Mintimer Sharipovich Shaimiev[a][b] (born 20 January 1937) is a Russian former politician who served as the president of Tatarstan from 1991 to 2010.

Shaimiev was born in the village of Anyakovo, in Aktanyshsky District of the Tatar ASSR.

In 1967 he was an instructor and deputy head of the agricultural department at Tatarstan's regional party organization.

That year, his first state visit outside the country was to Kazakhstan, where he was received by President Nursultan Nazarbayev with honors.

[3] In 2001, he and Moscow's Mayor Yuri Luzhkov founded the United Russia party.