Viktor Zolotov
Encyclopedia
Viktor Vasilyevich Zolotov (in , b. January 10, 1948, in Leningrad
, Soviet Union
) is head of the Russia
president's personal security service
(technically, part of the FSO), appointed by Vladimir Putin
.
Mayor Anatoly Sobchak
. At this job he met Vladimir Putin
who was a Vice Mayor at this time. Zolotov became a sparring partner of the future president in boxing and judo, and "whenever Putin appeared in public, Zolotov could be spotted walking directly behind him.
Zolotov also served in Roman Tsepov
's private guard service Baltik-Eskort, prior to the poisoning of Tsepov by an unknown radioactive substance. The agency was created in 1992, based on the advice from Zolotov, who allegedly oversaw this agency later as a member of the active reserve
, according to Felshtinsky and Pribylovsky
. The firm provided protection to high ranking Saint Petersburg officials, including the city mayor Anatoly Sobchak
and his family, as well as the vice-mayor Vladimir Putin
.
Since 1999 he has been the Chief of the Security of Prime Minister and President Vladimir Putin
. He commands security officers that are known in Russia as "Men in Black" because they wore black sunglasses and dressed in all-black suits. They use a variety of weapons including portable rocket launchers.
defector Sergei Tretyakov
asserted that Zolotov and Putin-appointed director of the Federal Protection Service (FSO) General Murov had openly discussed how to kill the former chief of Yeltsin's administration Alexander Voloshin
. They also made "a list of politicians and other influential Muscovites whom they would need to assassinate to give Putin unchecked power". However since the list was very long, Zolotov allegedly announced, "There are too many. It's too many to kill - even for us." This made SVR officers who knew about the story "uneasy", since FSO includes twenty thousand troops and controls the "black box
" that can be used in the event of global nuclear war
Tretyakov described his meeting with Zolotov and Murov in New York. During the meeting, Zolotov suddenly struck Tretyakov in his temple to demonstrate and practice the knowledge of martial arts. Tretyakov fell unconscious and awoke a few minutes later. Murov yelled: "You could have killed him!".
Leningrad
Leningrad is the former name of Saint Petersburg, Russia.Leningrad may also refer to:- Places :* Leningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia, around Saint Petersburg* Leningrad, Tajikistan, capital of Muminobod district in Khatlon Province...
, Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
) is head of the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
president's personal security service
Presidential Security Service (Russia)
The Presidential Security Service is a federal government agency concerned with the tasks related to the protection of the President of Russia. It traces its origin to the USSR's Ninth Chief Directorate of the KGB and the beginning it was led by KGB general Alexander Korzhakov.-Structure and...
(technically, part of the FSO), appointed by Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
.
Life and career
Zolotov was born in a working-class family and worked as a steelworker. In the 1990s he was hired as a bodyguard of Saint PetersburgSaint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
Mayor Anatoly Sobchak
Anatoly Sobchak
Anatoly Alexandrovich Sobchak was a Russian politician, a co-author of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the first democratically elected mayor of Saint Petersburg, and a mentor and teacher of both Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev....
. At this job he met Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
who was a Vice Mayor at this time. Zolotov became a sparring partner of the future president in boxing and judo, and "whenever Putin appeared in public, Zolotov could be spotted walking directly behind him.
Zolotov also served in Roman Tsepov
Roman Tsepov
Roman Igorevich Tsepov Roman Igorevich Tsepov Roman Igorevich Tsepov (Russian: Роман Игоревич Цепов, (July 22, 1962, Kolpino, Leningrad Oblast, USSR – September 24, 2004, Saint-Petersburg) was a Saint Petersburg businessman and confidant to Vladimir Putin during Putin's work at the Saint Petersburg...
's private guard service Baltik-Eskort, prior to the poisoning of Tsepov by an unknown radioactive substance. The agency was created in 1992, based on the advice from Zolotov, who allegedly oversaw this agency later as a member of the active reserve
Active reserve (KGB)
The active reserve of the KGB are members of the organization who work undercover "either pretending to assume various jobs or using as cover professions in which they are actually trained"....
, according to Felshtinsky and Pribylovsky
Vladimir Pribylovsky
Vladimir Valerianovich Pribylovsky is a Russian historian, journalist and human rights advocate opposed to current Russian authorities.-Biography:...
. The firm provided protection to high ranking Saint Petersburg officials, including the city mayor Anatoly Sobchak
Anatoly Sobchak
Anatoly Alexandrovich Sobchak was a Russian politician, a co-author of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the first democratically elected mayor of Saint Petersburg, and a mentor and teacher of both Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev....
and his family, as well as the vice-mayor Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
.
Since 1999 he has been the Chief of the Security of Prime Minister and President Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
. He commands security officers that are known in Russia as "Men in Black" because they wore black sunglasses and dressed in all-black suits. They use a variety of weapons including portable rocket launchers.
Hit list controversy
A high-ranking SVRSVR
- Meteorology :*SVR, the SAME code for a Severe Thunderstorm Warning- Technology :* Super Video Recording, a videocassette technology by Grundig, based upon the Philips Video Cassette Recording format* System V Release* SVR Technologies : , India....
defector Sergei Tretyakov
Sergei Tretyakov (intelligence officer)
Colonel Sergei Tretyakov was a Russian SVR officer who defected to the United States in October 2000.-Biography:...
asserted that Zolotov and Putin-appointed director of the Federal Protection Service (FSO) General Murov had openly discussed how to kill the former chief of Yeltsin's administration Alexander Voloshin
Alexander Voloshin
Alexander Staliyevich Voloshin is a Russian politician who briefly was chairman of the Board of Directors of RAO UES, the former Russian state power utility, which was liquidated as part of the country's comprehensive power sector reforms on 1 July 2008.In 1997, he was appointed as an assistant...
. They also made "a list of politicians and other influential Muscovites whom they would need to assassinate to give Putin unchecked power". However since the list was very long, Zolotov allegedly announced, "There are too many. It's too many to kill - even for us." This made SVR officers who knew about the story "uneasy", since FSO includes twenty thousand troops and controls the "black box
Nuclear briefcase
Nuclear briefcase is a specially outfitted briefcase used to authorize the use of nuclear weapons.-United States:The Nuclear Football is a black briefcase, the contents of which is to be...
" that can be used in the event of global nuclear war
Nuclear warfare
Nuclear warfare, or atomic warfare, is a military conflict or political strategy in which nuclear weaponry is detonated on an opponent. Compared to conventional warfare, nuclear warfare can be vastly more destructive in range and extent of damage...
Tretyakov described his meeting with Zolotov and Murov in New York. During the meeting, Zolotov suddenly struck Tretyakov in his temple to demonstrate and practice the knowledge of martial arts. Tretyakov fell unconscious and awoke a few minutes later. Murov yelled: "You could have killed him!".