Russia names its most influential women

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – www.rbth.ru – Inna Soboleva, Combined report, RBTH – March 8, 2013)

Before International Women’s Day, Russia’s leading media revealed a list of the country’s 100 most influential women.

The speaker of the Federation Council (upper house of Russia’s parliament), Valentina Matviyenko, topped the list of the 100 Most Influential Women in Russia for the second consecutive year, while third place went once again to Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev’s spokesperson, Natalya Timakova. The rest of the list has changed greatly since last year.

Echo Moskvy, RIA Novosti, Interfax and Ogonyok have published their second annual list of the “100 Most Influential Women in Russia.” The 2012 list includes women who either influence decision-making in politics or business, because of the high positions they hold, or who, by virtue of their professional or social activities, shape people’s opinions.

A panel of 43 experts scored each candidate on a scale from one to 20. The panel included representatives from business, the media and politics. RBTH presents the top 10 women on the list below.

1. Valentina Matviyenko, 63, speaker of the Federation Council

Yevgeny Gontmakher, member of the board of Russia’s Institute of Contemporary Development:

“I’ve worked a lot with Valentina in the government. She is a very good person, and there are very few that can match her. Not many people know this, but she helped move an old people’s home out of Grozny in Chechnya ­ which was at war at the time ­ at the initiative of [Russian journalist and human rights activist] Anna Politkovskaya.”

“Politkovskaya acted as a negotiator who managed to come to an agreement with the opposing party, and Valentina managed to agree with our party. It was an enormous challenge. They saved dozens of old people, who were moved from Grozny. There are many stories like this one.”

2. Olga Golodets, 50, deputy prime minister in charge of social issues

Vladimir Platonov, chair of Moscow City Duma:

“I know Golodets from our time working together in Moscow. She reported to the mayor on the most complicated issues, including social policy and healthcare. She responds to all kinds of challenges with enthusiasm, professionalism and promptness. I can say that she is generally regarded as being very effective at her job; many people are talking about her promotion, her career.”

3. Natalya Timakova, 37, spokesperson for the Russian prime minister

Vyacheslav Terekhov, first deputy director of Interfax news agency:

“I’ve known Natalya for about 15 years, and I’m not surprised that she has achieved so much. She’s resolute and has her own point of view. I should give her credit for building on the good legacy of the Kremlin spokespeople, who have always been close to journalists: if she cannot take a call, she’ll always call you back or text you.”

4. Elvira Nabiullina, 49, presidential aide and former minister of economic development and trade

Nikolai Zlobin, director of the Russia and Asia Program at the World Security Institute (U.S.):

“She was a member ­ pretty much the leader ­ of the team that helped the Russian economy come through the worst phases of the economic crisis. Russia did suffer during the crisis, but it could have been much worse. She played a very important part and became a true international economic celebrity. As a government representative, economist and scholar, her opinion matters.”

5. Alla Pugacheva, 63, singer-songwriter and actress

Nikolai Baskov, singer:

“Even at her age, Alla Pugacheva is still a diva. She is 100-percent woman: smart, beautiful, sexy. She drives men crazy and can still do some crazy things.”

6. Larisa Brycheva, 55, presidential aide

Arkady Dvorkovich, deputy prime minister:

“She has been head of the presidential administration’s legal department for many years, and she’s a great authority ­ even among those professionals, whose opinions are often more opposite than weather forecasts.”

7. Olga Yegorova, 57, chair of Moscow City Court

Mikhail Barshchevsky, plenipotentiary representative of the government in the highest courts:

“She is, without a doubt, a most competent judge. And she is not a bureaucrat. She knows the law and treats it as an expert, not as a blind executor. Olga is also a very open and sincere person, and that is very important.”

8. Svetlana Medvedeva, wife of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and head of the board of trustees for the Spiritual and Moral Culture of the Younger Generation of Russia program

Leonid Slutsky, chair of the State Duma Committee on CIS and Compatriots:

“I was lucky to work under her guidance on the restoration of the great shrine of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Navy ­ the Naval Cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Kronstadt ­ which will be consecrated in late May. She is a wonderful and kind person. She doesn’t look for quick-fixes and easy projects.”

9. Chulpan Khamatova, 37, actress, one of the founders of the Gift of Life charity

Ilya Averbukh, figure skater, coach and producer of ice pageants:

“Meeting her was a true gift, because Chulpan is a deep, cultured and interesting person.”

10. Svetlana Mironyuk, 45, editor-in-chief of RIA Novosti

Evgeniy Yasin, professor of economics and director of research at the Higher School of Economics:

“In her very high position, she manages to find a compromise between the demands of the authorities and the demands of journalists that seek freedom of speech and opportunities to voice their opinions. She does this better than anyone else.”

This combined report is based on materials from Ogonyok, RIA Novosti and Echo of Moscow.

Article also appeared at http://rbth.ru/arts/2013/03/08/russia_names_its_most_influential_women_of_2012_23635.html