Biography of Ksenia Shoigu
Ksenia Sergeevna Shoigu is an economist, public figure, popularizer of mass sports. Since 2018, Advisor to the Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of Gazprombank, Deputy Chairman of the non-profit fund for the development of the tourism cluster in Kronstadt. Advisor to the head of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sergei Katyrin.
In the photo: Ksenia Shoigu
The head of the sports project “Race of Heroes”, which later turned into the brand “League of Heroes”, under the auspices of which other popular events are held: the half marathon “ZaBeg”, the urban obstacle course “Arena of Heroes”. He is a member of the Council for the Development of Physical Culture and Mass Sports under the Government of the Russian Federation, formed in December 2019.
Family and education
Ksenia is the youngest daughter of Sergei Shoigu, now the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation. However, in January 1991, when she was born, Sergei Kuzhugetovich served as vice chairman of the State Committee for Architecture and Construction. The family had just moved from Siberia to Moscow.
Ksenia Shoigu in childhood (on the photo: with her father Sergei Shoigu)
Mother, Irina Alexandrovna Shoigu, before her marriage, Antipina, a chemist by education, went into business in Moscow. Ksenia has an older sister, Yulia (born in 1977), now she works in the Ministry of Emergency Situations.
Ksenia Shoigu was a capable student, led an active school life: she was engaged in dancing and sports, especially she was fond of running, she loved to go hiking. Studied English and Chinese.
In 2008, the girl graduated from school, after which she began to study international economic relations at MGIMO.
In 2010, director Nikita Mikhalkov invited the girl to play a nurse in his film Burnt by the Sun-2. It was an interesting experience, but Ksenia’s goals and interests were different, so this film was the first and at the moment the last in her filmography.
Ksenia Shoigu in the film “Burnt by the Sun-2”
In 2013, Ksenia received a diploma. By that time, her portfolio had already been replenished with interesting and high-profile projects.
Career
Ksenia Shoigu received her first work experience back in her student years, doing an internship at one of the largest banks in the northern capital, St. Petersburg. In 2012, she worked as an assistant to the deputy head of Rostekhnadzor.
After graduation, the girl was taken to the Department of Project and Structured Finance of Gazprombank as a senior analyst. After working in this position for five years, Shoigu became an adviser to the deputy chairman of the board.
Ksenia Shoigu works at Gazprombank
Ksenia Shoigu is a member of the working group for the development of Kronstadt, she is looking for investments within the framework of a non-profit fund for the development of a tourism cluster in Kronstadt. The city launched a project called “Kronstadt. Island of Forts”, which involves the transformation of a part of the city into a new cluster with tourist, educational and recreational functions.
The idea of the project is to transform the island of Kotlin and the islands surrounding it with historical forts, now in disrepair, into a single space with museums, hotels and recreational areas. It is planned to place the largest oceanarium in Russia, a diving center, a center for familiarizing children with “marine” professions on the territory. The cluster will be connected with St. Petersburg by a network of passenger boats.
At SPIEF 2019, the idea of the project was positively received by Governor Alexander Beglov and Head of the Ministry of Economic Development Maxim Oreshkin.
With work, Ksenia combines postgraduate studies at MGIMO (Department of Economic Theory) and teaching at the same university – the girl lectures on Industry Marketing of Goods and Services
Sports projects
Ksenia Shoigu considers her brainchild, the League of Heroes sports brand, to be her life’s work, bringing together several popular thematic events.
It all started in 2013, when Ksenia organized the first obstacle course in a narrow circle of like-minded people. The equipment was modest: wooden structures, simple obstacles, a limited number of participants.
Ksenia Shoigu at the Race of Heroes
It won’t be long before the “Race of Heroes” will turn into a large-scale event of the festival format and will mark the beginning of the popularization of OCR (obstacle course race, racing with obstacles). Ksenia invariably personally takes part in all the sporting events she organizes.
Four years after the first race, the “Race of Heroes” went beyond Russia: in 2017, a sports festival is held in Baku under the name Mubarizler (“Wrestlers”). Twice, in 2018 and 2019, the winter “Race of Heroes” takes place at the German Nürburgring race track.
Winter Race of Heroes (pictured: Ksenia Shoigu and rapper Timati)
From the Race of Heroes project, the non-profit movement League of Heroes has grown, popularizing sports primarily among young people, playing on the growth of interest in a healthy lifestyle and the formation of associations between sports and success.
It was Ksenia Shoigu who came up with the idea of ZaBeg, the first half marathon in Russia with a synchronized start. The first race was organized in 2017, ten cities of Russia took part in it. It is noteworthy that all the runners started at the same time, given the difference in time zones: in Moscow, the athletes ran at 10 am, and at the other end of the country, in Vladivostok, at 5 pm.
Ksenia Shoigu and Vasily Vakulenko at the press conference of MIA “Russia Today”
The number of cities participating in the next Run has almost doubled. And the cities of 85 regions of Russia, that is, each subject of the country, will take part in ZaBeg-2020 (to be held on May 31, 2024), which makes it the most massive half marathon in the world.
Separately, it is worth mentioning the Arena of Heroes. This is a 160-meter obstacle course for the most desperate athletes, because most of the route you need to pass on your hands. The first Arena of Heroes took place in 2018 in Moscow.
In the same 2018, Gorky Park in Moscow hosted athletes from 17 countries for the World Ninja Obstacle Racing Championship. Ksenia Shoigu took over the project management. The next World Cup will take place in 2024, and sunny Sochi will be its host. Moreover, in 2019, obstacle racing was recognized as an official sport in Russia, a sports Federation for obstacle racing was created.
Obstacle racing federation established
Cooperation with Qatar
With the participation of Consortium Energoresurs, Qatar is consulted on the issues of hosting the 2024 World Cup, and Ksenia helps to attract companies to the Qatari market
Ksenia Shoigu at a meeting with Hassan Al Tawadi
Personal life of Ksenia Shoigu
The chosen one of Ksenia Shoigu is a fitness blogger Alexei Stolyarov. In September 2024, Shoigu gave birth to a daughter from him.
Ksenia Shoigu and her husband Alexei Stolyarov
She participates in marathons (both in Hero League events and in foreign ones, for example, she ran the Singapore Marathon in 2018. She likes to listen to music, especially the work of rapper Basta is close to her. Adheres to a vegetarian diet.