the text of the song "Return the memory", dedicated to the dead Russian soldiers in Syria.

Also, the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, says that she independently updates her wardrobe, buying things with her own money, including for serious international diplomatic meetings. In addition, the civil servant notes that she never had any stylists.

Maria Zakharova is the first woman in the history of Russian diplomacy to be appointed to the post of official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry. She is one of the most quoted diplomats in Russia and is known for her "poignant" remarks on social media.

The new speaker of the diplomatic department is often compared with the former speaker of the US State Department, Jen Psaki, who is often ridiculed in Russia for ridiculous comments and statements. For the informality of speech and the ability to present diplomatic information in a “living” language and in an extraordinary manner, Zakharov is called “Anti-Psaki”, considering her a worthy main media person of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Age: 42

Place of birth: Russia

Height: 170

Occupation: Official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

Family status: Married

What does it mean to be Russian?

— This is a very interesting question. I often think about it. Be emotional, sincere and generous, wide in many things, passionately love and hate strongly, be very fair, but always in your own way. Harness slowly and drive fast, that's exactly the Russian way. Do not succumb to power and melt from love.

Maria Zakharova

Maria Vladimirovna Zakharova was born on December 24, 1975 in a family of Russian diplomats who worked in Beijing for a long time. In this regard, the childhood of the future speaker of the Russian Foreign Ministry was spent in the capital of China, thanks to which she is fluent in Chinese. There is practically no information about Zakharova's school years, it is only known that she was a diligent student who dreamed of becoming a diplomat from childhood. According to Zakharova herself, her favorite program in her youth was the International Panorama, which fascinated her.

Maria's parents

In this regard, the girl did not experience any difficulties with choosing a future profession - she did not hesitate to enter the Moscow State Institute of International Relations at the Faculty of Journalism, which she successfully graduated in 1998 with a diploma in international journalism. Zakharova did her undergraduate practice at the Russian embassy in Beijing, and after receiving her diploma, she remained to work at the Russian Foreign Ministry. In 2003, Maria became a candidate of historical sciences, having defended her dissertation at the Peoples' Friendship University. He is fluent in English and Chinese.

Maria Zakharova's career from the first days has been continuously connected with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. First, the girl got a job as an editor in the departmental magazine Diplomatic Bulletin, and after that she was hired by the Information and Press Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, where she acted as head of the operational media monitoring department.

The next step in Zakharova's career was a new senior position in the diplomatic department - she headed the press service of the Permanent Mission of Russia to the UN in New York. Maria worked in this position until 2008, after which she returned to Moscow to her previous place of work.

For the next three years, the future speaker of the Russian Foreign Ministry actively showed her professional qualities in the central office of the department, thanks to which in 2011 she was appointed deputy head of the Information and Press Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry. In her position, Zakharova became widely known in society, since her duties included frequent communication with the press. Also, the scope of her activities included organizing regular briefings by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, accompanying the head of the department, Sergei Lavrov, during foreign visits, as well as popularizing the foreign ministry in social networks.

It is Maria Zakharova who owes the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation an active access to the social network in an informal form. Her professionalism and ability to work with the public made it possible to popularize the department among the society, thanks to which the population began to receive political information in a “living” language with particular sharpness and emotionality. At the same time, Maria Vladimirovna regularly takes an active part in political programs and talk shows, which allowed her to become one of the most quoted Russian diplomats.

For her 15-year work at the Russian Foreign Ministry, Zakharova was awarded the diplomatic rank of top-class adviser, and was also admitted to the Council on Foreign Policy and Defense of the Russian Federation.

On August 10, 2015, Maria Zakharova was appointed to the post of official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry. In this position, they replaced Alexander Lukashevich, in connection with his appointment as Russia's Permanent Representative to the OSCE. Having become the first media person of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Vladimirovna noted that there would be no significant changes in her work. She intends to continue to cover diplomatic activities in social networks and inform the public about the work of the department in the same form.

Zakharova stressed that over the past four years of direct work under the leadership of Lukashevich, she has taken over from him all the colossal experience, therefore, after being appointed to a new position, she does not see any difficulties and obstacles for her to be active. As head of the Information and Press Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Vladimirovna promised to do her job with high quality and preserve all the achievements of her predecessors without changing the genre and format of political clarifications on social networks.

In the Russian Foreign Ministry, opinion was divided on the appointment of Maria Vladimirovna to the post of official representative. Some believe that foreign policy is far from being an area where one can experiment in Zakharova's characteristic style, while others, on the contrary, call the appointment of Zakharova a profitable option for the department, since she is a professional in her field.

Personal life

The Russian diplomat spends his free time with his family. She is married to businessman Andrei Makarov and has a seven-year-old daughter, Marianna. Maria Zakharova also regularly visits the gym, writes poetry and is an active user of the social network Facebook. On her page, she shares personal photos with subscribers and covers ongoing events. In rare moments of rest, he likes to write poetry, which he sometimes shares with subscribers on social networks.

In November 2016, on her eleventh wedding anniversary, Zakharova shared photos from the ceremony. The celebration took place in New York in 2005. “I worked there. Domestic husband. He came, got married, left, ”Maria reassured her subscribers.

Wedding photo of Maria Zakharova (2005)

Thanks to the active, witty, sometimes even harsh defense of the positions of the Foreign Ministry, Maria was included in the top ten media rating of Russian women for 2015-2016 in terms of frequency of mention in the domestic media.

With daughter Mariana.

Maria invariably looks great and, despite the strict dressing necessary for a diplomat, manages to appear stylish, beautiful and feminine before the public.

“There is no stylist, I dress myself, I also buy things myself. They don’t give out money for this, unfortunately, they don’t sew anything. Except for the full dress - the same uniform that I presented to everyone on the Diplomatic Worker’s Day, here it really is, they sew it, " she says.

In everyday life, she, of course, allows liberties and experiments with the image.

- How do you get addressed more often: Maria or Maria Vladimirovna?

- In different ways, if journalists have known me for a long time - Maria, if not very much - Maria Vladimirovna. Foreign journalists most often just Maria. To be honest, in this sense, I am an unpretentious person, not capricious. I try to agree to all the conditions as much as possible, if they are unprincipled for me, but important for the interlocutor or partner.

I do not try to invent difficulties where there are none. And I myself do not like it when I meet people or authorities who come up with problems from scratch.

Tell me, how do you choose your clothes?

- Clothing should correspond to the format of the event, time of day, circumstances. Apparently, for some reason it seems to people that I am flying on a cloud harnessed by two pink ponies, and the morning swallows bring me outfits sewn from spring flowers. But it's not. I am an ordinary person, I have nothing that would distinguish me from a person on the street, in a cafe or in a store, except for the fact that I am shown on TV.

I have no atelier, no tailors, no stylists.

- Where do you do your hair?

- At the barbershop. If this is a Foreign Ministry briefing, then before the briefing, I style my hair at the hairdresser. And if a television studio, then there is everything in the dressing room.

What did you dream about as a child?

- Childhood is not homogeneous, the child goes through some stages. And at different stages I dreamed of different things. Once I dreamed of the toys I liked, then that no one in the world would get sick - it was a very specific dream. I dreamed of becoming someone: in the morning - a doctor, in the afternoon - an astronaut, in the evening - a ballerina.

— Tell me, how did the idea come about to become active in social networks so that the official position of the Russian Foreign Ministry appears there?

“It was a combination of many factors. Firstly, it is a statement that a new phenomenon has appeared, which has become so large-scale and influential that it is simply impossible not to take it into account in the work. The second point: such a task was set by the leadership, you need to be closer to people, more open and sociable. Third: we ourselves understood that the new time requires a new presentation of information.

— Maria Vladimirovna, do you have a dacha?

- Yes. We go there often. When a dacha was built, a place was chosen next to a large lake. This is a very beautiful place.

- Did you celebrate Maslenitsa?

- Of course, on one of the days of Shrovetide week I baked pancakes. I have them special: thick pancakes, I don’t really like thin ones. They're not pancakes, but they're not thin pancakes either.

- Do you have any pets?

We have one dog for our entire large family. Her story is connected to me. For 15 years we have never bought dogs, but only picked them up - these were dogs brought from the street. After my grandmother's dog died of old age, I found one of the dog shelters on the Internet. There I saw a photograph of a dog, there was something so sincere in it. And when we went to the shelter, it turned out that it was three times larger than expected (laughs).

Grandmother's apartment was small, grandmother could manage with a small dog, and this one turned out to be 70-80 centimeters at the withers. We liked the dog and she liked us. Since then, she has been living with us, an amazing kind dog. At first she lived with her grandmother, when her grandmother was alive, and now the dog lives with us, with my parents, we also go to the dacha together.

- Your appearance at one of the briefings in uniform caused a real sensation not only among journalists ...

- Yes, such a lively interest really surprised me, because the reaction was close to shock. Although this form has its roots in Tsarist Russia. In its modern form, this form has existed for more than a dozen years. The form relies on the extraordinary and plenipotentiary envoys of the first and second class and the ambassadors of Russia. Russian diplomats wear it on the occasion of national holidays, receptions in the host country, and audiences with the leadership of the state in the country where the ambassador is accredited. Moreover, there is also a light dairy-beige diplomatic uniform for countries with a hot climate.

- And from the second courses?

— I cook both fish and meat. Recently made a rabbit. I made it according to Eastern European recipes, marinated rabbit meat overnight in red wine, then stewed it. I love to cook, I love it.

- Did you ever think that you would someday become a member of the government, the Minister of Foreign Affairs or the Russian Ambassador to the United States?

“I never thought about any of those things. And I say this with complete honesty and sincerity. Moreover, I never thought that I would become the director of the information and press department of the Russian Foreign Ministry. For Russia, the diplomatic service has always been a traditionally male affair. I am a very realistic person, and it is really important for me to do my job well today and now.

I have no idea how tomorrow will turn out - this is especially true for those who work in the field of information. In our profession, you can get up in the morning and realize that something has happened that makes all the work done in advance unnecessary, irrelevant and out of time, and you need to start all over again.

What was the biggest success in your life?

- The birth of a daughter - without options. The birth of a child allows you to look at this life in a completely different space. A child opens the secret doors of this universe to you with an unknown magic key - that's for sure.

In general, I think that raising a child is the most difficult thing in life. There is nothing more difficult. This is the biggest responsibility in life. It is difficult to be a doctor and perform operations, it is difficult to fly an airplane. But raising a child is a huge responsibility.

- Are you satisfied with your life?

- If a person says that he is satisfied, there are big doubts about his sincerity. Life is a story not only about pleasure, but also about overcoming. This is a process. There are moments when I am extremely dissatisfied with something, and then everything works out, and I am very satisfied. That's life.

While I'm researching it.

The most recognizable faces of Russian diplomacy: Sergey Lavrov, the late Vitaly Churkin and the head of the information and press department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Maria Vladimirovna Zakharova. The Western press gave her the title of Putin's propaganda arrowhead, striking with charm, thanks to her extraordinary mind and sharp remarks.

Zakharov dynasty

For the daughter of the Soviet envoy Maria Zakharova, who spent a conscious part of her childhood abroad, the ethics and rules of behavior of the face of the country are not new. She believes that PR campaigns of the diplomatic department are not able to bring success if the employees of diplomatic missions do not become propagandists of the country's policy to the same extent as TV presenters.

The head of the diplomatic dynasty, Vladimir Yuryevich Zakharov, after graduating from the Faculty of Philology at the course "Chinese language and literature" of Leningrad University in 1971, was assigned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union. He gave 26 years of his life to the diplomatic department.

On December 24, 1975, a daughter was born in the family of sinologists Irina and Vladimir Zakharov. She went to school already in Beijing, where her father was sent to work. Parents lived in China for over 20 years. They became related to the culture of the neighboring people.

After completing work abroad, the parents settled in Moscow. Vladimir Yuryevich became a professor, teaches at economic and linguistic universities. The wife is engaged in scientific work at the Museum of Fine Arts.

Linguists, upon returning to their homeland, published a book of folk tales in Russian under the romantic title “We wish you happiness from year to year.”

Career

For Maria Vladimirovna, the career of a diplomatic worker is the fulfillment of a childhood dream. With the help of her parents, she immersed herself in the linguistic culture of the country, with which in those days good neighborly relations were only being established again.

The most interesting TV show for family viewing was Zorin's International Panorama. At 92, she brilliantly graduated from high school and passed the exams in her homeland at MGIMO at the Faculty of International Journalism. Practice before the defense of the diploma fell on Beijing. There was an unexpected return to an unforgettable China.

In 1998, Maria, as a graduate, was included in the journal Diplomatic Bulletin, published by the Russian Foreign Ministry. The quality and effectiveness of the girl's work was appreciated by Alexander Vladimirovich Yakovenko, who directly supervised the work of Zakharova. Soon he moved to the rank of Deputy Minister.

After 5 years, Zakharova, having gained experience, was promoted to the same ministry. Headed the Operational Media Monitoring Section of the Information and Press Department. The sphere of responsibility included information support of the minister during business trips abroad, maintenance of the ministry's accounts in social networks.

And again she did not remain in the shadows. In 2003, an employee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation became a candidate of science, having defended her dissertation at the Moscow State University of Friendship of Peoples. Patrice Lumumba about the peculiarities of New Year's holiday rituals in the Celestial Empire in the light of a fresh understanding of the national historical symbolism of the holiday.

After another 2 years, she was appointed to the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the UN as a press secretary. The legendary Vitaly Ivanovich Churkin, with whom I had to work side by side, directed the work of Zakharova. Maria Vladimirovna remembers her work in New York with the ace of Russian diplomacy with warmth.

The experience of verbal battles at briefings with unexpected provocative questions from journalists from scandalous publications tempered her character. Consistency, consistency and restraint, seasoned with a bit of humor, added sympathy and openness to the foreign policy body on the world stage.

Family is a closed territory

The biography of a public person is interesting to the layman not only by the number of career steps he has overcome. I would like to know about the private life of a woman-mother, wife. And this, perhaps, is of primary interest. Nothing human is alien to Zakharova.

The column "marital status" is filled with the word "married". The marriage was concluded in 2005 at the Russian Embassy in New York. The groom flew to the wedding ceremony from Moscow. Andrei, a businessman and patriot, reasoned that his beloved did not have the right to manage time as freely as he could afford. According to Maria, “I arrived, registered the marriage, left.” The publicity of the position at the UN taught the young woman to separate the family and work in the ministry.

She put her maiden name to limit the ability of the yellow press to break into her personal life. The prudent husband agreed with the arguments.

Protection is never perfect. There are loopholes for unscrupulous fried lovers. Wedding photos with frank kisses of the bride and groom are posted on the Internet against the will of the owner. The family is out of the public eye.

The column “children” in the personal file is filled in with “daughter Maryana, born in 2010”. Sometimes, when there was no one to leave the child with, I had to go to work with the baby. This year the girl will start school. The hassle will be added.

Opinion of foreign colleagues

In the second half of 2015, when she became the director of the Information and Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and acquired the status of the Official Representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, world and all-Russian fame came.

Here is what the English-language Wikipedia writes about her with links to printed sources:

"Smart sexy blonde ... appearance ... subtle diplomatic provocation" (Stern);
"Femininity and success - the continuation of the attractiveness, infused with toughness" (Sunday Times);

At one time, the Russian "sexual beast", as the Western media dubbed Zakharova, was compared with Jen Psaki. Not quite a fair comparison. Maria Zakharova keeps so much information in her head that the punctures that happened to her American colleague due to lack of awareness do not threaten her.

Fresh spirit

A high-ranking official of the new formation is not afraid to part with officialdom. She decisively adopted the free manner of Western politicians of informal communication, which immediately affected the rating and the interest of citizens in foreign policy.

Has Zakharova Maria Vladimirovna changed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? Undoubtedly, and for the better. The openness of the mouthpiece of the Foreign Ministry added credibility to the political leadership. The necessity or compulsion of political actions in the international arena has become clearer and clearer. Participation in talk shows on the central channels of domestic television, during which it is impossible to program, made Maria Vladimirovna one of the most recognizable women of the state. The ease of the sharp-tongued lady and the persuasiveness of the arguments added admirers.

Most Russians remember Zakharova for fulfilling her promise to journalists to dance "Kalinka" at the summit in Sochi. The impromptu was a success. The action came out of the category of those that are meaningless to repeat - not to outshine. Even ill-wishers on social networks were forced to note that it was a real bomb.

Video "Kalinka" at the summit in Sochi:

Maria Vladimirovna assessed the effectiveness of social networks in her previous position. She is an active Facebook user. Shares with readers, including controversial thoughts.

The reaction of socially and politically active citizens comes first hand, without the errors typical of monitoring. It can be stated that in the person of Maria Vladimirovna, for the first time, we encountered a live connection between the ministry and the population.

Creativity is not limited to demonstration dances in high heels. Maria writes poetry. Readers on Facebook are familiar with the work of the poetess. The poetic duel with the opposition journalist and poet Dmitry Bykov is indicative. She responded to irony with rhymed irony. The culture of dialogue was observed at the highest level, and the opponents deserve each other.

Maria Vladimirovna Zakharova She was born on December 24, 1975. Russian statesman, diplomat. Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary II class (2015). Director of the Information and Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. Candidate of Historical Sciences.

Father - Vladimir Yurievich Zakharov. Orientalist, specialist in Chinese language and literature, diplomat. For many years he worked at the embassy of the USSR and then of Russia in Beijing. Until 2014, he was an adviser to the secretariat of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Now he works as a senior lecturer at the Faculty of World Economy and World Politics at the Higher School of Economics, and also teaches at the School of Oriental Studies.

Mother - Irina Zakharova. Works as a senior researcher at the Moscow Museum of Fine Arts. A.S. Pushkin, Ph.D.

Recently, the parents of Maria Zakharova published a children's book "From year to year we wish happiness" - an illustrated retelling of Chinese folk tales of a 12-year calendar cycle associated with animals - symbols of the zodiac.

Maria's childhood passed in Beijing, where her parents worked.

“When I was little, I loved to play with dolls, like all girls, but I also loved making doll houses. Then the hobby changed, it became more serious - I started making miniature interiors,” she said. She was fond of miniatures when she leafed through a book about an elegant copy of the St. Petersburg apartment of Pushkin's friend Pavel Nashchokin.

However, even then she was drawn to politics and diplomacy. And if other children loved cartoons or "Visiting a Fairy Tale", then Maria was attracted by the program "International Panorama".

The love for China and Chinese culture was passed down from her parents to her.

In 1998 she graduated from the Faculty of International Journalism at MGIMO. And in 2003, already an employee of the Information and Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she defended her Ph.D. thesis on the topic “Transformation of understanding the symbolism of the celebration of the traditional New Year in modern China. Last quarter of the 20th century.

Since 1998 - an editorial staff member of the Diplomatic Bulletin of the Russian Foreign Ministry, then in the Information and Press Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

From 2003 to 2005 - head of a section in the Information and Press Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

From 2005 to 2008 - Press Secretary of the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations in New York.

From 2008 to 2011 - head of the department in the Information and Press Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

From 2011 to August 10, 2015 - Deputy Head of the Information and Press Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry. Her duties included organizing and holding briefings by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, organizing the work of the official accounts of the Russian Foreign Ministry in social networks and providing information support for foreign visits of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

She gained fame by participating in television political talk shows on Russian state television channels and commenting on political issues on social networks. He is one of the most quoted Russian diplomats. She is often compared to Jen Psaki (former spokesperson for the US State Department until March 31, 2015), noting that the Russian diplomat looks an order of magnitude higher intellectually.

TV presenter Vladimir Solovyov once called Zakharov "anti-psaki."

On August 10, 2015, by order of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Zakharova was appointed director of the Information and Press Department. In this position, they replaced Alexander Lukashevich, in connection with his appointment as Russia's Permanent Representative to the OSCE. She became the first woman in the history of the department to hold this post.

In this position, he conducts weekly briefings for journalists. With the arrival of Maria Zakharova as director of the Information and Press Department, the Russian Foreign Ministry spoke in a different language - the usual officialdom now coexists with informal and often controversial statements on social networks and is one of the main newsmakers in Russia and abroad. Zakharova herself says that the Russian Foreign Ministry keeps pace with the times and takes into account foreign experience.

Speaks English and Chinese. Diplomatic rank: Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the 2nd class (Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 653 of December 22, 2015). Member of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy of Russia. Academic degree - Candidate of Historical Sciences.

Writes poems. So, on November 24, 2015, she wrote a poem in memory of a Russian pilot and a marine who died in Syria as a result of an incident with:

Let us remember, brothers, those
Who closed the world
About your personal success
For us forever forgotten.

Let us remember them with a prayer,
To forgive those
Who didn't take us
Leaving on the ground.

Let's remember them a hundred times
And a glass and a tear,
And the bitterness of rewards
For their farewell fight.

Let's remember everything standing
Bent over the grass.
They left where
The light hides behind the darkness.

Let's reach out our hands to those
whose eyes are full of tears,
Whose house is orphaned
From the horror of trouble.

Let's change them, please.
Let's make peace with them,
who died for the country
For honor and for their own.

Selected quotes by Maria Zakharova:

“There are countries that are ahead of many other states in terms of their economic development, military potential, financial power. They have come out ahead, they have become leaders in many industries. Of course, there is a desire to rewrite the rules of the game in their favor, and this is natural for any society. But the question is how the rest of society reacts to this. You can give up your positions and submit to the right of the strong, or you can fight to defend your rights. And it seems to me that the moment of truth is right now. Either we really stand up for our rights, uphold the right to live independently, or we don't"

"Washington's actions are the implementation of a containment policy, but in this case, containment is not only Russia, it is containment of Europe as well"

"Where did interference in internal affairs under a plausible pretext lead to the existence of a sustainable, stable, prosperous state? Nowhere! A natural political process is the only way for a state to become stable and prosperous. The example of the collapse of Ukraine is no less significant"

"I had a better opinion about European politics, I thought that it was stronger. It is clear that the United States was pressing on them, but they are pressing - do not bend"

"I believe that any propaganda and any disinformation spread is powerless in front of a thinking person"

"No matter what they say, but in Crimea it was democracy, because for the first time in their lives people were allowed to speak out"

"Leaders who destroyed their own people burn in hell twice as brightly as those who destroyed someone else's"

"Life is so much more diverse and unrealistic than any science fiction films and action films that those people who are not dedicated cannot even imagine what it really is"

"For me, everything that was connected with the Second World War is sacred, not subject to any changes. This is what I stand on, what my family stands on. I believe that this is a great feat of the Soviet people and the Russian people"

"We must be honest and truthful with our own history. And if, as an official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I demand respect from countries in relation to monuments to Soviet soldiers, then I must first of all be honest with them and with myself, saying that in there were different moments in our history: there are things that we are proud of, and there are things that are mistakes, big and tragic mistakes"

“In peacetime, we don’t always know how to get ready. But when we woke up this bear, it won’t seem enough”

Maria Zakharova: I hate it when people are bullied, and I always stand for objectivity

The growth of Maria Zakharova: 170 centimeters.

Personal life of Maria Zakharova:

Married. The wife's name is Andrew. However, Maria categorically refuses to give details of her personal life, in particular, to talk about her husband.

It is known that the couple got married on November 7, 2005 in New York, when Maria worked there. "I worked in NY. My husband is domestic. I arrived, got married, left," -.

In August 2010, she gave birth to a daughter, Marianne.

As Maria said, her daughter had already visited the Foreign Ministry: "I took her to work a couple of times when there was absolutely no one to leave with."

Maria has kept her childhood passion to this day.

The first exhibit in Zakharova's collection was a microscopic straw hat with a flower. Maria acquired it when she lived with her parents in Beijing. When Zakharova grew up and began to travel the world on her own, she continued to chase rare and unusual miniature items. She acquired her exhibits everywhere: in England - a porcelain bath, in Canada - a pincushion chair, and in Kaliningrad - an amber iron, etc. Later she ordered the manufacture of a house, which cost her $ 200.

Maria invariably looks great and, despite the strict dressing necessary for a diplomat, manages to appear stylish, beautiful and feminine before the public.

In everyday life, she, of course, allows liberties and experiments with the image.

There are a huge number of well-known bright personalities in the Russian political world, they do not cease to arouse the interest of the public, and there are those who attract the most attention. Maria Zakharova belongs to such a famous person, she is a speech maker of the department that oversees foreign affairs in our country.

Biography of Maria Zakharova

Biographies of Maria Vladimirovna Zakharova should be given special attention. Zakharova's date of birth was December 24, 1975, respectively, the zodiac sign Capricorn. Maria Zakharova's father also followed the diplomatic line and was a highly qualified orientalist. Vladimir Yuryevich Zakharov graduated from the Leningrad State Institute in 1971, as a result of which he received a diploma and was a specialist in the field of literature and the Chinese language. He devoted most of his life to diplomatic work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, first of the USSR, and then of Russia, here Zakharov Vladimir Yuryevich spent 34 years in the periods 1980-2014.

Zakharova's father was the head of the Russian consulate in China for 13 years, was an adviser on culture and education in the same consulate. The next post he held was that of department head, and in a later period he became chief adviser to the minister. Today he is a senior lecturer in Oriental studies at the Higher School of Economics. In parallel, Zakharov is considered the head of the University of Scientific and Political Research, which is located in the Black Sea-Caspian region.

Mother Irina Vladislavovna Zakharova, born in 1949, graduated from Lomonosov University in Moscow and worked at the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts. At the moment she is a senior researcher in the department of aesthetic education. Zakharova Irina Vladislavovna defended her thesis at the Art Academy, after which the woman was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the Russian Federation.

Maria Zakharova spent her childhood like all children, walked, adored the picturesque streets of China, visited monasteries, where her parents often went and various parks. The young girl studied very well, studied Chinese at the direction of her parents. With her peers, Maria played with dolls and created houses for them, it was a real affection, which in her youth turned into a hobby, and it was realized in the creation of miniature interiors. Like her parents, Maria Zakharova was soon drawn into a seething and flaming life, got a serious job, followed in her father's footsteps.

Maria's favorite program was "International Panorama", where foreign issues were discussed in relation to economics and politics. After graduation, the family of Maria Zakharova returned to Moscow, where the girl entered MGIMO for journalism. She knew a lot about the east, so she went in this direction. The last course ended in 1998, and undergraduate practice took place at the Russian Embassy in China. After 5 years, Maria Zakharova had a grandiose defense of her dissertation on the topic “How the New Year is celebrated in China”, as a result of which she was awarded the degree of candidate of historical sciences.

How did the career start?

Labor activity began very actively, Zakharova Maria Vladimirovna was an employee of the journal "Diplomatic Bulletin" and worked in the editorial office. Here she met Alexander Yakovenko, he was later Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. The life principles of the boss coincided with those that Zakharova's grandmother adhered to. He believed that only clear teamwork would help achieve good results.

Grandmother taught Maria to be honest, to do her job with high quality, so that any check would pass without remarks, and the inspector would not have the opportunity to make complaints, but she quickly joined the position in the team, she was accepted as her own. Everything went quite smoothly in the editorial office, and later Maria Zakharova was transferred to the Department of Press and Information of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

It was a new environment, to which Zakharova quickly got used to, figured out her work and began to rapidly grow up the career ladder, because already in 2003 she became the head of the department in the operational monitoring of media information. Two years later, a business trip to New York followed, it was a matter of a lifetime, where Maria Zakharova served as a press secretary.

She returned to her editorial office in 2008, but after 3 years she was appointed to the position of deputy head of the press and information department, and soon the head of the unit. Professional qualities of a very high level, so Maria moved up the career ladder tremendously quickly.

As a representative of the highest competence, Zakharova participated in a talk show and expressed her opinion competently, could organize a briefing, form information support, and much more. Four years ago, which also reflects her biography, Maria Zakharova received the Runet Prize in the nomination of culture and communication. Participates in the organization of the Eurasian Women's Forum, which was held in St. Petersburg.

Maria Zakharova - husband, children

Maria Zakharova's husband Andrei Makarov is a very responsible and reliable man, their marriage can be called truly happy, where he helps her in any endeavors, ups and downs. Her husband is an entrepreneur, the wedding took place in New York on November 7, 2005, when Maria worked in America. In those moments, his marital status did not bother anyone, but a few years later, joint photographs caused a public outcry.

The daughter of Maria Zakharova Maryana was born 8 years ago. When Maria gives an interview for this or that news, she tells how she is already at work by nine in the morning, she is not embarrassed by a long working day, it can be different, sometimes even free time is given to professional time. While Zakharova was pregnant, she did not feel tired, but when she had to take her little daughter Maryana to work, since there was no one to leave at home with, certain difficulties appeared that were a little frightening.

The personal life of Maria Zakharova is not on public display and her husband is not a public figure. During the holidays, she writes poetry and posts it on social networks. For each diplomatic meeting, Maria tries to buy new things, updating her wardrobe is a hobby. Maria Zakharova in a swimsuit does not hesitate to be photographed, she is beautiful both in soul and figure, attracts the attention of many.