Viktor Kazantsev
Kazantsev in 2001
Born	(1946-02-26)26 February 1946 Kokhanovo [ru], Vitsebsk Voblast, Belarusian SSR, Soviet Union
Died	14 September 2021(2021-09-14) (aged 75) Krasnodar, Russia
Allegiance	Soviet Union  Russia
Service/branch	Soviet Army Russian Army
Years of service	1963–2000
Rank	General of the Army
Battles/wars	Soviet-Afghan War First Chechen War War of Dagestan Second Chechen War
Other work	Presidential Envoy to the Southern Federal District

Viktor Germanovich Kazantsev (Russian: Ви́ктор Ге́рманович Каза́нцев, IPA: [ˈvʲiktər ˈɡʲɛrmənəvʲɪtɕ kɐˈzantsɨf]; 26 February 1946 – 14 September 2021) was an envoy of the Russian president to the Southern Federal District from 2000 to 2004. He performed primary negotiations between the Russian government and the Chechen opposition. Decorated with the Hero of the Russian Federation title,^[1] he was involved in coordinating the government responses to various violent actions in Chechnya. Kazanstev was also involved in coordinating the rescue attempt during the Moscow theatre hostage situation, which took place in October 2002.^[2]

Education

Kazantsev completed the Sverdlovsk Suvorov Military School in 1963, the Leningrad Higher Military Command School [ru] in 1966, the Frunze Military Academy in 1970 and the Soviet General Staff Academy in 1987.^[3]

Military service

Soviet Union

Kazantsev began his career as a platoon commander in 1966 and served in Transcaucasia, Central Asia, Afghanistan (1979) and with the Central Group of Forces in Czechoslovakia. He commanded the 17th Army Corps (Soviet Union) in 1988-90, located at Frunze, which then became Bishkek in the former Kyrgyz SSR. He was military advisor to the government of Kazakhstan in 1991.

Russia

From 1991 to 1993, Kazantsev was First Deputy Chief of Staff, and then deputy commander of the Transbaikal Military District for combat training. From April 1993 to February 1996 he was Chief of Staff and first deputy commander of the Transbaikal Military District. From February 1996 to July 1997 he was First Deputy Commander of the North Caucasus Military District, and then from July 1997 to May 2000 Commander of the North Caucasus Military District.

From August 1999 to April 2000, Kazantsev was Commander of the Allied Group of Federal Forces in the North Caucasus, while maintaining the post of commander of the North Caucasus Military District.^[4] In January 2001, he became a member of the Operational Headquarters for the management of counterterrorism actions in the North Caucasus region, created by decree of the President of the Russian Federation.^[5]

Political activity

In May 2000, Kazantsev was appointed the President's representative to Russia's Southern Federal District. On 9 March 2004, he was dismissed from this post and replaced by former Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Yakovlev.

Honours and awards

Soviet Union

• Order of the Red Star
• Order for Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR 2nd and 3rd classes
• Medal for Battle Merit
• Jubilee Medal "In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary since the Birth of Vladimir Il'ich Lenin"
• Jubilee Medal "Twenty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945"
• 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" 1st, 2nd and 3rd classes

Russian Federation

• Hero of the Russian Federation^[6]
• Order of Military Merit
• Jubilee Medal "300 Years of the Russian Navy"
• Medal "In Commemoration of the 850th Anniversary of Moscow"