Vitold Fokin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vitold Fokin
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Вітольд Фокін
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Fokin in 2007
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| 1st Prime Minister of Ukraine | |
| In office 23 October 1990 – 1 October 1992 (Acting until 14 November 1990) |
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| President | Leonid Kravchuk |
| Preceded by | Vitaliy Masol (Soviet) |
| Succeeded by | Valentyn Symonenko (acting) |
| Chairman of DerzhPlan | |
| In office July 1987 – 1990 |
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| Prime Minister | Vitaliy Masol |
| Preceded by | Vitaliy Masol |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 25 October 1932 Novomykolaivka, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Ukraine) |
| Died | 20 March 2025 (aged 92) Kyiv, Ukraine |
| Political party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations |
KPU (until 1991) |
| Spouse | Tomila Fokina (died 9 October 2023) |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | National Mining University of Ukraine |
| Signature |  |
Vitold Pavlovych Fokin (Ukrainian: Віто́льд Па́влович Фо́кін; 25 October 1932 – 20 March 2025) was an important Ukrainian politician. He served as the very first prime minister of Ukraine after the country declared its independence on 24 August 1991. He held this role until 1 October 1992. Before Ukraine became fully independent, he was also the prime minister of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic from October 1990 to August 1991.
He became the head of the government in Ukraine when it was still part of the Soviet Union. This happened on 17 October 1990.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Vitold Fokin was born on 25 October 1932. He studied at the National Mining University of Ukraine in Dnipropetrovsk. This university is known for training engineers for the mining industry.
Becoming Prime Minister
On 18 April 1991, Vitold Fokin was officially named the Prime Minister of Ukraine. This was a big step for the country.
On 12 September 1991, Ukraine's parliament, called the Verkhovna Rada, made an important decision. They declared that Ukraine was the direct successor to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. This meant Ukraine was becoming its own country.
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 as Prime Minister
During his time as prime minister, Fokin faced many challenges. He tried to avoid making big, sudden changes to the economy. Some people criticized him for not making faster changes to help the economy grow. They also said that giving too much money to old, unproductive businesses caused hyperinflation. This means prices went up very, very fast. In 1992, prices increased by 1,210%!
Because of these economic problems and pressure from the parliament and the public, he resigned on 8 October 1992. After that, he served as a vice speaker in the Verkhovna Rada until May 1994.
Later Years
In 2020, some information came out about an interview Fokin gave in 2017. In this interview, he talked about the annexation of Crimea by Russia. This happened after he was appointed to a group called 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 Donbas.
On 30 September 2020, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, removed Fokin from the Trilateral Contact Group. This was because Fokin's statements were not seen as supporting Ukraine's national interests.
Vitold Fokin passed away in Kyiv on 20 March 2025. He was 92 years old.
Images for kids
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Vitold Fokin's signature from 1974.
See also
In Spanish: Vitold Fokin para niños
