Irina Podnosova, the Chairwoman of the Supreme Court of Russia, has died at the age of 71 after battling a serious illness. Her death was confirmed by the court and reported by RBC.
Podnosova was appointed to the top judicial post in April 2024, following the death of her predecessor, Vyacheslav Lebedev, who had served since 1991. Her nomination to the Federation Council was put forward by President Vladimir Putin.
According to sources close to her, Podnosova had been ill for over a year but continued working until her health deteriorated.
Key Role in Judicial Reform
Podnosova had served in the Supreme Court since 2020, initially as Deputy Chair and head of the Judicial Panel on Economic Disputes. This panel inherited many responsibilities after the abolition of the Higher Arbitration Court in 2014. Her priorities included unifying judicial practice across arbitration districts, creating consistent legal interpretations, and engaging lawmakers to solve legislative gaps in economic justice.
Interestingly, as noted by the publication Advokatskaya Gazeta, she lacked prior experience in arbitration cases before assuming this role.
Career and Background
Before joining the Supreme Court, Podnosova led the Second Court of Appeals and the Leningrad Regional Court. In 2016, she was appointed to the Council of Judges of Russia.
Born in Pskov in 1953, she graduated in 1975 from the Law Faculty of Leningrad State University, now known as Saint Petersburg State University — the same alma mater as President Putin.
Final Public Engagements
After her appointment, President Putin met with Podnosova and raised concerns about the court system's excessive caseload. He encouraged her to take a closer look at streamlining the judiciary, reflecting the Kremlin’s growing interest in judicial reform.
Podnosova’s death marks the end of a brief but symbolically important period in the leadership of Russia’s highest court.
