Born on August 3, 1957 in Asbest, Sverdlovsk Region. 

Graduated from the city's Mining School in 1976, Sverdlovsk Mining Institute in 1984, and Sverdlovsk Socio-Political Institute in 1991.

Holds a qualification certificate of expert in securities from the Federal Securities Commission (1988), a certificate of real estate agent from the Property Ministry (1999), and a certificate of arbitration manager from the Federal Financial Markets Service (1999). Ph.D. in Economics.

Started his professional career as assistant excavator driver in 1976; worked as an explosives specialist, senior laboratory engineer, and product engineer at the Ural Asbestos Mining & Ore Dressing Company.

1983-1985: Secretary of the Komsomol committee of the Central Mine at the Ural Asbestos Mining & Ore Dressing Company.

1985: First Secretary of the Asbest City Komsomol Committee.

1987: Secretary of the Sverdlovsk Region Komsomol Committee.

1992-1994: Section Head, Deputy Chairman of the Sverdlovsk Region Property Fund.

1994: First Deputy Chairman of the Sverdlovsk Region's State Property Management Committee.

1996: Chairman of the Sverdlovsk Region's Property Committee.

January 2000: Chief of Staff of the Presidential Envoy in the Urals Federal District.

August 2001: Deputy Presidential Envoy in the Urals Federal District.

October 14, 2008: appointed Minister of Regional Development of the Russian Federation.