Kazakova teamed up with Artur Dmitriev in February 1995. Dmitriev was much more experienced, having already competed at two Olympics with Natalia Mishkutenok and won two Olympic medals, gold in 1992 and silver in 1994. Although Mishkutenok decided to retire from competition in 1994, Dmitriev wanted to continue his competitive career and eventually chose Kazakova who also trained in Saint Petersburg. Tamara Moskvina coached them at Yubileyny. Their choreographers were Alexander Matveev, David Avdish, and Moskvina. Early in their partnership, Kazakova and Dmitriev missed six months when she injured her leg. They won the 1996 European Championships and bronze at the 1997 World Championships. In 1998, they won the Olympic title in Nagano, Japan. Kazakova said, "I wanted very much to prove myself and I did." The pair retired from competition but continued to skate in shows.