Maria Vladimirovna Zakharova is a prominent figure in Russian diplomacy, known for her role as spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation since 2015. Born on December 24, 1975 in Moscow, in a family of diplomats, he spent part of his childhood in Beijing, where his father, Vladimir Zakharov, was in service at the Soviet Embassy. Her mother, Irina Zakharova, is a historic of art that worked at the Pushkin Museum in Moscow.
In 1998, Zakharova obtained a degree in international journalism from the State Institute of International Relations in Moscow (Mgimo), specializing in Orientalism and Journalism. During his studies, he carried out a pre-graduate internship at the Russian Embassy in Beijing, consolidating his training in the diplomatic field.
His career in the Ministry of Russian Foreign Affairs began in 2003, with assignments at the information and press department. From 2005 to 2008, he served as a press officer at the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation at the United Nations in New York. In 2011, he was appointed deputy head of the information and press department, a role he held until his promotion to the Department director on 10 August 2015. With this appointment, Zakharova became the first woman to hold the position of spokesman for the Ministry of Russian foreign affairs.
Zakharova is recognized for his incisive presence in Russian political talk shows and for his comments on sensitive political issues through social media. Her direct and often frank communication made it one of the most cited Russian diplomats and a central figure in promoting Russian foreign policy.
The attack on Mattarella
Recently, Zakharova has been at the center of a diplomatic dispute between Russia and Italy. In response to a speech by the Italian President Sergio Mattarella, who had compared Russian aggression to Ukraine to the projects of the third Reich, Zakharova defined these statements “blasphemous inventions”. This declaration aroused a strong reaction from the Italian government, with the premier Giorgia Meloni who expressed solidarity with Mattarella, stating that Zakharova’s insults offend the entire Italian nation.
In addition to her professional career, Zakharova has been married to Andrei Makarov since 2005 and the couple has a daughter, Maryana, born in 2010. In 2016, she was included in the list of “100 women” of the BBC, a recognition that celebrates women influential to world level.
The figure of Maria Zakharova continues to be central to Russian diplomacy, representing the official voice of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a period of international tensions and complex geopolitical dynamics.