Dmitry Medvedev Age, Wife, Children, Family, Biography

Some Lesser Known Facts About Dmitry Medvedev

• Dmitry Medvedev grew up in Leningrad, in the Soviet Union, now Saint Petersburg, Russia

• Dmitry was the only child of his parents. His family was considered a representative of the Soviet intelligentsia (a status class composed of the university-educated people of a society) at that time.

• As a child, Dmitry was a very curious student who always asked questions in class. His teacher described him as a “dreadful why-asker.”

• In an interview, he once mentioned that when he was in third grade, he read the ten-volume Small Soviet Encyclopedia.

• When he was in fourth grade, he showed interest in chemistry and started conducting elementary experiments.

• When he was in seventh grade, he got into a relationship with his wife, Svetlana Linnik. She was also in the same school.

• In the autumn of 1982, Dmitry Medvedev enrolled at Leningrad State University to study law. Although he had also considered studying linguistics, Fellow students described him as a polite and diplomatic person who presented his arguments firmly during debates, without causing any offence.

• In an interview, Dmitry mentioned that during his academic years, he was involved in various sports and participated in athletic competitions such as rowing and weight-lifting.

• After graduating, Medvedev joined the prosecutor’s office as an investigator. However, he later took the opportunity to pursue graduate studies at the civil law chair, deciding to accept three budget-funded post-graduate students to work at the chair itself.

• In 1988, Medvedev became a member of Anatoly Sobchak’s team of democrats and effectively led Sobchak’s successful campaign for a seat in the new Soviet parliament, known as the Congress of People’s Deputies of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).

• In 1990, he worked as an assistant professor at the Leningrad State University (now St. Petersburg State University) and taught law there until 1999.

• During that time, Dmitry also worked at a small law consultancy firm which he had co-founded with his friends.

• In 1990, Dmitry submitted his dissertation titled “Problems of Realisation of Civil Juridical Personality of State Enterprise” and was awarded a Doctor of Juridical Science (Candidate of Juridical Sciences) degree in civil law.

• In 1991, Medvedev joined the legal team of Anatoly Sobchak, St. Petersburg’s newly elected mayor, who had also brought future president Vladimir Putin into his administration. Medvedev and Putin worked together in the mayor’s office for the next five years.
  

  Dmitry Medvedev with Vladimir Putin

• In November 1993, Dmitry Medvedev became the legal affairs director of Ilim Pulp Enterprise (ILP), a timber company based in St. Petersburg. He assisted the firm in developing a strategy for a significant expansion. In return for his contributions, Medvedev received 20% of the company’s stock. Over the next seven years, Ilim Pulp Enterprise grew to become Russia’s largest lumber company, generating annual revenue of approximately $500 million.

• In 1999, after Vladimir Putin became the acting president of Russia, Medvedev was one of several individuals from St. Petersburg whom Putin brought to top government positions in Moscow.

• In 2000, following Putin’s presidential victory, Medvedev was appointed as the first deputy chief of staff. Later that same year, he was named chairman of Gazprom, the state-owned natural gas monopoly.

• In October 2003, Medvedev was appointed as the presidential chief of staff.

• In November 2005, VladimirPutin appointed him as the first deputy prime minister of Russia.

• In December 2007, Putin endorsed Medvedev’s nomination as the United Russia Party’s candidate for the 2008 presidential elections. In his first speech after receiving an endorsement, Medvedev announced that, as president, he would appoint Vladimir Putin as prime minister to lead the Russian government.

• On 2 March 2008, Dmitry Medvedev was elected as the president of Russia.

• On 7 May 2008, Medvedev took oath as the third president of the Russian Federation in a ceremony held in the Grand Kremlin Palace. Within hours of his inauguration, he nominated Putin to be his prime minister, and Russia’s parliament confirmed the appointment the next day.

• Medvedev had been in office for only three months when conflict broke out between Russia and the neighbouring country of Georgia.

• In July 2008, he launched the High-Potential Management Personnel Reserve, a program which aimed at recruiting technocrats into government positions to combat cronyism within the Russian bureaucracy.

• In early 2009, Dmitry initiated the Medvedev modernisation programme, which included founding the Skolkovo Innovation Centre, Russia and implementing major reforms in policing and the economy.

• In 2009, he introduced Russian police reform, renaming “Militsiya” to “Police” and asserting law‑enforcement modernisation.

• In 2009, Medvedev proposed an amendment to the election law that would reduce the State Duma election threshold from 7% to 5%.

• In March 2011, Dimtry urged US President Barack Obama to prevent civilian casualties during NATO’s military intervention in Libya.

• In 2011, he spearheaded Russia’s entry into the World Trade Organisation.

• In September 2011, Medvedev confirmed a political agreement with Putin in which he mentioned that he would step aside in the 2012 elections, allowing Putin to run for the presidency again, while he would assume the role of prime minister.

• In the final months of his presidency, Dmitry Medvedev faced major challenges. In December 2011, in the parliamentary elections, he was reported to have many problems and signs of cheating. This led to some of the biggest protests in Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union.

• In December 2011, Medvedev’s government finalised Russia’s long-awaited entry into the World Trade Organisation (WTO) after an 18-year-long process.

• In March 2012, Vladimir Putin was elected president of Russia. Upon his inauguration as president, one of Putin’s first actions was to nominate Medvedev as prime minister, a role he was confirmed for on May 8, 2012.

• Putin’s return to the presidency ended Medvedev’s liberalisation and modernisation efforts in Russia.

• On May 19, 2012, Dmitry Medvedev attended the 34th G-8 Summit at Camp David in the United States. He represented Russia in place of President Putin, who chose not to attend the summit. Medvedev was the first prime minister to represent Russia at a G-8 meeting.
  

  Dmitry Medvedev at the 34th G-8 Summit

• On May 26, 2012, he was officially appointed as the chairman of United Russia, the ruling party. Earlier that week, Medvedev officially joined the United Russia party, becoming the first prime minister in Russia to be affiliated with a political party.

• On 7 May 2018, Dmitry Medvedev was nominated by Vladimir Putin for a second term as Prime Minister.

• On 15 January 2020, Medvedev and his entire cabinet resigned after Putin delivered the Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly, proposing several amendments to the constitution.

• Just one day after his resignation on January 16, 2012, he was appointed as the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia. His monthly salary was set at 618,713 rubles (8,723.85 USD) at that time.

• In February 2022, after Russia was suspended from the Council of Europe for invading Ukraine, Medvedev said it was a good chance to bring back the death penalty in Russia, even though he called the suspension “unfair.”

• A poll showed that 68.3% of Russians didn’t trust Medvedev. Experts say he’s trying to act tougher to stay politically relevant and safe.

• In February 2022, following the imposition of sanctions on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine, Medvedev declared that Russia no longer required diplomatic relations with the West. He argued that the sanctions provided a valid reason for Russia to withdraw from discussions on nuclear stability and potentially from the New START treaty.

• In April 2022, he addressed the global food crisis, which was partly caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He stated that Russia would supply food and agricultural products only to “friendly” countries.

• Medvedev has been a champion of the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, which has lasted for over three years. He has repeatedly warned about the risk of a nuclear “apocalypse.”

• Since the Russia-Ukrainian War began, he has made numerous aggressive statements against Ukraine, labelling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a criminal, a drug addict, a louse, a rat, and a freak. At one point, he also referred to Ukrainians as “cockroaches.”

• In 2022, during the Russia-Ukraine war, he was sanctioned by the USA, UK and New Zealand.

• Medvedev has managed to provoke a sharp reaction from the West as he has been engaged in an online war of words with US President Donald Trump. In May 2025, Medvedev threatened to initiate World War III after President Donald Trump criticised Vladimir Putin. US Special Envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, stated that Medvedev made an “unfortunate and reckless comment,” which is “unfitting of a world power.”

•  In June 2025, Medvedev’s further threats were criticised by US President Donald Trump, who wrote that “the ‘N word’ (nuclear) should not be treated so casually.

• On 1 August 2025, Donald Trump ordered the deployment of two United States Navy nuclear submarines near Russia for potential military action against Russian forces in response to Medvedev’s nuclear threats.

• In an interview, Medvedev mentioned that he is a fan of British hard rock bands, and Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, and Deep Purple are his favourite bands. He has collected all of the recordings of Deep Purple.

• In 2011, during a visit to Serbia, Medvedev received the highest Order of St. Sava honour from the Serbian Orthodox Church, for his contributions to the unity of world Orthodoxy and his affection for the Serbian people.

• Apart from politics, Dmitry Medvedev is also an author. He wrote many articles based on his doctoral research and co-authored a university textbook on civil law, first, which was first published in 1991, and over the years, a million copies were sold.

• In 2007, he published a book titled “Questions of Russia’s National Development”, focusing on the state’s role in social and economic policy. He also co-authored a legal commentary on the Federal Law on Civil Service, analysing it from academic and practical perspectives.

• He enjoys jogging, playing chess, and practising yoga. In an interview, Dimtry mentioned that when he is in a bad mood, he plays any one game to keep his mind fresh.

• Dmitry Medvedev is an avid photographer. In January 2010, one of his photographs was sold for 51 million rubles (approximately $1,750,000) at a charity auction, making it one of the most expensive photographs ever sold.

• Medvedev is bilingual in Russian and English, but during interviews, he speaks only Russian.