In 1998, Degtyarev graduated from the Samara International Aerospace High School. In 2004, he graduated from the
Samara State Aerospace University, Faculty of aircraft engines (specialty "engineer"), and he also received a special "manager" in the same high school at the Faculty of Economics and Management in 2005. In September 2003, Degtyarev joined the party
United Russia. In 2004, as a self-promoter he was elected a deputy of the
Samara City Duma. In 2005, he left United Russia and joined the
Liberal Democratic Party of Russia. In 2007, he was elected to the Samara Governorate Duma on the Liberal Democratic Party. On 4 December 2011, Degtyarev
was elected to the State Duma
6th convocation of the Liberal Democratic Party party list of the
Samara Oblast. Worked as Vice Chairman the State Duma Committee for Science and High Technology. , 28 April 2022 On 25 March 2013, he was elected member of the Supreme Council of the Liberal Democratic Party. On 2 March 2016,
Vladimir Zhirinovsky called Degtyarev one of the possible candidates for the post of
President of Russia from Liberal Democratic Party in the
elections of 2018. Degtyarev was sent to Khabarovsk by Vladimir Putin to replace the popular local governor,
Sergei Furgal, who was arrested on 9 July 2020. Degtyarev was unpopular among the local people. In September 2022, residents of the region started a petition proposing to remove Degtyarev from the post of governor and send him to fight in the
war in Ukraine, which was signed by several tens of thousands of people. Degtyarev replied that he would volunteer for
Ukraine, but could not due to his duties as governor. On 14 May 2024 he was appointed as
Minister of Sport and left his position as
Governor of Khabarovsk Krai. In 2025, he defended his doctoral dissertation at the Kutafin Moscow State Law University (MSAL) on the topic “Innovative Public-Law Regimes” (academic advisor: Professor I. V. Ponkin) and was awarded the degree of Doctor of Legal Sciences. == Moscow mayoral elections ==