In 1969 he graduated from Leningrad’s A.Y. Vaganova College of Ballet and joined the Tatar Musa Jalil State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet as soloist.

During his time with the Theatre as ballet soloist, he danced the following, among other, roles: Jestor (Swan Lake), Isaak Lanquedem (Le Corsaire), Nurali (The Fountain of Bakhchisarai), Benvolio (Romeo and Juliet), Jourdain (Le Bourgeois gentilhomme), Tsar (The Hunchbacked Horse), Pana (Walpurgis Night), Pyotr Leonteevich (Anyuta), God (The Creation of the world), Title Role (Shuraleh, mus. F. Yarullin).

In 1988 Vladimir Yakovlev was appointed Acting Chief Ballet Master.

From 1989 to the present time he has been Artistic Director of Ballet.

Vladimir Yakovlev chooses repertoire, and casts and production teams for new productions.

In 1993 Vladimir Yakovlev was the initiator of the opening of Kazan Ballet College where, for several years, he occupied the posts of artistic director and teacher.

The following ballets at the Tatar Musa Jalil State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet were mounted, or in versions by Vladimir Yakovlev: Nutcracker (1999), Shuraleh (2000), The Sleeping Beauty (2003), Coppélia (2007), Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (2009, co-project with Kazan Ballet College).