Born on February 14, 1953 in Leningrad.

Higher education: in 1980 graduated from the Leningrad Plekhanov Mining Institute; in 1992 graduated from the Saint Petersburg Technical University; in 1997 was conferred with an honours diploma of the Russian Civil Service Academy in charge of the President of the Russian Federation; 1998 - an honours lawyer's diploma of the Saint Petersburg State University. Higher technical, economical, legal education, and higher education in State and municipal administration; a competitor for a Ph. D. of Laws' degree.

1971 - 1973 - military service in the Airborne Troops of the Soviet Army.

1978 - 1986 - a senior geophysical engineer "Rudgeofizika" Research and Production Association; a geophysicist in the Zelenogorsk expedition of the USSR Ministry of Geology.

1986 - 1991 - upon assignment by the Ministry of Geology, worked as a senior geophysicist of an aero-party in the Mongolian People's Republic.

1993 - was entitled, by a certificate of the Russian Ministry of Finance, to work on securities markets.

In 1994 - 1995 - executive director, "Saint Petersburg's Revival" Building Corporation (Public joint stock company).

In 1994 was elected deputy to the Saint Petersburg Legislative Assembly of the first convocation; from April 1995 - First Deputy Chairman of the Saint Petersburg Legislative Assembly. From April to December 1998 executed the duties of the Chairman of the Saint Petersburg Legislative Assembly of the first convocation.

In December 1998 he was re-elected deputy of the Saint Petersburg Legislative Assembly of the second convocation (the 12th electoral district) and became coordinator of the "Rule of Law" faction. In June 2000 - elected Deputy Chairman of the Saint Petersburg Legislative Assembly of the second convocation.

In September 2000 - elected Chairman of the political council of the "Will of Petersburg" - the Saint Petersburg regional political public movement.

On June 13, 2001 - elected the member of the Council of Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation - representative of the Saint Petersburg Legislative Assembly in the Council of Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.

Since June 2001 - member of the Council of Federation Committee on Constitutional Legislation and Judicial and Legal Affairs; member of the Standing Order and Parliamentary Procedures Commission of the Council of Federation; from October 2001 - Deputy Chairman of the Council of Federation Committee on Constitutional Legislation and Judicial and Legal Affairs.

On December 5, 2001 - elected Chairman of the Council of Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.