On guard of the Motherland: Sergey Ivanov died
Sergei Borisovich Ivanov, former Minister of Defense of Russia, full State Adviser of the Russian Federation, 1st class, full knight of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, Colonel-General of the reserve, died at the age of 73. The pages of the statesman's biography recall Izvestia.
Early years
Sergey Borisovich Ivanov was born on January 31, 1954 in Leningrad. He was a native of Leningrad, and three generations of his family lived in the city, both on his father's side and on his mother's side. After school, he studied at the translation department of the Philological Faculty of Leningrad State University, where he graduated from the military department. While still a student, he became a member of the CPSU.
First Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Russian Federation Sergey Ivanov during a visit to Voronezh Joint-Stock Aircraft Building Company, June 20, 2007
After graduating from the university in 1975, Sergei Ivanov joined the civil service in the KGB of the USSR. In 1976, he graduated from the higher courses of the KGB of the USSR in Minsk, and in 1981 — the Red Banner Institute of the KGB of the USSR. In 1976-1977, Sergei Ivanov was an employee of the 1st department of the KGB Directorate for Leningrad and the Leningrad region, where he served in the same unit with the future President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.
Until 1985, Sergei Ivanov worked for several years in the Soviet residency in Finland, from where he was transferred to Kenya. According to his own words, the transfer was due to the fact that the station staff had been betrayed by defector Oleg Gordievsky.
After the collapse of the USSR, Sergei Ivanov worked in the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service. He finished his service as First Deputy Director of the European Department of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service.
In the civil service
In August 1998, Sergei Ivanov was appointed Deputy Director of the FSB of Russia, Head of the Department of Analysis, Forecasting and Strategic Planning. On November 15, 1999, Ivanov assumed the post of Secretary of the Russian Security Council. From that moment on, Ivanov remained a permanent member of the Security Council, continuing to hold this post until May 25, 2008.
On March 28, 2001, Sergei Ivanov was appointed Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation. On November 14, 2005, while retaining the post of Minister, he received an additional appointment to the post of Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation. Since March 20, 2006, Sergey Ivanov has been Chairman of the Military Industrial Commission under the Government of the Russian Federation.
First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Sergey Ivanov at the joint board of the Ministry of Transport and the Federal Customs Service of Russia, April 09, 2007.
On February 15, 2007, Sergei Ivanov was relieved of his post as Minister of Defense and appointed First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation.
On May 12, 2008, Sergei Ivanov was appointed First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation in the Government of Vladimir Putin. In his post, he oversaw the issues of the military industry.
From December 22, 2011 to August 12, 2016, Sergey Ivanov served as Head of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation. In 2012, after Vladimir Putin returned to the post of President of the Russian Federation, Sergei Ivanov again became a permanent member of the Russian Security Council. On August 12, 2016, he was appointed Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation on environmental protection, Ecology and transport. In April 2017, he joined the Supervisory Board of Rostec State Corporation, where he was responsible for facilitating the development, production and export of high-tech products. Sergei Ivanov held these positions until his retirement in February 2026.
Social activities
In 2011, Sergey Ivanov took the initiative to establish a Euro-Asian conservation Center for Far Eastern leopards. After the establishment of the Eurasian Center for the Study, Conservation and Restoration of Leopard Populations, an autonomous non-profit organization, in the same year, he became chairman of its supervisory board. "At one time I lived in East Africa. There are luxurious national parks where hunting is strictly prohibited, and for killing our younger brothers they give 20 years in prison. But thanks to such measures, you can literally watch wild animals in their natural habitat from the car window. Outside, not in a cage. It shocked me. When I returned to Russia, I found out that we had a unique Far Eastern leopard, and I wholeheartedly embarked on a project to restore the species," Ivanov later said.
Honorary President of the VTB United League, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport Sergey Ivanov after the end of the VTB United League Basketball 2022 All–Star game at VTB Arena
Being a basketball fan, Sergey Ivanov became one of the founders of the Basketball United League in 2008. Since its foundation, he has been its president, and in 2014 he assumed the post of honorary president.
Since 2015, Sergey Ivanov has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Russian Geographical Society. "Russian Geographical Society... It allows people — and above all, young people! — it's better to learn your story. How has the state been created over the centuries? Thanks to whom? What was discovered? The Russian Geographical Society is a huge reservoir of knowledge, culture, and asceticism," noted Sergey Ivanov.
On April 15, 2019, Ivanov became Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Russian Military Historical Society, a post he held until his death.
In February 2026, Sergei Ivanov resigned from government posts at his own request. He died on June 26, 2026. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences over the death of Sergei Ivanov. This was announced by the press secretary of the head of state Dmitry Peskov.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
