Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych is the fourth President of Ukraine (2010 – 2014), Prime Minister of Ukraine (2002 – 2005, 2006 – 2007), Chairman of the Party of Regions (2003 – 2010), Head of the Donetsk Regional State Administration (1997 – 2002).
Place of Birth, Education
He was born on July 9, 1950 in the city of Yenakiieve, Donetsk region.
He studied at the Donetsk Polytechnic Institute, where he received the qualification of a mechanical engineer, as well as at the Ukrainian Academy of Foreign Trade.
He received a master’s degree in international law.
Career
He began his career in 1969. At first he worked as a gas worker at the Yenakiieve Metallurgical Plant, later as a car mechanic and mechanic at an automobile enterprise. For about 20 years, he held senior positions. In particular, he was the general director of the production associations “Donbastransremont”, “Ukrvuglepromtrans” and the Donetsk Regional Territorial Association of Motor Transport.
In August 1996, Yanukovych was appointed deputy head of the Donetsk Regional State Administration (RSA), and a month later – first deputy.
In the period from May 1997 to November 2002, he served as head of the Regional State Administration.
Political Activities
On November 21, 2002, Yanukovych was appointed Prime Minister of Ukraine.
In April 2003, he headed the Party of Regions. In July 2004, while serving as prime minister, he was nominated by his own political force as a candidate for the presidential election, but without success. In the second round of elections, Viktor Yushchenko won.
After the defeat, Yanukovych retreated into the “shadows” for more than six months.
In the spring of 2006, the Party of Regions won the greatest support of voters in the parliamentary elections. After that, in cooperation with the Socialist Party (SPU) and the Communist Party, a coalition was formed. Yanukovych and the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, the leader of the “SPU” Oleksandr Moroz, became co-chairs of the ruling coalition.
On August 4, 2006, Yanukovych was appointed Prime Minister for the second time.
On December 18, 2007, after early elections and the formation of a new coalition, the Verkhovna Rada decided to dismiss him and appoint Yulia Tymoshenko as head of government.
Presidency
In 2010, Yanukovych won the presidential election, ahead of Tymoshenko in the second round by 3.48%. After taking office, he transferred the powers of the head of the Party of Regions to Mykola Azarov, remaining in the status of honorary chairman of the party.
On February 22, 2014, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a resolution “On the self-removal of the President of Ukraine from the exercise of constitutional powers and the appointment of early elections of the President of Ukraine” for May 25, 2014. The next day, the parliament entrusted the duties of the President of Ukraine to the Chairman of the Parliament Oleksandr Turchynov.
On February 24, Acting Minister of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov said that Yanukovych, along with a number of other Ukrainian officials, had been put on the wanted list as part of criminal proceedings over the mass killings of civilians.
On February 4, 2015, the Rada adopted a law depriving Yanukovych of the title of President of Ukraine.
Criminal cases
On January 24, 2019, Yanukovych was found guilty of high treason and complicity in waging an aggressive war. The Obolonsky District Court of Kyiv sentenced him to 13 years in prison.
On October 2, 2020, the Kyiv Court of Appeal upheld the verdict, confirming the decision of the court of first instance.
On April 28, 2025, the fugitive president was sentenced in absentia for the second time in a Ukrainian court – this time to 15 years in prison for incitement to desertion and organizing illegal crossing of the state border.
Marital Status
Yanukovych is married to Lyudmila Alexandrovna, a housewife.
The eldest son, Oleksandr, worked as a dentist in the past, and later went into business.
The youngest son, Victor, was a people’s deputy of Ukraine of the V, VI and VII convocations from the Party of Regions. He died on March 20, 2015 on Lake Baikal.
Later it turned out that together with Yanukovych in Mezhyhirya, his common-law wife Lyubov Polezhai and her daughter Maria lived with him.
