15 Facts About Gennady Gudkov

Gennady Vladimirovich Gudkov is a Russian politician and businessman.

Gennady Gudkov joined the KGB, the Soviet Union's national security agency, in 1981, working there for the next decade and finishing at the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Gennady Gudkov was KGB for Kolomna city until 1989 when he worked in the Office of Counterintelligence Operations for KGB at Moscow city and Moscow oblast.

Gennady Gudkov was active with UNESCO and was elected to vice-president of the Moscow International Fund for the Promotion of UNESCO in 1999.

Gennady Gudkov was first elected to the State Duma in a by-election of the Kolomna 106th District on 18 March 2001, joining the People's Party of the Russian Federation.

Gennady Gudkov won the seat again in the 2003 and 2007 legislative elections.

Gennady Gudkov supported a law allowing undercover security officers to commit illegal acts such as buying guns or drugs in the course of their duties.

Gennady Gudkov later became a member of Putin's United Russia party, before switching in 2007 to the populist A Just Russia party, many of whose members opposed Putin.

In October 2011, Gennady Gudkov said that due to lack of free debate, "a huge negative energy among the public ready to explode any moment".

Gennady Gudkov aligned himself with the "swamp opposition", which held anti-Putin sentiments.

Gennady Gudkov spoke against the bill, stating that by removing outlets for protest, the legislation was putting Russia on "a sure path to a civil war".

The Prosecutor General and Investigative Committee presented evidence that Gennady Gudkov had broken anti-corruption laws, and the minutes of a Kolomensky Stroitel meeting with Gennady Gudkov's signature was given as evidence of his business activity.

On 15 September 2012, Gennady Gudkov was stripped of his seat in the Duma by a vote of 291 to 150.

Gennady Gudkov is married and has two sons, Dmitry and Vladimir.

In June 2021 Dmitry Gennady Gudkov left Russia and stated on Ukrainian television that he intended join his parents in Bulgaria.