Maria Gaidar

Maria Gaidar
Maria Gaidar, Moscow, 28 September 2006
Born	Maria Egorovna Smirnova 21 October 1982 (1982-10-21) (age 29) Moscow, Russia
Occupation	Politician
Parents	Yegor Gaidar (deceased) Irina Smirnova
Website
www.mgaidar.ru

Maria Egorovna Gaidar (Russian: Мари́я Его́ровна Гайда́р; 1990-2004 Smirnova (Russian: Смирно́ва);^[1] born 21 October 1982, Moscow) is a Russian political activist and the founder of the Youth movement "DA!" ("Yes!") (Russian: "ДА!"). She is the daughter of former Russian Prime Minister, Yegor Gaidar.^[2] On July 23, 2009 she was confirmed as a deputy governor in Kirov Oblast.

She was one of the leaders of The Other Russia organization and Union of Right Forces party. She has been a fierce critic of Putin's government and has been briefly detained for involvement in peaceful dissenters' marches and for placing a propaganda poster under a bridge using mountaineering gear.^{[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]} In connections with her arrests, she said that "Politics is becoming more dangerous. I think this is a message people want to put across - if you come to such an event, then you are risking your life".^[11]

She was actively involved in Russian presidential election, 2008 and manufactured numerous video materials where Vladimir Putin is painted as anti-Christ who leads the world to the nuclear Apocalypse.^{[citation needed]}

In February 2009 she became an advisor to the new governor of Kirov Oblast Nikita Belykh and on July 23 she was confirmed as a deputy governor in Kirov Oblast.^[12] Gaidar had previously stated that Nikita Belykh had "sold his soul to devil" when he accepted the post as governor from president Dmitry Medvedev.^[13]

On 8th June she announced that she was to resign as advisor due to her admission to Harvard University for a Mid-Career Masters in Public Administration.^[14]

References

1. ^ http://lenta.ru/lib/14159861/
2. ^ Daughters of two Putin opponents take on Kremlin, The Sunday Times, August 7, 2005, by Mark Franchetti
3. ^ Eye on Russia: Guests, CNN
4. ^ Kasparov arrested in Moscow by Megan K. Stack, LA Times
5. ^ Dissenters Crushed by Ekaterina Savina and Andrei Kozenko, Kommersant
6. ^ Last samurais without Khakamada by Sergei Mulin, Novaya Gazeta
7. ^ Two election law protesters detained near Kremlin RIAN
8. ^ Putin critics, fans battle on the Internet, The Daily Telegraph
9. ^ To Dismay of Some, Bush Takes Gentler Approach Toward Putin, Washington Post
10. ^ When computers write obits by Jonathan Skillings CNET
11. ^ Parties start media battle ahead of elections, Russia Today
12. ^ "Мария Гайдар утверждена заместителем губернатора Кировской области". Kommersant. 2009-07-23. http://www.kommersant.ru/doc.aspx?DocsID=1209041&NodesID=2. Retrieved 2009-07-28. 
13. ^ "Oppositionist politician is new governor of Kirov Region". Russia Today. 2008-12-18. http://www.russiatoday.com/russian_news/news/34933. Retrieved 2008-12-20. 
14. ^ [1] Weblog of Maria Gaidar

External links

• Official website (Russian)
• Russians Must Shed Fear (Her interview), Demokratizatsiya, 2007 by Arias-King

Persondata
Name	Gaidar, Maria
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1982-10-21
Place of birth	Moscow, Russia
Date of death
Place of death