- Born on April 16, 1948, in the village of Sergeyevka in the Anzhero-Sudzhensk area of the Kemerovo region.
- 1964
- Mr Ishayev began his career in 1964 at the Khabarovsk shipbuilding yard where he was promoted from shipwright to deputy director of the shipbuilding yard.
- 1971-1973
- In 1971-1973 he served in the Soviet Army.
- 1988-1990
- In 1988-1990 Viktor Ishayev served as director of the Khabarovsk Aluminium Construction Plant.
- 1990-1991
- In 1990-1991 he was first deputy chairman of the Khabarovsk regional executive committee and head of planning and economic administration.
- 1991
- From October 1991 Viktor Ishayev was the head of the Administration of the Khabarovsk Territory.
- 2001
- From November 2001 he served as Governor and Chairman of the Government of the Khabarovsk Territory.
- 2004
- In 2004 Mr Ishayev was elected Governor of the Khabarovsk Territory.
- On April 30, 2009, he was appointed Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District.
- 2012
- May 21, 2012 – August 31, 2013 – Minister of the Russian Federation – Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District
- Acting State Counsellor of the First Degree to the Russian Federation.
- Current member of the Russian Academy of Science (Academician), Doctor of Science in Economics, Professor. Chairman of the Russian National Committee on Pacific Economic Cooperation.
- Married, has a son and a daughter.