Konstantin Zatulin

Deputy Chairman of the Committee for CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots of the State Duma

Konstantin Zatulin is one of the most experienced politicians in Russia, who has been working on the issues regarding post-Soviet states, especially conflict regions, for years. In the position of the Deputy Chairman of the Committee for CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots of the State Duma, he is an active lobbyist and supporter of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region. Zatulin often makes statements about the developments in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region, always attends the illegitimate elections held in those regions as an observer and visits Abkhazia especially often, where he is considered to be a distinguished and respectable figure among Russian politicians. He is also notable in terms of his comments on other political processes unfolding in Georgia.

General Biographical Information 

• Konstantin Zatulin was born on September 7, 1958, in a family of a military service member, in Batumi, Ajara ASSR, Georgian SSR, USSR. After spending his childhood in Batumi, his family moved to Sochi, where he graduated from a secondary school.
• In 1981, he graduated from Lomonosov Moscow State University and in 1985, got a post graduate degree from the same University.
• From 2002 to 2016, he used to host author TV programs on TV Center channel, including about the problems of the post-Soviet states.
• In 2010, he attended the illegitimate Parliamentary elections held in Nagorno Karabakh as an observer, because of which he was declared persona non grata by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan.
• In 2014, Zatulin was an active supporter of the incorporation of Crimea into Russia. From June 2014, he is a voluntary advisor to the Chairman of the State Council of the Republic of Crimea. Criminal proceedings have been commenced against him in Ukraine since 2015. Even before, due to his activities and statements, Zatulin had been banned from entering Ukraine many times. For example, from 1994 to 1996, Zatulin used to make anti-Ukrainian statements whilst visiting Crimea, due to which he was declared persona non grata in Ukraine, from 1996 to 2007.
• Zatulin is the Director of the Diaspora and Integration Institute (older and more famous name of the Institute is CIS States Institute) as well as a member of the External and Defense Policy Council.
• Zatulin has gotten numerous orders and awards from the separatist regimes in the post-Soviet area, including from Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region. In 2003, he got a third degree Order of Honor and Glory from Abkhazia. On September 20, 2008, due to his great support to Abkhazia, he became the first honorary citizen of Abkhazia, together with his colleague MP, Sergey Baburin. On August 23, 2018, the de facto President of Tskhinvali Region awarded him with the medal on the occasion of the 10th Anniversary of “South Ossetian People’s Victory in the Fatherland War”, while on September 5 he was awarded with the Order of Honor of the Republic of South Ossetia. On March 14, 2019, for the support to the university and to the de facto Republic, “Abkhazian  State University“ of  the de facto Republic awarded Honorary Doctorate to Zatulin. 
• He has published numerous works, including his 2011 book Russia and Abkhazia:  Two Countries – One People. The book was presented on June 3, 2011, in Sokhumi, on a day following the funeral of the de facto President of Abkhazia, Sergey Baghapsh. According to Zatulin’s statement, the book is mainly dedicated to political processes, which, at first, developed in an unwanted environment for Abkhazia, yet ultimately ended with the recognition of Abkhazia.

Political Career

• After finishing the university, he worked at the Youth Organization of the Communist Party from 1987 to 1989.
• From 1989 to 1993, he was the Director of the Association of Young Leaders of Soviet Enterprises.
• In 1991-1992, he became a member of Moscow Mayor, Yuri Luzhkov’s team. He was Luzhkov’s Advisor from 1997 to 2010.
• In 1993, he created a political entity “Entrepreneurs for New Russia”, which, together with a partner party participated in the First State Duma elections. Zatulin became the State Duma MP and got the position of the Chairman of a newly created Committee for CIS Affairs and Relations with Compatriots.
• Zatulin did not manage to enter the Second State Duma. At this point, he was already in confrontation with the incumbent Russian government. In 1996, he founded the Institute of CIS States (currently Diaspora and Integration Institute), which he is a permanent Director of to date.
• In 2001, he was the founding member of the ruling party – United Russia.
• In 2003, he became an MP of the State Duma of 4th convocation, where he was an ordinary member of the Committee for CIS Affairs and Relations with Compatriots.
• In 2007, he became an MP of the State Duma of 5th convocation, where, from 2008 to 2011, he was the First Deputy Chairman of the Committee for CIS Affairs and Relations with Compatriots. He was also a member of a Parliamentary group for relations with the de facto Parliaments of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region.
• On February 21, 2015, he was appointed as a member of the Public Chamber of Russian Federation at the Directive of the President of Russia.
• On September 18, 2016, he was elected as an MP of the State Duma of 7th convocation from Sochi from the United Russia party, where he occupied the position of the First Deputy Chairman of the Committee for CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots.
• In 2021, he was elected as an MP of the State Duma of 8th convocation from Sochi from the United Russia party, where he occupied the position of the First Deputy Chairman of the Committee for CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots.

Relations with Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region

• On March 19, 2004, Zatulin made a statement about the situation in Georgia. According to his assessment, “Georgia has not been united even for a day since it gained independence. However, the attempts to make Georgia a unitary state can be a mortal danger to it.” While assessing the confrontation between the central government and the leader of the Autonomous Republic of Ajara, Zatulin stated that “domestic Georgian conflicts have already touched upon Russian interests, as it creates serious destabilization on Russia’s southern borders. Apart from this, Russian military service members and their families (who lived on the Russian military base in Batumi) are already being bothered by the economic blockade instituted by Tbilisi against Ajara”.
• In October-November 2004, Zatulin attended the illegitimate Presidential elections in Abkhazia as an observer. There were scandalous political processes unfolding during the illegitimate elections. Ultimately, the competitors – Sergey Baghapsh and Russia’s favorite candidate, Raul Khajimba, were presented as a single ticket of President and Vice President in the decisive round of elections on January 12, 2005.
• On August 21, 2008, shortly after the end of the Russia-Georgia War, Zatulin stated that “the State Duma must adopt an appropriate statement and put forward the issue of recognizing the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and the President should give a Directive based on this decision, which will then become instructive to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia.” According to Zatulin, Russia must ensure its military presence in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region.
• On April 3, 2010, at a conference entitled Russia-Abkhazia, 200 Years Together, which was held in Sokhumi, Zatulin and a famous Abkhazian historian and public-political figure, Stanislav Lakoba, argued over certain issues of Abkhazian history and Russian-Abkhazian relations in the 19th century. Zatulin expressed his dissatisfaction with Lakoba’s view, which was also included in school textbooks, that a pro-Turkish son of the Abkhazian ruler had strong authority in the Abkhazian public, while his pro-Russian brother did not.
• On June 2, 2011, Zatulin attended the funeral ceremony of the de facto President of Abkhazia, Sergey Baghpash. Prime Minister of Russia, Vladimir Putin, also attended the ceremony. On the day following the funeral, Zatulin’s book – Russia and Abkhazia:  Two Countries – One People, was presented in Sokhumi.
• On August 24, 2014, Zatulin attended the illegitimate Presidential elections held in Abkhazia as an observer. Raul Khajimba became the de facto President of Abkhazia as a result of the elections. Zatulin assessed that “Khajimba’s victory was fair”. While assessing Khajimba, Zatulin stated that “Khajimba has changed a lot since 2004. He has become a serious public and political figure, which is confirmed by his statement that all losing candidates will be employed.” Zatulin also stated that “Russia was not officially vying for any candidate in the elections, unlike in 2004. However, there were certain personal sympathies. For example, I can admit now that I was positively disposed towards Khajimba”.
• On March 12, 2017, Zatulin attended the illegitimate elections of the de facto Parliament of Abkhazia as an observer, together with the delegation of Russian MPs. On a summarizing press-conference, he assessed that “the elections were compatible with international standards”.
• On January 26, 2018, during the State Duma ratification of the Russian-Abkhazian agreement on cooperation in providing certain categories of Russian citizens with medication and medicinal products, Zatulin put forward a proposition to open a Russian medical center in Abkhazia, which, he believed would have significant political importance. According to Zatulin’s statement “there is a medical center in Abkhazia’s neighboring Zugdidi district, where they accept Abkhazian citizens without any problems and for free, just so that they are treated on the territory of Georgia. We must realize what reasons are behind this, apart from humanitarian ones.
• On July 27, 2018, in his interview with the media, Zatulin stated that as of today, he sees no perspectives for Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region to enter CIS. According to him “CIS – this is an organization created on the ruins of the Soviet Union, which also included Georgia, as an allied state. Tskhinvali Region and Abkhazia were autonomies in Georgia, not separate allied republics”.
• On August 3, 2018, Zatulin met with the representatives of Abkhazian and Tskhinvali Region media. The meeting was held in terms of the press-tour organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russian Federation.
• In August 2018, Zatulin visited Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region on the 10th anniversary of Russian recognition of their independence. Zatulin participated in the August 22-23 conference organized by the de facto Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Abkhazia. He also met with the de facto President of Abkhazia, Raul Khajimba. On August 26, Zatulin was an honorary guest of Tskhinvali Region. According to his statement, he last visited Tskhinvali on August 10, 2008, when the August War was still in progress and the changes since then, are evident. Zatulin said that the task now is to aspire to the complete removal of obstacles, such as border, customs and other barriers between Russia, Tskhinvali Region and Abkhazia.
• On September 30, 2018, in Sokhumi, the Russian delegation, headed by Zatulin, also attended the 25th anniversary of the “Victory of the Abkhazian People in the 1992-1993 Fatherland War.” On September 29-30, in Gagra, the 17th International Tennis Tournament was organized, which is held annually with the support of Zatulin and CIS States Institute. In terms of Zatulin’s visit, a joint session of the Committee for CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots of the State Duma and the Committee for International Inter-Parliamentary Ties and Relations with Compatriots of the de facto Parliament of Abkhazia, was held, where they discussed social, defense and security issues.
• On June 28, 2019, round table – “do the Russians want war“ was held in Sukhumi. The event was held under the initiative of veteran peacekeepers, de facto leaders of Abkhazia and the institutions of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Zatulin participated in discussions.
• Representatives of Russian legislative body observed illegitimate presidential electians held in Abkhazia on August 25, 2019. Representatives of the State Duma of Russian Federation assessed elections process at the international press center of de facto central election commission. On behalf of the delegation Zatulin stated: „elections are Abkhaz people internal affair and Moscow respects any of their choices“. He called upon political groups to remain calm, stating that elections should not cause destabilization. As per his assessment no serious violations were observed during the elections.
• On March 19, 2020, the State Duma of the Russian Federation has ratified additional agreement on provision medicines till the end of 2022 for the certain category of Russian citizens residing in Abkhazia. During the agreement discussion Zatulin called on the Russian government to assist Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region in the fight against Coronavirus. As an exception, Zatulin also proposed to lift the ban on entry to Russia for residents of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region who do not have Russian citizenship. As a part of medical assistance, Zatulin, considering the issue is politically significant, also spoke about the need of Russian hospital construction in Abkhazia. As he stated Georgia had changed tactics and provides free medical care for the Abkhaz. 
• On April 12, 2022, the first session of the newly elected illegitimate parliament of Abkhazia was held. Zatulin also attended the session as an honored guest.
• On May 31, 2022, at the initiative of the de facto Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Abkhazia, the Abkhazian Forum was held in Moscow. The purpose of the forum was to present the socio-economic potential of the de facto republic to the Russian audience, to form the attractiveness of the investment image of Abkhazia in the regions of Russia. Zatulin also gave a speech at the event.
• On December 1, 2022, the Chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, Vyacheslav Volodin, paid an official visit to the occupied Abkhazia. The official purpose of Volodin's visit was to sign a cooperation agreement between the Russian State Duma and the de facto parliament of Abkhazia. Volodin was accompanied by: the Deputy Speaker of the State Duma, Sergey Neverov, the Chairman of the Committee for CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots of the State Duma, Leonid Kalashnikov and Zatulin, the Chairman of the Defense Committee, Andrei Kartapalov, the Chairman of the Committee on Tourism and Tourism Infrastructure Development, Sangaji Tarbaev, and the First Deputy Chairperson of the International Affairs Committee, Svetlana Zhurova.