Military career

In 1970, at the age of 18, he was called up for mandatory military service in the Soviet Union. In 1973, he graduated from Mikhail Frunze Leningrad Command College of Railroad Troops and Military Communications. He began his service as Assistant Military Commandant in Odesa military command region at Transnistrian Railway. Between 1976 and 1980 he served in Southern Group of Soviet Armed Forces in Budapest.^[8] In 1983, he graduated from Military Academy of Rearward and Transportation having been trained as a railway engineer. From 1983 to 1985 he served as Military Commandant of a railway district and Urgal station at Baikal–Amur Mainline (BAM).^[9] He participated in the laying of the Golden Link.^{[lower-alpha 1]} From 1985 to 1994 he served in the military communication bodies at Moscow railway as a railway district Military Commandant and later as a Deputy Head of Moscow Military Railway Communications Service. His rank is colonel in reserve.

Business career (1994-2004)

In 1994, Levitin changed his occupation to join Financial and Industrial Company of Railway Transport. where in 1995 he was appointed a vice president. In 1996, he joined Severstaltrans (a subsidiary of Severstal Group), which was founded as one of the first private competitors to Russian Railways. In the company, Levitin was responsible, among all, for transport machine building and railway transportation. After two years of service, he became Deputy Chief Executive Officer. During the same period, he was a member of the Public Council at the Government Commission of Russian Federation on the reform of railway transport.^[15] He was actively participating in research of cargo routing.

Career in the Russian government (2004-2012)

On March 9, 2004, Levitin was appointed Minister of Transport and Communications (Russian: Министр транспорта и связи) in Mikhail Fradkov's First Cabinet. In May 2004, the Ministry of Transport and Communications was split into two: Ministry of Transport (headed by Levitin) and Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (headed by Leonid Reiman) during Fradkov's Second Cabinet.^[16] In Viktor Zubkov's government formed on September 14, 2007, Levitin remained in the same post. He continued his service as Minister of Transport in the next Cabinet (formed on May 12, 2008) under Vladimir Putin.

Upon assuming his office, Levitin reduced the central apparatus of the Ministry by over 20% following the decree on state personnel reduction issued by the state leadership. About two thousand officials were dismissed across regional and local bodies, while the Ministry apparatus faced a fourfold reduction.^[17]

On October 3, 2005 in Brussels, Levitin and EU Commissioner for Transport Jacques Barrot signed a joint agreement, which determined the general principles, goals, and structure of the Russia – EU dialogue in the area of transport and infrastructure.^[18] In early 2007, Levitin as Chairman of an Intergovernmental Commission negotiated the cooperation with Latvia.^[19] As a result, in spring 2007 Russia and Latvia finally signed the border agreement, which had long been a controversial issue. In December 2007, Levitin and Foreign Minister of Lithuania Petras Vaitiekūnas signed an agreement on navigation in Curonian Lagoon as well as inland waterways of Kaliningrad Oblast. According to the document, authorisation-based rules for foreign navigation in the Russian waters were cancelled. The Russian ships received in these waters equal rights with the Lithuanian vessels.^[20][21][22]

In late October 2008, Levitin was elected Chairman of the Board of Directors at Aeroflot, one of the biggest Russian carriers.^[23] He was also a member the Public Council at the Government Commission on the reform of railway transport.

Levitin was not part of Dmitry Medvedev's Cabinet formed on May 21, 2012.

Government career from 2012 to present

Between March and June 2012, he served as Interim Head of Maritime Collegium of the Russian Federation. From May 22, 2012 to September 2, 2013, he was Advisor to the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.^[1] On 2 September 2013 he was appointed Aide to the President. In August 2012, he became a member of the Presidential Council of the Russian Federation on the development of physical culture and sport.^[24] On 25 September 2013 he became Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Council of the Russian Federation on the development of physical culture and sport.^[25]

Following a decree (3 September 2012) by the Administration of the President of Russian Federation he was appointed Secretary of State Council of the Russian Federation.^[26] On October 17, 2013 Levitin became a member of Presidential Economic Council of the Russian Federation.^[27]