Oleg Govorun

Former Head of the Directorate for Cross Border Cooperation 

General Biographical Information 

• Oleg Govorun was born on January 15, 1969, in the city of Bratsk, Irkutsk Oblast, RSFSR, USSR.
• From 1976 to 1986, he studied at the ninth secondary school, in the city of Pushkino, in Moscow district.
• From 1987 to 1989, he served in the armed forces of the Soviet Union.
• In 1993, he graduated from the Moscow Forest-Technical Institute with the specialty of chemical technologies.
• In various periods of time, he has been granted state awards:  Medal for “Services to Homeland,” Order of Friendship and Order of Honor.
• In 2006, he was granted the title of the Real Advisor of Russian Federation of the First Class.
• On April 6, 2018, he ended up on the US sanction list, where the persons close to Russian President, Vladimir Putin, were included.
• Govorun’s first wife, Tatyana Volozhinskaya, was at the top of the electoral list of the Liberal-Democratic Party in Novosibirsk Oblast and was an MP in the State Duma from 2007 to 2011.

Professional Career

• From 1995 to 1997, Govorun worked as an Assistant to the Manager of Rosprom, also as a Project Coordinator and Specialist at the Department of Relations with State Structures.
• From 1997 to 2000, he worked as the Deputy Head of Department of Relations with State Structures at Alpha Bank, also working as its Vice President.
• From 2002 to 2004, he was the First Deputy Head of the General Territorial Directorate of the Russian Presidential Administration.
• From 2004 to 2006, he was the Deputy Head of Domestic Politics Directorate of the Russian Presidential Administration.
• From March 20, 2006, he was the Head of Domestic Politics Directorate of the Russian Presidential Administration. On May 19, 2008, he was re-appointed to the same position in Dimitri Medvedev’s Presidential Administration.
• From November 2008, he is a member of the ruling party United Russia’s Supreme Council.
• On September 6, 2011, he was appointed as the President’s Plenipotentiary Representative to the Central Federal District. Govorun’s appointment was an unexpected decision to everyone. While working at the Presidential Administration, he was a rather closed public servant, not only to the wider public, but to many State Duma MPs as well.
• From September 14, 2011, he was a member of the Security Council.
• On May 21, 2012, Prime Minister Dimitri Medvedev, appointed Govorun to the position of the Minister of Regional Development. On September 19, 2012, at the Directive of the President of Russia, Govorun got a complaint. After this, Govorun went on leave and did not return to his position.
• On October 17, 2012, Govorun was removed from his position as the Minister of Regional Development, which was due to Putin’s negative assessment of his work. Govorun’s tenure as Minister lasted for 149 days. According to various opinions, Govorun asked for resignation himself, after he received a complaint due to the failure of the process of preparing a proposition for accelerated growth of Siberia and the Far East. However, the Kremlin does not officially confirm the existence of his request for resignation. According to other versions, he had conflict with the Head of the Federal Agency for Construction and Communal Housing, Vladimir Kogan, who had powerful supporters.
• From January 21, 2013, Govorun was appointed as the Head of Directorate for Social-Economic Cooperation with CIS Member States and the Republics of Abkhazia and “South Ossetia” of the Presidential Administration. Before him, the first Head of the Division was Yuri Voronin (from June 9, 2012 to September 30, 2013). On June 22, 2018, after Putin’s repeat Presidency, he was re-appointed to the position.
• Govorun’s appointment as the Head of Directorate is connected to the name of the President’s Assistant, Vladislav Surkov, who is Govorun’s curator in the Kremlin. Govorun is considered to be Surkov’s special and experienced cadre. Govorun’s appointment as the Head of Directorate took place after Surkov’s return to the Kremlin in September 2013. Their relationship presumably started in Alpha Bank, where they both worked in early years. Later, Govorun also worked with Surkov at the Presidential Administration.
• On October 2, 2018, the President of Russian Federation signed a Decree on the “Directorate for Cross Border Cooperation of the President of Russian Federation.” According to the Decree, the new Directorate replaced the Directorate for Social-Economic Cooperation with CIS Member States and the Republics of Abkhazia and “South Ossetia” of the Presidential Administration. On October 2, 2018, Govorun was appointed as the Head of the new Directorate.
• On April 17, 2019, Aleksey Filatov, under the Directive of the President of the Russian Federation, was appointed on the position of the Head of the Directorate of the Cross-Border Cooperation, previously occupying position of the Deputy to Head of the same Directorate. Under the same Directive Govorun resigned. His resignation was announced on April 4.
• On May 27, 2019, Govorun was appointed as Deputy Director at DOM.RF. At his new appointment Govorun’s responsibilities cover cooperation with the government representatives in regions, as well as resolve deceived shareholders’ problems. Joint Stock Company DOM.RF was established in 1997. 100% of company shares belong to the state.

Relations with Abkhazia

• On November 5, 2013, Govorun visited Sokhumi and met with the de facto President of Abkhazia, Aleksandr Ankvab.
• On February 16, 2015, during his visit to Abkhazia, Govorun was also included in the delegation of the President’s Assistant, Vladislav Surkov.

Relations with Tskhinvali Region

• On January 28, 2014, Govorun visited Tskhinvali, where he inspected construction and rehabilitation works funded by Russian money.
• On October 20, 2014, Govorun inspected construction works in Tskhinvali and met with the de facto President, Leonid Tibilov.
• On December 8, 2014, Govorun visited Tskhinvali, where he inspected construction works.
• On April 5, 2016, Govorun visited Tskhinvali and together with de facto President, Leonid Tibilov, discussed the implementation of the construction works ongoing in terms of the 2015-2017 investment programs for social-economic development of Tskhinvali Region. The project envisaged the construction and rehabilitation of 31 objects and enterprises, costing RUB 9 billion to the Russian state budget. Govorun positively assessed the pace of construction.
• Govorun’s name was also mentioned during April 9, 2017 illegitimate Presidential elections, when former de facto President, Eduard Kokoiti, failed to register as a candidate. Kokoiti blamed Surkov for March 4, 2017 decision of the electoral commission. Kokoiti accused Surkov and Govorun of working against him.
• On October 3-4, 2017, Govorun discussed the issue of the implementation of investment projects in Tskhinvali Region at a meeting with the investors. The de facto President of Tskhinvali Region, Anatoly Bibilov, also participated in the meeting, talking about the creation of a special structure, which would issue certificates on locally produced goods, making it easier to export them to Russia. Govorun made a strict statement about this, demanding the timely creation of such structure and called on the Ossetian side to take responsibility for it. Govorun stated that the aim of his visit was to check how the 2017 investment program was being implemented. In terms of the visit, Govorun also inspected a meat processing factory and the construction of a Russian Orthodox chapel. He also visited the construction of a multi-apartment block and street amenity works.