After demobilization, he worked as a turner in the Murmansk Shipping Company, a master of industrial training in the Arkhangelsk Regional Civil Defense Headquarters.

On 1 May 1998, Vlasov was captured by a group of Chechen militants (presumably by the gang of Baudi Bakuyev) on the Rostov—Baku highway, near the village of Assinovskaya.

[4][5][6] In March 1999 the newly appointed head of the Central Election Commission of Russia Alexander Veshnyakov chosen Vlasov as one of his deputies.

[7] From July to September 1999, during the political crisis in Russia's North Caucasian autonomy of Karachay-Cherkessia, Vlasov served as the acting head of the region.

Previous interim governor, speaker of the local legislature Igor Ivanov, failed to relief the conflict between the two candidates for the post, Karachay Vladimir Semyonov and Circassian Stanislav Derev.