News

On December 21, 2018, legendary Soviet and Russian investigator Vyacheslav Khabibulovich Fetkulin celebrates his 80th jubilee.

Until 1996, Vyacheslav Khabibulovich was the Chief of the Investigations Directorate of the Public Prosecution Service of the Russian Federation. Under his tactful and wise leadership, hundreds of complex and intricate cases were solved, including those with wide public response.

But it took Vyacheslav Khabibulovich a long and difficult journey to reach the Central Office of the Procurator General. Having graduated from the Sverdlovsk Law Institute, when he was just a boy, he was assigned to Kostroma Region. A loyal friend went with him - his classmate and wife Galina Semenovna Fetkulina, who also worked in law enforcement. Working in the Prosecutor’s Office of Makaryev and Kostroma districts, Vyacheslav Khabibulovich proved himself as a responsible, principled and purposeful worker and was soon invited to the Central Office of the Procurator General. Vyacheslav Khabibulovich chaired the Investigations Directorate and, together with his subordinates, solved a case of a serial killer of women and children Andrey Chikatilo. Thanks to the coordinated work of the investigators and the competent leadership of Fetkulin, the dangerous and brutal criminal was caught and received the punishment he deserved.

Another high-profile and complex case investigated under the guidance of Vyacheslav Khabibulovich was the shipwreck of the “Admiral Nakhimov” Soviet liner near Novorossiysk in 1986. 423 people died at the time. Fetkulin and his subordinates established all the circumstances of the tragedy and the persons responsible, who also received the punishment they deserved. And these are just a few examples of Fetkulin’s and his team’s successful work.

According to relatives and colleagues, the end of the 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s was a particularly difficult time for Vyacheslav Khabibulovich Fetkulin. The country was changing; law enforcement agencies were in turmoil. At that time, particularly complex were the cases that involved highest-profile governmental officials. Thus, under the leadership of Vyacheslav Khabibulovich, the investigation team investigated a complex corruption case in the Western Group of Forces, which was stationed in the GDR. Then, officials of the Ministry of Defence of Russia were brought to justice.

Despite all the difficulties of that time, Fetkulin and his colleagues still remained faithful to their duty. As colleagues say, thoughts of quitting the service never crossed Fetkulin’s mind, only in 1996 he retired for health reasons. But even at happy retirement, Vyacheslav Khabibulovich continued to advise young investigators - even experienced colleagues came to him for advice all the time.

According to Galina Semenovna Fetkulina, despite the high position, duty of care, respect and honour among colleagues, Vyacheslav Khabibulovich was and remains a simple and modest person. In brief moments of rest, he likes to hunt and pick mushrooms. His family is his reliable support: spouse, son, daughter and four granddaughters. And although the children and grandchildren went their way, not connected with law enforcement, they all remember and honour the merits of their father and grandfather, and try to visit him as often as possible.

Vyacheslav Fetkulin is highly decorated: with the Veteran of the Prosecutor’s Office medal, Honorary Worker of the Prosecutor’s Office badge, For Loyalty to the Law First Class badge, the Rudenko medal and the Yaguzhinsky medal.