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'Vladimir Alexandrovich Kryuchkov' (''Russian: Владимир Александрович Крючков'') (born 29 February 1924, Tsaritsyn, now Volgograd) is a former Soviet politician and a Communist Party member since 1944.
Kryuchkov joined the Soviet diplomatic service, stationed in Hungary until 1959. He then worked for the Communist Party Central Committee for eight years, before joining the KGB in 1967 together with his patron Yuri Andropov. He was appointed head of the First Chief Directorate (FCD) in 1974 (the KGB Foreign Operations) and Deputy Chairman in 1978. In 1988 he was promoted to the rank of General of the Army and became KGB Chairman. In 1989-1990, he was a member of the Politburo.
During the August Coup of 1991, Kryuchkov was among the gang of eight that led the State Emergency Committee (Государственный Комитет по Чрезвычайному Положению, ГКЧП) that temporarily ousted Gorbachev. Following the failed coup attempt, Kryuchkov was imprisoned for his participation. However, in 1994 the State Duma freed him in an amnesty. Kryuchkov was replaced as chairman of the KGB by Vadim Bakatin.