12 Facts About Viktor Zolotov

Viktor Vasilyevich Zolotov is a Russian military officer who is the Director of the National Guard and a member of the Security Council.

The Viktor Zolotov family has obtained valuable land plots through dubious means.

Viktor Zolotov was born in 1954 in Sasovo in Ryazan Oblast into a working-class family and worked as a lathe operator.

Viktor Zolotov started his career in 1975 with the KGB Border Troops.

In 1991, Viktor Zolotov was seen as a bodyguard next to President of the Russian SFSR Boris Yeltsin during Yeltin's "Tank Speech" during the 1991 Soviet coup d'etat attempt.

Viktor Zolotov became a sparring partner of the future President of Russia in boxing and judo, and "whenever Putin appeared in public, Viktor Zolotov could be spotted walking directly behind him".

Viktor Zolotov served in Roman Tsepov's private guard service Baltik-Eskort, prior to the poisoning of Tsepov by an unknown radioactive substance.

Viktor Zolotov commanded security officers that are known in Russia as "Men in Black" because they wore black sunglasses and dressed in all-black suits.

On 12 May 2014, Viktor Zolotov was appointed Minister of Internal Affairs of Russia and commander of the Internal Troops of Russia.

Soon, Navalny was imprisoned, formally for staging protests in January 2018, and Viktor Zolotov published a video message on 11 September, where he called Navalny into a duel and promised to make "good, juicy mincemeat" of him.

Viktor Zolotov was sanctioned by the UK government on 15 March 2022 in relation to Russo-Ukrainian War.

Viktor Zolotov is married to Yuri Chechikhin, a film and television producer.