Vitold Fokin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vitold Fokin
|
|
|---|---|
|
Вітольд Фокін
|
|
Official portrait, 1990
|
|
| 1st Prime Minister of Ukraine | |
| In office 23 October 1990 – 1 October 1992 (Acting until 14 November 1990) |
|
| President | Leonid Kravchuk |
| Preceded by | Vitaliy Masol (Soviet) |
| Succeeded by | Valentyn Symonenko (acting) |
| Member of the Verkhovna Rada | |
| In office 21 March 1991 – 5 October 1994 |
|
| Chairman of DerzhPlan | |
| In office July 1987 – 1990 |
|
| Prime Minister | Vitaliy Masol |
| Preceded by | Vitaliy Masol |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 25 October 1932 Novomykolaivka, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, USSR |
| Died | 20 March 2025 (aged 92) Kyiv, Ukraine |
| Political party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations |
CPU (until 1991) |
| Spouse |
Tomila Fokina
(died 2023) |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | National Mining University of Ukraine |
| Signature |  |
Vitold Pavlovych Fokin (Ukrainian: Віто́льд Па́влович Фо́кін; October 25, 1932 – March 20, 2025) was an important Ukrainian politician. He served as the first Prime Minister of Ukraine after the country declared its independence. This happened on August 24, 1991. He held this top job until October 1, 1992. Before that, he was also the prime minister of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic from 1990 to 1991.
After another leader, Vitaliy Masol, stepped down, Fokin was chosen to lead the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR on October 17, 1990.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Vitold Fokin was born in a place called Novomykolaivka in Ukraine. He studied at the National Mining University of Ukraine in Dnipro. This university is in a city that was then called Dnipropetrovsk.
Becoming Prime Minister of Ukraine
On April 18, 1991, Vitold Fokin was officially named the Prime Minister of Ukraine. This was a big step for the country.
Ukraine's Independence and New Government
On September 12, 1991, Ukraine's parliament, called the Verkhovna Rada, made a special decision. They declared that Ukraine was the direct successor to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. This meant Ukraine was becoming its own independent country. On August 22, 1992, Ukraine's President, Leonid Kravchuk, received an important document. It was a diploma from the government of the Ukrainian People's Republic, which had been in exile.
Fokin was one of the people who helped write and sign the Belavezha Accords. These agreements were very important because they officially ended the Soviet Union. They also created a new group of countries called the Commonwealth of Independent States. Vitold Fokin was the last person alive who had signed these historic agreements.
Challenges During His Time as Prime Minister
During his time as prime minister, Fokin faced many challenges. He did not make big changes to the economy very quickly. Some people thought that his slow actions and giving too much money to businesses that weren't doing well caused problems. This led to very high inflation, meaning prices went up very fast. In 1992, inflation was 1,210%! This also made Ukraine's economy struggle.
Fokin resigned from his position on October 8, 1992. He stepped down because of pressure from the parliament and the public. After that, he served as a vice speaker in the Verkhovna Rada until May 1994. He also led the supervisory board of a company called AOZT Devon.
Later Years and Public Role
In 2020, Vitold Fokin was appointed to the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine. This group included representatives from Ukraine, Russia, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Their goal was to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
However, Fokin made some statements that did not align with Ukraine's national interests. Because of this, on September 30, 2020, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree. This decree removed Fokin from the Trilateral Contact Group. This happened a few days after Fokin had made comments about the situation in Donbas.
In March 2022, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a Russian missile hit Fokin's house. Luckily, Fokin was not hurt because he was in Moldova at the time.
Vitold Fokin passed away in Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 20, 2025. He was 92 years old.
See also
In Spanish: Vitold Fokin para niños
