Yevhen Kushnaryov
Encyclopedia
Yevhen Petrovych Kushnaryov (January 29, 1951 - January 17, 2007) was a prominent Ukrainian
politician
of the post-Soviet era. Kushnaryov was considered one of the chief ideologues of the Party of Regions
and a key ally of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych
.
to migrants from Russia
in 1951. He graduated from the Kharkiv Engineering-Construction Institute in 1973, and for several years thereafter worked at a local factory of concrete and steel manufacturing.
in 1981. In 1989, during the Glasnost
era, he joined the pro-democracy movement in the Ukrainian SSR
. In 1990 Kushnaryov was elected to both the Kharkiv city council and the Verkhovna Rada, where he took part in formulating the fledgling country's constitution, and in 1994 he became mayor
of the city of Kharkiv.
Afterwards, Kushnaryov served as Leonid Kuchma
's chief of staff from 1996 to 1998, and as governor
of the Kharkiv Oblast
from 2000 to 2004.
During the election crisis of 2004
, Kushnaryov agitated for the creation of an independent southeastern Ukrainian state in the case of Viktor Yushchenko
's victory. This caused him to be arrested on charges of separatism
, that were eventually dropped.
Following the Orange Revolution
, Kushnaryov joined Viktor Yanukovych's Party of Regions and in 2006 he was elected to the Verkhovna Rada
on the Party of Regions ticket.
Kushnaryov quickly became one of the leaders of the party along with Yanukovych and Rinat Akhmetov
. Considered by many to be among the party's main ideologues, Kushnaryov could be frequently seen on television debating public policy. In 2006 he published a book (Red Horse: Notes of a Counterrevolutionary) denouncing the Orange Revolution.
. A two-day period of mourning was declared in Kharkiv over the death of the former governor. Yevhen Kushnaryov was survived by his wife, two children, and two grandchildren.
In October 2008 a monument to honour Kushnaryov was unveiled in Kharkiv
. The Yevgeny Kushnaryov Foundation for Democracy Initiatives Support was founded in October 2007. The goal of the organisation is "to pursue with the ideas that mattered to him". Aссording to the Ukrainian Wikipedia, a future station of the Kharkiv Metro
will be named after Kushnaryov.
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
politician
Politics of Ukraine
Politics of Ukraine take place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the Cabinet. Legislative power is vested in the parliament...
of the post-Soviet era. Kushnaryov was considered one of the chief ideologues of the Party of Regions
Party of Regions
The Party of Regions is an Ukrainian political party created on October 26, 1997 just prior to the 1998 Ukrainian parliamentary elections under the name of Party of Regional Revival of Ukraine. It was reformed later in 2001 when the party united with several others...
and a key ally 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...
.
Early life
Yevhen Kushnaryov was born in KharkivKharkiv
Kharkiv or Kharkov is the second-largest city in Ukraine.The city was founded in 1654 and was a major centre of Ukrainian culture in the Russian Empire. Kharkiv became the first city in Ukraine where the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic was proclaimed in December 1917 and Soviet government was...
to migrants from Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
in 1951. He graduated from the Kharkiv Engineering-Construction Institute in 1973, and for several years thereafter worked at a local factory of concrete and steel manufacturing.
Political career
Kushnaryov became a member of the Communist PartyCommunist Party of the Soviet Union
The Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the only legal, ruling political party in the Soviet Union and one of the largest communist organizations in the world...
in 1981. In 1989, during the Glasnost
Glasnost
Glasnost was the policy of maximal publicity, openness, and transparency in the activities of all government institutions in the Soviet Union, together with freedom of information, introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev in the second half of the 1980s...
era, he joined the pro-democracy movement in the Ukrainian SSR
Ukrainian SSR
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or in short, the Ukrainian SSR was a sovereign Soviet Socialist state and one of the fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union lasting from its inception in 1922 to the breakup in 1991...
. In 1990 Kushnaryov was elected to both the Kharkiv city council and the Verkhovna Rada, where he took part in formulating the fledgling country's constitution, and in 1994 he became mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of the city of Kharkiv.
Afterwards, Kushnaryov served as 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...
's chief of staff from 1996 to 1998, and as governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of the Kharkiv Oblast
Kharkiv Oblast
Kharkiv Oblast is an oblast in eastern Ukraine. The oblast borders Russia to the north, Luhansk Oblast to the east, Donetsk Oblast to the south-east, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast to the south-west, Poltava Oblast to the west and Sumy Oblast to the north-west...
from 2000 to 2004.
During the election crisis of 2004
Ukrainian presidential election, 2004
The Ukrainian presidential election, 2004 was held on October 31, November 21 and December 26, 2004. The election was the fourth presidential election to take place in Ukraine following independence from the Soviet Union...
, Kushnaryov agitated for the creation of an independent southeastern Ukrainian state in the case of Viktor Yushchenko
Viktor Yushchenko
Viktor Andriyovych Yushchenko is a former President of Ukraine. He took office on January 23, 2005, following a period of popular unrest known as the Orange Revolution...
's victory. This caused him to be arrested on charges of separatism
Separatism
Separatism is the advocacy of a state of cultural, ethnic, tribal, religious, racial, governmental or gender separation from the larger group. While it often refers to full political secession, separatist groups may seek nothing more than greater autonomy...
, that were eventually dropped.
Following the Orange Revolution
Orange Revolution
The Orange Revolution was a series of protests and political events that took place in Ukraine from late November 2004 to January 2005, in the immediate aftermath of the run-off vote of the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election which was claimed to be marred by massive corruption, voter...
, Kushnaryov joined Viktor Yanukovych's Party of Regions and in 2006 he was elected to the Verkhovna Rada
Verkhovna Rada
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is Ukraine's parliament. The Verkhovna Rada is a unicameral parliament composed of 450 deputies, which is presided over by a chairman...
on the Party of Regions ticket.
Kushnaryov quickly became one of the leaders of the party along with Yanukovych and Rinat Akhmetov
Rinat Akhmetov
Rinat Leonidovych Akhmetov is a Ukrainian businessman. He is the founder and President of System Capital Management, and is ranked among the wealthiest men in the nation. Akhmetov is also the owner and President of the Ukrainian football club Shakhtar Donetsk...
. Considered by many to be among the party's main ideologues, Kushnaryov could be frequently seen on television debating public policy. In 2006 he published a book (Red Horse: Notes of a Counterrevolutionary) denouncing the Orange Revolution.
Death and remembrance
On January 15, 2007 Kushnaryov was accidentally shot in the liver while hunting with a group of friends and colleagues, and died two days later in a hospital in IziumIzium
Izyum , is a city situated on the Donets River in the Kharkiv Oblast of eastern Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Iziumsky Raion , the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast, and is located approximately 75 miles southeast of the oblast capital,...
. A two-day period of mourning was declared in Kharkiv over the death of the former governor. Yevhen Kushnaryov was survived by his wife, two children, and two grandchildren.
In October 2008 a monument to honour Kushnaryov was unveiled in Kharkiv
Kharkiv
Kharkiv or Kharkov is the second-largest city in Ukraine.The city was founded in 1654 and was a major centre of Ukrainian culture in the Russian Empire. Kharkiv became the first city in Ukraine where the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic was proclaimed in December 1917 and Soviet government was...
. The Yevgeny Kushnaryov Foundation for Democracy Initiatives Support was founded in October 2007. The goal of the organisation is "to pursue with the ideas that mattered to him". Aссording to the Ukrainian Wikipedia, a future station of the Kharkiv Metro
Kharkiv Metro
The Kharkiv Metro is the metro system that serves the city of Kharkiv , the second largest city in Ukraine. The metro was the second in Ukraine and the sixth in the USSR when it opened in 1975.-Lines and Stations:...
will be named after Kushnaryov.
Honors and Distinctions
- Order of Yaroslav the Wise V (1998), IV (2002), III (2004) Class (Ukraine)
- Légion d'honneurLégion d'honneurThe Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
(1997) (FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
)
Trivia
- Although his Ukrainian name was YevhenEugene (given name)Eugene is a common first name that comes from the Greek εὐγενής , "noble", literally "well-born". Gene is a common shortened form...
(Євген), Kushnaryov personally preferred to use the Russified form Yevheniy (Євгеній) when writing in Ukrainian.