 Krapunov fell victim, following the economic near-crash of 1995/'96, to the downfall of PM Akezhan Kazhegeldin and most of the latter's cabinet, and in 1997 received compensation with the post of mayor of Almaty.In 2004, Viktor Khrapunov was given the job of governor of the East Kazakhstan Province, which he was to carry out till 2007 when he was appointed Minister of Emergency Situations in the country's cabinet.That year, he announced his retreat from all public functions and his retirement, for "health reasons".