A farewell ceremony for Roman Starovoit, the former Russian Minister of Transport whose death was reported just days ago, took place on Thursday, July 10, at the Central Clinical Hospital (TsKB) in Moscow. The event drew high-ranking officials, close friends, and family members, lasting nearly two hours. The ceremony concluded with a live orchestral performance.
Attendees began arriving around 9 a.m., including:
- Deputy Prime Ministers Dmitry Grigorenko, Alexander Novak, Marat Khusnullin, and Dmitry Patrushev;
- Industry Minister Anton Alikhanov;
- Digital Development Minister Maksut Shadayev;
- Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov;
- Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova;
- Agriculture Minister Oksana Lut;
- Natural Resources Minister Alexander Kozlov;
- Labor Minister Anton Kotyakov;
- and Andrei Nikitin, Starovoit’s successor at the Transport Ministry, who called him “a man of integrity.”
I remember him as a man of integrity.
Also present at the ceremony were Starovoit’s former wife Svetlana, from whom he divorced in 2021, and their two daughters — 18-year-old Angelina and 15-year-old Anastasia — who sat beside the coffin. Notably absent was his girlfriend Polina, who had identified his body but reportedly encountered difficulties after his death.
According to TASS, approximately 200 people came to bid farewell to the late politician. The line to pay respects stretched nearly 30 meters.
Putin Sends Funeral Wreath for Starovoit
President Vladimir Putin sent a funeral wreath adorned with roses to the ceremony. The wreath was placed in the hall beside the coffin where the farewell took place.
Putin was among the first to be informed of Starovoit’s passing, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. The news, he said, deeply shocked the presidential administration.
This cannot help but shock any normal person. Naturally, we were deeply shaken as well.
Starovoit to Be Buried in St. Petersburg
The death of former Transport Minister Roman Starovoit was reported on Monday, July 7 — the same day he was formally dismissed from office by decree of President Putin. His body was found lifeless in the bushes near a parking area in Odintsovo, a suburb of Moscow. He was 53 years old. A service pistol was discovered nearby. The leading cause of death is believed to be suicide.
Starovoit’s funeral is scheduled for Friday, July 11, in St. Petersburg, where his father and brother currently reside. According to available information, he will be laid to rest at the Smolensk Cemetery. As reported by Fontanka, workers have been preparing a grave near the Chapel of Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg, where the burial is expected to take place.
Born in Kursk, Starovoit spent his childhood and youth in Sosnovy Bor, Leningrad Region. He received his higher education in St. Petersburg, where he also began his career in public service.
