Tkachov was born in 1960 in Vyselki, Krasnodar Krai. He was elected to Krasnodar Krai's legislative assembly in 1994. Subsequently, he was elected to the State Duma of Russiain 1995 and re-elected in 1999. He was elected as Governor of Krasnodar Krai on 3 December 2000, and was re-elected on 14 March 2004. He is a graduate of the Krasnodar Polytechnic Institute. The Financial Times describes him as one of Vladimir Putin's "most loyal lieutenants". Tkachyov has been an advocate for building a dam across the Kerch Strait, between Krasnodar Krai and Ukraine. Tkachyov is also known for his strong stand against illegal immigration in Russia. Some commentators interpret his remarks as racist, particularly against the Meskhetians. In 2008, he made headlines when he expressed his frustration about the progress of the construction projects for the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Arguing that construction bosses and local politicians were "careless" and "indifferent" about the task ahead, the successful Olympics bid would be transferred to another part of Russia if no significant progress were made, constituting a large economic opportunity forgone. On 2 August 2012, Tkachyov announced plans to deploy a paramilitary force of Cossacks in Krasnodar Krai beginning in September 2012 as vigilantes to discourage internal immigration by Muslim Russians. In a speech to police he stated, "What you can't do, the Cossacks can. We have no other way — we shall stamp it out, instill order; we shall demand paperwork and enforce migration policies." On 22 April 2015, Vladimir Putin named him as the Minister of Agriculture in Dmitry Medvedev's Cabinet, replacing Nikolay Fyodorov, who was promoted to work in the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation. In October 2017, Putin laughed off his proposal of exporting pork to Indonesia during a cabinet meeting, a predominately Muslim country where people do not consume pork. Putin explained to the minister that "Indonesia is a Muslim country hence its people do not eat pork." Tkachov replied “they will.” Putin then said: “No, they will not.” Later he burst into laughter and Tkachov clarified that he meant South Korea rather than Indonesia.
