Natalia Poklonskaya
Who was Natalia Poklonskaya?
Russian politician and former prosecutor who gained international attention as Prosecutor General of Crimea after its 2014 annexation. She later served as a State Duma deputy.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Natalia Poklonskaya (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Natalia Poklonskaya, born Radveda Vladimirovna Poklonskaya on 18 March 1980 in Mykhailivka, Ukraine, is a Russian lawyer, civil servant, and politician who gained international attention during the 2014 Russian takeover of Crimea. She studied at the National University of Internal Affairs, the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, and the Academy of the General Prosecutor's Office of Russia. She has a Master's degree in International Relations and is titled as State Counselor of Justice, 3rd Class. She is married to Ivan Nikolaevich Solovjev.
Poklonskaya started her legal career in Ukraine, working as a prosecutor from 2002 until March 2014 in various roles, including assistant district attorney. She became known for prosecuting organized crime cases involving groups like Bashmaki, Seilem, and Imdat, as well as handling high-profile cases through the Prosecutor General of Ukraine's office.
In March 2014, during the political changes with Russia's annexation of Crimea, Poklonskaya was made Prosecutor of the Republic of Crimea. A press conference she held then went viral online, leading to a surge of fan-made anime-style artwork of her. She became one of the top-searched people on the internet in both Russia and Ukraine in 2014, ranking seventh in searches in Russia and eighth in Ukraine.
She stepped down as Prosecutor of Crimea in 2016 after being elected as a deputy to the Seventh State Duma of Russia. In the Duma, she was deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Foreign Affairs and was involved in political controversies, such as supporting the Russian Imperial House and promoting the canonization of Tsar Nicholas II. She later worked as deputy director of Rossotrudnichestvo and as Russia's Ambassador to Cape Verde. Since 14 June 2022, she has been an advisor to the Prosecutor General of Russia.
Before Fame
Poklonskaya was born in 1980 in Mykhailivka, a settlement in what was then part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. She grew up during the last years of the Soviet Union and decided to study law after Ukraine became independent, enrolling at the National University of Internal Affairs. Her early career was spent entirely in Ukraine's prosecutorial system, where she worked for over a decade, focusing on organized crime cases.
Her rise to wider fame happened during the geopolitical crisis of early 2014. When political tensions between Ukraine and Russia led to the annexation of Crimea, Poklonskaya made the significant decision to align with Russian authorities instead of staying in the Ukrainian state system, a choice that changed the direction of her career and public image.
Key Achievements
- Appointed Prosecutor of the Republic of Crimea in 2014 following the Russian annexation, becoming one of the most recognizable faces of the new administration.
- Elected as a deputy to the Seventh State Duma of Russia in 2016 and served as deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Foreign Affairs.
- Prosecuted major organized crime groups including Bashmaki, Seilem, and Imdat during her career with the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's office.
- Served as Russia's Ambassador to Cape Verde, expanding her role from domestic law into international diplomacy.
- Recipient of multiple state honors including the Medal of Honor for merits in the protection of children of Russia, the Order for Fidelity to Duty, and awards from both the Donetsk People's Republic and the Republic of Crimea.
Did You Know?
- 01.Her 2014 press conference as newly appointed Prosecutor of Crimea generated a wave of anime-style fan art online, making her one of the most discussed figures on the internet in both Russia and Ukraine that year.
- 02.She was the second most searched-for female on the internet in Ukraine and the fourth most searched-for female in Russia during 2014.
- 03.She was awarded the Order of Saint Anastasia in 2014, the same year she took up the role of Prosecutor of the Republic of Crimea.
- 04.She legally changed her first name from Natalia to Radveda, a name with Slavic origins, at some point after gaining public recognition under her birth name.
- 05.While serving in the State Duma, she attracted controversy for publicly displaying an icon of Tsar Nicholas II and advocating positions associated with Russian imperial monarchism.
Family & Personal Life
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Medal of Honor "For merits in the protection of children of Russia" | — | — |
| Order “For fidelity to duty” | — | — |
| Awards of Donetsk People's Republic | — | — |
| Crimean Republic's awards | — | — |
| Order of Saint Anastasia | 2014 | — |