Mintimer Shaimiev

Who is Mintimer Shaimiev?

Mintimer Şərip uğlı Şəymiyev was the first President of Tatarstan, a republic within Russia. He is an ethnic Tatar. He became President on June 12, 1991, and was re-elected three times, on March 24, 1996, on March 25, 2001, and on March 25, 2005.

Shaimiev was born in the village of Anyakovo, in Aktanyshsky District of the Tatar ASSR. In 2001, he and Moscow's Mayor Yuri Luzhkov founded the United Russia party.

Saying that he wanted to make way for a new generation of leadership—in accordance with a call from President Dmitry Medvedev—Shaimiev told Medvedev in January 2010 that he did not want to be nominated for another term as President of Tatarstan. He said that Rustam Minnikhanov, the Prime Minister of Tatarstan, was his preferred successor. Medvedev then nominated Minnikhanov to succeed Shaimiev on 27 January 2010.