About Valentina Matviyenk Valentina Ivanovna Matviyenko (Russian: Валенти́на Ива́новна Матвие́нко, b. April 7, 1949) is a Russian politician, a member of United Russia party. She has been the governor of Saint Petersburg since she was elected in 2003. She is currently the only woman to lead a federal subject of Russia.In 1985 she graduated from the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Academy and became a party official in Leningrad's municipal government. In 1984 - 1986 she was the First Secretary of the Krasnogvardeysky District Committee of the Party. Matviyenko was elected as a people's deputy to the Supreme Soviet and headed the committee on women, family and children affairs. Between 1991 and 1998 Matviyenko served in the diplomatic service and held several diplomatic positions including posts of Russian ambassador to Malta (1991-1995) and Greece (1997-1998). On September 24, 1998, Matviyenko was appointed Deputy Prime Minister of Russia for Welfare and occupied this position until 2003. In June 1999 she worked on the Board of Directors of the ORT TV channel. On November 20, 1999, she was involved in a life-threatening car accident. On February 3, 2000 she was nominated for the presidency, but refused to contest. On February 29, 2000, she announced that she was considering running in the St. Petersburg governor elections to be held on May 14, and on March 10 announced that she was indeed launching her campaign. However, on April 4 she claimed that Vladimir Putin had asked her to withdraw from the elections, and did so on April 5. On March 112003 she left the Deputy PM position and was appointed presidential envoy to the Northwestern Federal District by Vladimir Putin.