Introducing Russian rowing’s new president

The Russian Rowing Federation’s new president, Leonid Drachevsky has numerous rowing strands. Not only is he a former rower, but Drachevsky has also been a coach of Olympic champions and, from 1991 to 1997, was a vice-president of FISA. He also served a period as Vice President of FISU, the International University Sport Federation.

Born in Kazakhstan when his family was displaced during World War II, Drachevsky attended university in Moscow where he studied Chemical Engineering, and later became senior coach for the Soviet national rowing team for seven years. He then became the chief coach of the USSR rowing team and held the position until 1978. He later became President of the Soviet Rowing Federation and finally deputy Minister of Sport of the Soviet Union.

Going back to school in the early 1990s, Drachevsky studied to be a diplomat at the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry. During the 1992 Olympic Games, he was Consul General of the Russian Consulate in Barcelona, Spain, helping to coordinate the combined team of the former Soviet republics. He then went on to be Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia, charged with the coordination of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). His diplomatic service continued with a stint as the ambassador to Poland. He then took up the role as presidential envoy to the Siberian Federal District.

Drachevsky’s current position is as the deputy chairman of the Board of Directors of United Energy Systems. He is married with three children.

The World Rowing team values feedback.