Mykola Azarov facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mykola Azarov
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| Микола Азаров Николай Азаров |
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Azarov in 2012
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| 14th Prime Minister of Ukraine | |
| In office 11 March 2010 – 28 January 2014 |
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| President | Viktor Yanukovych |
| Deputy | Andriy Klyuyev (2010–12) Valeriy Khoroshkovskyi (2012) Serhiy Arbuzov (2012–14) |
| Preceded by | Oleksandr Turchynov (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Serhiy Arbuzov (acting) |
| In office 5 January 2005 – 24 January 2005 Acting |
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| President | Leonid Kuchma |
| Preceded by | Viktor Yanukovych |
| Succeeded by | Yulia Tymoshenko |
| In office 7 December 2004 – 28 December 2004 Acting |
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| President | Leonid Kuchma |
| Preceded by | Viktor Yanukovych |
| Succeeded by | Viktor Yanukovych |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine | |
| In office 4 August 2006 – 18 December 2007 |
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| Prime Minister | Viktor Yanukovych |
| Preceded by | Stanislav Stashevsky |
| Succeeded by | Oleksandr Turchynov |
| In office 26 November 2002 – 3 February 2005 |
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| Prime Minister | Viktor Yanukovych Yulia Tymoshenko |
| Preceded by | Oleh Dubyna |
| Succeeded by | Anatoliy Kinakh |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 4 August 2006 – 18 December 2007 |
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| Prime Minister | Viktor Yanukovych |
| Preceded by | Viktor Pynzenyk |
| Succeeded by | Viktor Pynzenyk |
| In office 26 November 2002 – 3 February 2005 |
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| Prime Minister | Viktor Yanukovych Yulia Tymoshenko |
| Preceded by | Ihor Yushko |
| Succeeded by | Viktor Pynzenyk |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Nikolai Yanovich Pakhlo
17 December 1947 Kaluga, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (now Russia) |
| Citizenship | Ukrainian |
| Political party | Party of Regions (2001–2014) |
| Other political affiliations |
Civil Congress of Ukraine (1992) Party of Labor (1992–2001) |
| Spouse | Lyudmyla Azarova |
| Children | Oleksiy |
| Alma mater | Moscow State University |
| Signature |  |
Mykola Azarov (born December 17, 1947) is a Ukrainian politician. He served as the Prime Minister of Ukraine from March 2010 to January 2014. Before that, he was a top government official, including First Vice Prime Minister and Finance Minister. He also briefly served as acting prime minister.
After Viktor Yanukovych won the 2010 presidential election, Azarov became the leader of the Party of Regions and was named Prime Minister. In January 2014, he resigned from his position during a time of large protests in Ukraine. After these events, Azarov moved to Russia. In 2015, he helped create the Ukraine Salvation Committee, a group that aimed to change Ukraine's leadership.
Contents
Early Life & Education
Mykola Azarov was born in Kaluga, which was then part of the Soviet Union, on December 17, 1947. His birth name was Nikolai Pakhlo. His father was part Russian and part Estonian, and his mother was Russian. When he married his wife, Lyudmyla Azarova, he decided to take her last name.
Azarov studied at Moscow State University. In 1973, he earned his doctorate degree in geology and mineralogy. After finishing his studies, he worked at a coal company called Tulaugol until 1976.
Moving to Donetsk
In 1984, Azarov moved to Donetsk in Ukraine. There, he became the deputy director of the Ukrainian State Geological Institute. Later, he became the head of this institute. From 1984 to 1995, he worked as a deputy director and then director of Ukraine's State Research and Design Institute of Mining Geology and Geomechanics. In 1991, he also became a professor at Donetsk National Technical University.
Political Career
Mykola Azarov began his political career in the mid-1990s. He became a member of the Ukrainian parliament and held important roles in the government.
Parliamentary Role
In 1994, Azarov was elected to the Verkhovna Rada, which is Ukraine's parliament. He represented an area in the city of Donetsk. From 1995 to 1997, he led the parliament's Committee on Budgets. He was also part of the Verkhovna Rada's leadership group. During this time, he supported the President of Ukraine, Leonid Kuchma. In 1995, while still a member of parliament, Azarov was also an adviser to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on currency matters. In 1996, he became the head of the State Tax Administration of Ukraine.
Head of State Tax Administration
Azarov led the State Tax Administration for a long time, from 1996 to 2002. This was a very important role in the government.
First Vice Prime Minister & Finance Minister
In 2001, Azarov became the head of the Party of Regions, a major political party. However, he stepped down from this role in less than a year. In 2003, he was elected chairman of the party's political council.
In 2002, a group in parliament suggested him for the Prime Minister's job. But he decided to let Viktor Yanukovych take that role instead. Yanukovych then became the leader of the Party of Regions and Prime Minister. Azarov was appointed First Vice Prime Minister and Finance Minister in November 2002. This was when the first government led by Yanukovych started.
Economic Reforms
During Azarov's first time as Finance Minister, several economic changes were made. These included reforms in taxes, pensions, and how the government managed money. Ukraine's economy grew significantly during this period. The country's GDP grew by 9.6% in 2003 and 12.1% in 2004. There was also a lot of investment in the country.
Azarov served as acting prime minister twice in late 2004 and early 2005. This happened when Viktor Yanukovych was temporarily unable to serve as prime minister. Azarov remained a strong supporter of Yanukovych. He became a member of parliament again for the Party of Regions after the 2006 elections. When Yanukovych became prime minister again in August 2006, Azarov was once more appointed First Vice Prime Minister and Finance Minister.
Prime Minister of Ukraine
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After Viktor Yanukovych was elected President of Ukraine in 2010, he suggested three people for the role of Prime Minister. One of them was Azarov, who had managed Yanukovych's election campaign. The Ukrainian parliament officially appointed Azarov as Prime Minister on March 11, 2010. A total of 242 lawmakers voted in favor of his appointment. The next month, he was also chosen to lead the Party of Regions.
In the parliamentary election held on October 28, 2012, Azarov was re-elected to parliament. He was at the top of the Party of Regions' list of candidates. Azarov resigned as prime minister on December 3, 2012. This was because several members of his government, including him, had been elected to parliament. This meant they had to give up their ministerial jobs. His government continued to work as a temporary government. On December 9, President Yanukovych nominated Azarov for a new term as prime minister. Parliament approved this on December 13, 2012. On December 24, 2012, the second government led by Azarov was officially appointed by President Yanukovych.
Resignation as Prime Minister
Azarov resigned from his position on January 28, 2014. This happened during a time of major protests and unrest in Ukraine. He stated that his decision was to help find a peaceful solution to the conflict. After his resignation, Azarov left Ukraine and went to Austria to be with his family. As of February 23, 2014, Azarov is based in Russia. On March 29, 2014, he was removed from the Party of Regions during a party meeting.
After Resignation
On August 3, 2015, Azarov announced the creation of the Ukraine Salvation Committee. This group was formed outside Ukraine, in Moscow. Its goal was to unite citizens, political parties, and social groups to "restore order" in Ukraine and change its leadership. The committee's chosen leader for President of Ukraine was Volodymyr Oliynyk. Azarov mentioned that he could not name all members of the committee because some lived in Ukraine and it would be dangerous for them.
Cultural & Political Image
Mykola Azarov is known for not speaking Ukrainian very well. Despite this, he said in March 2010 that his government would speak Ukrainian. However, his attempts to speak Ukrainian in public sometimes led to humorous mistakes. These mistakes were even given a nickname, "Azirivka". In April 2011, he stated, "I feel one hundred percent Ukrainian."
In a newspaper article from March 2010, a UK daily called him the most pro-Russian member of the new government. The article also quoted an unnamed Ukrainian official who described him as "extremely boring and anti-populist." A survey in November 2010 showed that only a small percentage of people fully supported his government.
On December 13, 2012, during a discussion in parliament, a member asked why Azarov had difficulty speaking the official state language. Azarov replied that he agreed to work on improving his Ukrainian.
Views on Society
Soon after becoming prime minister in 2010, Azarov had his office blessed by a priest. In March 2010, Azarov stated that there were no female ministers in his government because "Reforms do not fall into women's competence." He also added that he greatly respects women. After receiving criticism from female politicians, Azarov explained that he meant he would not want any woman, especially if she had children, to work more than 15 hours a day, which Ukrainian ministers often do. In response, women's rights groups in Ukraine filed lawsuits against him.
In May 2010, Azarov said that corruption was one of Ukraine's biggest problems. He stated, "We must combat not just instances of corruption, but totally corrupt systems."
In a Facebook post on January 22, 2021, Azarov shared his thoughts on the Day of Unity of Ukraine. This day celebrates the symbolic joining of two Ukrainian republics in 1919. Azarov suggested that the 1939 joining of Eastern Galicia and Volhynia with Ukraine by the Soviet Union should be seen as the day Ukraine gained "real unity." He also said that many Ukrainians do not know these facts because the Soviet period of Ukraine is now often shown in a negative light, while figures like Stepan Bandera are praised.
Family
Azarov's son, Oleksiy Azarov, was a candidate for the Party of Regions in the 2012 Ukrainian parliamentary election. He was elected and became a member of the Ukrainian parliament.
Images for kids
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Mykola Azarov's signature
