The Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation (lang-rus Председатель Государственной Думы Федерального собрания Российской Федерации), also called Speaker (спикер), is the presiding officer of the lower house of the Russian parliament. His responsibilities include the overseeing the day-to-day business of the State Duma, presiding and maintaining order at the regular sessions of the parliament. The Speaker also chairs the Council of the Duma which includes representatives from all the parliamentary parties and determines the legislative agenda.
The Speaker of the Duma may intervene and express his views but is supposed to be unbiased in his activities at the regular sessions of the parliament.
Traditionally when a new Russian parliament is formed the eldest deputy opens and leads the first session until a chairman or a speaker is elected. In the history of the post-Soviet Dumas these were