Eugeny Chervonenko Founder of enterprises, Ukrainian politician Date of Birth: 20.12.1959 Country: Ukraine

Biography of Yevhen Chervonenko

Yevhen Chervonenko is a Ukrainian political and state figure, businessman, and member of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (the Ukrainian Parliament) of the IV convocation. He was born in a Jewish family and has a younger brother named Igor. His father passed away in 1997. Chervonenko completed his education at the Dnipro School No. 23 and was a winner of the republican mathematical olympiads.

Chervonenko enrolled at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT), but was not accepted. Instead, he graduated from the Dnipropetrovsk Mining Institute with a degree in mining machines and complexes.

During the years 1986 to 1991, Chervonenko was a professional racing driver, representing the USSR national team. He achieved considerable success in rally racing, becoming a master of sports of the USSR and winning championships in Ukraine. In addition to his racing career, Chervonenko became a millionaire in the Soviet era, thanks to his talent as a racing driver. In 1988, he founded the first professional racing team in the USSR called "Perestroika."

In 1994, Chervonenko became the chairman of the board of the "Rogan Van Pur" company, which was involved in the production of non-alcoholic beverages and cargo transportation. He later became the head of the Industrial Group "Ukraine Van Pur."

Chervonenko has held various positions in different organizations throughout his career. He has been a member of the Federation of Employers of Ukraine, Vice President of the "Kiev-Taipei" Society, and a member of the Council of Employers and Producers of Ukraine under the President of Ukraine.

From 1997 to 2000, Chervonenko served as the president and owner of the "Orlan" concern, which was engaged in the production of non-alcoholic beverages and cargo transportation. He was also the head of the Council of Entrepreneurs of Ukraine under the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

In 2000, Chervonenko became the head of the State Agency for Management of State Material Reserves (State Reserve) in the government of Viktor Yushchenko. He later became the vice president of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress.

Chervonenko entered politics and became a member of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine as part of the "Our Ukraine" party. However, there were allegations that he was a citizen of Israel, which led to a dispute over his Ukrainian citizenship and his seat in the Parliament. He even went on a hunger strike demanding the restoration of his rights.

Chervonenko served as the chief of security for presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko during the Orange Revolution. He was also one of the sponsors and treasurers of Yushchenko's election campaign. After Yushchenko's victory, Chervonenko was offered the position of Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, but he declined.

From February to September 2005, Chervonenko served as the Minister of Transport and Communications of Ukraine. During his tenure, he made efforts to terminate questionable contracts with tenants and subcontractors and replace them with new ones. He also requested his deputy to return $400,000 to the budget for an apartment purchased for him by the ministry.

In December 2005, Chervonenko was appointed as the governor of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast. He held this position until December 2007. During his tenure, he advocated for the installation of a monument to the victims of the Holodomor in Zaporizhzhia.

In September 2007, Chervonenko was elected as the vice president of the Jewish Community of Ukraine. He also served as the head of the National Organizing Committee for Euro 2012 in Ukraine.

Since 2008, Chervonenko has held positions in the city administration of Kyiv, appointed as the first deputy mayor under Leonid Chernovetsky. He went on maternity leave in 2010 to take care of his child and declined the offer to stay as an advisor to Chernovetsky.

In the 2010 presidential elections, Chervonenko initially voted for Yushchenko in the first round but declared his support for the opposition leader, Viktor Yanukovych, in the second round. He had previously stated that he would vote for Yanukovych if he faced a second-round runoff against Yulia Tymoshenko.

Chervonenko has also been involved in conflicts and controversies throughout his career. In 2006, he was involved in a scuffle with a bodyguard of then-Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, and in 2007, he went through a divorce with his second wife.

Chervonenko has been awarded several honors and medals, including the Order of Merit of Ukraine (III, II, and I degrees), the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise (V degree), and foreign awards such as the Order of the Polar Star (Sweden) and the Order of Merit to the Republic of Poland.

Despite his achievements and contributions, Chervonenko has faced criticism. In 2018, the Independent Media Council found him in violation of Ukrainian legislation for statements made on the NewsOne channel, where he denied Russia's involvement in the war in eastern Ukraine. Chervonenko is a father of two children and has been married twice.