Alexander Berdnikov

{{Short description|Russian politician (born 1953)}}

{{Family name hatnote|Vasilyevich|Berdnikov|lang=Eastern Slavic}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Alexander Berdnikov

| nationality = Russian

| image = Alexandr Berdnikov.jpeg

| order = 5th Head of the Altai Republic

| term_start = 26 January 2006

| term_end = 20 March 2019

| predecessor = Mikhail Lapshin

| successor = Oleg Khorokhordin (acting)

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1953|4|8|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Gorno-Altaysk, Gorno-Altai AO, Russian SFSR, USSR

| profession = Border guard

| party = United Russia

| native_name = {{nobold|Александр Бердников}}

| native_name_lang = ru

| caption = Berdnikov in 2014

| children = 1

}}

Alexander Vasilyevich Berdnikov ({{langx|ru|Алекса́ндр Васи́льевич Бе́рдников}}; born April 8, 1953) is a Russian politician, and was Head of the Altai Republic from 2006 to 2019.

He took office on January 20, 2006. He was a candidate in the December 2001 election for that position, receiving 9.6% of the vote and coming in sixth place. In 2004, a new law stopped direct elections for Russian administrative division leaders. In December 2005, Berdnikov was nominated by Vladimir Putin and confirmed by the State Assembly of the Altai Republic, succeeding Mikhail Lapshin.

His 12-year term has been plagued by multiple scandals,{{Cite news|url=https://en.crimerussia.com/gover/incomprehensible-unsinkability-perpetual-head-of-altai-republic-to-run-for-yet-another-term/|title=Incomprehensible 'unsinkability'. Perpetual Head of Altai Republic to run for yet another term?|access-date=2018-09-08}} such as the Altaigate scandal.{{Cite news|url=https://www.novayagazeta.ru/articles/2017/02/17/71540-altaygeyt-poslednyaya-glava|title=Алтайгейт. Последняя глава|work=Новая газета - Novayagazeta.ru|access-date=2018-09-08|language=ru-RU}}