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Olga Lyubimova | |
|---|---|
Ольга Любимова | |
 Lyubimova in 2024 | |
| Minister of Culture | |
| Assumed office 21 January 2020 | |
| Prime Minister | Mikhail Mishustin |
| Preceded by | Vladimir Medinsky |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1980-12-31)31 December 1980 (age 44) Moscow,Russian SFSR,Soviet Union |
| Alma mater | Moscow State University,Russian Institute of Theater Arts |
| Website | Olga Lyubimova |
Olga Borisovna Lyubimova (Russian:Ольга Борисовна Любимова; born 31 December 1980) is a Russian politician serving as theMinister of Culture of the Russian Federation. She was appointed on 21 January 2020.[1]
Prior to her current appointment, Lyubimova has served the Deputy Minister of Culture since 2015 and as the head of itscinematography department since 2018.[2][3]
She is the daughter ofBoris Lyubimov (currently the acting president of theMikhail Shchepkin Higher Theatre School) and the great-granddaughter of renowned actorVasily Kachalov. Following an unhappy enrollment at an Orthodox high school[3] which she would later compare to anal-Qaeda training camp,[4] Lyubimova graduated fromMoscow State University with a degree injournalism and from theRussian Institute of Theater Arts where she studied theater.[2]
Since the 2000s she has worked often in television, working on shows includingVzglyad,Orthodox, andOrthodox Calendar. She has been head ofChannel One's directorate of social and journalistic programs since 2016.[2]
Her appointment as Minister of Culture was controversial due to pastLiveJournal posts by Lyubimova wherein she said she "can't stand going to exhibitions, museums, opera" and explained that "I've been to theBritish Museum,National Gallery and a few dozen more European and Russian museums and reckon I wasted my time there". However, she received support from film criticAnton Dolin, who said "she loves culture, or at least, cinema".[5]
On 6 May 2020, Olga Lyubimova's Press Secretary announced that she had contracted theCOVID-19, but the disease is mild, so hospitalization is not required.[6] Since the disease was mild, on 14 May Lyubimova recovered and returned to the exercise of her powers.[7]
On 17 July 2023, Lyubimova was sanctioned by theUnited Kingdom for "using her position to support the Russian state's damaging anti-Ukrainian policies".[8]
