Valery Radayev


Valery Vasilievich Radaev, is a Russian politician, who served as the speaker and chairman of the Duma of Saratov Oblast from December 2007 until April 2012. From 5 April 2012 onwards he has been the Governor of Saratov Oblast. He replaced Governor Pavel Ipatov who resigned on 23 March 2012.

Biography

Radaev was born 2 April 1961, in the village of Blagodatnoe that is in Khvalynsky District of Saratov Oblast. From 1980 to 1982 he was a conscript in the Soviet Army, and from 1983 onwards he was employed in agricultural enterprises. His first job in the sector was as a machine engineer. From 1993 to 1996 he headed Blagodatinsky state-owned farm.
In 1994, he graduated from Saratov State agricultural university. From 1996 to 2005 he was the head of Saratov Oblast’s Khvalynsky District, the birthplace of Vyacheslav Volodin, the future First Deputy of the Presidential Administration of Russia and Speaker of the State Duma.
From 2005 to 2007 he was the head of the Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Control in Saratov Oblast. In 2007, he was elected as a deputy to the fourth convocation of the Saratov Oblast Duma, the local legislature. The same year, he was elected speaker and chairman of the Saratov Oblast Duma.
On 23 March 2012, he was appointed Acting Governor of Saratov Oblast following resignation of Governor Pavel Ipatov.
On April 2, 2012, Dmitry Medvedev, the then President of Russia, requested the Saratov Oblast Duma to appoint Valery Radaev as Governor of the region.
On 5 April 2012, the Saratov Oblast Duma approved Valery Radaev as Governor of Saratov Oblast. He is a member of United Russia party, holds a PhD degree in Sociology. He is married and has a son.
Radaev is seen as the protégé of former deputy head of the presidential staff Vyacheslav Volodin by being his fellow countryman. In November 2013 he was elected to the Supreme Council of United Russia.