born in oleksandriia, kirovohrad oblast, kravchenko attended the oleksandriia industrial technical school from 1966 to 1970. in october 1970, he became an eletrictian and worked in the kirovohrad oblast. served in the soviet army from 1970 to 1972. from 1974 until 1978, he studied at the higher school of the mvd of the ussr, and afterwards worked as a police inspector in the kirovohrad oblast. from 1981 to 1986, he worked in several supervisory positions. in april 1986, kravchenko became the head of the department for combating drug trade in the criminal investigation directorate of the mvd of the ukrainian ssr. in september 1989, he became the head of the mvd regional directorate in the kirovohrad oblast.