Anatoly Sergeyevich Kulikov (; born 4 September 1946) is a Russian

General of the Army Army general or General of the army is the highest ranked general officer in many countries that use the French Revolutionary System. Army general is normally the highest rank used in peacetime. In countries that adopt the general officer fou ...

and former Interior Minister of Russia (1995–1998). In 1992 Kulikov became Commander of the Interior Troops. Consequently he was one of the commanders of pro-government forces during the 1993 Constitutional Crisis in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

and the

First Chechen War The First Chechen War, also referred to as the First Russo-Chechen War, was a struggle for independence waged by the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria against the invading Russia, Russian Federation from 1994 to 1996. After a mutually agreed on treaty ...

. In early 1995 Kulikov was appointed commander of the Joint Group of Federal Forces in

Chechnya Chechnya, officially the Chechen Republic, is a Republics of Russia, republic of Russia. It is situated in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe, between the Caspian Sea and Black Sea. The republic forms a part of the North Caucasian Federa ...

and he commanded the Russian forces during the infamous Samashki massacre. On July 6, 1995, after the Budyonnovsk hostage crisis, he succeeded Viktor Yerin as Interior Minister of Russia. In August 1996

Alexander Lebed Lieutenant General Alexander Ivanovich Lebed (; 20 April 1950 – 28 April 2002) was a Soviet and Russian military officer and politician who held senior positions in the Airborne Forces before running for president in the 1996 Russian preside ...

, who had just been appointed Secretary of the

Security Council of Russia The Security Council of the Russian Federation ( SCRF or Sovbez; ) is a constitutional consultative body of the Russian president that supports the president's decision-making on national security affairs and matters of strategic interest. Comp ...

, blamed Kulikov for the disastrous Battle of Grozny and requested that President

Boris Yeltsin Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin (1 February 1931 – 23 April 2007) was a Soviet and Russian politician and statesman who served as President of Russia from 1991 to 1999. He was a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) from 1961 to ...

fire Kulikov. However, Yeltsin declined his request and in October fired Lebed from his position. In 1997, Kulikov linked both the Cherney brothers and

Reuben Reuben or Reuven is a Biblical male first name from Hebrew רְאוּבֵן (Re'uven), meaning "behold, a son". In the Bible, Reuben was the firstborn son of Jacob. Variants include Reuvein in Yiddish or as an English variant spelling on th ...

brothers to the Izmaylovskaya mafia which was led by Anton Malevsky in Israel, but, in March 1998,

removed Kulikov from his post along with the entire second cabinet of

Viktor Chernomyrdin Viktor Stepanovich Chernomyrdin (, ; 9 April 19383 November 2010) was a Soviet and Russian politician and businessman. He was the Minister of Gas Industry of the Soviet Union (13 February 1985 – 17 July 1989), after which he became first chairm ...

.Archived as Капитализм в холодном климате
in Russian at compromat.ru on 21 June 2000. While most of the ministers of the old cabinet were reappointed to Sergei Kiriyenko's Cabinet, Kulikov was not and

Sergei Stepashin Sergei Vadimovich Stepashin (; born 2 March 1952) is a Russian politician who briefly served as Prime Minister of Russia in 1999. Prior to this he had been appointed as federal security minister for counterintelligence by President Boris Yeltsin ...

became the next interior minister. Afterwards, Kulikov was elected to the

State Duma The State Duma is the lower house of the Federal Assembly (Russia), Federal Assembly of Russia, with the upper house being the Federation Council (Russia), Federation Council. It was established by the Constitution of Russia, Constitution of t ...

twice, in the 1999 election and 2003 election, and was a member of the pro-government

United Russia The All-Russian Political Party United Russia (, ) is the Ruling party, ruling List of political parties in Russia, political party of Russia. As the largest party in the Russian Federation, it holds 325 (or 72.22%) of the 450 seats in the St ...

faction.

Honours and awards

Order of Merit for the Fatherland Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * ...

, 3rd class (3 September 1996) - for services to the state, his great personal contribution to strengthening the rule of law and many years of honest service in the internal affairs * Order of Honour (16 April 2004) - for active participation in legislative activities and many years of honest work * Order for Personal Courage * Jubilee Medal "In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary since the Birth of Vladimir Il'ich Lenin" * Order for Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR 3rd class * Medal "For Distinction in the Protection of Public Order" * Jubilee Medal "Twenty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945" * Jubilee Medal "Thirty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945" * Jubilee Medal "300 Years of the Russian Navy" *

Medal "In Commemoration of the 850th Anniversary of Moscow" The Medal "In Commemoration of the 850th Anniversary of Moscow" () is a commemorative medal of the Russian Federation created to denote the 850th anniversary of the city of Moscow. It was established on 26 February 1997 by Presidential Decree � ...

* Medal "Veteran of the Armed Forces of the USSR" * Jubilee Medal "50 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" * Jubilee Medal "60 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" * Jubilee Medal "70 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" *

Medal "For Impeccable Service" The Medal "For Impeccable Service" () was a Soviet Union, Soviet military award for long service awarded to deserving members of the military personnel of the Soviet Armed Forces, of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Soviet Union), Interior Minist ...

1st, 2nd and 3rd classes * Medal "Anatoly Koni" (Min Justice) * Medal "For Services to the Stavropol Territory" ( Stavropol Territory, September 2006)

References

External links

*Timothy L. Thomas
Anatoliy Sergeevich Kulikov: Policeman, Power Minister, Deputy Prime Minister...Politician?
''Low Intensity Conflict & Law Enforcement'' Vol. 7, No. 1 (Summer 1998), pp. 149–178.
Biography as of 1997 in Russian
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kulikov, Anatoly 1946 births Deputy heads of government of the Russian Federation Generals of the army (Russia) Ministers of internal affairs of Russia Living people People from Apanasenkovsky District People of the Chechen wars Recipients of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 3rd class Recipients of the Order of Honour (Russia) Recipients of the Order "For Personal Courage" Frunze Military Academy alumni Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union alumni Third convocation members of the State Duma (Russian Federation) Fourth convocation members of the State Duma (Russian Federation) United Russia politicians