Rustam Minnikhanov

Rustam Nurgaliyevich Minnikhanov (born 1 March 1957) is a Russian politician who has served as the head of Tatarstan, a federal subject of Russia, since 2010.

Rustam Minnikhanov was born on 1 March 1957, in a Volga Tatar family in the New Arysh village of Rybno-Slobodsky District in the Tatar ASSR.

He graduated from Kazan Agricultural Institute in 1978 as mechanical engineer and from Correspondence Institute of Soviet Trade as a commodity expert in 1986. He is a doctor of economic sciences.

After graduating from the institute in 1978, he began his career as an engineer in Sabinsky District Association of Selkhoztekhnika. He then worked in the district as a senior engineer and chief power engineer in a state timber industry enterprise and was deputy chairman of District Consumer Society Board.

From 1985 to 1993, he worked in Arsky District as chairman of the District Consumer Society Board, Chairman of the Executive Committee of People's Deputies District Council, First Deputy Head of District Administration.

In 1993 he was appointed head of Vysokogorsky District administration.

In November 1996 Minnikhanov was appointed minister of finance of the Republic of Tatarstan.

From 10 July 1998 to 25 March 2010, Minnikhanov was prime minister of the Republic of Tatarstan.