Maria Zakharova is a charming woman and a well-known person in politics. It attracts the attention of even those who are not interested in diplomacy and the situation in the country. In August 2015, she was appointed director of the Information and Press Department, an official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Biography
Maria Vladimirovna Zakharova was born on December 24, 1975 in Moscow. Her mother is an art critic, her father is an orientalist. When Maria was six years old, she moved to Beijing, where her parents were sent on a business trip. That is why Maria speaks Chinese. As a little girl, she loved to walk with her parents along the evening streets of Beijing, then she shared her memories with her beloved grandmother, who remained to live in Russia.
At school, the girl was a diligent student, loved to read and dreamed of becoming a diplomat. From a young age she was fascinated by politics. When other children watched cartoons, Maria watched with interest the International Panorama and absorbed information about political events like a sponge.
Having graduated with honors from high school with a silver medal, she entered MGIMO, where she graduated in 1998 with a degree in international journalism (a year before graduation, Maria had an internship at the Russian Embassy in Beijing). Some time later, she defended her thesis, receiving a degree in historical sciences.
Upon graduation, MGIMO was hired by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Information and Press. After several years of work in the Department, for a responsible approach to fulfilling work tasks, Zakharov was appointed the press secretary of the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the UN. In 2008, she returned to Moscow to work in the Information and Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, among her official duties during this period, the organization of briefings by the Ministry’s official representative and the creation of a network of accounts of the Ministry and embassies on social networks should be separately noted.
Since 2014, Maria Vladimirovna has become a frequent guest of various television programs (now she can be seen on air of such programs as “60 Minutes”, “Time Will Show”, “Evening with Vladimir Solovyov”, etc.), which made her a recognizable media persona.
Sergey Lavrov appreciates Zakharova for her responsibility and professional attitude to work. She provides information support for official visits of the Minister. She also does not miss the opportunity to express her point of view on the Internet.
In 2015, Maria was in the top ten women's media ratings by the frequency of references in the press and on television.
