Aleksey Dyumin

Dyumin meeting with President Putin and then-Governor Gruzdev

On February 2, 2016, President Vladimir Putin appointed Dyumin as Acting Governor of Tula Oblast. He succeeded Vladimir Gruzdev, who left the post at his own request. Dyumin assumed the duties of Governor of Tula Oblast on February 4, 2016.[9] For Dyumin, the appointment was a surprise.[10]

On February 9, 2016, Dyumin announced plans to participate in the gubernatorial election, which was held on September 18, 2016. He decided to run for governor as an independent candidate, but he was supported by United Russia and the far-right Liberal Democratic Party. Tula Oblast was the only region in 2016 where United Russia did not hold a primary for the selection of a candidate for governor.[11]

Dyumin won the election with a reported 84.17% of the vote.[12]

Dyumin took office as governor on 22 September 2016.[13]

On 29 November 2017, at the III Congress of Railway Workers, Dyumin announced the planned construction of a high–speed railway between Moscow and Tula as part of the high–speed railway "South" (Moscow — Rostov on Don — Adler). Since 2017, according to Dyumin, preparatory work has been launched with the participation of Russian Railways, the President and the Prime Minister. Upon completion of the high speed rail link, the time required to cover the 194 km distance between Moscow and Tula will decrease from the current two hours to only 55 minutes.[14]

In 2018, Dyumin was listed as the sixth most-powerful governor in Russia.[15] Following the Wagner rebellion, Russian media began discussing the possibility of Dyumin replacing controversial defense minister Sergei Shoigu, one of the targets of the uprising.[16]

Dyumin is married, wife Olga was born on 8 January 1977 in Moscow. He has a son, Nikita, who is studying at school.[17]

Sanctions

In April 2018, the United States imposed sanctions on him and 23 other Russian nationals.[18][19] Dyumin was also sanctioned by the British government in 2023 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[20]

Dyumin plays amateur hockey, as a rule, in the position of goalkeeper. As an adviser included in the management of the hockey club SKA Saint Petersburg.

In October 2011, together with Roman Rotenberg and Gennady Timchenko, he participated in a charity friendly hockey match for the SKA Legends team.[21]

On 7 October 2015, Dyumin participated in the Night Hockey League match, which took place in Sochi and was dedicated to the birthday of Russian President Vladimir Putin.[22][23]