MOSCOW (Realist English). Irina Podnosova, the Chair of the Supreme Court of Russia, has died at the age of 71 after a prolonged illness, according to a report by state news agency TASS, citing sources close to her.
Podnosova was appointed head of the Supreme Court on April 17, 2024, following the death of Vyacheslav Lebedev, who had led the court since 1989. Her nomination was unanimously confirmed by the Federation Council, Russia’s upper house of parliament.
Born on October 29, 1953 in Pskov, Podnosova graduated from the Law Faculty of Leningrad State University in 1975 — the same class as President Vladimir Putin. She began her legal career in the Leningrad regional executive committee, later working in the industrial sector before entering the judiciary in 1990.
Podnosova served as a judge and later chair of the Luga City Court, then as deputy chair and chair of the Leningrad Regional Court, and subsequently as head of the Second Appellate Court of General Jurisdiction. From 2020 to 2024, she served as Deputy Chair of the Supreme Court, overseeing the panel for economic disputes.
As Supreme Court Chair, Podnosova was a member of the court’s Presidium, co-chaired the Scientific Advisory Council, and held the highest judicial qualification — First Class Judge. She was awarded the Order of Honour in 2022 and a Presidential Certificate of Merit in 2023.
Irina Podnosova’s death is a significant loss for the Russian judiciary. Her career embodied the model of a “practitioner judge” — rising from local legal work to the country’s highest judicial post. The Kremlin now faces a pivotal decision: who will lead the Supreme Court at a time of personnel transition and a growing role for the judiciary in managing economic and political conflicts.
