Vitaliy Masol facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vitaliy Masol Віталій Масол
Masol in 2009
3rd Prime Minister of Ukraine
In office 16 June 1994 – 6 March 1995
President	Leonid Kravchuk Leonid Kuchma
Preceded by	Yukhym Zvyahilsky (acting)
Succeeded by	Yevhen Marchuk
Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Ukrainian SSR
In office July 10, 1987 – October 23, 1990
President	Valentyna Shevchenko Volodymyr Ivashko (acting) Leonid Kravchuk (acting)
Preceded by	Oleksandr Liashko
Succeeded by	Vitold Fokin
Head of DerzhPlan
In office January 1979 – July 1987
Prime Minister	Oleksandr Liashko
Preceded by	Petro Rozenko
Succeeded by	Vitold Fokin
People's Deputy of Ukraine
In office May 1990 – May 1994
In office May 1994 – May 1998
Personal details
Born	Vitaliy Andriyovych Masol (1928-11-14)14 November 1928 Olyshivka, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Ukraine)
Died	21 September 2018(2018-09-21) (aged 89) Kyiv, Ukraine
Political party	Communist Party of Ukraine
Spouse	Nina Masol
Children	Ihor
Alma mater	Kyiv Polytechnic Institute
Signature

Vitaliy Andriyovych Masol (Ukrainian: Віталій Андрійович Масол; 14 November 1928 – 21 September 2018) was an important politician from Ukraine. He served as a top leader in Ukraine two times. First, he was the Head of the Council of Ministers in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic from 1987 to 1990. This role was like being the Prime Minister today. He had to step down from this job. Later, he became the Prime Minister of Ukraine in 1994, after Ukraine became an independent country. He resigned from this position in 1995.

Vitaliy Masol's Early Life and Education

Vitaliy Andriyovych Masol was born on November 14, 1928. His birthplace was a village near Chernihiv in what was then the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1951, he finished his studies at Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. He earned a degree in mechanical engineering.

After college, he started working as an engineer. He worked at the New Kramatorsk Machinebuilding Factory. He moved up in his career there. He became the head of the technical department. Later, he was the head of the mechanical shop. Finally, he became the deputy chief engineer at the factory. In 1971, he earned a special degree called a doctorate in engineering.

Vitaliy Masol's Political Career

Vitaliy Masol was a member of the Communist Party of Ukraine. This was the main political party during the Soviet era.

Serving in the Soviet Union

In 1972, Vitaliy Masol began his political journey. He became a deputy chairman of the state planning committee in Ukraine. This was a big step in his career. He later became the main chairman of this committee. He also joined a special group after the Chernobyl disaster. This group worked on cleaning up the area.

From 1987 to 1990, Masol was the Head of the Council of Ministers. This was the highest government job in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. It was similar to being a Prime Minister. However, he had to resign on October 17, 1990. This happened because of student protests and hunger strikes. These events were known as the Revolution on Granite. Students were protesting for more freedom and changes.

Leading Independent Ukraine

After Ukraine became an independent country, Vitaliy Masol returned to a top leadership role. On June 16, 1994, President Leonid Kravchuk chose him to be the Prime Minister of Ukraine. This was a bit of a surprise to some people. Masol was known for supporting a government-controlled economy.

Later, President Leonid Kuchma also kept Masol as Prime Minister. However, Masol did not agree with many of Kuchma's plans for reforms. He sometimes worked with the Ukrainian parliament, called the Verkhovna Rada, against the President's ideas. Masol resigned from his role as Prime Minister on March 1, 1995. But he still attended meetings of the Verkhovna Rada.

Vitaliy Masol's time in office was very important. It happened during the breakup of the Soviet Union. It also saw the start of a new political system in Ukraine.

Awards and Recognition

Vitaliy Masol received many awards for his public service. These included:

• The Order of Lenin (in 1966 and 1986)
• The Order of the October Revolution (in 1971)
• The Order of the Red Banner of Labour (in 1978)
• The Order of the Badge of Honour (in 1960)
• The Order of Merit 3rd class (in 1997) and 1st Class (in 2008)
• The Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise 5th Class (in 1998) and 4th Class (in 2003)

His Passing

Vitaliy Masol passed away on September 21, 2018. He was 89 years old. He died in Kyiv, Ukraine. The reason for his death was not shared publicly.