Who Was Roman Starovoit
On Monday, Roman Starovoit, the ex-Transportation Minister, was found dead in what seems to be a suicide, just hours after news broke of his dismissal by President Vladimir Putin.
Reports suggest that Starovoit may have taken his life as early as Friday. State Duma lawmaker Andrei Kartapolov informed the media that the former minister had died “quite some time ago.”
At the age of 53, Starovoit was removed from his ministerial position only a year after his appointment. Before this, he served as the governor of the Kursk region from 2018 until May 2024.
So, who was Roman Starovoit, and what circumstances led to his tragic end?
Early Life
Roman Vladimirovich Starovoit was born on January 20, 1972, in Kursk. He graduated from the Baltic State Technical University in St. Petersburg in 1995 and later earned a degree in state and municipal administration from the North-West Academy of Public Administration in 2008.
Government Career
Starovoit began his public service career in 2005, initially overseeing the investor relations department before becoming the first deputy chairman of the St. Petersburg government’s Investments and Strategic Projects Committee. In 2010, he moved to the role of deputy director of the Russian government’s department of industry and infrastructure, a position he held until 2012.
In 2012, he took the helm of the state road agency Rosavtodor and was appointed deputy transportation minister in 2018. His time in that role was short-lived, as he became the governor of the Kursk region in October 2018. He was subsequently elected to the position in 2019 and officially joined the ruling United Russia party the following year.
In May 2024, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin nominated him as Transportation Minister, a role he maintained until his death.
Forbes Russia cited the Center for Political Conjuncture (CPC), describing Starovoit as an “uncompromising controller.” He identified himself as a “layman” in the political arena.
“I have never engaged in politics nor participated in any elections,” he stated, emphasizing his role as a technocrat focused on “the execution of specific projects.”
Afterward, he served as the executive director of the Regional Investment Fund. From 1995 to 2001, he led the asset management firm Promyshleny, and from 2001 to 2005, he was in charge of a construction company named Stroyinvest.
What Went Wrong?
Starovoit’s governorship of the Kursk region faced criticism following Ukraine’s unexpected incursion into the border area last summer.
Since that event, law enforcement has made several high-profile arrests, including that of his successor, Alexei Smirnov, related to alleged misappropriation of public funds.
While Starovoit had not been directly implicated in the ongoing investigations, later reports from the Kommersant business daily cited unnamed sources suggesting that suspects in the embezzlement case, including Smirnov, had recently testified against him.
Kommersant reported that Starovoit was under threat of an investigation regarding his alleged involvement in the misappropriation of at least 1 billion rubles ($12.8 million) intended for constructing defensive structures along the Ukrainian border.
Why Is His Death Significant?
Political analysts quickly recognized the potential implications of Starovoit’s death within the Russian elite.
Independent journalist Farida Rustamova noted that his passing should be seen as a significant setback for Putin’s administration.
“The Kremlin tends to treat officials as expendable: they serve today, and tomorrow they may be imprisoned while replacements are sought,” she expressed on Telegram. “By taking his own life, Starovoit defied these norms. He rejected Putin’s authority and, instead of passively facing imprisonment, chose to end his life.”
Political analyst Ekaterina Schulmann remarked, “It is significant that the current phase of political evolution within the regime seems to be more detrimental to the elite than to the general populace — which is usually the opposite.”
“At what point will these unfortunate individuals realize that the solution is not to seek the most benign ruler possible, but to establish universal regulations, known as the law?” she questioned.
