Petru Lucinschi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Petru Lucinschi
OR
|
|
|---|---|
Lucinschi in 2012
|
|
| 2nd President of Moldova | |
| In office 15 January 1997 – 7 April 2001 |
|
| Prime Minister | Andrei Sangheli Ion Ciubuc Ion Sturza Dumitru Braghiş |
| Preceded by | Mircea Snegur |
| Succeeded by | Vladimir Voronin |
| President of the Moldovan Parliament | |
| In office 4 February 1993 – 9 January 1997 |
|
| President | Mircea Snegur |
| Prime Minister | Andrei Sangheli |
| Deputy | Dumitru Moțpan Nicolae Andronic Dumitru Diacov |
| Preceded by | Alexandru Moșanu |
| Succeeded by | Dumitru Moțpan |
| Member of the Moldovan Parliament | |
| In office 17 April 1990 – 9 January 1997 |
|
| Succeeded by | Petru Agachi |
| Parliamentary group | Democratic Agrarian Party |
| Constituency | Briceni |
| 1st Moldovan Ambassador to Russia | |
| In office 6 April 1992 – 3 February 1993 |
|
| President | Mircea Snegur |
| Prime Minister | Valeriu Muravschi Andrei Sangheli |
| Succeeded by | Anatol Țăranu |
| First Secretary of the Moldavian Communist Party | |
| In office 16 November 1989 – 4 February 1991 |
|
| Premier | Ivan Calin Petru Pascari Mircea Druc |
| Preceded by | Semion Grossu |
| Succeeded by | Grigore Eremei |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 27 January 1940 Rădulenii Vechi, Kingdom of Romania |
| Citizenship |  Moldova Romania |
| Political party | Agrarian Party of Moldova |
| Other political affiliations |
Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1964–1991) |
| Spouse |
Antonina Lucinschi
(m. 1965; died 2005) |
| Children | Chiril, Sergiu |
| Alma mater | Moldova State University |
| Profession | Politician |
Petru Lucinschi (born 27 January 1940) is a politician from Moldova. He served as Moldova's second President from 1997 to 2001. Today, he leads the Lucinschi Foundation, which studies important international topics.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Petru Lucinschi was born on 27 January 1940. His birthplace was Rădulenii Vechi village in Soroca County, which was part of the Kingdom of Romania at the time. This area is now in the Florești district of Moldova.
In 1962, he finished his studies at Moldova State University in Chișinău. During his time there, he was a leader in the local Komsomol, a youth organization. From 1963 to 1964, he continued his Komsomol work while serving in the Soviet Army. Later, in 1977, he earned a special degree called a PhD in Philosophy from the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow.
Career in the Communist Party
In 1964, Petru Lucinschi joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. By 1971, he became a member of the Politburo, a main group that made decisions for the Communist Party in the Moldavian SSR (which is now Moldova). At that time, he was the only native Moldovan in the leadership of the Communist Party of Moldova. Most other leaders were from outside the republic or from the Transnistria region.
From 1978 to 1989, he was the First Secretary of the Communist Party's committee in Chișinău. In 1978, he moved to Moscow to work for the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. He stayed there until 1986. After that, from 1986 to 1989, Lucinschi was the second secretary of the Communist Party in Tajikistan.
He returned to the Moldavian SSR in 1989 and became the first secretary of the Communist Party of Moldova. This happened after some public unrest on 7 November during the celebrations of the October Revolution. In early 1991, he was appointed Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, so he moved back to Moscow.
Post-Soviet Career (1991–1997)
In 1991, Petru Lucinschi became Moldova's Ambassador to Russia. This meant he represented Moldova in Russia. On 4 February 1993, he was chosen to be the Speaker of the Moldovan Parliament. He was re-elected for this role on 29 March 1994 and held the position until 1997.
Presidency (1997–2001)
Lucinschi was elected as Moldova's second president in November 1996. When he took office, some international news sources saw him as someone who still had strong ties to the Soviet past. He was often seen as a better choice than Vladimir Voronin from the Party of Communists.
During his time as president, he continued the changes started by the previous president, Mircea Snegur. Moldova also began to move further away from the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States and build closer relationships with the European Union. His four years in power were marked by strong disagreements in the Parliament. He served until 2001. At that time, he called for a new election, and the Parliament voted for Vladimir Voronin to become the next president.
Foreign Policy
Russia and CIS
As president, Lucinschi believed in having strong connections with Russia. He was also friends with Azerbaijani leader Heydar Aliyev. They had worked together in the Soviet government and knew each other since the 1970s.
After Presidency
After leaving office, Petru Lucinschi has continued to meet with other former leaders. These include Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev, Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev, Estonian president Arnold Rüütel, and Ukrainian president Leonid Kravchuk.
When former Russian president Boris Yeltsin passed away, Lucinschi said that Yeltsin "paid a lot of attention to the national dreams of countries that were part of the USSR." He also added that Yeltsin "played a very important role for young independent states like Moldova." In 2018, Lucinschi's book, Pyotr Kirillovich Luchinsky – Member of the Politburo and President, was published. It was written by Russian author Mikhail Lukichev.
In early 2019, President Igor Dodon invited Lucinschi and former president Mircea Snegur to see the newly fixed Presidential Palace. It had needed repairs for over ten years. In 2020, Lucinschi and 49 other members of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center asked for international action to deal with new waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he personally helped Ukrainian families settle in Chișinău.
Personal Life
Petru Lucinschi was married to Antonina (who passed away in 2006). She was a retired schoolteacher. They had two sons, Sergiu and Chiril. Chiril is a businessman and politician who was also a member of parliament and a professional basketball player.
Awards
Domestic
- Order of the Republic (27 January 2005)
- Order of Ștefan cel Mare, II Degree (Metropolis of Chișinău and All Moldova, February 9, 2010)
- Om Emerit (28 January 2015)
Soviet
- Order of the Red Banner of Labor (twice)
- Order of Friendship of Peoples
Foreign
- Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour (France, 1998)
- Order of Redeemer (Greece, 1999)
- Grand Order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre (Greek Orthodox Church, Jerusalem, 2000)
- Medal "Bethlehem 2000" (Palestinian National Authority, 2000)
- Order "Star of Romania" (Romania, 2000)
- Medal "In Commemoration of the 850th Anniversary of Moscow" (Russia, 6 September 1997)
- Honorary Citizen of the City of Astana
See also
In Spanish: Petru Lucinschi para niños
