Political leaders of Ukraine

Political files / 18 January 2008 | 12:44

Viktor Yushchenko – President of Ukraine

Viktor Yushchenko was born on February 23, 1954 in the village of Khoruzhivka, Sumy oblast.

1975 – graduated from the Ternopil Finance and Economics Institute. Candidate of Economic Sciences. The topic of the candidate thesis – “Development of Money Demand and Supply in Ukraine”. A member of the National Academy of Economic Sciences and the Academy of Economic Cybernetics.

1975 – Chief accountant assistant, collective farm “40th Anniversary of the October Revolution.”

1975-1976 – Service in the Soviet Army (frontier troops, the Soviet-Turkish border near Leninakan).

1976-1985 – Acting economist, chief of the Ulyanovsk department of the State Bank.

1985-1987 – Deputy Director of the Administration at the Ukrainian Republican Office of the USSR State Bank.

1988-1990 – Department head, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors at the Ukrainian Agro-Industrial Bank.

1990-1993 – Deputy, First Deputy Chairman of the Board at the Republican Bank “Ukraina.”

1993-1999 Chairman and Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU).

1999-2001 Prime Minister of Ukraine.

2001-2002 – Director of the Borys Yeltsin Ukrainian-Russian Institute of Management and Business.

2002 – January 2005 – People’s deputy of Ukraine, member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee for Human Rights, National Minorities and Inter-national Relations. Leader of the “Our Ukraine” parliamentary faction.

2003 – January 2005 – Chairman, All-Ukrainian “Our Ukraine” civil organization.
Head of the Supervisory Council of the “Ukraine 3000” International Foundation (Victor Yushchenko Foundation).

December 2004 – Elected President of Ukraine.

Awards: – Order “For Merit,” 3rd degree.

– The title of “The Honored Economist of Ukraine”.

– Honorary Decoration of the President of Ukraine.

Family: Wife – Kateryna Yushchenko

            Children – Andriy ,Taras, Vitalina, Sofia, Christina,

            Grandchildren – Yarynka, Victor.

Yulia Tymoshenko – Prime Minister of Ukraine

Yulia Tymoshenko was born on 27 November, 1960 in Dnipropetrovsk.

After leaving the school in 1979, she joined the economic faculty of Dnipropetrovsk State University to study cybernetic engineering.

In 1979, while studying there, she married Olexander Tymoshenko and her daughter Eugenia was born in 1980.

In 1984 graduated from the Dnipropetrovsk State University as an economist-cyberneticist, candidate of economic science. Worked as an economy engineer at the machine-building plant in Dnipropetrovsk.

1989 – 1991 chaired the Youth Center “Terminal”.

1991 – 1995 commercial and then general director of the corporation “Ukrainian petrol”.

1995 – 1997 headed the “United Energy Systems of Ukraine” corporation. People’s deputy of five convocations.

In 1999 was elected as a leader of the political party “All-Ukrainian Union “Batkivshchyna” (“Fatherland”).

December 1999 – January 2001 – Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine.

On January 5, 2001 the Prosecutor General’s Office brings action against Yulia Tymoshenko in two criminal cases. As a result, she was suspended from her job in the government .

On February 13 Tymoshenko was arrested. After two weeks, the Pechersk District Court of Kiev annulled Tymoshenko’s arrest warrant as unlawful. Tymoshenko was released.

In September, 2002 Yulia Tymoshenko, among other opposition leaders, heads all-Ukraine action of protest “Rise, Ukraine!”, the first massive movement of resistance, empowering the protest demonstrations.

In 2004 – BYuT and “Our Ukraine” formed coalition “Power of the People” for support of candidacy of Viktor Yushchenko at presidential elections in October 2004.

February – September 2005 – Prime Minister of Ukraine.

In July 2005 the trustworthy American magazine Forbes named Yulia Tymoshenko the 3^rd of the 100 Most Powerful Women in the World.

In December 2005, Yulia Tymoshenko received international award Prix de la Foundation, for her “outstanding leader qualities, the economic achievements and the anti-corruption policy of her Cabinet and for her struggle against the treats to democracy arising in the modern world”.

In March 2006, at parliamentary elections BYuT got 22.27% of People’s support.

On 30 September, 2007, at early parliamentary elections BYuT got 30.71%.

On 18 December, 2007 – elected as Prime Minister of Ukraine.

Family: Husband – Olexander Tymoshenko.

            Children – Eugenia.

 

            

Arseniy Yatsenyuk – VRU chairman

Arseniy Yatsenyuk was born on May 22, 1974 in Chernivtsi.

1992 -1996 – education in Chernivtsi University (judicial faculty).

2001 graduated from Chernivtsi Trade-Economics Institute of the Kyiv National Trade-Economics University (audit and accounting). Candidate of Economic Sciences

December 1992 – September 1997 he was the president of law firm “Yurek Ltd.” Founded in Chernivtsi.

January 1998 – August 2001 advisor of chairman of the board of directors of the post-pension “Aval” bank in Kyiv.

September 2001 – November 2003 – Economy Minister of Crimea, Simferopol.

January 2003 – February 2005 – first deputy chairman of National Bank of Ukraine.

March-September 2005 – first deputy chairman of Odesa regional state administration.

September 2005 – August 2006 – Economy Minister of Ukraine.

Since September 2006 – appointed first deputy head of President’s secretariat -representative of the President in the Cabinet.

2007 – Foreign Minister of Ukraine. Arseniy Yatsenyuk is # 3 in election list of OU-PSD bloc for early elections in Ukraine.

December 4, 2007 -speaker of the VRU.

Family: Wife – Tereza Yatsenyuk .

            Children – Kristina, Sophia.

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Yuriy Yekhanurov

Political files / 9 September 2005 | 10:13

President Viktor Yushchenko appointed Dnipropetrovsk Region governor Yuriy Yekhanurov as caretaker prime minister on 8 September 2005. Yuriy Yekhanurov is one of the most experienced Ukrainian politicians. In the mid-1990s Yekhanurov managed the start of Ukraine’s privatization campaign as head of the State Property Fund. He was deputy chief of Yushchenko’s two election campaigns – the parliamentary one in 2002 and the triumphal presidential election campaign last year. Yuriy Yekhanurov, an ethnic Buryat, was born in August 1948 in a village in Russia’s north-eastern Yakutia Republic. Yekhanurov went to a secondary school in Yakutia, but later moved to Ukraine. In 1967 he graduated from a construction school in Kiev, and in 1973 from the local Institute of People’s Economy (now the Economic University). In 1974, at the age of 26, he became director of a construction materials factory in Kiev. Yekhanurov climbed the career ladder in the construction industry up to the post of deputy chairman of Kiev’s main construction directorate in 1988. As Ukraine gained independence in 1991, Yekhanurov moved to the Cabinet of Ministers, where he headed an economic department. In 1992-93 he served a brief stint as deputy head of the Kiev city administration’s economic reform department, then returned to the Cabinet of Ministers as deputy economics minister. In 1994-97 Yekhanurov steered the early stage of Ukraine’s privatization as chairman of the State Property Fund. He joined the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) – the then “party of power”- in 1996. In February 1997 he was appointed economics minister in the cabinet of Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko. In July 1997, when Lazarenko’s cabinet resigned, Yekhanurov took the post of head of the state committee for enterprise. He was elected to parliament in March 1998 from a single-seat constituency in Zhytomyr Region, where his mother lives. Yekhanurov joined Yushchenko’s team in December 1999 as first deputy prime minister and has been with this team ever since. Yekhanurov left the PDP in 2000. When Yushchenko’s cabinet was dismissed in May 2001, the then President Leonid Kuchma employed Yekhanurov as first deputy head of his administration. But he left the administration in November 2001 to become deputy chief of the election headquarters of Yushchenko’s newly formed Our Ukraine opposition bloc. Yekhanurov was elected to parliament in March 2002 from Our Ukraine’s list. In the legislature he has chaired the committee for industry and business. Yushchenko appointed Yekhanurov deputy chief of his election headquarters for a second time in summer 2004, this time for the presidential polls, which Yushchenko won. In March 2005 he was elected head of the central executive committee of Yushchenko’s governing Our Ukraine People’s Union party. On 1 April 2005 Yushchenko appointed Yekhanurov governor of Dnipropetrovsk Region in place of Serhiy Kasyanov, dismissed amid accusations of combining his post with business and of having backed Yushchenko’s rival Viktor Yanukovych in the presidential elections. Yekhanurov is one of the few members of Yushchenko’s team who supports Ukraine’s membership of the Single Economic Space with Russia. He also welcomes the participation of Russian capital in Ukraine’s privatization. Being one of the leading members of Yushchenko’s Our Ukraine People’s Union party, Yekhanurov supports plans to create a bloc of pro-democracy forces on the party’s basis for the 2006 parliamentary polls. He has been one of the most caustic critics of the smaller nationalist parties who refused to merge with Our Ukraine People’s Party earlier this year. Yekhanurov does not appear to have big stakes in any business. He is married, with one son.

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Anatoly Kinakh

Political files / 14 July 2005 | 16:22

Graduated Leningrad shipbuilding institute with a degree in engineering – shipbuilding. In 1978-1981 worked as a dock master.From May 1981 to 1990 Kinakh worked as a master, chief master, dispatcher, head of manufacturing department of shipbuilding plant “Ocean.”

In April 1990 he was elected to be a people’s deputy of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of XII convocation.

In 1990-1992 he worked in parliamentary Commission on economic reform.

After election of Leonid Kravchuk on the post of the president of Ukraine on December 1991, Kinakh was appointed the representative of the president in the Nickolaev region.

In spring 1994 he was elected the deputy of Nickolaev regional council and later on – the chairman of the council.

On July 1995 the president Leonid Kuchma appointed Anatoly Kinakh the vice Prime Minister on industrial policy (in the Cabinet of the Prime Minister Evgeny Marchuk).

After Marchuk’s resignation in May 1996, Kinakh was the acting vice-premier in the Cabinet, headed by Pavel Lazarenko.

On September 21, 1996 Kinakh was removed from the post of vice-premier “in connection with Cabinet’s resignation” and appointed the part-time adviser of the president on industrial policy.

In August 1999 Kinakh was appointed the first vice-premier in the Cabinet headed by Pustovoytenko. After reelection of Leonid Kuchma and further resignation of the Cabinet, Kinakh was the acting first vice-premier. Kinakh was not included in the Cabinet headed by Yushchenko, who was appointed the prime minister on December 22, 1999.

By the presidential decree of May 29, 2001 Kinakh was appointed the Prime Minister of Ukraine.

During the parliamentary election campaign, in March 2002, Kinakh got involved in the political bloc “For common Ukraine” and took the next position after then head of Presidential Administration Vladimir Litvin.

On February 4, 2005 Julia Timoshenko appointed Kinakh as the first vice Prime Minister of Ukraine.

Anatoly Kinakh likes classic music and also “Beetles”, “Pink Floyd”, “Time machine” (Russian rock group), Vladimir Visotsky. As for the literature, Kinakh likes science fiction (Strugackie, Stanislav Lem, Bredbery, Azimov, Shekly). Kinakh is keen on astrophysics and secrets of ancient civilizations.

Anatoly Kinakh smiles very rare; he has the reputation of a person who keeps himself in cotton wool. He is under influence of his wife, and some evil-wishers compare him with the president Yushchenko, who is under his wife’s thumb.

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Vladimir Litvin

Political files / 19 June 2005 | 18:59

Vladimir Litvin was born in 1956. Graduated Kiev state University, historical faculty.Upheld Ph.D. thesis “Activity of Communist Party of Ukraine in improvement of professors’ training of social disciplines” (1966-1975), thesis for a Doctor’s degree “Political arena of Ukraine: characters and performers (social and political development of Ukraine in the latter half of 90th)” (1995).

In 1978-1986 and 1991-1994 he lectured in Kiev University.

1986-1989 – the head of Ministry department of high and secondary special education of Ukraine.

In 1989-1991 Litvin worked in apparatus of Central Committee of Communistic Party of Ukraine.

From August 1994 – the assistant of the president. From November 1995 – the deputy head of presidential Administration of Ukraine. From September 1996 – the first assistant of the president of Ukraine. From November 1999 – the head of Administration of the president of Ukraine.

In November 21, 1999 Vladimir Litvin was elected to be the member of National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine.

Litvin is a Doctor of History, the member-correspondent of Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (department of history, philosophy and law), honoured man of science and engineering of Ukraine.

In opinion of analysts, Litvin is not ambitious; his political position is pro-Western, though he is not Yushchenko’s supporter.

Vladimir Litvin headed the election bloc “Za Edinuyu Ukrainu” (For Common Ukraine), which was joined by Party of Regions, Labour Ukraine and other parties.

Litvin has been the chairman of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine since May 28, 2002.

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Svyatoslav Piskun

Political files / 13 June 2005 | 10:11

Svytoslav Piskun was born in March 8, 1959. His native town is Berdichev, Zhitomir region. In 1983 he graduated from Ivan Franko National University of Lviv with a degree in law. He worked in the Office of Public Prosecution for 14 years.In 1997-2002 he took up his post first as a deputy and later as a chief of investigating department of the tax police attached to the National Tax Administration of Ukraine. He concurrently worked as a vice-president of the National State Academy of Ukraine.
   
On July 6, 2002 members of parliament in majority voted for his candidacy on the post of prosecutor general. On October 29, 2003 he was dismissed by Leonid Kuchma. The argument for it was the recommendation of the Coordination Board on Struggle with Organized Crime and Corruption. Besides, 17 present on the session members of the Coordination Committee, including the chief of Ministry Internal Affairs, Nikolay Bilokon, and the president of Security Service of Ukraine, Igor Smeshko, voted for the proposal of dismissing.  
      
On February 14, 2004 Svyatoslav Piskun was appointed on the post of the assistant secretary National Security and Defense Council.

On December 10, 2004 the judgment of Pechersk court of Kiev reinstated Piskun in the post of the prosecutor general.

Nowadays Svyatoslav Mikhailovich takes up following posts: lieutenant –general of tax service; vice-chairman of Union of Jurists of Ukraine; vice-president of the International Jurists’ Fund; the member of Superior Council of Justice of Ukraine; full member of World-wide Jurists’ Association; honored jurist of Ukraine.He is rewarded with “For services” third degree order, Dmitry Solunsky fourth degree order, “Christmas” second degree order. He is also a holder of Saint Svyatoslav order and honored professor of Academy of tax Administration of Ukraine.
              
In June, 2003 Block of Julia Timoshenko (BJT) faction asked Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to hear the accounts of the prosecutor general, Svyatoslav Piskun, and the head of Security Service of Ukraine, Vladimir Radchenko, concerning the criminal case about the seizure of large lot of drugs. Julia Timoshenko appealed that Piskun was probably involved in it, as there were two officials of tax police figuring in.  
 
The press service reported there that Security Service did not have such information (the involvement of Office of Public Prosecutor’s officials in the crime) at its disposal. Svyatoslav Piskun rebutted that information as well.

In October, 2003 the head of Coordination Board on struggle with Organized Crime and Corruption, Olga Kolynko, blamed Piskun for following violation: the abuse of authority; non-compliance with the presidential decrees; commerce; illegal rest in Crimea, United Arab Emirates and Alps. This list was properly the crucial pro of Piskun’s dismissal.  
      
Giving heed to the fact of restoration in the post, Piskun is reckoned to be cleared of accusations.

In April, 2004, the deputy, Grigory Omelchenko asked the prosecutor general and the secretary of National Security and Defence Council (NSDC) to investigate fact of transferring of 100,000$ to an account of a certain bank. The sum was used by Piskun for private needs.  

Showdowns with Timoshenko

The uneasy relations between Timoshenko and Piskun may be a plot for Ukrainian soaps. The plot is extremely trite. The main character of it is a brave investigator. He always insists on imprisonment of the thief. The heroine in turns blames him with unscrupulousness.   

In September of 2003, Julia Timoshenko brought a suit against Piskun and “Stolichnye Novosti” (Capital News) publishing firm. She accused them of disparagement. On November 21, 2004 Pechersk District Court rejected Timoshenko’s suit because of default of plaintiff.

“Many times I asked, ask and will ask the deputies to close their eyes like Themis on the fact that Timoshenko is a pretty woman, the deputy and the leader of faction. Read the report of the Office of Public Prosecutor and give your mark to Timoshenko’s actions as a citizen of Ukraine. The quarter of state budget was taken out of Ukraine in 1997. We might pay pensions and raise wages by that quarter ($2 billion). Why should we forgive the authorities who had gained billions out of thousands poor people,” stated Piskun in the interview for “Stolichnye Novosti” newspaper of September 2, 2003.

That is why it was not a surprise for anyone when Julia Timoshenko was glad to hear about Piskun’s dismissal in October, 2003. Nowadays, Timoshenko stated that “it is unworthy to comment on Kuchma’s appointments. I am sure that his prosecutor will be gone with him,” (“Glavred” of December 11, 2004. Timoshenko was sure that Yushchenko would bring a new command to Office of public Prosecutor.
 
Piskun, vice versa, demonstrates his loyalty to Julia Timoshenko. “I rose from the knees due to her as well. I am going to change my point of view towards her taking into account American court decision for Lazarenko’s case. I do not have questions to her any more,” declared Piskun to “Svoboda” of December 13, 2004.

On January 16, 2005 Julia Timoshenko said that new power charged Piskun with institution of criminal cases against her and her team. “I am surprised with new order to take on hook my family,” mentioned Timoshenko and promised to find out who was the client (“Glavred” of January 16, 2005).    
 

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Victor Yanukovich

Political files / 6 June 2005 | 10:52

Victor Yanukovich was born in 1950 in Enakievo city, Donetsk region.He graduated Donetsk Polytechnic Institute (presently Donetsk State Technical University) with a degree in engineering and Ukrainian Academy of foreign commerce with a master’s degree in international law.

He started his working activity in 1969. He worked as a gas-works employer of Enakievo metallurgical plant, auto mechanic. Over 20 years he held leading posts. He worked as a general director of industrial associations – “Donbasstransremont”, “Ukrvuglepromtrans” and Donetsk regional territorial association of motor transport.

In August 1996 Victor Yanukovich was appointed the deputy chief and in September – the first deputy chief of Donetsk regional state administration.

From May 1997 to November 2002 – the head of Donetsk regional state administration, the deputy of Donetsk regional council.

In November 21, 2002 he was appointed the prime minister of Ukraine.

Victor Yanukovich is a doctor of economics, professor, full member of Academy of economic sciences of Ukraine, the member of Presidium of National academy of sciences of Ukraine.

Married, has two sons.

It is known that for the first time he was sentenced to three years of jail for robbery in December 1967. In honour of 50th anniversary of October revolution he was included in the amnesty. His term was reduced twice, but Yanukovich was released even earlier, in half of the year after arrest.

In June 1970 Yanukovich was again sentenced to two years of jail for assault and battery. Oppositional Ukrainian press, referring to some witnesses, asserted that in reality the criminal action had been brought according to the article about “rape in unnatural way” (the article 118 of Criminal Code of Ukrainian Soviet Socialistic Republic). However, the press-service of Ukrainian Cabinet, which organized the mass excursion of Yanukovich’s native city for journalists, asserts that Yanukovich suffered for the attempt to defend a girl from hooligans.

Nowadays information has been promulgated that Yanukovich was relieved of the both convictions before the appointed time in 1973, and in 1978 Yanukovich was brought in a verdict of not guilty by the decision of the presidium of Donetsk regional court. For today all documents concerning those criminal cases are annihilated, and the investigator and judges, according to the press-service, died long ago.

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Anatoliy Gritsenko

Political files / 30 May 2005 | 15:13

Gritsenko has a bachelor’s degree in military engineering and a master’s in technical sciences.  He also has degrees from the Institute of Foreign Languages (U.S. Department of Defense) and the Armed Forces Academy of Ukraine.

From 1984 to 1992, Gritsenko taught at the Kiev Military Aviation and Engineering School.  From 1992 to 1994, he headed the analytical department at the Research Center of the Armed Forces Headquarters of Ukraine.

From January 1996 to September 1997, Gritsenko headed the Department of Military Security and Construction at the Research Center of Defense Technologies and Military Security of Ukraine.  After this, he became the head of the analytical team at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.

Colonel in reserves. 

From December 1999 – the president of Alexander Razumkovsky Ukrainian center of economical and political research.

From February 2000 – freelance consultant of Committee on national security and defence of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

From November 2000 – the member of Public Council of experts of domestic issues under the president of Ukraine.

In summer 2004 he headed the analytical department at the Central electoral headquarter of Victor Yushchenko.

At this time, Gritsenko is the Minister of Defense of Ukraine. 

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Yuriy Lucenko

Political files / 23 May 2005 | 15:05

Lucenko has a degree in electrical engineering.  Starting from 1994, he was the deputy head of the Rovno District Council.  From 1996, he was the head of the economics committee of the Rovno district governmental administration. 

From September 1997 to September 1998, Lucenko was the Deputy Minister of Science and Technology. 

From September 1998 to April 1999, he was the Assistant to Prime Minister of Ukraine. 

From April 1999 to April 2002, Lucenko was the assistant-consultant of the national deputy Aleksandr Moroz.  Starting from September 2000, he was one of the leaders of the movement “Ukraine without Kuchma.” 

In April 2002, Lucenko became the national deputy of the Fourth Assembly, running on the ballot of the Socialist Party of Ukraine. At this time, he also became a member of the Parliamentary Committee on Construction, Transportation, Housing, and Communication. 

At this time, he is the Minister of Internal Affairs. 

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