The Main Keeper Of The Kremlin's Secrets Turned Out To Be A Belarusian From Osipovichi

Putin unexpectedly fired him.

Putin unexpectedly dismissed the head of the Kremlin administration on June 12. A native of the Mogilev region Andrei Kazakov had access to documents of particular importance, but, as it turned out, he himself was an open book to foreign intelligence services. The Insider explains how a native of Osipovichi became the chief keeper of Russia’s secrets.

In conversations with relatives, Kazakov referred to himself as the chief keeper of the Kremlin’s secrets. And this is indeed true: Kazakov knew the inner workings of the Kremlin like no one else, the mechanisms of secret decision-making, and who was involved in them.

He learned about new appointments and high-profile resignations before anyone else.

Kazakov demanded strict adherence to secrecy protocols from his subordinates. Yet even the most cursory search reveals all possible information about him.

Kazakov was born in 1958 in the Belarusian town of Osipovichi near Mogilev. After moving to Moscow, he graduated from a military academy and served as a “secret agent” in the Main Directorate for International Military Cooperation of the Ministry of Defense, which was closely linked to the GRU. It was there that he was noticed by Sergei Ivanov, a longtime colleague of Putin’s from the KGB’s Higher Command School, who at the time headed the Ministry of Defense.

Kazakov’s career took off; he rose to the position of deputy chief of staff to the Minister of Defense, and by 2010 he was able to afford an apartment in the elite premium-class residential complex “Smolenskaya Zastava” on Ruzheynaya Lane in Khamovniki.

In 2011, Ivanov moved to the position of head of the Presidential Administration and soon appointed Kazakov as deputy head of his secretariat.

Three years later, Kazakov bought and registered an even more expensive and spacious apartment in the Barkli Park residential complex in his daughter’s name (properties there cost between 100 and 500 million rubles).

He began ordering food for home delivery from “Globus Gourmet.” Not only the official himself, but also his relatives acquired expensive cars. Near Mytishchi, in the “Voennosluzhashchy” private housing development, Kazakov built a mansion.

Parked in the garage there are rare “Moskvich” and “Zhiguli” cars, which he proudly shows off to guests. The whole family gathers at the mansion for New Year’s, and in the summer they celebrate holidays on a yacht on the Pirogovsky Reservoir.

In 2016, Kazakov moved to the Office of the President of the Russian Federation, where, as early as 2020, he replaced the long-time head of the office Alexander Golubev, who died of COVID-19.

According to a source for The Insider on Staraya Square, from his very first days on the job, the new chief of staff began demanding heightened vigilance from his subordinates:

“Andrey Anatolyevich is simply obsessed with secrecy. We’re all already bound by non-disclosure agreements, and now there are constant checks on top of that. The atmosphere in the office is very tense; snitching has become the norm. And there’s no one to complain to—the only one above him is the President.”

As for himself, it seems he didn’t adhere too strictly to this secrecy regime: he called GRU chief Igor Kostyukov on a regular cell phone and used Gmail, which is hosted on American servers.

Using standard information-gathering bots, it’s easy to find out all the details of his personal life, ranging from his dietary preferences (for example, his family prefers to buy lactose-free milk) to his personal dentist. This, by the way, is Dmitry Sergeev from the P. Mandryk Central Military Clinical Hospital of the Russian Ministry of Defense.

In addition, Kazakov posted publicly accessible photos of his family vacations in NATO countries. To be fair, after the full-scale invasion, the Kazakov family began vacationing within Russia: at the Primorye Grand Hotel in Gelendzhik, “Rosa Springs” in Sochi, or the five-star “Grand Palace” in Svetlogorsk.

By the way, Kazakov’s family is also “secret.” His son, Konstantin, is an FSO officer. He heads the Ministry of Finance’s Department for the Protection of State Secrets, a position equivalent to that of a general.

His son’s wife, Daria, is also bound by a non-disclosure agreement regarding state secrets. She is a medical professional by training, but in 2022, her father-in-law secured her a position at Stary Square as a consultant in the department for handling classified documents within the Presidential Administration’s Office of State Awards.

Hundreds of secret decrees regarding awards for FSB, SVR, and Ministry of Defense generals, “heroes” of the Special Military Operation, and spies carrying out covert operations abroad pass through her hands.

Despite FSB warnings about recruitment during overseas business trips, until 2025 she fearlessly posted photos of her travels through Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Spain alongside her husband, whose identity is classified.

As a farewell, Putin awarded Kazakova the Order “For Merit to the Fatherland,” 3rd class. As stated in the decree, “for her contribution to supporting the activities of the President of the Russian Federation and her many years of dedicated service.”

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