{{Short description|Georgian politician}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Dimitri Shashkini<br>დიმიტრი შაშკინი | image = | order = | title = Minister of Defense of Georgia | term_start = 4 July 2012 | term_end = 25 October 2012 | predecessor = Bachana Akhalaia | successor = Irakli Alasania | president = Mikheil Saakashvili | prime_minister = Vano Merabishvili | title1 = Minister of Education and Science of Georgia | term_start1 = 21 December 2009 | term_end1 = 4 July 2012 | predecessor1 = Nika Gvaramia | successor1 = Khatia Dekanoidze | president1 = Mikheil Saakashvili | prime_minister1 = Nika Gilauri | office2 = Minister of Corrections and Legal Assistance of Georgia | term_start2 = 2 February 2009 | term_end2 = 21 December 2009 | predecessor2 = | successor2 = Khatuna Kalmakhelidze | party = United National Movement | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1975|08|08}} | birth_place = Tbilisi, Georgia SSR, Soviet Union | branch = Akhaltsikhe Military Base of the Georgian Army | service_years = 1993-1996 | rank = Lieutenant | battles = | signature = Shashkini signature (vect).svg }}
'''Dimitri Shashkini''' ({{lang-ka|დიმიტრი შაშკინი}}, {{langx|ru|Шашкин, Дмитрий Николаевич}}) (born 8 August 1975) is a Georgian politician of Russian descent, serving as the Minister of Defense of Georgia from 4 July 2012 to 25 October 2012.
==Early years== Shashkini was born on August 8, 1975, in Tbilisi, Georgia, to a family of Russian background stemming from Ukraine. In 1992-1993, he attended the Greek-Georgian University, studying International Law. From 1992 through 1993, he worked as an inspector at the weapons office in the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia. From 1993 to 1998, he attended Tbilisi State University, graduating with a master's degree in Criminal Law with an emphasis on State, Tax and Criminal Law. He also briefly served as a Lieutenant at the Akhaltsikhe Military Base of the Georgian Armed Forces until 1996. In 1997-1998, Shashkini worked as a program assistant at the American Bar Association and from 1998 through 2001 as an assistant program officer at the International Republican Institute (IRI). In 2001, he was promoted to resident program officer at the same institution and in 2007 became the resident country director of IRI, retaining the position until 2009. Between 1998-2008, Shashkini also provided private consulting and management services to various candidates during election campaigns.<ref name=Min>{{cite web |url=http://www.mes.gov.ge/content.php?id=8&lang=eng |title=Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia. Dimitri Shashkin |accessdate=2011-04-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724182533/http://www.mes.gov.ge/content.php?id=8&lang=eng |archive-date=2011-07-24 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He became IRI's chief of party in 2008.<ref>Max Bader ''Against All Odds: Aiding Political Parties in Georgia and Ukraine'' Page 129 - 2010 "Allegations by the opposition to the effect that IRI was pursuing a partisan line appeared to be substantiated when Dimitri Shashkin, long-standing program officer for IRI in Georgia who was promoted to become IRI's chief of party in 2008,"</ref>
==Political career== On February 2, 2009, Shashkini was appointed as the head of the newly established Ministry of Corrections and Legal Assistance of Georgia.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.georgiatimes.info/en/news/6891.html |title=Dimitri Shashkin to head the Ministry for Probations of Georgia |publisher=Georgia Times |date=2009-02-02 |accessdate=2011-04-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724172910/http://www.georgiatimes.info/en/news/6891.html |archive-date=2011-07-24 |url-status=dead }}</ref> On December 21, 2009, he was replaced by Khatuna Kalmaxelidze, and appointed Minister of Education and Science of Georgia.<ref name=Min/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.adjaratv.ge/en/index.php?page=shownews&id=4840 |title=Adjara Television. Nika Gilauri presented Dimitry Shashkin |accessdate=2011-04-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110903081439/http://www.adjaratv.ge/en/index.php?page=shownews&id=4840 |archive-date=2011-09-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref> On July 4, 2012, he was moved to the position of Defense Minister of Georgia.<ref>[http://civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=24965 Reshuffled Cabinet and its New Program Confirmed]. Civil Georgia. July 4, 2012.</ref>
Shashkini said Georgia's defense policy would be built around "the principle of three Ts": Total Care, Total Training, and Total Defense.<ref>[http://civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=24984 New Defense Minister Lays Out Priorities]. Civil Georgia. July 10, 2012.</ref> On October 25, 2012, following the parliamentary election which saw the defeat of the ruling United National Movement party, Shashkini was succeeded by Irakli Alasania as the Minister of Defense. Prior to that, on October 22, he confirmed, in a message posted on his Facebook page that he had left Georgia, saying that he had "spent the happiest four years of my life with Mikheil Saakashvili's government and together we have all elevated Georgia to the zenith of its development."<ref>[http://civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=25381 Shashkin Confirms he Left Georgia]. Civil Georgia. October 22, 2012.</ref> He returned to Georgia in March 2013.
Shashkini is married and has two children.
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shashkin, Dimitri}} Category:Living people Category:Ministers of defence of Georgia Category:Education ministers of Georgia Category:Science ministers of Georgia Category:Tbilisi State University alumni Category:People from Georgia (country) of Russian descent Category:1975 births Category:Politicians from Tbilisi Category:United National Movement (Georgia) politicians