Born on 14 February 1953 in Leningrad.

Higher education, in 1980 graduated from Leningrad Mining Institute named after G.V.Plekhanov, in 1992 - Saint-Petersburg Technical University, in 1997 - graduated with honours from Russian Public Service Academy under the President of Russian Federation, in 1998 - with honours from Saint-Petersburg State University. He has higher technical, economic, legal educations, as well as higher education in public and municipal management; he is seeking for the academic degree of the candidate of legal sciences.

In 1971-1973 he passed military services in the Soviet Army Airborne Forces.

In 1978 - 1986 he worked as a senior geophysicist engineer at Scientific Production Union "Rudgeofizika", a geophysicist in Zelenogorsk expedition of the USSR Ministry of Geology. 

In 1986 - 1991 upon the dispatch of the Soviet Geology Ministry he worked as a senior geophysicist of the air party in the Mongolian People's Republic.

In 1993 he received the certificate of the Russian Finance Ministry for a right to work at the securities market.

In 1994 - 1995 - Executive Director of "Revival of St. Petersburg" Construction Corporation.

In 1994 he was elected as a member of the Legislative Council of St. Petersburg of First Convocation, from April 1995 - first deputy of the chairman of the Legislative Council of St. Petersburg. From April to December 1998 he performed duties of the chairman of the Legislative Council of St. Petersburg of First Convocation.

In December 1998 he was reelected as a member of the Legislative Council of St. Petersburg of second convocation (12^th election district). He became a coordinator of "Legality" Fraction. In June 2000 he was elected as the deputy chairman of the Legislative Council of Saint Petersburg of the second convocation.

In September 2000 he was elected as the Chairman of the Political Council of Saint Petersburg regional political public movement "Saint Petersburg's Will".

On 13 June 2001 he was elected as a member of the Federal Council of the Federal Meeting of the Russian Federation - a representative in the Federation Council of the Federal Meeting of the Russian Federation from the Legislative Council of Saint Petersburg.

Since June 2001 he is a member of the Federation Council Committee on constitutional legislation and legal-judicial issues, a member of the Federation Council Committee on regulations and parliamentary procedures, from October 2001 he is a deputy chairman of the Federation Council Committee on constitutional legislation and legal-judicial issues.

On 5 December 2001 he was elected as the Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Meeting of the Russian Federation.

On 15 January 2003 he was re-elected as a representative in the Federation Council of the Federal Meeting of the Russian Federation of Saint Petersburg Legislative Council.

On 29 January 2003 at the 102^nd meeting of the Federation Council he was elected as the Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Meeting of the Russian Federation for the second term.

He is the Chairman of the Russian Party of Life founded by him.