Vladimir Chernov

Former Head of the Directorate for Inter-Regional Relations and Cultural Contacts with Foreign Countries at the Administration of the President of Russian Federation

General Biographical Information 

• Vladimir Chernov was born on February 5, 1951 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR.
• In 1973 he graduated from the Moscow Financial Institute, with the specialty of international economic relations.
• In 1981, he graduated from the London School of Economics.
• In April 6, 2018, he ended up in the United States sanction list, where the individuals close to the President of Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, were included. 

Professional Career

• From 1973 to 1978, Chernov was a research scientist at the Scientific Research Financial Institute at the Ministry of Finance of USSR.
• From 1978 to 1983, he worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of USSR’s International Council for Wheat in London.
• From 1983 to 1987 he was a research scientist at the World Economy and International Relations Institute of the Science Academy of USSR.
• From 1987 to 1993, he was the Deputy Director of the USSR Trade and Industry Chamber’s Finland-USSR Trade Chamber in Helsinki, Finland.
• From 1993 to 1996 he was the Deputy Head of the Client Relations Division of the Moscow International Bank.
• From 1996 to 2001 he was the Head of the Client Relations Division at the National Reserve Bank, as well as member of the Managing Council and its Deputy Chairman.
• From May 2001 he was a Chairman of the state unitary corporation Gosinkor, until it stopped functioning.
• In December 2002 he was elected to the position of the Chairman of the Guta-Bank Council.
• In the following years, Chernov was an Advisor to the Minister of Defense of Russia, Sergey Ivanov. After Ivanov also took on the mantle of the Chairman of the Government, apart from his position of the Minister of Defense, Chernov worked as the Head of his secretariat. In December 2011, after Ivanov’s appointment to the position of the Head of the Presidential Administration, on January 17, 2012 Chernov left his position of the Head of Secretariat.
• On 27 April, 2012, at the directive of President Dimitri Medvedev, Chernov was appointed to the position of the Head of Directorate for Inter-Regional Relations and Cultural Contacts with Foreign Countries. On June 9, 2012, he was appointed to the same position, this time at the directive of President Vladimir Putin.  Chernov replaced Sergey Vinokurov, who, according to the popular opinion, became the victim to Kremlin’s unsuccessful policies in Tskhinvali Region and Transnistria in 2012. Candidates supported by the Kremlin failed to win in the illegitimate elections held in these regions.
• On June 22, 2018, after the re-election of Putin as President, Chernov still maintained his position.
• On March 2, 2021, by a decree of Putin, Igor Maslov was appointed as the Head of the Directorate for Interregional Relations and Cultural Contacts with Foreign Countries at the Presidential Administration. Maslov replaced Chernov, who resigned in February 2021 due to his age. He turned 70, which is the age limit for a public servant.  

Relations with Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region

• After his appointment to the position of the Head of Directorate, Chernov periodically met with the de facto leaders of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region. According to the popular opinion in Tskhinvali Region, it was with Chernov’s backing that the current de facto President of Tskhinvali Region, Anatoly Bibilov, managed to maintain his position as de facto Minister of Emergency Situations during Leonid Tibilov’s Presidency.
• Chernov used to visit the occupied Georgian regions quite often, together with his Deputy, Sergey Chebotarev, who became the Minister of North Caucasus Affairs after Putin’s re-election as President. Chernov’s very first meeting with the de facto President of Abkhazia, Aleksandre Ankvab, was held on July 25, 2012. Chebotarev also accompanied him during this visit to Sokhumi.
• On November 15, 2012, Chernov arrived to Abkhazia, together with Chebotarev to participate in the Fifth Russian-Abkhazian Business Forum. In terms of the visit Chernov also inspected the rehabilitated kindergarten in Gudauta. Chernov also opened the “State Museum of the Republic of Abkhazia”, which was rehabilitated through Russian funding, together with the de facto President of Abkhazia Aleksandre Ankvab.
• On May 6, 2013, Chernov and Chebotarev visited Tskhinvali Region in secret, without much announcement, so that the local media did not cover the visit. According to the existing information, Chernov and Chebotarev met with the de facto President, Leonid Tibilov. As a result of their visit, the May 14 meeting with Putin was postponed. According to the existing information, the guests criticized Tibilov for his appointment policy (including for the de facto Prime Minister Rostik Khugaev) as well as the non-efficient spending of Russian money.
• On November 15, 2013, a cultural-business center Moscow House was opened in Sokhumi with festivities. Apart from the Government of Moscow and the de facto leaders of Abkhazia, Chernov also participated in the event.
• On April 10, 2014, Chernov and Chebotarev visited Sokhumi, meeting with the de facto President of Abkhazia, Aleksandre Ankvab. Issues of holding the third Russian-Abkhazian Humanitarian Forum as well as those of bilateral cooperation were discussed during the meeting.