In the first round of voting held on 31 October 2004, Yanukovych took second place with 39.3 percent of the votes to opposition leader Viktor Yuschenko with 39.8 percent. Yanukovych first ran for president in 2004: he advanced to the runoff election and was initially declared the winner against former Prime Minister Viktor Yushchenko. During the questioning, Lutsenko told Yanukovych that he was being accused of treason. All In The Family - Mar. 02, 2012 | KyivPost [114], Yanukovych rejected accusations that improvement of Ukrainian-Russian relations harmed relations with the European Union. The estate is located in a former forest preserve on the outskirts of Kyiv. "[122] In 2003, he supported then President Leonid Kuchma's position that the Holodomor famine was genocide against Ukrainians. As a result of this, the International Monetary Fund suspended its 20082009 Ukrainian financial crisis emergency lending programme. [279], On 11 July 2005, the office of the Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor charged Yanukovych with fraud,[280] stemming from alleged irregularities in the way his convictions were expunged twenty years earlier. After his ally lost . [124] Currently Ukrainian is the only official language of Ukraine. In 2003, during the premiership of Viktor Yanukovych, a majority of the company's shares came ended up in private hands - in particular, those of Prygodskyy and Rinat Akhmetov. Russia has legitimate interests in Ukraine: Shivshankar Menon, NSA News reports at the time highlighted several similar deaths of people with ties to Yanukovych's father. [25], On 22 June 2015, Yanukovych was interviewed on BBC Newsnight and he accepted some responsibility for the deaths just before his removal from power. [51] His appointment as the chief manager marked the start of his managerial career as a regional transport executive. [299], In November 2016, Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko questioned Yanukovych via video link in connection with the former Berkut. [63] Viktor Yanukovych's Party of Regions won the 2006 Ukrainian parliamentary election. Yanukovych was taken to Moscow's Sklifosovsky Institute of Emergency Medicine by ambulance on 16 November in an immobilized condition. Who would govern Ukraine if Kyiv fell", "Who is Viktor Yanukovych? [334][335] For the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election, Yanukovych wrote an autobiography for the Central Election Commission, in which he misspelled his academic degree. [306], On 24 January 2019 a panel of three judges of the Obolonskyi District Court found Yanukovych guilty of high treason and complicity in Russian military intervention in Ukraine. We will not allow the use of churches and religious organizations by some political forces for their narrow interests. In 2004, he contested for president for the first time during the most controversial elections. [77] Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko signed a decree endorsing a plan of events related to Yanukovych's inauguration on 20 February 2010. It had kitchens, first aid posts and broadcasting facilities, as well as stages for speeches, lectures, debates and performances. [232][233], According to an April 2014 poll conducted by the Razumkov Centre, only 4.9% of respondents would have liked to see Yanukovych return to the presidency. [300][303], In closing arguments on 16 August, prosecutors Ruslan Kravchenko and Maksym Krym asked the court in Kyiv to sentence the former leader to 15 years in prison. [81][133] During the visit Yanukovych stated that there would be no change to Ukraine's status as a member of the NATO outreach program.[134]. [304][305], However the former leader was hospitalized in Moscow days before he was scheduled to give the final statement. [337] Opponents of Yanukovych made fun of this misspelling and his criminal convictions during the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election campaign and the incident during the campaign (September 2004) in Ivano-Frankivsk when Yanukovych was rushed to hospital after being hit by an egg (while government officials claimed he was hit by a brick) was a source of ridicule. Yanukovych lost this second election to Yushchenko. [244] According to his lawyer Yanukovych did not consider acquiring Russian citizenship or a permanent residence permits but "Only a temporary shelter for returning to the territory of Ukraine". Yuriy Lutsenko, the head of the ministry, announced that forensic tests proved the forgery of the respective documents (issued in instead of 1978) and initially claimed that lack of the formal acquittal precluded Yanukovych from running for the seat in the 2006 parliamentary election.[62]. [69], On 11 December 2009, Yanukovych called for his supporters to go to Maidan Nezalezhnosti, Kyiv's Independence Square, in case of election fraud. [127] On 23 February 2014, following the Revolution of Dignity, a bill was passed by the parliament which would have abolished the law on regional languages, making Ukrainian the sole state language at all levels. [72] Election observers from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) said there were no indications of serious fraud and described the vote as an "impressive display" of democracy. [140] Yanukovych's stance towards integration with the EU, according to The Economist, led him to be "seen in Moscow as a traitor", a reversal of the 2004 presidential election where Moscow openly supported Yanukovych. Meduza tracks down the likely hiding place of Ukraine's ousted former president", Yanukovych: I have never had any bank accounts, property abroad, ": , :: ", " - -- | ", "Yanukovych says "patriotic officers" got him to Russia", "Yanukovych 'Is Finished': Experts Dismiss Ruler's Comeback Bid", "Yanukovych: Presidential elections slated for May 25 unlawful, I won't run", "Russia Warned Over Unrest in Ukraine's Crimea Region", Ukrainian ex-leader Viktor Yanukovych vows fightback, Ukraine's Yanukovych asked for troops, Russia tells UN, "Vladimir Putin answered journalists' questions on the situation in Ukraine", "Ukraine crisis: Viktor Yanukovych decries Crimea 'tragedy', "Ousted Ukrainian President Warns of Civil War | Russia", "Ousted leader Yanukovych calls for referendum in every region of Ukraine | euronews, world news", "Politics ""Party of Regions" has excluded Yanukovich, Arbuzov, Klimenko and proceeded to the form of collective management". [44], By the time he was a teenager, Yanukovych's father had remarried. [25] On 24 January 2019, he was sentenced in absentia to thirteen years' imprisonment for high treason by a Ukrainian court. [citation needed], In 2005, the Party of Regions signed a collaboration agreement with the Russian political party United Russia. [336], Other famous blunders by Yanukovych are his claim that Anton Chekhov was "a Ukrainian poet" in January 2010,[338][339][340] forgetting on 6 January 2011 to congratulate the Greek-Catholic Ukrainian community, which, along with the rest of the Ukrainian people, celebrates Christmas that day,[341] and confusing Kosovo with Serbia and Montenegro, and North Ossetia with South Ossetia in March 2010. Yanukovych, the luxury residence and the money trail that leads to What an inspirational rags to riches story! [328] In another January 2009 cable then-Ambassador of Ukraine to Russia Kostyantyn Gryshchenko stated that Putin had a low personal regard for Yanukovych. [348], Opinion polls showed that Yanukovych's popularity sank after his election as president in 2010, with polls giving him from 13% to 20% of the votes if a presidential election were to be held in 2012 (in 2010 he received 35.8% of the vote in the first round of that election. In a statement issued by Oleksandr Yefremov, parliamentary faction leader, the party and its members "strongly condemn[ed] the criminal orders that led to human victims, an empty state treasury, huge debts, shame before the eyes of the Ukrainian people and the entire world. [323] On 16 February 2010, Yanukovych issued a statement that read: "I can say only one thing to those who anticipate that my presidency will weaken Ukraine that will never happen. Yanukovych stated he would like to ask the Western supporters of the Yatsenyuk Government that he referred to as "dark powers": "Have you become blind? Experts estimate the cost of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych's new private residence at 75 - 100m dollars. Viktor Yanukovych had entered politics in 1997 at the age of 46 and was chosen as the governor of Donetsk Oblast in eastern Ukraine. The President Of Ukraine Makes $115k A Year - Celebrity Net Worth [238][239] In a June 2015 interview with BBC's Newsnight he thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for "saving his life". [15] Later that day, however, he secretly fled the capital for Kharkiv, claiming his car was shot at as he left Kyiv, and travelling next to Crimea, and eventually to exile in Russia. [286] Yanukovych is being charged with abuse of power (Article 364) and state treason (Article 111) that are being investigated since April 2014 as well as the new procedure on creation of criminal organization (Article 255) that is being investigated since the summer. [citation needed]. During his first year in office, Yanukovych spent. Yanukovych's Party of Regions support allowed for the establishment of Yuriy Yekhanurov's government in late 2005. Yanukovych has half-sisters from his father's remarriage, but has no contact with them. ", "Was the Ukrainian prime minister's father a Nazi collaborator in Belarus? People and protesters roam the garden in front of the mansion of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych's residency. [110], According to Yanukovych, relations between Ukraine and Russia in the gas sector were to be built "according to the rules of the market". On 2March, Ukrayinska Pravda reported that Ukrainian intelligence sources believed that Yanukovych was spotted in Minsk, Belarus, and that it was Russia's intention to declare Yanukovych as President of Ukraine in the event of Russian forces gaining control of Kyiv. [183] Mezhyhirya is estimated to have been sold for more than 75 million U.S. dollars. Their combined net worth today is $51.5 billion. [23] After his departure, Yanukovych held several press conferences, and declared himself to remain "the legitimate head of the Ukrainian state elected in a free vote by Ukrainian citizens". [262], On 13 June 2014, Yanukovych released a video message in which he criticised Petro Poroshenko's handling of the unrest in eastern Ukraine, naming it "criminal orders to kill peoplethat causes anger and curse the mothers who see the death and suffering of their children". [65] He was endorsed by the Party of Regions[66] and the Youth Party of Ukraine. [260][261], On 13 April, Yanukovych again gave a press conference in Rostov-on-Don, this time accompanied by former Prosecutor General Viktor Pshonka and former interior minister Vitaliy Zakharchenko. [257] In this interview he claimed "if I do decide to use the Armed Forces, this will be a legitimate decision in full compliance with both general norms of international law, since we have the appeal of the legitimate President. "I didn't want mothers to lose their children and wives their husbands. [67], Minister of Internal Affairs Yuriy Lutsenko accused Yanukovych of financial fraud during the campaign. We respect the choice of our citizens and guarantee everyone's Constitutional right to freedom of religion. The Mezhyhirya Residence (Ukrainian: ', romanized: Mezhyhiria, pronounced [meirj], Russian: , romanized: Mezhigor'ye) is an estate in Ukraine where Viktor Yanukovych lived when he was Prime Minister and then President of Ukraine and is now a museum displaying Yanukovych's luxurious lifestyle. [139], On 22 November 2010, the European Council and Ukraine announced "an action plan for Ukraine toward the establishment of a visa-free regime for short-stay travel". However, the election was fraught with allegations of electoral fraud and voter intimidation. [331] His native language is Russian,[332] similar to a majority of the population of his power-base and native Eastern Ukraine. On the first warm Spring day in Ukraine on . [269], According to Ukrayinska Pravda's sources Yanukovych left Minsk on 7 March 2022, and again he vanished from the publics eye. [90], In early November 2011, Yanukovych claimed that "arms are being bought in the country and armed attacks on government agencies are being prepared. At that time, multiple media houses reported major election fraud . [240], On 3 October 2014, several news agencies reported that according to a Facebook post made by the aide to the Ukrainian Interior Minister, Anton Gerashchenko, Viktor Yanukovych had been granted Russian citizenship by a "secret decree" of Vladimir Putin. Ukraine's new government came to power last week following months of pro-democracy protests against the country's pro-Russian president, Viktor Yanukovych, and his decision to turn Ukraine towards Russia instead of the EU. It is an overall forecast for the net worth of Viktor Yanukovych. [269], Russian forces never gained control over Kyiv since the Russian army abandoned its Kyiv offensive on 2 April 2022.[275]. In 1976, as a second-year student, he was promoted to director of a small trucking division within the Ordzhonikidzeugol coal-mining company. On 28 February 2014, the General Prosecutor of Ukraine, Oleh Makhnitsky, formally asked Russia to extradite Yanukovych. In foreign affairs, Yanukovych's cabinet was considered to be politically close to Russia, although declaring support for Ukrainian membership in the European Union. Furthermore, 36 deputies of Yanukovych's Party of Regions voted for his removal. Who Is Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky? - Parade As Yanukovych was feeling pressure from coup violence, "The White House said Joe Biden, the vice-president, spoke to Viktor Yanukovych on Thursday by telephone and warned him that the US was . I grew up without my mother, who died when I was two. Bloomberg Billionaires Index - Rinat Akhmetov Janukovytj flydde till Ryssland i februari 2014 och talades i maj 2017 fr att ha gjort allt fr att hjlpa Ryssland att annektera ukrainskt territorium. [120][121], Yanukovych's stance on the Holodomor was: "Holodomor took place, was denounced and the international society gave an evaluation of the famine, but it was never labeled as a genocide of the Ukrainian people. For most of his career he was a public servant or parliament deputy, where his. '[167], Anonymous journalists stated early May 2010 that they were voluntarily tailoring their coverage so as not to offend the Yanukovych administration and the Azarov Government. Viktor Yanukovych | Facts, Biography, & Flight to Russia The judge then adjourned the trial until 13 September. [311], Yanukovych's curriculum vitae, published at website europarl.europa.eu, states he is a "Doctor of Economics, Professor, Full Member of the Academy of Economic Sciences of Ukraine, Member of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences in Ukraine. [205] The resolution to remove Yanukovych was supported by all opposition parties: 86 deputies of Batkivshchyna (Fatherland Party), 41 deputies of the Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform (UDAR), 36 deputies of Svoboda (Freedom Party), 30 deputies of the Communist Party, as well as 99 independents. [322] The People's Movement of Ukraine labeled his election on 10 February 2010 as "an attack by anti-Ukrainian forces on our state" and stated that "all possible legal means should be used to prevent the concentration of power in the hands of anti-state politician Yanukovych and his pro-Moscow retinue". Yanukovych stated in November 2009 that he respects all Ukrainian politicians. [91], For 2012 Yanukovych predicted "social standards will continue to grow" and "improvement of administrative services system will continue". He won a Ukrainian comedy competition and went on to produce and star in numerous films and TV shows with his Kvartal 95 production company. [226] On 28 February 2014 the BBC reported him as insisting that military action was "unacceptable" and as stating that he would not request Russian military intervention. [85], Yanukovych said, "Ukraine's integration with the EU remains our strategic aim", with a "balanced policy, which will protect our national interests both on our eastern border I mean with Russia and of course with the European Union". Also recovered were files on Yanukovych's perceived enemies, especially media members, including beating victim Tetyana Chornovol. 21, 2015", "Yanukovych, son off Interpol's wanted list", "Treason trial against Yanukovych begins in Ukraine", Case against Yanukovych was submitted to court ( ), "Ukrainian Prime Minister Reinvents Himself", "Ukraine's former president Viktor Yanukovich on trial. [355], In December 2004 Yanukovych and his Party of Regions hired American political consultant Paul Manafort as an adviser.