Rustem Khamitov

Rustem Zakievich Khamitov (Russian: Рустэм Заки́евич Хами́тов; Bashkir: Рөстəм Зəки улы Хəмитов, Röstäm Zäki ulı Xämitow), born on August 18, 1954, in Drachenino village of Kemerovo region, is a Russian statesman, the second Head (formerly called President) of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia from July 19, 2010. He is a member of the Highest Council of the United Russia political party, and was reelected for his second term on September 14, 2014.

Rustem Khamitov was born on August 18, 1954 in Kemerovo region. He is ethnically Bashkir, with the Bashkir language being his mother tongue. He also speaks Russian and English.

His father, Zaki Salimovich Khamitov (born in 1930 in Baltachevsky district of Bashkiria, died in 1993), was a professor and doctor of technical sciences. He was praised with the title of Honored engineer of Bashkortostan. Between 1973 and 1980, he worked as Dean of Agriculture mechanisation school in Bashkir Agrarian Institute. His mother, Raisa Siniyatulovna Khamitova, worked as a mathematics teacher in a high school and is now retired. His younger brother, Rashid Khamitov, lives in Ufa and works as a driver.

He has finished a secondary school No. 115 in 1971 in Ufa. In 1977, he graduated from Moscow’s Higher Technical College by H.E. Baumann in the “Aircraft engines” specialty. He has a degree of Doctor of Technical Science with a focus on automated control systems, and is the author of more than 100 scientific publications.

1977-1978 – master assistant at Ufa Engine-building enterprise;

1978-1986 – engineer, junior research associate, senior research associate at Ufa aviation institute;

1986-1988 – deputy head of the laboratory for the land use of aviation engines;

Since 1988 – chief of the scientific-production department in the Eastern division of the All-Russian Scientific and Research Institute for major pipelines construction;

1990-1993 – member of parliament of the Bashkir Autonomous Republic’s Supreme Council, chairman of the Supreme Council’s commission for ecology and rational use of natural resources;

1993-1994 – Director of the Institute of applied ecology and nature management of the Republic of Bashkortostan;

1994-1996 – Minister of wild-life conservation, nature management, prevention and liquidation of the emergency situations’ after-effects of Bashkortostan Republic;

1996-1999 – Minister for emergency situations and ecological security of Bashkortostan, member of the Security Council of the Republic of Bashkortostan;

1999-2000 – head of the department for prevention and liquidation of emergency situations under the Emergencies Ministry of Russian Federation (Moscow);

2000-2002 – chief federal inspector of Bashkortostan under the Plenipotentiary of the President of Russian Federation in Volga federal district;

2002 – acting deputy Plenipotentiary of the President of Russian Federation in Volga federal district. Responsible for interethnic and interfaith relations; coordinated the activity of territorial agencies of the Emergencies Ministry of Russian Federation, Ministry of Taxation and Federal Tax Police Service of Russia;

2003-2004 –chief of the interregional inspectorate for the biggest tax-payers N4; head of the Biggest Tax-Payers Department under the Ministry of Taxation of the Russian Federation;

March 22, 2004 – May, 20th 2009 – Head of the Federal Water Resources Agency under control of the Ministry of Environmental resources of Russia;

July 2009-July 2010 – deputy President of JSC “RUSHYDRO”;

On July 15, 2010, Khamitov was appointed the interim acting President of the Bashkortostan Republic in accordance with the decree of the President of Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev;

On July 19, 2010, the deputies of the State Council-Kurultay of the Bashkortostan Republic have approved the candidature of Khamitov, offered by the President of Russia and vested him with the authority of the President of the Bashkortostan Republic;

On May 30, 2014, the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, accepted Khamitov’s resignation so that he could participate in the regional elections;

On 14 September 2014, most of the votes (82.17%) were given to the acting head of republic by the citizens of the Bashkortostan Republic;

On 25 September 2015, the inauguration process took place in the State Council-Kurultay of the Bashkortostan Republic.

Order of Honour (October 13, 2014) - for achievements in labor, social activities and long-term of dedicated work.

Honorable Diploma of the Government of the Russian Federation (August 21, 2014) - for merits to the state in the field of environmental protection and long-term dedicated work.

Badge of Honour "For merits to physical fitness and sports promotion" (October 30, 2013) - for great personal contribution to physical fitness and sports promotion in the Russian Federation, promotion of healthy lifestyle and in connection with the 90th anniversary of the founding of the federal (government) and regional executive bodies in the sphere of physical culture and sports.

Honorable Diploma of Bashkortostan Republic-(August 24, 1999) - for dedicated work in the field of environmental protection and population protection from emergency situations.

Honorable silver medal named after Pitirim Sorokin "For contribution to science".

Mr. Khamitov is married, has two children, one grandson and one granddaughter. His wife, Gulshat Khamitova, is functional diagnostics doctor by her profession. Mr. and Mrs. Khamitov have known each other since early childhood. Their son, Kamil, is an engineer and graduate of Ufa State Aviation Technical University. Previously he worked in a private technical design bureau, since March 2011 is employed by RusHydro Company. Their daughter, Nouriya, works in a travel company. Both of Khamitov's children live and work in Moscow.

Khamitov's hobbies include downhill skiing, reading, going to theatres, and music.