Quick Facts
Biography
Dimitri Shashkin (Georgian: დიმიტრი შაშკინი) (born 8 August 1975) is a Georgian politician of Russian descent, serving as the Minister of Defense of Georgia from 4 July 2012 to 25 October 2012.
Early years
Shashkin was born on August 8, 1975 in Tbilisi, Georgia, of the family of Russian background stemming from Ukraine. In 1992-1993, he attended Greek-Georgian University studying International Law. From 1992 through 1993, he worked as the Inspector at Weapons Office in Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia. From 1993 to 1998, he attended Tbilisi State University, graduating with the master's degree in Criminal Law with emphasis on State, Tax and Criminal Law.
He also briefly served as Lieutenant at Akhaltsikhe Military Base of the Georgian Armed Forces until 1996. In 1997-1998, Shashkin worked as Program Assistant at American Bar Association; from 1998 through 2001, as Assistant Program Officer at International Republican Institute (IRI). In 2001, he was promoted to Resident Program Officer at the same institution and in 2007, he became the Resident Country Director of IRI, retaining the position until 2009. Between 1998-2008, Shashkin also provided private consulting and management services to various candidates during election campaigns. He became IRI's chief of party in 2008.
Political career
On February 2, 2009 Shashkin was appointed head of the newly established Ministry of Corrections and Legal Assistance of Georgia. On December 21, 2009 he was replaced by Khatuna Kalmaxelidze, and appointed Minister of Education and Science of Georgia. On July 4, 2012, he was moved to the position of Defense Minister of Georgia.
Shashkin said Georgia's defense policy would be built around "the principle of three Ts": Total Care, Total Training, and Total Defense. On October 25, 2012, following the parliamentary election which saw the defeat of the ruling United National Movement party, Shashkin was succeeded by Irakli Alasania as Minister of Defense. Prior to that, on October 22, he confirmed, in a message posted on his Facebook page, that he had left Georgia, saying that he had "spent the happiest four years of my life with Mikheil Saakashvili's government and together we have all elevated Georgia to the zenith of its development."
Shashkin is married and has two children.