His father, Albert Borysovych Filatov, was a lecturer at the Department of Philosophy at Dnipro State University, where he worked for 20 years.

His mother, Luiza Trokhymivna Filatova, taught Russian language and literature at the Chemical Technology and Metallurgical Institutes.

In 1993, he graduated with honours from Oles Honchar Dnipro National University with two degrees: History and Social Studies and Law.

Filatov started a lawyer's business, worked as a legal adviser and lecturer in civil law at the Academy of the Customs Service of Ukraine.

In particular, with MPs Inna Bohoslovska and Svyatoslav Oliynyk,[11] the head of the Dnipro Regional State Administration Volodymyr Yatsuba,[12][13] and former Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko.

In the course of his journalistic career, Borys Filatov paid great attention to investigations into the activities of former Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko.

[15] In 2010, he moved to Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Television and Radio Company, where he hosted the Gubernski Prognozy (Provincial Forecasts).

For this activity, together with his business partner Gennadii Korban, he was persecuted by Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Vilkul, who influenced the regional authorities.

[21][22] On January 28, Filatov and Korban left Ukraine, after declaring that they were being persecuted for their citizen’s position by the authorities of the Dnipropetrovsk region, supervised by Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Vilkul.

[44] In May 2011, at the annual congress of the International Netsuke Society, Boris Filatov was elected chairman of the CIS branch.

[46] In October 2011, Borys Filatov had an audience with Her Imperial Majesty, Princess Takamado of Japan, the widow of the current Emperor Akihito's cousin.

[47] Borys Filatov is the chairman of the organising committee of the international sailing project Around the World on the Old Slavic Boat Rusych.

[54] On 7 April 2020, Oleksandr Dubinsky shared a screenshot (supposedly fake) on his Facebook page in which, on behalf of Filatov, it was promised to shoot pets that residents walk in parks during quarantine.

Later on, Dubinsky placed another statement saying that Filatov removed his initial post about pets from his page and affronted the mayor.

Moreover, Filatov published a post himself where he called (likely) Dubinsky a "Bearded Nana’s (a local nickname for Kolomoyskyi) sidekick".

In 2014, the magazine noted that Filatov organised the construction of defence structures, took care of the removal, treatment and rehabilitation of the wounded from the Joint Forces Operation zone, and participated in negotiations for the release of captured Ukrainian soldiers - many of them returned to their families.

[56] In 2019, Focus noted that Borys Filatov remains in the mayor's chair not only because of his ability to succeed in crisis situations.

[57] In 2021, journalists noted that the ambitious construction plans announced by Borys Filatov at the beginning of the year have begun to be implemented.