Viktor Yanukovych facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Viktor Yanukovych
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Віктор Янукович
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Official portrait, 2010
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| 4th President of Ukraine | |
| In office 25 February 2010 – 22 February 2014 |
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| Prime Minister |
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| Preceded by | Viktor Yushchenko |
| Succeeded by | Petro Poroshenko |
| 9th and 12th Prime Minister of Ukraine | |
| In office 4 August 2006 – 18 December 2007 |
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| President | Viktor Yushchenko |
| Deputy | Mykola Azarov |
| Preceded by | Yuriy Yekhanurov |
| Succeeded by | Yulia Tymoshenko |
| In office 28 December 2004 – 5 January 2005 |
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| President | Leonid Kuchma |
| Deputy | Mykola Azarov |
| Preceded by | Mykola Azarov (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Mykola Azarov (acting) |
| In office 21 November 2002 – 7 December 2004 |
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| 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 |
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| Constituency | At-large |
| In office 23 November 2007 – 19 February 2010 |
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| Constituency | At-large |
| Governor of Donetsk Oblast | |
| In office 14 May 1997 – 21 November 2002 |
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| Preceded by | Serhii Polyakov |
| Succeeded by | Anatoliy Blyznyuk |
| Chairman of Donetsk Oblast Council | |
| In office 14 May 1999 – 14 May 2001 |
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| Preceded by | Ivan Ponomaryov |
| Succeeded by | Borys Kolesnikov |
| Deputy Governor of Donetsk Oblast | |
| In office August 1996 – May 1997 |
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| Governor | Serhii Polyakov |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 9 July 1950 Yenakiieve, Donetsk Oblast, Soviet Union |
| Nationality |
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| Political party | Party of Regions (1997–2014) |
| Other political affiliations |
CPSU (1980–1991) |
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| Children |
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| 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 July 9, 1950) is a former Ukrainian politician. He was the fourth president of Ukraine from 2010 to 2014. Before becoming president, he served as the Prime Minister of Ukraine several times. His time in politics included major events that changed Ukraine's history.
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Who is Viktor Yanukovych?
Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych was born on July 9, 1950. This was in a town called Yenakiieve in the Donetsk region of Ukraine. At that time, Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union. He grew up in a working-class family. His mother was a nurse from Russia, and his father was a locomotive driver. His mother passed away when he was very young. He has said his childhood was tough.
He started working in heavy industry in his hometown in 1969. Over the next 20 years, he moved up in his career. He went from being a mechanic to leading big companies. These companies were involved in transportation and coal. During this time, he also studied mechanical engineering. He graduated in 1980. Later, he earned another degree in international law.
In the 1990s, Ukraine became an independent country. Yanukovych then got involved in local government in the Donetsk region. He became the governor of the Donetsk province in 1997. He held this important job until 2002.
How Did He Rise in Politics?
Yanukovych became a well-known figure in national politics in 2002. The President at the time, Leonid Kuchma, chose him to be the Prime Minister of Ukraine. He served as Prime Minister from 2002 to 2005.
In 2004, he ran for president for the first time. The election was very close. It led to many large public protests across Ukraine. These events are known as the Orange Revolution. People protested because they were worried about how the election was run. Ukraine's highest court decided that the election results needed to be checked again. A new vote was held, and Yanukovych did not win.
After the 2004 election, Yanukovych became a leader of the main opposition party. This party was called the Party of Regions. He served as Prime Minister again from 2006 to 2007.
What Happened During His Presidency (2010–2014)?
Yanukovych became the fourth President of Ukraine in February 2010. As president, he said he wanted to make the economy better. He also wanted Ukraine to have closer economic ties with the European Union (EU). He also stated that Ukraine should not join military alliances.
One big decision during his presidency was about Ukraine's relationship with the European Union. In November 2013, his government decided not to sign an agreement. This agreement would have brought Ukraine closer to the EU. Instead, they chose to have closer ties with Russia.
This decision caused huge protests across Ukraine. Many protests happened in Kyiv's main square, called Maidan Nezalezhnosti. These protests were known as "Euromaidan" or the "Revolution of Dignity." People were unhappy with the government's choice. They also wanted more fairness and honesty in the country.
The protests continued for several months and grew bigger. There were disagreements and clashes between the protesters and government forces. Sadly, some people died during these events.
In February 2014, the situation became very difficult. Yanukovych left the capital city. The parliament of Ukraine then voted to remove him from his job as president. They decided he was no longer doing his duties. Later, in 2019, a Ukrainian court sentenced him to a thirteen-year prison term. This was for serious actions against the state.
What Has He Done Since Leaving Office?
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After leaving the presidency in February 2014, Yanukovych has stayed outside of Ukraine. As of 2025, he is still living in Russia.
Interesting Facts About Viktor Yanukovych
- He has a mix of Russian, Polish, and Belarusian family background.
- His last name, Yanukovych, comes from Belarus. It means "John."
- His Polish grandmother, who was from Warsaw, raised him.
- Many polls show that people think Yanukovych was one of the worst presidents in Ukraine's history.
- There's a funny term called Yanukisms. It refers to mistakes made by Ukrainian politicians.
Personal Life
Yanukovych was married to Lyudmyla Oleksandrivna Nastenko. They got married in 1971. He and Lyudmyla had two sons, Oleksandr and Viktor. They also have three grandsons.
In February 2017, Yanukovych shared that he had divorced Lyudmyla. They had been married for 45 years.
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Images for kids
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Yanukovych, Nicolas Sarkozy and Dmitry Medvedev at a summit, 2010
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Yanukovych and Russian president Dmitry Medvedev in Kyiv, 2010
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U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meets Yanukovych in Kyiv, 2010
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Barack Obama talks with President Viktor Yanukovych at a summit in Seoul, 2012
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Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff greets Yanukovych in Brasília, 2011.
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Signing documents with President Dmitry Medvedev, 2010
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The results of the 2012 parliamentary election. Yanukovych's Party of Regions is in blue.
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Mass protests in Kyiv, December 2013
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Viktor Yanukovych (first round) – percentage of total national vote, 2004
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Viktor Yanukovych (second round) – percentage of total national vote, 2004
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Viktor Yanukovych (final round) – percentage of total national vote, 2004
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Supporters of Viktor Yanukovych in Dnipropetrovsk, December 2009
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Viktor Yanukovych (first round) – percentage of total national vote (35.33%), 2010
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Viktor Yanukovych (second round) – percentage of total national vote (48.95%), 2010
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Related pages
- Revolution of Dignity
