Some were born in Kazakhstan, and could well be from the Volga, some are GRs from other provinces. Wikipedia has whole lists of top Russian politicians and business, from where you can pick out your own GRs by checking the entries. Just some examples below, some have/had (cabinet) ministerial posts: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Gref (Herman Graf) Education and early career Gref was born in the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic (now Kazakhstan), the son of ethnic German deportees who were exiled there in 1941. He attended Omsk State University as a law student from 1985-1990 after fulfilling his two year military obligation. Gref taught law at Leningrad University while completing his post-graduate degree, which he finished in 1993. In addition to his teaching position at Leningrad University and his studies, Gref worked for the City of Saint Petersburg in various capacities, such as legal adviser (a position he had also held when in Kazakhstan), and other jobs, most dealing with property and real estate. etc ------------------------ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Kokh (Alfred Koch) Alfred Reyngoldovich Kokh (Koch) (Russian: áÌØÆÒÅÄ òÅÊÎÇÏÌØÄÏ×ÉÞ ëÏÈ, born February 28, 1961, in Zyryanovsk, Kazakhstan, USSR) is a Russian politician and businessman of German origin. On September 12, 1996, he was appointed Chairman of the State Property Committee of Russia. On August 13, 1997 he left the position after giving preferences to some participants of the auction for privatization of Svyazinvest.[1] In June 2000 - October 2001 he was the Director General of Gazprom Media, a subsidiary media holding of Gazprom (now a subsidiary holding of Gazprombank), succeeded by Boris Jordan. etc. ----------------- Try Wikipedia or google to look up GR politicians/businessmen, e.g. Alexei Miller http://www.gazprom.ru/eng/articles/article8603.shtml ---------------------- Eduard Rossel Governor of Sverdlovsk Region http://www.mvdv.ru/vip/3.htm ------------- Minister of transport of the Russian Federation: Sergey Frank ----------------