# Georgy Filimonov

Georgy Yuryevich Filimonov (Russian: Георгий Юрьевич Филимонов; born 23 February 1980) is a Russian statesman who is the Governor of Vologda Oblast since 31 October 2023.

## Biography

Geoergy Filimonov was born on 23 February 1980 in Tomsk.
A year later, the Filimonov family moved to Cherepovets, Vologda Oblast. His father, Yury, is the director of the Cherepovets Martial Arts Center, Honored Kickboxing Trainer of the Russian Federation, and a former member of the Cherepovets City Duma. He trained with Sergey Kiriyenko, the current first deputy head of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation. His mother, Irina, is the artistic director and director of the Theater for Children and Youth of Cherepovets.
From 2005 to 2006, he was an employee of the secretariat of the organizing committee for the preparation and support of the Russian Federation's chairmanship of the Group of Eight.
From 2005 to 2009, he held the position of adviser in the foreign policy department of the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation.
Since October 2009, he had been the Deputy General Director of Soglasie CJSC for foreign economic cooperation.
A Member of the Izborsk Club since 2016 he is described as politically being ultra-conservative and ultra-patriotic.
Since 2017, he worked as an assistant in the Department of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation for Domestic Policy.
In November 2021, Filimonov was appointed as the Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Moscow Oblast.
On 31 October 2023, President Vladimir Putin appointed Filomonv as the acting governor of the Vologda Oblast, replacing Oleg Kuvshinnikov in his position. In 2025, a complaint was sent to Putin by at least 120 residents of Vologda Oblast accusing Filomonov of publicly praising Joseph Stalin, driving businesses away by imposing a ban on alcohol sales, making nationalist statements and conducting frequent personnel changes in local offices, including the city council of Cherepovets.

## Sports activities

Since childhood, under the guidance of his father, he has been involved in martial arts: sports wushu, kickboxing. In 1999, he won a gold medal at the W.A.K.O. World Championships 1999 in Caorle, Italy, according to WAKO in the “Musical Forms” category (imaginary wrestling in which the performer uses martial arts techniques to music), in 2001 at a similar competition in Maribor, Slovenia took third place. He became an designated Master of Sports of Russia in 2001.

## Education

In 2003, he graduated from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia with a degree in international relations.
He is a Doctor of Political Sciences. In 2007, he defended his PhD thesis at the Institute of the US and Canada of the Russian Academy of Sciences on the topic “US Foreign Cultural Policy as a Component of Soft Power.” In 2013, he defended his doctoral dissertation at the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry on the topic “The Role of Soft Power in US Foreign Policy.”
Since November 2009, he is the associate professor at the Department of Theory and History of International Relations at the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN). Since January 2011, he is the Deputy Head of the Department of Theory and History of International Relations of the RUDN University. From 2014 to 2017, he was director of the Institute of Strategic Studies and Forecasts of the RUDN University, professor of the department of theory and history of international relations.
He speaks English, French and Spanish.

## Personal life

Filimonov said in an interview that he has a sacred name, given in accordance with the “Slavic pre-Christian tradition,” which is hidden from others.
He is married to his wife, Irina, a former dancer. They have two daughters, Veleslav and Ladoslav.