Wiktor Janukowytsch

Biography of Viktor Fedorovich Yanukovych

Date of Birth: 09.07.1950

Viktor Fedorovich Yanukovych - the fourth President of Ukraine (2010-2014). The politician who was previously removed from the presidential office was convicted of treason. He served twice as Prime Minister of Ukraine (2002-2005, 2006-2007). Chairman of the Party of Regions (2003-2010). Head of the administration of the Donetsk Oblast (1997-2002).

Place of Birth. Education. Born in Yenakiieve, Donetsk Oblast, as the son of a worker. He has a higher education degree. A graduate of the Donetsk Polytechnic Institute (with a qualification as an engineer-mechanic) and the Ukrainian Academy of Foreign Trade. Master of International Law.

Youth Offenses. He had two convictions in his biography - for robbery (1967) and serious bodily harm (1970). It is officially considered that the convictions have long been overturned. Although Yanukovych mentioned in his autobiography, written before his first appointment as Prime Minister of Ukraine, as reported by the media.

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Career. He began his professional career in 1969. He worked as a gas worker at the Yenakiieve Metallurgical Plant, as a car mechanic and technician in an automobile company. For over 20 years he held senior positions - he was the general director of the production associations Donbastransrempont, Ukrhlepremtrans, and the regional association of automobile transport of Donetsk Oblast.

In August 1996, Yanukovych was appointed deputy head and a month later became the first deputy head of the Donetsk Oblast. From May 1997 to November 2002, he held the position of governor of Donetsk Oblast. He was a deputy of the Donetsk Regional Council. From May 1999 to May 2001, Yanukovych was an honorary chairman of the Regional Council.

On November 21, 2002, President Leonid Kuchma appointed Yanukovych as Prime Minister of Ukraine. In April 2003, the former governor of Donetsk Oblast became chairman of the Party of Regions. In July 2004, while he was Prime Minister, he was nominated by party members as a candidate for the presidency of Ukraine. According to experts and observers, Yanukovych's election campaign was notable due to the strong financial support from sponsors and the use of notorious administrative resources. Despite this support and his great popularity in the eastern and southern regions of the country, he could not defeat the opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko.

After losing the presidential election, Yanukovych disappeared for over six months 'in the shadows', leading to a spectacular curiosity - the possibility of his removal as party chairman and the complete failure of his political career. However, influential regional leaders did not bet on a change. In the spring of 2006, the Party of Regions, led by Yanukovych, received the most votes in the parliamentary elections and formed a parliamentary majority in collaboration with the Socialist Party and the Communist Party - an anti-crisis coalition. The posts of co-chairmen of the parliamentary coalition were shared between Yanukovych and the parliamentary speaker, the leader of the Socialist Party, Alexander Moroz.

On August 4, 2006, after extensive negotiations with the majority, Yanukovych was appointed Prime Minister for the second time. After this appointment and the formation of a new government, there were various predictions. Some experts suggested that Yanukovych with his government was the optimal solution and the symbol of a balanced policy under the difficult political and economic conditions for Ukraine and Ukrainians. Others suspected that the Prime Minister would primarily defend the interests of big business and certain financial and industrial groups. On the foreign policy front, he would adopt the 'multi-vector policy' of former President Kuchma, which focused on statements about European and democratic values and a constant orientation towards the Kremlin. After the early parliamentary elections and the formation of a new coalition, Yanukovych was released from his duties as Prime Minister by the Verkhovna Rada on December 18, 2007, following the appointment of a new Prime Minister, Yulia Tymoshenko.

War with President Yushchenko. From the very beginning of Yanukovych's second term and the anti-crisis coalition, they launched an offensive against President Yushchenko, trying to take as many powers from him as possible in favor of the government and the parliament. This offensive was so active and successful for the attackers that the head of state was forced to publicly point out the emerging threat to democracy and to issue several decrees on the early termination of the powers of the V Verkhovna Rada and the holding of early parliamentary elections. The coalition reacted sharply and immediately brought many of its supporters to Kiev.

After a hard conflict and a series of difficult negotiations, the conflicting parties agreed on September 30, 2007, as the date for elections. According to the results of the vote, the PR received 175 deputy mandates.