Sholban Kara-ool, born on 18 July 1966 in the village of Choduraa Ulug-Khem district of Tyva.

From June to August 1983 he was a sports instructor at the Sug-Bazhynsk School in the Kaa-Khem district.

He graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy USU in 1990 and in 1993 completed his post-graduate at the Ural State University. From 1989 to 1990 he worked as a trainee teacher at the Far Eastern University.

From 1993 to 1996 - General Director of JSC "Cardo".

From 1996 to 1998 - Deputy Chairman of the Fund for Assistance to the bereaved families, the disabled and the veterans of the war in Afghanistan.

In April 1998 he was elected deputy, then chairman of the Supreme Khural of the Republic of Tyva. Since 1998 the office was part of the Federation Council and he was Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

On 17 March 2002 he ran for the President of the Republic and with 22% of the votes he conceded the victory to the former President of Tyva Oorzhak Sherig-ool (53%). He took the post of the First Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Tyva, and then, from September 2003, was Minister of Commerce, Consumer Services and Business Development of the Republic of Tyva.

In April 2007 Russian President Vladimir Putin submitted to the Parliament of the Republic of Tyva the candidacy of Sholban Kara-ool, giving him authority as Prime Minister of the Republic of Tyva. On April 6 the Great Khural of Tyva approved the candidacy of Kara-ool. The inauguration took place on 18 May 2007.

The term of office was due to expire in April 2012. Under legislation at the time the party "United Russia" offered to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev three candidates for the post of head of the republic for the next five years. Dmitry Medvedev chose Sholban Kara-ool and on 25 February 25 2012 introduced his candidacy to the members of parliament to extend his term. On March 2 Supreme Khural (parliament of Tyva) approved the nomination of Kara-ool unanimously - supported by all 29 voting members.

"In Tyva, according to experts, some 6,100 people are dependent on alcohol, 30 percent of them are women. This is a huge problem for us. We hope that with your help we can solve it more efficiently. We are interested in raising a healthy generation in this ancient land, with a gleam in their eyes. We are ready to become a pilot region in Russia, where the methods of treatment for alcohol dependence according to the Nazaraliev method will be used."