Artem Zhoga
{{Short description|Ukrainian-born Russian military officer and politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox office holder
| name = Artem Zhoga
| native_name = {{nobold|Артём Жога}}
| native_name_lang = ru
| image = 2023 Artem Zhoga.jpg
| caption = Zhoga in 2023
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1975|01|18|df=yes}}
| death_date =
| birth_place = Shiroky, Magadan Oblast, Russian SFSR, USSR
| death_place =
| birth_name = Artem Vladimirovich Zhoga
| nickname =
| party = United Russia (2023–present)
| office = Presidential Envoy to the Ural Federal District
| term_start = 2 October 2024
| term_end =
| president = Vladimir Putin
| predecessor = Vladimir Yakushev
| office1 = Chairman of the People's Council of the Donetsk People's Republic
| term_start1 = 20 September 2023
| term_end1 = 2 October 2024
| predecessor1 = Vladimir Bidyovka
| successor1 = Konstantin Kuzmin
| allegiance = {{flagicon image|New_Donetsk_Peoples_Republic_flag.svg}} Donetsk People's Republic (2014–2022)
{{flagicon image|Flag of Russia.svg}} Russia (2022–2023)
| branch = 20px DPR Armed Forces (2014–2022)
{{flagicon image|Flag of the Russian Federation Ground Forces.svg}} Russian Ground Forces (2022–2023)
| commands = 15px Sparta Battalion
| serviceyears = 2014–2023
| rank = Colonel
| battles = {{tree list}}
{{tree list/end}}
| awards =
| children = Vladimir Zhoga
}}
Artem (or Artyom) Vladimirovich Zhoga ({{Langx|ru|Артём Владимирович Жога}}, {{Langx|uk|Артем Володимирович Жога}}; born 18 January 1975){{Cite web |title=Жога Артем Владимирович / Жога Артем Володимирович / ZHoga Artem Vladimirovich |url=https://myrotvorets.center/criminal/zhoga-artem-vladimirovich/ |access-date=2022-05-09 |website=«МИРОТВОРЕЦЬ»}} is a Russian military officer and politician serving as the Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Ural Federal District since 2 October 2024. Previously, he was the Chairman of the People's Council of the Donetsk People's Republic from September 2023 to October 2024.
He was the commander of the Sparta Battalion, a pro-Russian force that is involved in the Russo-Ukrainian War. His son Vladimir was the commander of the battalion from 2016 until his death in 2022.{{Cite web |title=Командиром "Спарты" назначен Артем Жога |url=https://smotrim.ru/article/2685759 |website=Smotrim |lang=ru}}
Early life and pre-war period
Artem Zhoga was born in Shiroky, Magadan Oblast, Russian SFSR, USSR on 18 January 1975. His son Vladimir was born in Donetsk in 1993 and the family moved to Sloviansk shortly after.{{Cite web |date=3 November 2016 |title=Воха из "Спарты": преемник Моторолы |url=https://svpressa.ru/war21/article/159889/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220306145234/https://svpressa.ru/war21/article/159889/ |archive-date=6 March 2022 |website=svpressa.ru |language=ru}} Prior to the start of the War in Donbas, Zhoga was engaged in business, running several fish stores in Sloviansk.{{Cite web |title=Артем Жога: биография, семья |url=https://mir-znamenitostej.ru/artem-zhoga-biografiya-semya/ |access-date=2023-09-23 |website=mir-znamenitostej.ru}}
Russo-Ukrainian War
= War in Donbas =
Following the start of the War in Donbas, Zhoga and his son Vladimir joined the pro-Russian separatist forces and enlisted in the Sparta Battalion, becoming close friends with its commander Arsen Pavlov. Pavlov was assassinated in 2016 and Vladimir Zhoga succeeded him as the commander of the Sparta Battalion, with Artem being appointed the chief of staff of the battalion.
= Russian invasion of Ukraine =
He was among the speakers at the March 2022 pro-war rally in Moscow and stated that "our task is to liberate our land from Nazi people".{{Cite web |date=2022-03-18 |title=Митинг лучше, чем жизнь |url=https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/5269040 |access-date=2023-09-23 |website=Коммерсантъ |language=ru}}
On 9 May 2022 for Victory Day, Zhoga met with Vladimir Putin in Moscow where his late son's Hero of the Russian Federation award was presented to him.{{Cite web |title=Встреча с отцом Героя России Владимира Жоги |url=http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/68369 |access-date=2022-05-09 |website=Президент России |language=ru}}{{Cite web |title=Путин встретился с отцом погибшего в Донбассе командира батальона "Спарта" |url=https://ria.ru/20220509/putin-1787638622.html |access-date=2022-05-09 |website=РИА Новости |language=ru}}{{Cite web |title=Путин вручил звезду Героя отцу погибшего командира батальона ДНР "Спарта" |url=https://www.interfax.ru/russia/840005 |access-date=2022-05-09 |website=Interfax.ru |language=ru}} On 30 September 2022, he was seen present in the front-row seating during Vladimir Putin's signing ceremony in Moscow Kremlin's St. George's Hall for the Russian Annexation of Southern and Eastern Ukraine.{{Citation |title=In full: Vladimir Putin officially annexing four Ukrainian regions at Moscow ceremony |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDdHRGcbffo |access-date=2022-10-01 |language=en}}
On 15 September, Zhoga announced that an "eight episode series" that he was involved in making would premiere in a month. Called "FATHERS OF DONBASS" he described it as "A series about the strong spirit of people who resist global Nazism and win this difficult fight. They live and enjoy every day, give birth and raise children no matter what". He announced on his Instagram account that the series will premiere on 15 October 2023.https://www.instagram.com/p/CxNIHeHtvd7/
Political career
In 2023, Zhoga joined the ruling United Russia party and entered politics.{{Cite news |title=Командир «Спарты» Артем Жога идет в политику |language=ru |url=https://ura.news/news/1052642933 |access-date=2023-09-22}} In the 2023 Russian regional elections in the Russian-occupied Donetsk Oblast, Zhoga was elected member of the People's Council of the Donetsk People's Republic. On 20 September, Zhoga was elected Chairman of the People's Council of the Donetsk People's Republic.{{Cite web |date= |title=Народный совет ДНР выбрал председателем Жогу |url=https://ria.ru/20230920/dnr-1897662885.html |access-date=2023-09-22 |website=РИА Новости |language=ru}}
On 2 October 2024, Zhoga was appointed Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Ural Federal District by President Vladimir Putin.{{Cite web |date=2024-10-02 |title=Артем Жога стал полпредом Путина на Урале |url=https://www.rbc.ru/politics/02/10/2024/66fd99dd9a794770e269f238 |access-date=2024-10-02 |website=РБК |language=ru}} On 25 October 2024, President Putin appointed Zhoga to the Security Council of Russia.{{Cite web |title=Путин включил Жогу в состав Совбеза |url=https://ria.ru/20241025/zhoga-1980085585.html |access-date=2024-10-27 |website=РИА Новости}} The Institute for the Study of War assessed Zhoga's appointment to the Security Council as an "ongoing effort to establish younger, pro-war figures within the Kremlin".{{Cite web |title=Institute for the Study of War |url=https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-october-25-2024 |access-date=2024-10-26 |website=Institute for the Study of War |language=en}}
References
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Category:People from the Donetsk People's Republic
Category:Ukrainian collaborators with Russia
Category:Pro-Russian people of the war in Donbas