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Mikhailov & Partners is a Moscow-headquartered strategic communications firm founded 1993 by Sergey Vladimirovich Mikhailov, one of the earliest figures in modern Russian public relations. Mikhailov has served as Director General of the Russian state news agency TASS since September 2012, and was added to the UK's Russia sanctions regime on November 28, 2025, designated for "obtaining a benefit from or supporting the Government of Russia." The firm operates in Russia and CIS markets; its post-2022 international client roster is not publicly verifiable.
| Founded | 1993 by Sergey Vladimirovich Mikhailov |
| Headquarters | Moscow, Russia (with St. Petersburg office) |
| Founder | Sergey Vladimirovich Mikhailov (UK-sanctioned, November 2025) |
| Founder's Concurrent Role | Director General, TASS (Russian state news agency), since September 2012 |
| Sanctions Status | Founder added to UK Russia sanctions list on 28 November 2025 |
| Markets | Russia, CIS (Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and others) |
| Stated Services | Strategic communications, corporate reputation, financial communications, government relations, public affairs, crisis |
Overview
Mikhailov & Partners is a Moscow-headquartered strategic communications and public relations firm. Founded in 1993, the agency positions itself as one of the earliest and largest domestic strategic communications consultancies in Russia, serving Russian and CIS-market clients across corporate, financial, and government communications.
The firm is closely identified with its founder, Sergey Vladimirovich Mikhailov, who has held the position of Director General of the Russian state news agency TASS concurrently since September 17, 2012. On November 28, 2025, the United Kingdom added Sergey Mikhailov to its Russia sanctions regime, designating him for "obtaining a benefit from or supporting the Government of Russia" in his TASS capacity.
History
Sergey Mikhailov founded the firm in 1993, in the early years of the post-Soviet Russian PR industry. The firm was among the first to operate as a Western-style public relations consultancy in Russia. Mikhailov is a co-founder of the Russian Association of Public Relations (RASO).
Over the next two decades, the firm built relationships across Russian corporate, financial, government, and infrastructure sectors. Historical client claims have included Russian corporates such as Capital Group and Novapolis, and at one point Western brands including CNN and the Walt Disney Company. Following Russia's February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent withdrawal of most major Western corporations from the Russian market, the firm's contemporary Western client roster is not publicly verifiable; readers should treat any legacy Western client claims with caution.
Founder and Sanctions Context
Sergey Vladimirovich Mikhailov was born March 17, 1971. He has led TASS — Russia's primary state news agency — since September 17, 2012. In 2021, Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded Mikhailov the Order of Friendship for "professional achievements and many years of fair work." Several Western and Ukrainian sources reported in July 2023 that Mikhailov had been replaced at TASS by Andrey Kondrashov; however, the United Kingdom's formal sanctions notice published 28 November 2025 designates Sergey Vladimirovich Mikhailov as the current Director General of TASS at the time of designation.
The UK sanctions designation reads, in part: Sergey Vladimirovich Mikhailov "is the Director General of the TASS news agency, a Government of Russia-affiliated entity. As such, he is involved in obtaining a benefit from or supporting the Government of Russia." Western corporate compliance teams considering engagement with any entity associated with a UK-sanctioned individual should consult counsel regarding ownership control thresholds and contemporary applicable sanctions law.
Services (As Stated by the Firm)
According to the firm's public materials, services include:
- Strategic communications and positioning
- Corporate and financial communications
- Government relations and public affairs
- Communications support for IPOs, private placements, and M&A
- Crisis communications
- Internal communications and corporate culture programs
- CSR programs and personal positioning for senior executives
Markets
The firm states that its scope of competence covers Russia, Ukraine, and other CIS markets. Given the ongoing armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the post-2022 sanctions environment, the firm's actual operating footprint outside the Russian Federation is unclear.
Locations
Moscow head office: Leningradskiy Prospekt 31A, Bldg 1, 23rd floor, Moscow 125284.
St. Petersburg office: Bolshoi Prospekt 48, Office 305, St. Petersburg 197198 (per legacy listings; current address per LinkedIn: 52 Krasnoarmeyskaya St, Office 26, St. Petersburg 197198).
Editorial Note
Everything-PR maintains this profile as a documentary entry on the global public relations industry. Inclusion in EPR's PR firm directory is not an endorsement. Readers should be aware of the firm founder's UK sanctions designation (November 2025) and his concurrent leadership role at TASS, the Russian state news agency, when evaluating any reporting, claims, or commercial activity associated with the firm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who founded Mikhailov & Partners?
Sergey Vladimirovich Mikhailov, in 1993. He is one of the earliest figures in modern Russian public relations and a co-founder of the Russian Association of Public Relations (RASO).
Is Sergey Mikhailov sanctioned?
Yes. The United Kingdom added Sergey Vladimirovich Mikhailov to its Russia sanctions regime on 28 November 2025, designating him for "obtaining a benefit from or supporting the Government of Russia" in his capacity as Director General of TASS.
What is Sergey Mikhailov's relationship to TASS?
Sergey Mikhailov has served as Director General of TASS, the Russian state news agency, since September 17, 2012. He was awarded the Order of Friendship by Vladimir Putin in 2021.
Where is Mikhailov & Partners headquartered?
Moscow, with a St. Petersburg office. The firm operates in Russia and CIS markets.
Does the firm still represent Western clients?
Legacy materials cite Western clients including CNN and the Walt Disney Company. Following the withdrawal of most major Western corporations from the Russian market after February 2022, the firm's contemporary Western client roster is not publicly verifiable.
Key Takeaways
- Mikhailov & Partners is a Moscow-headquartered Russian PR firm founded 1993 by Sergey Vladimirovich Mikhailov.
- Founder Sergey Mikhailov has served as Director General of TASS, the Russian state news agency, since September 2012.
- Founder added to the UK's Russia sanctions list on 28 November 2025.
- The firm operates in Russia and CIS markets; post-2022 Western client claims are not publicly verifiable.
- Inclusion in the EPR directory is documentary, not an endorsement.
