In the run up to Russia’s presidential election, several members of the leadership circle backing Vladimir Putin were identified as submitting documents to the Central Election Commission to register as presidential candidates on December 18. The trio includes a veteran of the Northern Military District who serves as the chief physician of a Moscow hospital and a People’s Artist of the Russian Federation. The names were reported by Kommersant as potential co-chairs of the election headquarters and part of the broader initiative group formed to support Putin by nominating a candidate on December 16. The figures discussed are Artem Zhoga, the speaker of the Donetsk People’s Republic parliament and commander of the Spartan battalion; actor Vladimir Mashkov; and Maryana Lysenko, chief physician at Moscow City Hospital No. 52. These individuals are described as prominent figures in the support network for the head of state.
Zhoga’s engagement with the campaign reportedly began on December 8, when he approached Putin on behalf of Donbass with a request for participation in the presidential race, to which Putin allegedly responded in the affirmative. Zhoga is also noted for heading the United Russia list in the autumn elections of the Donetsk People’s Republic People’s Council. The association of these figures with the campaign underscores the cross-regional political maneuvers accompanying the presidential process.
Maryana Lysenko has a notable public profile for her stance on public health and her role in the medical sector; she has been recognized with a state honor for her efforts during the covid-19 pandemic and has previously run for the State Duma on the United Russia list before stepping away from that post. Mashkov, an actor with a long history of participation in political events, has been linked to United Russia activities and served on a commission that contributed to constitutional amendments before being elected to the State Duma on the United Russia list and later declining the post. These biographical notes frame the depth of involvement among campaign backers and the cross-section of public life in the election apparatus.
Following a ceremony at the Kremlin where medals were awarded to national heroes, Putin publicly stated his intent to participate in the approaching presidential elections. The Kremlin veteran has been elected President of the Russian Federation four times, with terms spanning 2000, 2004, 2012, and 2018. The 2024 presidential election in Russia was scheduled for March 17, with the new leader taking office on May 7, according to the electoral timetable that year. The Central Election Commission had previously discussed measures for registering a voter group that supports Putin. This sequence of events outlines the formal registration process and the identifying of high-profile figures who form part of the support infrastructure for the presidential campaign.