Tikhonov served as the manager of the Russian airline Aeroflot during the 1990s and helped to modernize it, whilst running it as a partnership between the government and the private sector.

Despite some success Tikhonov was dismissed from his post on the advice of major shareholder Boris Berezovsky, one of the leading Russian oligarchs.

[1] As a leading member of the Communist Party Tikhonov rose to the position of Chairman of the Central Committee, as well as becoming the governor of Ivanovo.

[2] Tikhonov clashed with long-standing party leader Gennady Zyuganov over who had control and as a result Zyuganov ensured that Tikhonov lost his Chairmanship.

[3] Zyuganov accused Tikhinov of being in league with the government[4] although a ruling by the Justice Ministry in August 2004 declared that the party is not legitimate and refused to register it.