Ivan Savvidis

Ivan Ignatyevich Savvidis (born March 27, 1959 in Santa, Tsalka District, Georgia), is a Georgian-born Greek-Russian (Caucasus Greek) businessman and politician. Savvidis is one of Russia's wealthiest men and is a member of Russian Parliament, closely linked to the president Vladimir Putin. Forbes has listed Ivan Savvidis as the 30th wealthiest Russian Businessman in the world.

After serving in the Soviet Army, Savvidis was educated at Rostov on Don State University of Economics (ru). In the 1980s and early 1990s, Savvidis was employed in various positions at the Don State Tobacco Factory. In 1992, the tobacco factory was privatised and renamed CJSC Donskoy Tabak; in the following year Savvidi was appointed as its General Director. Savvidis and his wife, Kyriaki Savvidi, is now formally the majority shareholder of Donskoy Tabak, the largest Russian tobacco company.

Between 2002 and 2005, Savvidis was President of FC Rostov. Since 2005, Savvidi has been Chairman of FC SKA Rostov-on-Don.

As of 10 August 2012, he has acquired the ownership of the Greek football team PAOK.

Savvidis was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Rostov Oblast in 1998 and 2003. In 2003, Savvidis was elected as a Deputy in the State Duma; he subsequently served as the Deputy Chairman of the Budget Committee and Taxes during of Russian Parliament. In 2007, Savvidis was elected as a Deputy in the State Duma as a member of the party United Russia led by chairman Vladimir Putin he Ivan Savvidis served as a member of the Committee International Affairs , as coordinator of Interparliamentary Relations with the Hellenic Parliament and as Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Russia-Belarusian Union.

Savvidis He is married with Kyriakι Savvidou and has two sons George and Nick Savvidιs

Savvidis is President of the Federation of Greek Communities of Russia, and was a key figure in pushing for the newly created region by SAE – World Council of Hellenic Diaspora in the Black Sea countries. Since June (2004) Ivan Savvidis is the president of the Association of Greeks public association Russia (AGOOR) He is also a philanthropist community Pontic Greek (CIS). On his initiative and support since (2007) were made possible an annual pilgrimage to the monastery Sumela Monastery in Trabzon Turkey On Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church (2009) the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church it was representative of Diocese of Novocherkassk and Rostov on don diocese from laymen of the Federation of Greek Communities of Russia

• Order "For Services to the Fatherland» IV degree (21 February 2008) - for achievements in legislative activity, strengthening of Russian statehood and the development of .asp? ID = 044317 Presidential Decree on February 21, 2008 № & NBSP; 233
• Order of Honour Russia | Order of Merit (13 December 2003) - for labor achievements and many years of diligent work = 020379 Presidential Decree of 13 December 2003 № & NBSP; 1485
• Medal of the Order "For Services to the Fatherland» II degree (6 September 1999) - for his contribution to the socio-economic development of the city of Rostov-on-Don, and in connection with its 250th anniversary

• Presidential Decree on September 6, 1999 № & NBSP; 1172

• Order of Holy Prince Daniel of Moscow II degree (2009)
• Order of Saint Seraphim of Sarov III degree (2011) [http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/1584631.html a solemn act on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate

• Medal "Patron of the Year" - for the revival of Russian culture and the Rostov-on-Don region (1999-2009)