Anatoly Kulikov is a Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

n General of the Army, former Interior Minister of Russia (1995-1998).

In 1992 Kulikov became Commander of the Interior Troops

Internal Troops (Russia)

Internal Troops, full name Internal Troops of the Ministry for Internal Affairs is a paramilitary national guard like force in the now-defunct Soviet Union and its successor countries, particularly, in Russia and Ukraine. Internal Troops are subordinated to Internal Affairs Ministries of the...

. Hence he was one of the commanders of pro-government forces during the 1993 Constitutional Crisis in Moscow

Moscow

Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...

 and the First Chechen War

First Chechen War

The First Chechen War, also known as the War in Chechnya, was a conflict between the Russian Federation and the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, fought from December 1994 to August 1996...

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

Chechnya

The Chechen Republic , commonly referred to as Chechnya , also spelled Chechnia or Chechenia, sometimes referred to as Ichkeria , is a federal subject of Russia . It is located in the southeastern part of Europe in the Northern Caucasus mountains. The capital of the republic is the city of Grozny...

 and he commanded the Russian forces during the infamous Samashki massacre

Samashki massacre

The Samashki massacre was an incident which occurred on April 7–8, 1995, in the village of Samashki, at the border between Chechnya and Ingushetia. Numerous villagers died at the hands of Russian paramilitary troops, many of them reportedly drunk or drugged, under the command of Gen. Anatoly Kulikov...

.

On July 6, 1995, after the Budyonnovsk hostage crisis, he succeeded Viktor Yerin as Interior Minister of Russia. In August 1996 Alexander Lebed, who had just been appointed Secretary of the Security Council of Russia

Security Council of Russia

The Security Council of the Russian Federation is a consultative body of the Russian President that works out the President's decisions on national security affairs...

, blamed Kulikov for the disastrous Battle of Grozny

Battle of Grozny (August 1996)

In the August 1996 Battle of Grozny Chechen rebels conducted a rapid assault on the Chechnya capital Grozny. This led to the final ceasefire in the First Chechen War....

 and requested President Boris Yeltsin

Boris Yeltsin

Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin was the first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999.Originally a supporter of Mikhail Gorbachev, Yeltsin emerged under the perestroika reforms as one of Gorbachev's most powerful political opponents. On 29 May 1990 he was elected the chairman of...

 sack him. However, Yeltsin declined his request and in October fired Lebed from his position. Eventually, Kulikov was dismissed in March 1998 along with the entire second cabinet of Viktor Chernomyrdin

Viktor Chernomyrdin

Viktor Stepanovich Chernomyrdin was the founder and the first chairman of the Gazprom energy company, the longest serving Prime Minister of Russia and Acting President of Russia for a day in 1996. He was a key figure in Russian politics in the 1990s, and a great contributor to the Russian...

.

While most of the ministers of the old cabinet were reappointed to Sergei Kiriyenko's Cabinet

Sergei Kiriyenko's Cabinet

Sergei Kiriyenko's Cabinet was the sixth cabinet of government of the Russian Federation, preceded by Viktor Chernomyrdin's Second Cabinet and followed by Yevgeny Primakov's Cabinet. It was led by Prime Minister Sergey Kiriyenko, appointed acting Prime Minister on March 23 and proposed to the...

, Kulikov wasn't and Sergei Stepashin

Sergei Stepashin

Sergei Vadimovich Stepashin is a Russian politician, current Chairman of the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation and former Prime Minister of Russia. He was appointed federal security minister by President Boris Yeltsin in 1994...

 became the next Interior Minister. Afterwards, Kulikov was elected to the State Duma

State Duma

The State Duma , common abbreviation: Госду́ма ) in the Russian Federation is the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia , the upper house being the Federation Council of Russia. The Duma headquarters is located in central Moscow, a few steps from Manege Square. Its members are referred to...

 twice, in the 1999 election

Russian legislative election, 1999

Legislative elections were held in the Russian Federation on 19 December 1999. At stake were the 450 seats in the State Duma , the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia...

 and 2003 election

Russian legislative election, 2003

Legislative elections were held in the Russian Federation on December 7, 2003. At stake were the 450 seats in the State Duma , the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia ....

, and was a member of the pro-government United Russia

United Russia

United Russia is a centrist political party in Russia and the largest party in the country, currently holding 315 of the 450 seats in the State Duma. The party was founded in December 2001, through a merger of the Unity and Fatherland-All Russia parties...

faction.

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