Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 6, 2026

Maksut Shadayev

Maksut Igorevich Shadayev is a Russian politician serving as Russia's Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media since 21 January 2020.

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Jun 6, 2026
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Maksut Shadayev
Максут Шадаев
Shadayev in 2025
Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media
Incumbent
Assumed office
21 January 2020
Prime MinisterMikhail Mishustin
Andrey Belousov (acting)
Mikhail Mishustin
Preceded byKonstantin Noskov
Personal details
Born (1979-11-11) 11 November 1979
Moscow, Soviet Union
Russian State Social University
ProfessionSociologist
Awards
Order of Honour
Medal of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 2nd class

Maksut Igorevich Shadayev (Russian: Максут Игоревич Шадаев; born 11 November 1979) is a Russian politician serving as Russia's Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media since 21 January 2020.1

Biography

Since 1999, Shadayev has worked in companies within the information and communications technology sector. From 2000 to 2001, he worked at Arrava Internet Management, a company founded by Ilya Ponomarev and established by former executives of the oil company Yukos, registered in San Mateo, California.234 In October 2000, he held the position of Director of Internet Strategy at Arrava Internet Advisors.5

In 2004, Shadayev graduated from the Russian State Social University with a degree in sociology. That same year, he was appointed Advisor to Leonid Reiman, then Russia's Minister of Information Technologies and Communications. On 6 February 2006, he became Director of the Department for State Programs, Infrastructure Development, and Limited Resource Utilization at the Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications. In 2007, he joined Minister Reiman on the Board of Directors of the venture fund Rosinfocominvest, which belonged to the Federal Agency for State Property Management and whose creation had been lobbied for by the Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications.6

In May 2008, when the Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications was dissolved and replaced by the Ministry of Communications and Mass Media, headed by Igor Shchyogolev, Shadayev took the office of Director of the Department of State Policy in the Field of Informatization and Information Technologies.

In the autumn of 2008, he became an Assistant to the Kremlin chief of staff, Sergey Naryshkin. In this role, he was responsible for organizing the work of the Presidential Council for the Development of the Information Society, as well as overseeing the project to introduce biometric passports.7

Shadayev in 2013 source ↗

In 2012, Shadayev became an Advisor to the State Duma Speaker, Sergey Naryshkin. He was responsible for the implementation of the "Electronic Parliament" project.

On 11 February 2014, he was appointed Minister of Public Administration, Information Technologies, and Communications of Moscow Oblast. He joined the Moscow Oblast Government, headed by Governor Andrey Vorobyov. On 29 September 2016, he was also appointed Deputy Chairman of the Moscow Oblast Government. Under his leadership, the portal "Dobrodel", a unified online platform for complaints and suggestions from residents of Moscow Oblast, was launched. On 14 September 2018, following the resignation of the Moscow Oblast Government, Shadayev was not included in the new cabinet and instead assumed the role of Advisor to Governor Andrey Vorobyov on a pro bono basis.

According to Kommersant, since May 2017, Shadayev also served as a pro bono advisor to Sergey Kiriyenko, First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration of Russia, overseeing the social media information policy of regional authorities.8 On 26 September 2018, he was appointed Vice President for Digital Platforms at the state-owned telecom giant Rostelecom.

Shadayev in 2020 source ↗

On 21 January 2020, he was appointed Russia's Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media in Mikhail Mishustin's First Cabinet.9 His first initiative in this new role, announced at a State Council meeting, involved granting law enforcement operatives online access to citizens' data without a court order.1011 However, following a cautious reaction from Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Shadayev stated that his position had been misunderstood.12

On 14 May 2024, he was reappointed Minister of Digital Development, Communications, and Mass Media in Mikhail Mishustin's Second Cabinet.13 His previous tenure as minister and his reappointment were generally viewed positively by representatives of the industry.14

Personal life

Shadayev has never listed his spouse in his asset declarations.15 In the minister's declarations for 2020 and 2021, only two minor daughters are mentioned.15 During his tenure in the Moscow Oblast Government, Shadayev likewise did not include a spouse in his financial disclosure statements.15 According to Proekt, Shadayev's wife is one Aleksandra Viktorovna Melnikova (born 1983).16 They have had children together since 2014.16

Shadayev is a fan of the Star Wars franchise, Cypress Hill, and New York Knicks.17

Sanctions

On 9 June 2022, Ukraine imposed sanctions against Shadayev in connection with Russia's invasion of Ukraine, noting that the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media "assists with mobilisation, therefore contributing directly to Russia's war of agression against Ukraine".1819

On 8 July 2022, he was added to Canada's sanctions list targeting "Russian disinformation agents".20

On 16 December 2022, he was added to the European Union's sanctions list for supporting and implementing policies that undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.21 The European Union noted that activities under Shadayev's leadership were carried out for the extension of digital and telecommunications services into the illegally annexed regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, to connect them directly to Russia, as well as to the illegally annexed Crimea. The Ministry also assists with the mobilisation, therefore contributing directly to Russia’s war of agression against Ukraine.

On 24 February 2023, the U.S. Department of State included Shadayev in its sanctions list of individuals involved in "implementing Russian operations and aggression against Ukraine, as well as the illegal administration of occupied Ukrainian territories in the interests of the Russian Federation".2223

On similar grounds, he has also been placed on the sanctions lists of the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Switzerland.24

Awards

References

References

  1. "Биография нового главы Минкомсвязи Максута Шадаева - Биографии и справки - ТАСС". tass.ru. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
  2. Максут Шадаев возглавил «РТ лабс» Archived 2020-01-30 at the Wayback Machine Cnews.ru
  3. "Arrava намерена развивать электронный бизнес". Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  4. "Фирмы Пономарёва: правда или вымысел?". Ridus. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  5. В Рунет за советами Archived 2020-01-30 at the Wayback Machine «Консалтинг» Приложение № 201 от 26.10.2000
  6. "Венчурных денег прибыло – Газета Коммерсантъ № 189 (3765) от 16.10.2007". Archived from the original on 30 January 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  7. "Новости компании". voskhod.ru. Archived from the original on 30 January 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  8. "Региональным чиновникам подобрали интернет-штурмана // Коммерсантъ". Archived from the original on 27 January 2020. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  9. "Подписаны указы о назначении министров Правительства Российской Федерации // Президент России". Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  10. «Министр связи предложил открыть силовикам доступ к данным россиян» Archived 2020-01-29 at the Wayback Machine kommersant.ru от 29.01.2020.
  11. «Министр Шадаев предлагает открыть персональные данные граждан силовикам» Archived 2020-01-29 at the Wayback Machine vedomosti.ru от 29.01.2020.
  12. «В Кремле назвали новой инициативу дать силовикам доступ к данным россиян» Archived 2020-01-30 at the Wayback Machine «РБК» 29 января 2020.
  13. "Указ Президента Российской Федерации от 14.05.2024 № 403 «О Министре цифрового развития, связи и массовых коммуникаций Российской Федерации»". publication.pravo.gov.ru. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  14. "Максут Шадаев сохранил пост главы Минцифры". www.comnews.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  15. "Ищите женщину с господрядами. Глава Минцифры спрятал супругу, которая связана с контрактами от правительства". The Insider. 20 July 2022.
  16. "Шадаев Максут Игоревич: биография, источники дохода, связи с чиновниками и бизнесом". Proekt.
  17. Dmitry Kozurov. "Министр-миллениал: за цифровое развитие будет отвечать фанат «Звездных войн» и хип-хопа". Komsomolskaya Pravda. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
  18. "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №400/2022". ПРЕЗИДЕНТ УКРАЇНИ ВОЛОДИМИР ЗЕЛЕНСЬКИЙ Офіційне інтернет-представництво. 9 June 2022. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  19. "Максут Игоревич Шадаев". war-sanctions.gur.gov.ua (in Russian). War & Sanctions.
  20. "Sanctions – Russian invasion of Ukraine". GAC. 4 February 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  21. "COUNCIL DECISION (CFSP) 2022/2477 of 16 December 2022". Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  22. "The United States Imposes Additional Sweeping Costs on Russia". United States Department of State. 24 February 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  23. "The United States Takes Sweeping Actions on the One Year Anniversary of Russia's War Against Ukraine". United States Department of State. 24 February 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  24. "CONSOLIDATED LIST OF FINANCIAL SANCTIONS TARGETS IN THE UK" (PDF). Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  25. "Указ Президента Российской Федерации от 29.05.2019 г. № 240 «О награждении государственными наградами Российской Федерации» // Президент России". Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  26. "Указ Президента Российской Федерации от 18.11.2010 г. № 1443 «О награждении государственными наградами Российской Федерации» // Президент России". Retrieved 27 January 2020.