Grigory Alekseevich Rapota was born on February 5, 1944 in Moscow. His mother was a teacher, and his father was a military pilot. Rapota spent most of his childhood in Engels in the Saratov Region. In 1966, he graduated from Baumanka - Moscow Higher Technical School - and became a design engineer. However, the young man did not have to work in his specialty. Immediately after university, he went to the First Main Directorate of the KGB, enrolling in his intelligence school - the main forge of personnel for intelligence. Five years (1966-1971), the place of work of Grigory Rapota was the management of "T". It was in charge of scientific and technical intelligence.
Under diplomatic cover
In 1971, Grigory Alekseevich Rapota took up a fundamentally new work. His intelligence activity began under diplomatic cover. Until 1974, he was the third secretary and press officer at the Soviet embassy in the United States. Then he worked in the same positions in Sweden and Finland.
Periodically, he took breaks in diplomatic activity and got a job in the apparatus of PSU KGB. It is known that Grigory Alekseevich Rapota left Sweden under duress. The authorities sent him for trying to get some secret technology. The details of this case are unknown. Like any scout, Rapota’s biography has many white spots.
Protezh Primakov
In 1990, Rapota Grigory Alekseevich finally returned to the First Main Directorate of the KGB of the Soviet Union, specializing in foreign intelligence. At this time, all state structures of the USSR experienced dismantling and new construction already in democratic Russia. Therefore, soon Grigory Alekseevich Rapota moved to the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation. In 1993, he became deputy director of this department (Evgeny Primakov). In SVR, Rapota turned out to be the third most important person. The media noted that he was Primakov’s personal favorite and was second only to Vyacheslav Trubnikov in influence, except for his immediate superior.
In 1996, a new personnel rotation took place. Primakov left the SVR. The new director of the Foreign Intelligence Service was Vyacheslav Trubnikov. Rapota retained the post of his deputy. In this capacity, the scout was responsible for the American and European areas of work of the SVR. In addition, he oversaw the relations of the department with the press and special services of other states. Later, recalling that time, Rapota noted that it was full of exciting and creative work.
In the Security Council of the Russian Federation
In the spring of 1998, Russian President Boris Yeltsin, by his order, appointed Rapota as Deputy Andrei Kokoshin, Secretary of the Russian Security Council. The scout began to oversee nuclear and missile technologies, controlled the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
In September 1998, the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation was replaced. They became Nikolai Bordyuzha. His deputy was the same Rapota Grigory Alekseevich. The biography of a statesman is an example of a professional intelligence officer who has moved to other important positions that are not directly related to special services.
"Rosvooruzhenie"
November 1998 was marked by a new appointment for Grigory Rapota - he took the chair of the General Director of Rosvooruzhenie. At that time, this state-owned company was one of the most important platforms for supporting high technology throughout the country. The official got there for a reason. Grigory Rapota (a politician cleverly maneuvering between various power clans) was a compromise figure for various Kremlin interests.
Deputy General Director Vladimir Ryabikhin, Sergey Krasnov (head of Special Forces) and Yuri Demchenko (head of the Department of Economic Intelligence in the Foreign Intelligence Service) claimed the position of Director General of Rosvooruzhenie. The final choice was made by Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov. He proposed Rapot, and his candidacy was approved in the Kremlin.
At the Ministry of Commerce
Whatever his previous biography, Grigory Rapota quickly mastered in his new capacity. Prior to his appointment to the post of general director of Rosvooruzhenie, he had no experience in the field of arms trade. Nevertheless, he managed to rid the company of cunning illegal schemes by which the money allocated to it was spent on unknown needs (in other words, it was stolen).
In September 1999, the Minister of Commerce Mikhail Fradkov had a new deputy. They became Rapota Grigory Alekseevich. The biography, ranks and ranks of the statesman changed from year to year, but he continued to specialize in military-technical cooperation between the Russian Federation and various foreign countries. He also oversaw this topic at the Ministry of Commerce.
In his new position, Rapota monitored the results of activities not only of Rosvooruzhenie, but also of Russian Technologies and Promexport. However, Grigory Alekseevich did not have to stay in this capacity for a long time. In the spring of 2000, the new government of Mikhail Kasyanov was formed. Personnel rotations were accompanied by structural changes. The Ministry of Trade of Fradkov was not included in the new government and was abolished. Rapota was unemployed for some time.
EurAsEC
Gregory Rapota received his new appointment in June 2000. He became the first deputy of Alexander Dondukov - Minister of Industry, Science and Technology of Russia. The appointment of Rapota was made possible thanks to the support of his candidacy by the Secretary of the Security Council, Sergei Ivanov, and Deputy Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov. Grigory Alexandrovich was familiar with the first of them from the time of his work in the Foreign Intelligence Service. In total, Rapota devoted 32 years of his life to intelligence service. As in previous cases, he did not stay in the Ministry of Industry.
In the fall of 2001, Rapota was appointed the first Secretary General of the EurAsEC (Eurasian Economic Community), which he remained until 2007. This international organization was created with the aim of forming a common customs system of several CIS countries (Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan).
Presidential Representative
In 2001, the figure of Rapota was associated with another failed appointment. At that time, it was planned to create a state concern that would bring together several manufacturers and developers of air defense (Almaz, Antey, and Defensive Systems). Rapota was considered the head of this gigantic entity. According to media reports, the appointment did not take place because of Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, who opposed the appearance of the concern.
In 2007, by decree of Vladimir Putin, Grigory Rapota became his plenipotentiary representative in the Southern Federal District, which then included the North Caucasian republics as well. This place was ceded to him by Dmitry Kozak, transferred to the Ministry of Regional Development of the Russian Federation.
Union State Secretary
In 2008, after Dmitry Medvedev won the next presidential election, Grigory Rapota was appointed representative of the head of state in the new Volga Federal District. In November 2011, the official received another position. Now he has become the Secretary of State of the Union State, uniting Russia and Belarus, replacing Pavel Borodin.
What exactly does Rapota Grigory Alekseevich do in this capacity to this day? The Union State was created with the aim of strengthening the economic cooperation of the two fraternal countries. Grigory Rapota is responsible for the effectiveness of this system and its further development. He is in constant contact with the heads of Russia and Belarus and helps them maintain fruitful contacts.
