Nikolaj Tokarev

In 1973, Tokarev graduated from Karaganda Polytechnic Institute (KarPI) (Russian: Карагандинский политехнический институт (КарПИ)) with a degree in Electrification and Automation of Mining Works.

From 1978, Tokarev studied at the Moscow Higher School of the KGB (Russian: Высшая школа КГБ) for two years while Sergei Naryshkin also studied in the French section at the Higher School of the KGB at the same time and Vladimir Putin, who was also at the Higher School of the KGB, lived across the corridor from Naryshkin at the same time.

With a phone number as Major Tokarew in the Stasi phone book listed as the same number as Hptm. Tschemesow, he was a KGB officer in Dresden, East Germany, where he met and allied with KGB officers Vladimir Putin and Sergey Chemezov who were living in Dresden under their KGB boss Lazar Matveev. After Putin arrived at Dresden in 1985, Tokarev, who arrived at Dresden in 1983 two years before Putin, was a senior comrade to Putin and took him in under his wing. They became close friends.

Between 1996 and 1999 Tokarev worked for the state Presidential Property Management Department where Putin's title was deputy chief in 1996 and 1997.