Dmitry Aleksandrovich Svishchev (Russian: Дмитрий Александрович Свищёв; born May 22, 1969, in Moscow) is a Russian politician, a deputy of the 7th State Duma of the Russian Federation.[1][2] He rose to prominence as a businessman and sports administrator.

Dmitry Svishchev
Дмитрий Свищев
Dmitry Svishchev in August 2008
Member of the State Duma (Party List Seat)
Assumed office
21 December 2011
President of the Russian Curling Federation
Assumed office
2010
Personal details
BornMay 22, 1969 (1969-05-22) (age 55)
Moscow, RSFSR, USSR
Political partyLiberal Democratic Party of Russia
EducationFinancial University (2004)
Occupation
  • Politician
  • Economist
  • Sports Administrator
Websitehttps://svishchev.ru/

Svishchev continues his involvement in national and international sports through his membership in the State Duma Committee on Physical Culture, Sport and Youth Affair, and as president of the Russian Curling Federation.

On 24 March 2022, the United States Treasury sanctioned him in response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[3]

Biography

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Business career

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After discharge from the Soviet Armed Forces, Svishchev founded a modeling agency in 1994. This was followed by business interests in a hardware supplier and in Europodium, which specializes in mobile stage structures for entertainment events. He then became deputy general manager of Krylatskoye Sports Complex, a major complex with features including an archery field and a velodrome.[4]


In 1999, he founded the first professional ski club in Russia. He remained president of the club until 2007.[4]

Education

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Svishchev graduated from the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation in 2004, specializing in finance and credit.[1][2]

Sports administration career

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Svishchev was first vice-president of the Russian Federation of Skiing and Snowboarding, which began holding major competitions in alpine skiing with his direct participation and leadership. He contributed to the decision in 2007 by the International Ski Federation to hold the Snowboard World Cup in two disciplines in Russia for the first time. This event included the first ever parallel slalom course on the world's biggest snow ramp.[5][6]

Since 2010, Svishchev has been president of the Russian Curling Federation.[7] During his leadership of the Federation, Russia national curling teams have been near the top of world rankings, and Russians won medals for the first time at the World Cup.[8] In Moscow and Sochi, specialized sites were built under the supervision of the Curling Federation, including the Olympic facility, the Ice Cube Curling Center.[9]

Olympics

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As Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Physical Culture, Sport and Youth Affairs, Svishchev proposed that Russian athletes be exempted from income tax for prizes and incentive payments earned from their competing at the Olympics, Paralympics and Deaflympics. He stated that it would raise the prestige of athletes, and also demonstrate national support for their efforts.[10][11]

Svishcev is known for his controversial statements, frequently accusing the United States and Japan of running an influence campaign within the IOC with a goal of discrediting Russian athletes and make Russia unable to win many medals and improve its international prestige.[12][13]

During the 2021 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, Svishchev compared Russia's victory over Sweden to the Battle of Poltava of 1709.[14]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Svishchev Dmitry Aleksandrovich". ldpr.ru (in Russian). LDPR. 17 February 2012. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Svishchev Dmitry Aleksandrovich". www.duma.gov.ru (in Russian). The State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  3. ^ "U.S. Treasury Sanctions Russia's Defense-Industrial Base, the Russian Duma and Its Members, and Sberbank CEO". U.S. Department of the Treasury. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Biography of Dmitry Svishcheva, re-elected head of the Russian Curling Federation". rsport.ru (in Russian). ACH R-Sport. 11 June 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  5. ^ "Snowboard World Cup". FIS-SKI. International Ski Federation. Archived from the original on 23 March 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  6. ^ "Moscow: All is ready for historic slalom". www.skiracing.com. Ski Racing Magazine Inc. 1 January 2009. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  7. ^ "Russian curlers were timely warned of meldonium ban — curling federation's chief". TASS (in Russian). TASS Russian News Agency. 25 March 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  8. ^ "In Scotland, the start of the European championship in Curling – Russia news today". Russia News Today. 19 November 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  9. ^ Catton, Pia (16 February 2014). "Curling Gets Glamorous". Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  10. ^ "On the Way to the Olympics". www.rsaski.ru (in Russian). Ski Association of Russia. 4 June 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  11. ^ "Rio Paralympics 2016: Russia banned after losing appeal". BBC Sport. 23 August 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  12. ^ "Свищев о возможном отстранении России от ОИ-2020: «Начинается новый виток истерии»". 2 June 2019.
  13. ^ "«Указание Курил в составе Японии – целенаправленная акция». Депутат Госдумы Свищев – о карте на сайте Олимпиады-2020". 9 August 2019.
  14. ^ "Депутат Свищев о победе молодежки: «Устроили шведам вторую Полтаву»". 31 December 2020.