Mr. Mikhail Shvydkoy was born on September 5th 1948 and graduated from the State Institute of Dramatic Arts in 1971. He gained a Doctorate in 1991. He has held high profile editorships and between 1998-2000 was Chairman of All Russia State TV. He became Minister of Culture in 2000 and Head of the Federal Agency for Culture and Cinematography in 2004. Ambassador at Large and Special Representative of the President of Russia for International Cultural Cooperation, Project Leader Bilateral Year Russia-Netherlands.

He is the author of 3 books, 10 films and more than 1,000 papers on culture.