Dmitry Viktorovich Trapeznikov (russian: Дми́трий Ви́кторович Трапе́зников; born 12 April 1981) is a Russian politician and former Russian separatist leader who served as the acting Head of the

Donetsk People's Republic The Donetsk People's Republic ( rus, Донецкая Народная Республика, Donetskaya Narodnaya Respublika, dɐˈnʲetskəjə nɐˈrodnəjə rʲɪˈspublʲɪkə; abbreviated as DPR or DNR, rus, ДНР) is a Territorial ...

from 31 August 2018 until 7 September 2018.

Political career

Before the

Russo-Ukrainian War The Russo-Ukrainian War; uk, російсько-українська війна, rosiisko-ukrainska viina. has been ongoing between Russia (alongside Russian separatist forces in Donbas, Russian separatists in Ukraine) and Ukraine since Feb ...

, Trapeznikov was the head of Ukoopzovnishtorg Trading House. Before that, he served as deputy head of the Petrovskoy District Council of Donetsk city. He was also manager of

Shakhtar Donetsk Football Club Shakhtar Donetsk ( uk, Футбольний клуб «Шахтар» Донецьк , short nickname "miners") is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Donetsk. In 2014, due to the War in Donbass, the club was f ...

football team (belonging to

Rinat Akhmetov Rinat Leonidovych Akhmetov, ; russian: Ринат Леонидович Ахметов, ; tt-Cyrl, Ринат Леонид улы Әхмәтов, translit=Rinat Leonid uly Äkhmätov (born on 21 September 1966) is a Ukrainian billionaire and b ...

) in 2001 while studying at the Donetsk State Academy of Civil Engineering and Architecture. On 31 August 2018 was appointed acting Head of the Donetsk People's Republic following the death of

Alexander Zakharchenko Alexander Vladimirovich Zakharchenko uk, Олекса́ндр Володи́мирович Заха́рченко, translit=Oleksandr Volodymyrovych Zakharchenko (26 June 1976 – 31 August 2018) was a Ukrainian separatist leader who was the he ...

. On 7 September 2018, the Parliament of the DPR appointed

Denis Pushilin Denis Vladimirovich Pushilin (russian: Дени́с Влади́мирович Пуши́лин, ; uk, Денис Володимирович Пушилін, Denys Volodymyrovych Pushylin; born 9 May 1981) is a Russian and Ukrainian politician ...

as acting Head of the republic after nomination of Trapeznikov was deemed "illegal" and Trapeznikov fled to Russia In September 2019 he was appointed the acting mayor of

Elista Elista (russian: Элиста́, (common during the Soviet era) or (most common pronunciation used after 1992 and in Kalmykia itself);"Большой энциклопедический словарь", под ред. А. М. Прохорова. ...

, capital of Russian republic of

Kalmykia he official languages of the Republic of Kalmykia are the Kalmyk and Russian languages./ref> , official_lang_list= Kalmyk , official_lang_ref=Steppe Code (Constitution) of the Republic of Kalmykia, Article 17: he official languages of the ...

. The nomination was a surprise to people in Elista and it resulted in rallies. Protesters demanded his removal arguing that "Trapeznikov is not a native of Kalmykia, he’s not even a citizen of Russia". Protests continued in November 2019 with over 2,000 people in Elista joined a rally against Trapeznikov. The nomination was proposed by

Vladislav Surkov Vladislav Yuryevich Surkov (russian: Владислав Юрьевич Сурков; born 21 September 1962 or 1964) is a Russian politician and businessman. He was First Deputy Chief of the Russian Presidential Administration from 1999 to 20 ...

, described as the curator of DPR/LPR projects in Kremlin.

Personal life

Dmitry Trapeznikov was born on 12 April 1981 in

Krasnodar Krasnodar (; rus, Краснода́р, p=krəsnɐˈdar; ady, Краснодар), formerly Yekaterinodar (until 1920), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Krasnodar Krai, Russia. The city stands on the Kuban River in southern ...

, USSR (nowadays Russia) and since has lived in

Donetsk Donetsk ( , ; uk, Донецьк, translit=Donets'k ; russian: Донецк ), formerly known as Aleksandrovka, Yuzivka (or Hughesovka), Stalin and Stalino (see also: Names of European cities in different languages (C–D), cities' alternat ...

since 1982. He is married and has two children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trapeznikov, Dmitry 1981 births Living people People from Krasnodar People of the Donetsk People's Republic Ukrainian collaborators with Russia