Gennady Gudkov

Gennady Vladimirovich Gudkov (; born 15 August 1956) is a Russian politician and businessman. The Moscow Times described him in 2012 as "one of parliament's most vocal and charismatic critics" of President Vladimir Putin.

Background Gudkov received a degree in languages, an English specialist, from Kolomna State Pedagogical Institute in 1978. After graduation, he served in the Soviet Army from 1978 until 1980 and during his enlistment, he joined the Communist Party. He was KGB for Kolomna city until 1989 when he worked in the Office of Counterintelligence Operations for KGB at Moscow city and Moscow oblast (region) . He was active with UNESCO and was elected to vice-president of the Moscow International Fund for the Promotion of UNESCO in 1999. He blamed the failure of security forces to prevent the attack on a systematic destruction of state security institutions following the fall of the Soviet Union.

Following the 2004 Nazran raid, in which Chechen rebels killed 90 people at police facilities in Ingushetia, Gudkov supported President Vladimir Putin's firings of top military officials, stating, "he general staff made serious mistakes regarding the military structures' actions in Chechnya." He stated that "This will go on until we ourselves learn how to prevent terrorist acts, until we learn how to carry out effective operations to destroy terrorists" and called for better pay for security forces to attract better quality personnel and prevent corruption, stating that the latter may have contributed to the Beslan school hostage crisis. He also supported a law allowing undercover security officers to commit illegal acts such as buying guns or drugs in the course of their duties.

Opposition to Putin In March 2004, following a weak performance by the People's Party in the recent legislative elections, Gudkov succeeded as chairman of the party. Gudkov later became a member of Putin's United Russia party, In September of that year, he criticized a bill supported by United Russia allowing Gazprom, Transneft, and other corporations to train and arm private security forces, calling it a Pandora's box. In October, he complained that United Russia "will not allow opponents" and that Russia was becoming a one-party state, and in December 2008, he sought to amend and clarify a Duma bill greatly expanding the definition of treason. In March 2009, he criticized legislation by Dmitry Medvedev to ban political parties with less than a 7% nationwide vote from parliament, saying that "only an incorrigible optimist could consider that a pro-democracy move".

In October 2011, Gudkov said that due to lack of free debate, "a huge negative energy among the public ready to explode any moment". He aligned himself with the "swamp opposition" , which held anti-Putin sentiments.

Over the next year, Gudkov became a frequent participant and leader in public protests against Putin. In June, Gudkov's son Dmitry Gudkov, also a Duma deputy, led a filibuster against a bill allowing large fines for anti-government protesters. Gennady Gudkov also spoke against the bill, stating that by removing outlets for protest, the legislation was putting Russia on "a sure path to a civil war". The Economist described the filibuster as "the most striking act of parliamentary defiance in the Putin era".

Expulsion from Duma and emigration In August 2012, a special committee of the Duma was formed to investigate allegations that Gudkov had violated parliamentary rules by making money from the construction firm Kolomensky Stroitel while also holding his seat. The Prosecutor General and Investigative Committee presented evidence that Gudkov had broken anti-corruption laws, and the minutes of a Kolomensky Stroitel meeting with Gudkov's signature was given as evidence of his business activity. A Just Russia party leader Sergey Mironov described Gudkov's expulsion as "unlawful revenge". The Economist wrote that "like, in a way, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the question is not whether Mr Gudkov ran afoul of Russian law but rather why Russian law seems to matter so little to his peers who keep themselves in the Kremlin’s better graces."

Social Democrats of Russia merges with Alliance of Greens — People’s Party On 14 March 2013, he formed the Social Democrats of Russia (SDR) and merged it with the Alliance of Greens — People’s Party on 25 January 2014 to become a co-chairmen of the Alliance of Greens and Social Democrats. On 8 October 2014, he resigned from his co-chairmanship

Family Gudkov is married and has two sons, Dmitry and Vladimir. In the Duma, Dmitry was a member of the opposition to Putin known as the Swamp (, named after a square in Moscow where anti-Putin opposition held mass protests). In June 2021 Dmitry Gudkov also left Russia and stated on Ukrainian television that he intended join his parents in Bulgaria.