Heorhiy Kirpa (July 20, 1946 in Klubivka, Khmelnytskyi Oblast

Khmelnytskyi Oblast

Khmelnytskyi Oblast is an oblast of western Ukraine. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Khmelnytskyi.The current estimated population is around 1,401,140 .-Geography:...

 - December 27, 2004 in Bortnychi, near Kiev

Kiev

Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....

) was a Ukrainian railway manager, statesman and politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

, best known as the head of the Ukrzaliznytsia

Ukrzaliznytsia

Ukrzaliznytsia , also known as Ukrainian Railways, is the State Administration of Railroad Transportation in Ukraine, monopoly that controls vast majority of the railroad transportation in the country with a combined total length of track of over 23,000 km, which makes Ukrainian railroad...

 national railway company and Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications under President Leonid Kuchma

Leonid Kuchma

Leonid Danylovych Kuchma was the second President of independent Ukraine from 19 July 1994, to 23 January 2005. Kuchma took office after winning the 1994 presidential election against his rival, incumbent Leonid Kravchuk...

.

Political career

In May 2002, Kirpa was appointed Minister of Transport by the then President Leonid Kuchma and on April 23 was awarded an honourable title Hero of Ukraine

Hero of Ukraine

Hero of Ukraine is the highest state decoration that can be conferred upon an individual citizen by the Government of Ukraine. The title was created in 1998 by President Leonid Kuchma and as of August 25 2011 the total number of awards is 265. The award is divided into two classes of distinction:...

. In a publicly debated move in 2003, the President placed paramilitary railroad armed forces under the direction of Kirpa. He was a staunch supporter of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych

Viktor Yanukovych

Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych is a Ukrainian politician who has been the President of Ukraine since February 2010.Yanukovych served as the Governor of Donetsk Oblast from 1997 to 2002...

, and the BBC described him as "one of the most influential figures" in Yanukovych's government.

Death

Heorhiy Kirpa was found shot dead at his holiday home in Bortnychi

Bortnychi

Bortnychi is a historic neighbourhood in the southern part of Kiev. Its southern and eastern boundaries are bordered with forests. Now Bortnychi is included in the Darnytsia Raion.-External links:...

 just outside of Kiev, December 27, 2004. The official police report states that Kirpa committed suicide

Suicide

Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...

.

Remembrance

Late December 2009 the Southwestern Railroad requested the Kiev City Council

Kiev City Council

Kiev City Council or Kyivrada is the city council of Kiev municipality, the highest representative body of the city community. The members of city council are directly elected by Kievans and the council is chaired by the Mayor of Kiev .The council meets in a 1950s City Council building...

 to rename Petrozavodsk

Petrozavodsk

Petrozavodsk is the capital city of the Republic of Karelia, Russia. It stretches along the western shore of the Lake Onega for some . The city is served by Petrozavodsk Airport. Municipally, it is incorporated as Petrozavodsky Urban Okrug . Population:...

a Street, which is located in the Solomianskyi Raion

Solomianskyi Raion

Solomianskyi Raion is an administrative raion of the city of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine....

of Kiev, as Heorhiy Kirpa Street.

External links

• Reaction to his appointment as Minister of Transport