Viktor Yanukovych facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Viktor Yanukovych
|
|
|---|---|
|
Віктор Янукович
|
|
Official portrait, 2010
|
|
| 4th President of Ukraine | |
| In office 25 February 2010 – 22 February 2014 |
|
| Prime Minister |
|
| Preceded by | Viktor Yushchenko |
| Succeeded by | Petro Poroshenko |
| 9th and 12th Prime Minister of Ukraine | |
| In office 4 August 2006 – 18 December 2007 |
|
| President | Viktor Yushchenko |
| Deputy | Mykola Azarov |
| Preceded by | Yuriy Yekhanurov |
| Succeeded by | Yulia Tymoshenko |
| In office 28 December 2004 – 5 January 2005 |
|
| President | Leonid Kuchma |
| Deputy | Mykola Azarov |
| Preceded by | Mykola Azarov (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Mykola Azarov (acting) |
| In office 21 November 2002 – 7 December 2004 |
|
| President | Leonid Kuchma |
| Deputy | Mykola Azarov |
| Preceded by | Anatoliy Kinakh |
| Succeeded by | Mykola Azarov (acting) |
| People's Deputy of Ukraine | |
| In office 25 May 2006 – 12 September 2006 |
|
| Constituency | At-large |
| In office 23 November 2007 – 19 February 2010 |
|
| Constituency | At-large |
| Governor of Donetsk Oblast | |
| In office 14 May 1997 – 21 November 2002 |
|
| Preceded by | Serhii Polyakov |
| Succeeded by | Anatoliy Blyznyuk |
| Chairman of Donetsk Oblast Council | |
| In office 14 May 1999 – 14 May 2001 |
|
| Preceded by | Ivan Ponomaryov |
| Succeeded by | Borys Kolesnikov |
| Deputy Governor of Donetsk Oblast | |
| In office August 1996 – May 1997 |
|
| Governor | Serhii Polyakov |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 9 July 1950 Yenakiieve, Donetsk Oblast, Soviet Union |
| Nationality |
|
| Political party | Party of Regions (1997–2014) |
| Other political affiliations |
CPSU (1980–1991) |
| Spouse | |
| Children |
|
| Alma mater | Donetsk National Technical University Ukrainian State University of Finance and International Trade |
| Signature |  |
| Website | Viktor Yanukovych, President of Ukraine (Archived) |
Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych (born 9 July 1950) is a former Ukrainian politician who served as the fourth president of Ukraine from 2010 to 2014. Before becoming president, he held the position of Prime Minister several times. His time in politics was marked by significant events that shaped Ukraine's history.
Contents
Early Life and Career
Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych was born on July 9, 1950, in a town called Yenakiieve in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, which was then part of the Soviet Union. He came from a working-class family. His mother was a Russian nurse and his father, Fyodor Yanukovych, was a Polish-Belarusian locomotive-driver. His mother passed away when he was very young, and he has described his childhood as difficult.
He began working in heavy industry in his hometown in 1969. Over the next 20 years, he worked his way up from being a mechanic to holding executive positions in large production companies related to transportation and coal. During this time, he also studied mechanical engineering at Donetsk Polytechnic Institute, graduating in 1980. He later earned a master's degree in international law from the Ukrainian Academy of Foreign Trade.
In the 1990s, after Ukraine became an independent country, Yanukovych became involved in local government in the Donetsk region. This was a time of change and sometimes difficulty in the area. He became the governor of Donetsk province in 1997 and held that position until 2002.
Rise to National Politics
Yanukovych became a prominent figure in national politics in 2002 when he was appointed as the Prime Minister of Ukraine by the then-President, Leonid Kuchma. He served as Prime Minister from 2002 to 2005.
In 2004, he ran for president for the first time. The election was very close and led to a period of large public gatherings and protests across Ukraine. These events became known as the Orange Revolution. People protested because there were concerns about how the election was conducted. The highest court in Ukraine decided that the election results needed to be reviewed, and a new vote was held. In the repeat election, Yanukovych did not win.
After the 2004 election, Yanukovych became a leader of the main opposition party, the Party of Regions. He served as Prime Minister again from 2006 to 2007.
Presidency (2010–2014)
Yanukovych was sworn in as the fourth President of Ukraine in February 2010. During his presidency, Yanukovych said he wanted to modernize the economy and have closer economic ties with the European Union (EU). He also spoke about Ukraine not being part of military alliances.
One of the important decisions during his presidency involved Ukraine's relationship with the European Union. In November 2013, his government decided not to sign an agreement that would have brought Ukraine closer to the EU. Instead, they chose to focus on closer ties with Russia.
This decision led to large protests across Ukraine, particularly in Kyiv's main square, called Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square). These protests were known as "Euromaidan" or the "Revolution of Dignity." People were unhappy with the government's decision and also with issues like fairness and honesty in the country.
The protests continued for several months and grew larger. There were disagreements and clashes between the protesters and government forces. Sadly, some people lost their lives during these events.
In February 2014, as the situation became more difficult, Yanukovych left the capital city. The parliament of Ukraine then voted to remove him from his position as president. They decided that he was no longer carrying out his duties as president. On 24 January 2019, he was sentenced in absentia to a thirteen year prison term for high treason by a Ukrainian court.
Post-presidency
_guard_and_activists_at_the_entrance_to_Verkhovna_Rada._Euromaidan,_Kyiv,_Ukraine._Events_of_February_22,_2014.jpg)
After leaving the presidency in February 2014, Yanukovych has remained outside of Ukraine. As of 2025, he is still living in Russia.
Interesting facts about Viktor Yanukovych
- He is of Russian, Polish and Belarusian descent.
- Yanukovych is a surname of Belarusian origin, Yanuk being a derivative of the Catholic name Yan ("John").
- He was brought up by his Polish paternal grandmother, originally from Warsaw.
- In various polling conducted since his departure from office, Yanukovych has ranked as one of the worst presidents in Ukrainian history.
- Yanukovych has also given his name to a collective term for blunders made by Ukrainian politicians: Yanukisms.
Personal life
Yanukovych was married to Lyudmyla Oleksandrivna Nastenko. The couple married in 1971. With his wife Yanukovych had two sons, Oleksandr and Viktor, and three grandsons Viktor, Oleksandr and Iliya.
In February 2017, Yanukovych admitted that after 45 years of marriage he had divorced Lyudmyla.
_in_Khersonez_2013.jpeg)
Images for kids
-
Yanukovych, Nicolas Sarkozy and Dmitry Medvedev before the beginning of the Nuclear Security Summit, 2010
-
Yanukovych and Russian president Dmitry Medvedev on 17 May 2010 near Memorial to the Holodomor Victims in Kyiv.
-
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is greeted by Yanukovych in Kyiv, Ukraine, 2 July 2010
-
Barack Obama talks with President Viktor Yanukovych during a pull aside at the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit at the Coex Center in Seoul
-
Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff greets Yanukovych upon his arrival to the Planalto Palace in Brasília, Brazil, 25 October 2011.
-
Signing documents with President Dmitry Medvedev, 2010
-
The results of the 2012 parliamentary election. Yanukovych's Party of Regions is in blue.
-
Mass protests in Kyiv, December 2013
-
Viktor Yanukovych (first round) – percentage of total national vote, 2004
-
Viktor Yanukovych (second round) – percentage of total national vote, 2004
-
Viktor Yanukovych (final round) – percentage of total national vote, 2004
-
Supporters of Viktor Yanukovych in Dnipropetrovsk, December 2009
-
Viktor Yanukovych (first round) – percentage of total national vote (35.33%), 2010
-
Viktor Yanukovych (second round) – percentage of total national vote (48.95%), 2010
.jpg)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
Related pages
- Revolution of Dignity
