Leonid Kravchuk

Leonid Makarovych Kravchuk (Ukrainian: ?????? ????????? ??????? born 10 January 1934) is a Ukrainian politician. He was the first President of Ukraine from early December 1991 to July 1994.

Biography

Kravchuk was born in Velyky Zhytyn (now Volyns'ka oblast'), which was part of Poland at the time of his birth, but became part of Ukraine after World War II when he was a child. He joined the Communist Party of Ukraine in 1958 and rose through the ranks of the party and its agitprop department. He became a member of the Ukrainian Politburo in 1989 and the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada in 1990. With the weakening of the Soviet Union, Kravchuk became the effective leader of the republic. He left the Soviet communist party in August 1991 and began to support the Ukrainian independence movement. He officially declared his support for Ukrainian independence after the August 1991 Soviet coup attempt. Later that year, he was elected President of Ukraine in Ukraine's first presidential elections.

Related Topics:
Volyns'ka oblast' - Poland - World War II - Communist Party of Ukraine - 1958 - Agitprop - Politburo - 1989 - Verkhovna Rada - 1990 - 1991 - President of Ukraine

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Kravchuk ran for a second term as President in 1994, but was defeated by his former Prime Minister, Leonid Kuchma. He remains active in Ukrainian politics, serving as a member of Verkhovna Rada and the leader of SDPUo parliamentary group (since 2002).

Related Topics:
1994 - Prime Minister - Leonid Kuchma - 2002

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Leonid Kravchuk is the author of books dealing with his career and Politics of Ukraine (some of them were translated into English).

Related Topics:
Politics of Ukraine - English

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Kravchuk is married, has children and grandchildren. His hobbies include reading and chess. He is also fond of Moscow patrol dogs.

Related Topics:
Chess - Moscow patrol

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