Maria Zakharova is the first woman appointed to the post in the history of Russian diplomacy official representative Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. She is one of the most quoted diplomats in Russia and is known for her “sharp” statements on social networks.
The new speaker of the diplomatic department is often compared to former US State Department Speaker Jen Psaki, who is often ridiculed in Russia for ridiculous comments and statements. For her informality of speech and ability to present diplomatic information in “live” language and in an extraordinary manner, Zakharova is called “Anti-Dogs”, considering her a worthy chief media person of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Age: 42 years
Place of birth: Russia
Height: 170
Occupation: Official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry
Family status: Married
What does it mean to be Russian?
- This is very interest Ask. I think about this often. To be emotional, sincere and generous, broad in many things, to love passionately and to hate strongly, to be very fair, but always in your own way. Harnessing slowly and driving quickly is absolutely the Russian way. Do not give in to force and melt from love.
Maria Zakharova
Maria Vladimirovna Zakharova was born on December 24, 1975 in a family of Russian diplomats, for a long time working in Beijing. In this regard, the future speaker of the Russian Foreign Ministry spent her childhood in the capital of the People's Republic of China, thanks to which she is fluent in Chinese. ABOUT school years There is virtually no information about Zakharova, all that is known is 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 “International Panorama,” which fascinated her.
Maria's parents
Due to this difficulty in choosing future profession the girl did not experience it - she entered the Moscow University without hesitation state institute international relations at the Faculty of Journalism, which she successfully graduated in 1998, receiving a diploma in international journalism. Pre-graduation practice Zakharova studied 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, defending her dissertation at Peoples' Friendship University. Fluent in English and Chinese.
From the first days, Maria Zakharova’s career has been continuously connected with Russian Ministry foreign affairs First, the girl got a job as an editor at the departmental magazine “Diplomatic Messenger”, and then was hired by the Department of Information and Press of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where she served as head of the operational media monitoring department.
The next step in Zakharova’s career was a new leadership 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 demonstrated her professional qualities in the central office of the department, thanks to which in 2011 she was appointed deputy head of the Department of Information and Press of the Russian Foreign Ministry. In her position, Zakharova became widely known in society, as her responsibilities included frequent communication with the press. Her activities also 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 policy department in in social networks.
It is Maria Zakharova who owes the Russian Foreign Ministry an active presence on social networks in an informal form. Her professionalism and ability to work with the public made it possible to popularize the department among society, thanks to which the population began to receive political information in “live” 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 years of work at the Russian Foreign Ministry, Zakharova was awarded the diplomatic rank of advisor of the highest class, and was also admitted to the Council for 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 to the post of 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 on social networks and, in the same form, inform the public about the work of the department.
Zakharova emphasized that over the past four years of direct work under the leadership of Lukashevich, she adopted all the colossal experience from him, therefore, after her appointment to new position does not see for himself any difficulties or barriers to active work. As head of the Department of Information and Press of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Vladimirovna promised to do her job efficiently and preserve all the achievements of her predecessors without changing the genre and format of political explanations on social networks.
At the Russian Foreign Ministry, opinions regarding the appointment of Maria Vladimirovna to the post of official representative were divided. Some believe that foreign policy is far from being an area where it is possible to experiment in Zakharova’s characteristic style, while others, on the contrary, call Zakharova’s appointment a beneficial 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 social media. Facebook networks. On her page, she shares personal photos with subscribers and covers current 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. The husband is domestic. Came, got married, left,” Maria reassured her subscribers.
Wedding photo of Maria Zakharova (2005)
Thanks to her active, witty, sometimes even harsh defense of the Foreign Ministry’s positions, Maria was included in the top ten media ratings Russian women for 2015-2016 by frequency of mention in domestic media.
With daughter Maryana.
Maria always looks great and, despite the strictness of dress required for a diplomat, she manages to appear stylish, beautiful and feminine to the public.
“There is no stylist, I dress myself, I buy things myself. They don’t give money for this, unfortunately, they don’t sew anything. Except for the dress uniform - the same uniform that was presented to everyone on Diplomatic Worker’s Day, that’s what it’s really supposed to be, they sew it,” - she says.
IN Everyday life, she, of course, allows liberties and experiments with the image.
— How do they address you more often: Maria or Maria Vladimirovna?
- It’s different if journalists have known me for a long time - Maria, if not very well - Maria Vladimirovna. Foreign journalists are most often just Maria. To be honest, in this sense I am an unpretentious person, not capricious. I try to agree to all conditions as much as possible, if they are unimportant for me, but important for the interlocutor or partner.
I don't try to invent difficulties where there are none. And I myself don’t like it when I meet people or authorities who come up with problems out of nowhere.
Tell me, how do you choose your clothes?
— Clothing must match the format of the event, time of day, circumstances. Apparently, for some reason people think that I’m flying on a cloud harnessed by two pink ponies, and the morning swallows bring me outfits made from spring flowers. But that's not true. I a common 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 neither an atelier, nor my own tailors, nor stylists.
-Where do you get your hair done?
- At the hairdresser's. If this is a Foreign Ministry briefing, then before the briefing I style my hair at the hairdresser. And if it’s a television studio, then it’s all there in the dressing room.
— What did you dream of as a child?
— Childhood is heterogeneous, the child goes through certain stages. And at different stages I dreamed about different things. I once dreamed about the toys I liked, then about how 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 you come up with the idea to become more active on social networks so that the official position of the Russian Foreign Ministry would appear there?
“It was a combination of many factors. Firstly, it is a statement that a new phenomenon has emerged that has become so large-scale and influential that it is simply impossible not to take it into account in our work. The second point: this task was set by the management; we need to be closer to people, more open and communicative. Third: we ourselves understood that the new time requires new submission information.
- Maria Vladimirovna, do you have a dacha?
- Yes. We go there often. When the 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 Maslenitsa week I baked pancakes. I have them special: thick pancakes, I don’t really like thin ones. These are not pancakes, but they are not thin pancakes either.
— Do you have any pets?
— We have one dog for our entire large family. Her story is connected with me. For 15 years, we never bought dogs, but only picked them up - they were dogs brought in 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 soulful about it. And when we went to the shelter, it turned out that she was three times larger than expected (laughs).
My grandmother’s apartment was small, my grandmother could manage a small dog, but 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 my grandmother was alive, and now the dog lives with us, with my parents, and 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 keen interest really surprised me, because the reaction was close to shock. Although this form goes back to Tsarist Russia. IN modern form this form has existed for decades. The uniform is required for envoys extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the first and second class and ambassadors of Russia. Russian diplomats wear it on occasion national holidays, receptions in the host country, an audience with the leadership of the state in the country where the ambassador is accredited. Moreover, there is also a light milky beige diplomatic uniform for countries with hot climates.
- And what about the second courses?
— I cook both fish and meat. I recently made a rabbit. I made it according to Eastern European recipes, marinated rabbit meat overnight in red wine, then stewed it. I love cooking, I enjoy it.
- Have you ever thought that you would someday become a member of the government, minister of foreign affairs or ambassador of Russia to the United States?
“I never thought about any of these points. And I say this absolutely honestly and sincerely. Moreover, I never thought that I would become 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 information sector. 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 untimely, and you need to start all over again.
— What was the greatest success in your life?
— The birth of a daughter is without options. The birth of a child allows you to look at this life in a completely different space. A child opens for you with an unknown magic key the secret doors of this universe - 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. It's a process. There are times when I am extremely dissatisfied with something, and then everything works out, and I am very happy. That's life.
While I'm exploring it.
Maria Vladimirovna Zakharova is an influential diplomat and official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry. Born on December 24, 1975 in a diplomatic family.
Childhood
Maria spent her childhood in Beijing, where her love for history and the East was born, which has remained to this day. A long stay in China left its indelible mark and influenced the girl’s character. She admired Chinese art, I especially liked the national double-sided embroidery.
Later, she will transfer the values of Eastern philosophy into her style of work and in one of her interviews she will say that even if you need to sew so that it looks beautiful from the inside out, then you need to work the same way. And all her life she made such high demands not only on those around her, but also on herself.
After graduating from school, Maria and her family return to Moscow and enter MGIMO to study international journalism with a specialization in Oriental studies. Naturally, this choice was not a surprise to anyone. The girl simply continued to develop in an environment familiar to her from childhood.
Carier start
In 1998, after completing her studies, she was able to briefly return to the familiar Beijing. There she completed postgraduate internship at the Russian Embassy. By the way, Maria also defended her PhD thesis on the topic of Oriental studies, supported by studies of modern China.
Your first real workplace Maria received it in the Diplomatic Bulletin magazine under the Russian Foreign Ministry. It was there that Maria met with her first leader, Alexander Yakovenko, who later took the post of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Yakovenko was then one of the few leaders who adhered to the principles of teamwork. He not only carefully selected his employees, but also taught them high-quality professional interaction, in which personal authority or achievements were put at the forefront, and the overall team result of work. Maria remains faithful to these principles to this day.
History of success
Soon Maria was transferred to the Department of Information and Press at the Russian Foreign Ministry, where in 2003 she already took the post of head of the department. She successfully worked there until 2005, when she was transferred to New York as press secretary of the Russian Embassy to the UN.
In 2008, Zakharova returned to Moscow again to her position, but in 2011 she already became deputy head of the entire Department of Press and Information at the Russian Foreign Ministry.
At this time, she was already becoming quite a famous and influential person, who was familiar to Russians thanks to the popular political television talk shows “Politics”, “Sunday Evening with Vladimir Solovyov”, etc., in which Maria regularly takes part. It's always interesting to listen to her because she is not afraid to openly express her opinions and raise truly pressing issues.
In August 2015, Maria Zakharova became the first woman in Russian history to head the Department of Press and Information at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She has also been appointed as the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Zakharova on social networks
Maria Zakharova is one of the first Russian diplomatic figures who actively use such a reality of our time as social networks in their work. Social networks are not just a propaganda tool for her political activity diplomatic mission, but also a source of feedback.
In this way, she manages to keep her finger on the pulse of public opinion, to see the very “wrong side” of her active work, which she remembers all her life. Her grandmother taught her this and she instills this same quality in her daughter.
In January 2017, Maria received the first order in her life. It was presented by Vladimir Putin himself - the “Order of Friendship”.
For good service and work for the benefit of Russia, Zakharova was promoted in 2017. She is now “Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, 1st Class.”
Maria Zakharova constantly holds press conferences with media representatives in order to tell last news. In her opinion, the world is now more than ever opposed to the Russians, and this must be resisted.
Zakharova in 2018, after the loud scandal with the poisoning of the Skripal family, spoke quite harshly about the conduct of British politics, allegedly they are to blame for the genocide of the Tasmanians and Boers in the 19th century and for the murder of Grigory Rasputin.
Maria Zakharova never stands aside from the events that take place in world politics. She always expresses her opinion on what is happening and writes it on the Internet.
She also did not stand aside when they wanted to close the Telegram social network. Maria believes that these are very strict measures and it would be possible to simply introduce mandatory registration of all users, and not immediately close the network.
Maria Vladimirovna Zakharova. Born December 24, 1975. Russian statesman, diplomat. Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary II class (2015). Director of the Department of Information and Press of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Russian Federation. Candidate of Historical Sciences.
Father - Vladimir Yuryevich Zakharov. Orientalist, specialist in Chinese language and literature, diplomat. He worked for many years at the USSR and then Russian embassy in Beijing. Until 2014 he was an adviser to the secretariat Shanghai organization cooperation (SCO). Currently working as a senior lecturer at the Faculty of World Economy and International Politics High school economics, and also teaches at the School of Oriental Studies.
Mother - Irina Zakharova. Works as a senior research fellow Moscow Museum fine arts them. A.S. Pushkin, candidate of art history.
Recently, Maria Zakharova’s parents published a children’s book “We wish you happiness from year to year” - an illustrated retelling of Chinese folk tales 12-year calendar cycle associated with animals - symbols of the zodiac.
Maria spent her childhood in Beijing, where her parents worked.
“When I was little, I loved playing 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 became interested in 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 while other children loved cartoons or “Visiting a Fairy Tale,” Maria was attracted to the program “International Panorama.”
The love for China and Chinese culture was passed on 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 Department of Information and Press of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she defended her thesis on the topic “Transformation of understanding the symbolism of the celebration of the traditional New Year in modern China. The last quarter of the twentieth century."
Since 1998 - an employee of the editorial office of the Diplomatic Bulletin magazine of the Russian Foreign Ministry, then in the Department of Information and Press of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
From 2003 to 2005 - head of department in the Department of Information and Press of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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 department in the Department of Information and Press of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
From 2011 to August 10, 2015 - Deputy Head of the Department of Information and Press of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Her responsibilities included organizing and conducting briefings of the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, organizing the work of official accounts of the Russian Foreign Ministry on 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 in social networks. He is one of the most quoted Russian diplomats. She is often compared to Jen Psaki (former official representative of the US State Department until March 31, 2015), noting that the Russian diplomat looks much higher intellectually.
TV presenter Vladimir Solovyov once called Zakharova “anti-Psaki.”
On August 10, 2015, by order of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Zakharova was appointed director of the Department of Information and Press. In this position, they replaced Alexander Lukashevich, in connection with his appointment to the post of 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 Department of Information and Press, the Russian Foreign Ministry began to speak 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 up with the times and takes into account foreign experience.
Speaks English and Chinese. Diplomatic rank: Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, 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 the Russian pilot and marine who died in Syria as a result of an incident with:
Let us remember, brothers, those
Who closed the world with himself,
About personal, your success
For us I forgot it forever.Let us remember them with prayer,
So that those who would forgive
Who didn't take us with him,
Left 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 while standing,
Bent over the grass.
They went where
The light is hidden behind the darkness.Let's stretch out our hands to those
whose eyes are full of tears,
Whose house was orphaned
From the horror of Trouble.Let's remember them, please
Let us remember them in peace,
Those who died for the country,
For honor and for our own.Selected quotes from Maria Zakharova:
"There are countries that are ahead of many other states in terms of their level of economic development, military potential, financial power. They got ahead, they became leaders in many industries. Of course, there is a desire to rewrite the rules of the game in one’s 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 rule of the strong, or you can fight to defend your rights. And it seems to me that the moment of truth is coming right now. Either we really defend our rights, defend the right to independent life, or we don't do it"
“Washington’s actions are the implementation of a policy of containment, but in this case, containment is not only of Russia, it is containment of Europe as well.”
“Where has interference in internal affairs under a plausible pretext led 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 indicative.”
"I had a better opinion of European politics, believed that she was stronger. It is clear that the United States was putting pressure on them, but they are putting pressure on them - don’t bend."
“I believe that any propaganda and any disinformation spread is powerless in the face of a thinking person.”
“No matter how or what they said, 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 unreal than any science fiction films and action films that those people who are not initiated 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 think this is a great feat Soviet people and the Russian people"
"We must be honest and truthful with our own history. And if I, as an official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, demand respect from countries in relation to monuments Soviet soldiers, then I must first of all be honest with them and with myself, saying that there have been different moments in our history: there are things that we are proud of, and there are things that are mistakes, big and tragic mistakes."
"We are in Peaceful time We don’t always know how to get together. But when they woke up this bear, it didn’t seem like much anymore.”
Maria Zakharova: I hate it when people are bullied, and I always advocate objectivity
Maria Zakharova's height: 170 centimeters.
Personal life of Maria Zakharova:
Married. My wife's name is Andrey. However, Maria categorically refuses to provide details of her personal life, in particular, 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 New York. My husband is domestic. He came, got married, left,” - .
In August 2010, she gave birth to a daughter, Marianna.
As Maria said, her daughter had already been to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: “I took her to work a couple of times when there was absolutely no one to leave her with.”
Maria has retained her childhood hobby to this day.
The first exhibit in Zakharova’s collection was a microscopic straw hat with a flower. Maria bought it when she lived with her parents in Beijing. When Zakharova grew up and began to travel around the world on her own, she continued to chase rare and unusual objects of miniature size. She purchased her exhibits everywhere: in England - a porcelain bathtub, in Canada - a pincushion chair, and in Kaliningrad - an amber iron, etc. Later she ordered the making of a house, which cost her $200.
Maria always looks great and, despite the strictness of dress required for a diplomat, she manages to appear stylish, beautiful and feminine to the public.
“There is no stylist, I dress myself, I buy things myself. They don’t give money for this, unfortunately, they don’t sew anything. Except for the dress uniform - the same uniform that was presented to everyone on Diplomatic Worker’s Day, that’s what it’s really supposed to be, they sew it,” - she says.
In everyday life, she, of course, takes liberties and experiments with her image.
Maria Vladimirovna Zakharova is a diplomat, director of the information and press department at the Russian Foreign Ministry. Official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Has a PhD in history. In the foreign press she is called “sexy, smart and a terrible miracle weapon of Putin’s propaganda”; in Russia they admire her straightforwardness, an amazing combination of femininity and toughness, often calling Zakharova “the Russian analogue of Jen Psaki.”
Childhood and family
Maria spent her childhood in Beijing, where her diplomat parents arrived in the early 80s. Father, Vladimir Yuryevich, an orientalist, a specialist in Chinese language and literature, worked as an adviser to the secretariat of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization until 2014, after which he was a senior lecturer at the Faculty of World Economy and World Politics at the Higher School of Economics, and also lectured at the School of Oriental Studies. His wife Irina, upon returning from China, became a researcher at the capital's Museum of Fine Arts. A.S. Pushkin. She is a candidate of art history and knows the culture, history, and traditions of China very well. Together with her husband, she published a book for children, “We wish you happiness from year to year,” a collection of Chinese folk tales.
I dreamed of doing the same hectic and serious work as my father, and writing as well as my mother. Perhaps that is why little Masha’s favorite program was the weekly program “International Panorama”, in which the main economic and political events abroad.
Maria Zakharova dances "Kalinka"
After graduating from school, Maria and her parents returned to Moscow, where she entered the Faculty of International Journalism at MGIMO (specialization in Oriental Studies and Journalism). In 1998, during her final year, Zakharova completed a postgraduate internship at the Russian Embassy in her almost native China. Five years later, in 2003, at the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, Maria successfully defended her Ph.D. thesis on a topic so familiar and close to her about New Year celebrations in China, after which she received a Candidate of Historical Sciences degree.
Diplomat career
Maria Zakharova’s first place of work was the editorial office of the Russian Foreign Ministry magazine “Diplomatic Messenger”. In the editorial office, Maria met Alexander Vladimirovich Yakovenko, her first leader and future Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. Alexander Vladimirovich adhered to the same principles in his work as Maria’s beloved grandmother. He believed that quality and professional interaction between team members were important in work. Masha’s grandmother also taught the girl the idea that any work should be done perfectly, even if no one checks it. As an example, she cited embroidery, which even with reverse side should look neat. So the girl easily joined the team.
Having shown herself excellently in the editorial office, Maria, by decision of the management, soon moved to the Department of Information and Press under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia. Having gotten used to new job, in 2003, Zakharova headed the operational media monitoring department. Two years later, Maria went to New York as press secretary of the Permanent Mission of Russia to the United Nations.
In 2008, Maria returned to her home department, in Moscow, but three years later she was appointed deputy head of the Department of Press and Information and just two years later she headed it, replacing her former boss Alexander Lukashevich. The reason for the appointment was not only Maria’s professionalism, experience and knowledge, but also her popularity in the media sphere. The woman was a frequent guest on numerous talk shows and never missed an opportunity to express her position on social networks.
Maria Zakharova is loved for her aggressive, straightforward rhetoric
She was responsible for organizing the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, maintained the official accounts of the Ministry on social networks, and provided information support to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during trips abroad. Soon followed the appointment of Zakharova to the post of official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry. Since then, the diplomat has often appeared on television with explanations official position Ministry, but did it so informally and naturally that it repeatedly caused heated debates and discussions.
For her high professionalism, Maria Zakharova was awarded the rank of top-class diplomatic adviser and admission to the Council on Foreign Policy and Defense of Russia.
Maria Zakharova about relations with the USA (program by Vladimir Solovyov)
Personal life of Maria Zakharova
Maria does not say anything about her personal life. It is only known that she is married, her husband’s name is Andrei Makarov.Name: Zakharova Maria Vladimirovna. Date of birth: December 24, 1975. Place of birth: Moscow, USSR.
Childhood and education
The Russian politician was born in December 1975 into a family of diplomats. Father - Vladimir Yuryevich Zakharov - orientalist, specialist in Chinese language and literature, diplomat. He worked for many years at the USSR Embassy, and then at the Russian Embassy in the capital of the People's Republic of China. Since 2014, he has been a senior lecturer at the National Research University Higher School of Economics. Maria Zakharova's mother, upon returning from China, became a researcher at the capital's Museum of Fine Arts. A.S. Pushkin. The Zakharovs have published a series of children's books.
The girl spent her entire childhood in China, where her love for history and the East began. A long stay in Beijing left its indelible mark and influenced Maria's character. “I remember my childhood memories - it was a challenge. This definitely did not apply to the life of the “golden youth,” Zakharova shared in one of her interviews.
I studied diligently at school and studied Chinese. On this moment Fluent in Chinese and English.
All that is known about Zakharova’s school years is that she was a diligent student, and since childhood she dreamed of doing the same hectic and serious work as her father. According to Zakharova herself, her favorite program in her youth was “International Panorama,” where events taking place abroad were discussed.
After Maria graduated from school, the Zakharov family returned to their homeland. In the capital, Maria, without hesitation, entered the Faculty of International Journalism at MGIMO (specialization in Oriental Studies and Journalism). As a fifth-year student, she was sent to practice at Russian embassy in China, which she had known since childhood.
In 2003, Maria defended her dissertation at RUDN University and received a PhD in Historical Sciences.
Political career
At the diplomatic mission of the Russian Federation in China, the diligent and talented Maria was noticed and invited to work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
Her first place of work in 1998 was the editorial office of the Russian Foreign Ministry magazine “Diplomatic Messenger,” although the girl herself was counting on a different outcome. According to her, she was preparing to become a sinologist and orientalist. But it turned out that when she came to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there were no places for this direction, and she was taken to the press service. This was a serious blow for her, since all her life she had been setting herself up for a different career path.
At her appointed post, the girl found many useful connections, including meeting Alexander Yakovenko, who later became the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
The young employee quickly got used to the work environment, and after some time she was transferred to the press and information department. And in 2003 she became the head of a department specializing in media monitoring. Zakharova worked in this position for a couple of years, after which another promotion awaited her. This time Zakharova was transferred to New York. There she became head of Russia's permanent mission to the United Nations in New York.
After three years, Maria Vladimirovna returned to her previous place of work in Moscow.
In 2011, she was appointed deputy head of the department in the Department of Information and Press of the Russian Foreign Ministry. In 2015, she received a new appointment and headed this structural unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, replacing Yakovenko. Zakharova became the first woman in the history of the department to hold this post.
From that moment on, the politician often appeared in public, spoke with the press, and spoke at briefings. Zakharova did not miss the opportunity to express her opinion on social networks about the most pressing problems.
The female politician was responsible for overseeing the organization and conduct of briefings by the official representative of the Ministry, entries in Internet resources on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as the formation of information support for Sergei Lavrov during his trips abroad.
At the end of December 2015 Russian politician was awarded the title of Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Second Class, which is a high-level diplomatic rank.
Personal life
Maria Zakharova got married in 2005 while working in New York. Her chosen one was entrepreneur Andrei Makarov. The wedding took place in America. In one of her interviews, the politician said that there were no guests at the ceremony - only she and her husband. Andrey and Maria are raising a daughter, Maryana, who was born in 2010.
IN free time Maria writes poetry and enjoys creating miniature interiors. Maria Vladimirovna has already written two songs, one of them is now included in the repertoire of Alexander Kogan. Another, with the participation of Maxim Fadeev, was performed and taken into production by Nargiz Zakirova, a participant in the “Voice” project.
