Kirillov was born in 1954 in the town of Rubtsovsk in the Altai Krai (Russia). In 1965 he moved with his family to Pavlodar. In 1973 he graduated from the Pavlodar College for installation with a degree in ‘sanitary-technical installation in buildings.’

In 1973 he worked at the Pavlodarsantehmontazh as a plumber. From 1973 to 1975 he served in the Soviet Army. Since July 1975 he worked as a plumber, a master at the Pavlodar Tractor Plant named after Lenin. In November of the same year he worked as an engineer in the department of capital construction at the Pavlodar Chemical Plant.

In 1976 he started his career at the newly built Pavlodar refinery (now - the oil and chemistry refinery), where he had worked for over 40 years. In 1976-1984 he worked in the workshop No. 8 (water and sewage), started as a mechanic of operational switching of 5th category, and then was appointed as a linear pipefitter of 5th category, later as a head of the site of water recycling unit, then as a head of the site for preparation of oil, some time after as a senior master of the 2nd class at the site for preparation of oil preparing and circulating water, then as a master of 1st category at the same site and then he became deputy head there. 

Since 1985 he has worked in the technological workshop No. 3 (KT-1) at the installation of hydrogen production (OLA) and as an operator of the processing units of the 6th category. Since 1997 – he was the operator of section 001 at the workshop No. 3 (fuel, oil, vacuum distillation, tar). In 2008 he became the new operator at the OLA. According to colleagues, his high level of professionalism and experience have been very useful in commissioning and withdrawal of the new OLA on the technological regime.

Kirillov has made a significant personal contribution in the implementation of the OLA on technical solutions to cool the raw hydrogen-containing gas. The implementation of this idea made it possible to reduce the loss of product components, positively affecting the operation of the unit.

Kirillov has passed on his extensive practical experience to the next generations of POCR workers, thus brought up a worthy change of competent experts.

For high professionalism Kirillov had been awarded: Commemorative badge of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan ‘Kazakhstan mүnayyna 100 zhyl,’ Honorary Diploma of the Akim of the Pavlodar region, commemorative medals ‘Kazakstan Respublikasynyn Tauelsіzdіgіne zhyl 25,’ ‘30 years of the refinery’ and ‘35 years of the refinery.’