Born March 2, 1930 in g. Mid-Buda Sumy region of the Ukrainian SSR, Russian.
In 1954 he graduated from the Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University (MSU), specializing in Human and Animal Physiology ". Ph.D. in Biological Sciences.
From 1954 to 1956 he worked at Moscow State University as a senior laboratory. In 1956 - 59 - post-graduate department of physiology of animals, in 1960 - junior research fellow MSU. From 1961 to 1964 - Senior Engineer, then junior researcher at the Institute of Biophysics, USSR Academy of Sciences. In 1964 - 69 was in charge of the department interdepartmental laboratory of mathematical methods in Biology, Moscow State University.
. In 1970 - 74 - senior researcher at the Moscow-reclamation fish breeding experimental station.
. Engage in social activities began in 1956, when biological science was a struggle against the followers of academician T
. D. Lysenko. Kovalev was one of the authors of the letter to the dean of biological faculty of Moscow State University for re-instatement of genetics as a discipline.
Since 1967 began to actively engage in human rights activities. In 1969, became acquainted with a. D. Sakharov, soon became his close friend. On May 28, 1969 - Member of the Initiative Group (IG) protection of human rights in the USSR. The Group ceased operations in 1974 as a result of constant repression.
. Members of the IG were among the organizers and editors of the Chronicle of Current Events "(HTS) - clandestinely published from 1968 to 1982 a human rights bulletin.
. From September 1974 - Member of the Soviet branch of Amnesty International.
. December 28, 1974, was arrested and sentenced on Dec. 12, 1975 in Vilnius for the "anti-Soviet propaganda" for 7 years of strict regime camp and 3 years of exile (Article
. 70 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR).
In prison and exile until 1984.
Since 1987 - Co-Project Group on Human Rights, the International Fund for survival and development of mankind. In mid-1987 was one of the founders of the Press Club Glasnost.
. Since the end of 1987 - Engineer of the Institute of Information Transmission Problems, USSR Academy of Sciences.
. March 4, 1990 in the first round of voting was elected deputy of the RSFSR.
. He was Chairman of the RSFSR Supreme Soviet Committee on Human Rights.
. In 1990 - 94 - Head of the delegation of Russia in the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva
. In 1991 - Co-Chair of the Soviet delegation at the Moscow meeting of the Conference on the Human Dimension of the CSCE.
. Since February 1993 - Member of the Presidential Council.
. Autumn of 1993 became a member of Yeltsin established a working group to review the draft Constitution, approved by the Constitutional Council, and the preparation of proposals for a common, agreed draft Constitution.
. Since August 1993 - Member of the RF Commission for UNESCO.
. He was one of 58 deputies, . Signatories to the Constitutional Court of Russia challenging the constitutionality of amendments to the Constitution, . restricting the rights of the President, . which were adopted at the VII Congress of People's Deputies in December 1992 and entered into force at the VIII Congress in March 1993.,
. From November 1993 to January 1996 - Chairman of the Commission on Human Rights under President of RF.
. 12 December 1993 was elected to the State Duma of the first convocation
. He was elected commissioner for human rights until March 1995.
In 1995, among several MPs held hostage had been voluntary in the detachment of Shamil Basayev in a suicide attack in the last r. Budennovsk.
. 17 December 1995 was elected to the new State Duma.
. 19 December 1999 was elected to the State Duma of the third convocation.
. A member of the faction "Union of Right Forces (SPS).
. Author of more than 70 scientific publications on biology.
. Contains the second marriage
. Wife - Lyudmila Boitsova. Son (from his first wife Helen), Ivan Kovalev and his wife, Tatiana Osipova - known human rights activists, former political prisoners now living in the U.S.. Daughters of Mary and Barbara also live in the United States.
