About Gennady Shpigun
Lived 1947 – 2000. Gennady Shpigun was a Russian police officer and milling machine operator.
General Gennady Nikolayevich Shpigun (; February 5, 1947 – ca. March 2000) was the Russian Interior Ministry's special representative in Chechnya.
He was kidnapped from the airport in Grozny on March 5, 1999, when armed masked men boarded his plane as it was about to leave for Moscow. Shpigun's kidnappers, reported at various times to be different Chechen rebel warlords (Shamil Basaev, Arbi Barayev, Magomed Khatuev), demanded a ransom of US$15 million for his release.
On March 31, 2000, his body was found in southern Chechnya, near the village of Itum-Kale. Neither the exact cause nor the date of his death could be determined. In June 2000, he was buried in Moscow's Preobrazhenskoe Cemetery.
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
People in Gennady Shpigun's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Gennady Shpigun's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Gennady Shpigun?
Russian general (1947-2000)
When was Gennady Shpigun born?
Gennady Shpigun was born on 5 February 1947 in Babayurt.
When did Gennady Shpigun die?
Gennady Shpigun died in 2000 in Itum-Kalinsky District.
What was Gennady Shpigun's occupation?
Gennady Shpigun was a police officer and milling machine operator.
What nationality was Gennady Shpigun?
Gennady Shpigun was Russian.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Gennady Shpigun. https://biography.guide/gennady-shpigun/
MLA: "Gennady Shpigun." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/gennady-shpigun/.
Chicago: "Gennady Shpigun." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/gennady-shpigun/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:10 UTC