He held a variety of military, academic, political, and diplomatic positions, while returning for continuing studies. From 1973-1976, he served in the
Pacific Fleet of the
Soviet Navy. He was a member of the CPSU and a party activist. From 1976 to 1981, he was a student of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union. From 1981 to 1982, he was a researcher at the Electron Research Institute in
Moscow. From 1982 to 1983, he was a lecturer at the Moscow Power Engineering College of the Ministry of Energy. In 1983, he became a senior researcher at the Vladivostok Branch of the Institute for Economic Research of the Far Eastern Branch of the Academy of Sciences. From 1983 to 1987, he was a postgraduate student specialised in international economics at the
Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the USSR Academy of Sciences. From 1987 to 1990, he was a researcher, and the deputy director of the Institute of Economic and International Problems of Ocean Development of the Far Eastern Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences. From 1990 to 1991, he was the Chairman of the executive committee of the Primorsky Regional Council of People's Deputies. On 8 October 1991, Kuznestov became the first Governor (Head) of Primorsky Krai. As a young liberal economist, he came up with a "Greater Vladivostok" blueprint for the development of the region, which failed due to lack of funds and political support. He resigned on 23 May 1993 after being offered a diplomatic post by Kremlin. Between 1993 and 1997, Kuznetsov was the Consul General of Russia in
San Francisco. In
1995, Kuznetsov unsuccessfully ran for the State Duma on the federal list from the
Beer Lovers Party. In 2002, Kuznestov ran for the State Duma, but was not elected. From 2002 to 2007, he was a professor of the
Far Eastern State University. From 2007 to 2011, Kuznetsov was an advisor to the President of
Chuvashia. Between 2011 and 2014, he was the Director of the FEFU School of Regional and International Studies. In 2013, he headed the Public Expert Council for attracting investments to the Primorsky Krai From 2015 to 2016, he taught political science at FEFU. ==Family==