Sergey Yastrzhembsky

Sergey Vladimirovich Yastrzhembsky (, ; born December 4, 1953) is a Russian statesman and diplomat. He has the federal state civilian service rank of 1st class Active State Councillor of the Russian Federation. He has been called "the keeper of Vladimir Putin’s secrets".

He was Boris Yeltsin's Spokesperson from 12 August 1996 to 12 September 1998.

Biography Education and early career Yatrzhembsky descends from the szlachta of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. He was educated at Moscow State Institute of Foreign Relations (MGIMO), allegedly a recruiting ground for the KGB, under the Soviet Union's Foreign Ministry in 1976, and as a postgraduate at the Soviet Academy of Sciences' Institute of the International Workers' Movement in 1979, where he earned a Ph.D. in history.

From 1990 to 1991, Yastrzhembsky was the Megapolis magazine's deputy editor-in-chief. Yastrzhembsky was promoted to the diplomatic rank of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, the highest diplomatic rank in the Russian Federation, by the Decree of the President of Russia of 20 June 1994 No. 1287.

Since 13 August 1996, he worked as President Boris Yeltsin's chief spokesperson. Yastrzhembsky was promoted to the rank of the 1st class Active State Councillor of the Russian Federation, the highest federal state civilian service rank in the Russian Federation, by the Decree of the President of Russia of 10 March 1997 No. 204. for 14 months before receiving promotion in March 2001 to head the Kremlin's Information Policy Department, co-ordinating all Putin's external communications.

Yastrzhembsky worked to lessen the impact the sinking of the Kursk had upon Putin. That position, Vedomosti reported on 8 May 2008, would become defunct when he left the post after Putin steps down. Towards the end of his posting to Brussels, Yastrzhembsky warned the EU that recognizing Kosovo's independence would open a "Pandora's box" of separatism in Europe.

In an interview with Vladimir Pozner, Yastrzhembsky told that Putin was extremely dissatisfied with his notice of resignation and became angry with him.

Post civil service In 2008 after leaving the civil service, Yastrzhembsky worked to establish a Russian-Italian investment bank which would be supported by both the Intesa banking group and VEB.

Yastreb Film In 2009, he established "Yastreb Film" also called the "Sergey Yastrzhembsky Studio" , which is a company that produces documentaries including the series "Out of Time" which was dedicated to the disappearing peoples of Africa.

In 2009, he was involved in making a series of documentary films on traditional African people, entitled "Beyond the Passage of Time".

Personal Yastrzhembsky is an avid hunter that enjoys trophy hunting. Sergei Chemezov, who became a avid hunter during his days in Dresden, loves hunting in Czechoslovakia, the Czech Republic and Slovakia where Chemezov hunted with Yastrzhembsky who was the Russian Ambassador to Slovakia from 3 June 1993 to 13 August 1996. Yastrzhembsky allegedly travelled to Montana and shot a bighorn sheep while he was in the Rocky Mountains and posted his hunting trophy on the Moscow-based Russian Club of Mountain Hunters website on which website he is listed in its hall of fame as a mountain hunters club award winner receiving the Russian Mountain Hunter's Cup; the Goats of the World SUPER 40; the Diamond Level for The Great Caucacus Prize, Russian Caucasian Prize, the Snow Sheep of Russia and Chamois of the World; the silver level for Capricorns of the World; Owners of the "Mountain Five" and, at the level of a Grand Slam Club/Ovis (GSCO) award-winning Russian hunter , with numerous awards including the Conklin Award, OVIS World Slam super 30, Сapra World Slam Super 30, OVIS Grand Slam, and TRIPLE SLAM.

Yastrzhembsky speaks English, French, Portuguese, Czech, Slovak, and Italian.

As of 2014, Yastrzhembsky is close to Mark Franchetti who is The Sunday Times veteran Moscow correspondent.