Irina Vereshchuk Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine since September 8, 2024 Date of Birth: 30.11.1979 Country: Ukraine

1. Childhood and Early Education
2. Military and Academic Education
3. Public Administration and Regional Development
4. Military Service and Political Career
5. Awards
6. Personal Life and Property

Childhood and Early Education

Irina Venediktovna Vereshchuk was born on November 30, 1979, in Rava-Ruska, then Neseterovsky (now Zhovkivsky) district, Lviv region, Ukraine. She grew up with her sister, Olga.

Military and Academic Education

In 1997, Vereshchuk graduated with honors from Rava-Ruska Secondary Boarding School. She then attended the Military Institute of the National University "Lviv Polytechnic" from 1997 to 2002, graduating with honors in International Information. In addition, she received training as a military management officer at the tactical level, holding the rank of lieutenant.

From 2002 to 2006, Vereshchuk pursued legal studies at the Lviv National University named after Ivan Franko, earning a degree in law.

Public Administration and Regional Development

Between 2008 and 2010, Vereshchuk enrolled in the Lviv Regional Institute of Public Administration of the National Academy of Public Administration under the President of Ukraine. During her studies, she interned at the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine in 2009, after which she was included in the CMU's personnel reserve. She was also recognized with a Commendation and an Honorary Diploma from the CMU.

From 2011 onwards, Vereshchuk pursued postgraduate studies at the Lviv Regional Institute of Public Administration, graduating with honors in 2015. Her dissertation, titled "Organizational and Legal Mechanism for Improving the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Ukraine" (based on the example of reforms in Poland), earned her a PhD in Public Administration.

In 2015-2016, Vereshchuk was a scholarship recipient of the Lane Kirkland Program of the Polish-American Freedom Foundation. She continued her research on decentralization reforms in Poland and successfully defended her thesis at the Center for East European Studies at the University of Warsaw. She also obtained a diploma from the National School of Public Administration (Krajowa Szkoła Administracji Publicznej) in July 2016.

Military Service and Political Career

After graduating from the Military Institute, Vereshchuk served as an officer in the Armed Forces of Ukraine for five years (until 2007). She subsequently worked as a lawyer for the Rava-Ruska City Council from May 2007 to June 2008.

From June to October 2010, Vereshchuk served as Deputy Chairman of the Zhovkiv State Administration for Humanitarian Affairs and Foreign Policy. In the same year, she worked on a pro bono basis as the Director of the "Regional Development Agency "Zhovkivshchyna - European House"".

On October 30, 2010, Vereshchuk was elected as the Mayor of Rava-Ruska, becoming the youngest female mayor in Ukraine at the time. She assumed office on November 9th.

During her tenure as Mayor, Vereshchuk advocated for decentralization of power and administrative-territorial reform in Ukraine, as well as the transfer of taxes to local communities. She called for the establishment of a pedestrian-bicycle crossing point between Rava-Ruska and Hrebenne, Poland, and initiated projects funded by the European Union.

Vereshchuk also supported local interests, such as opposing changes in leadership of local factories and forests without community consent. Following the Azarov government's refusal to sign the Association Agreement with the EU, she appealed to the European Union on behalf of the Rava-Ruska community to sign the agreement separately with Rava-Ruska.

Vereshchuk ran for Parliament in the 2014 snap elections but lost in the first round to Volodymyr Parasyuk. In April 2015, she co-founded and organized the Social Platform "Every Person Matters," presenting a program of socially-oriented reforms in various Ukrainian cities.

Since January 2016, Vereshchuk has been the President of the International Centre for Baltic-Black Sea Studies and Consensus Practices. The Centre aims to identify and develop consensus-based practices and constructive relations between countries in the Baltic-Black Sea region.

In February 2016, Vereshchuk attended the National Prayer Breakfast with President Obama in Washington, D.C.

From September 2017, Vereshchuk has served as an Associate Professor at the Department of Political Science at the National Pedagogical University named after M.P. Drahomanov.

In the 2020 Kyiv mayoral election, Vereshchuk won the primary of the "Servant of the People" party by a wide margin but finished fifth in the general election, citing low approval of her party and poor voter turnout.

On December 11, 2020, Vereshchuk was included in a list of 849 Ukrainian citizens sanctioned by the Russian government.

On November 3, 2021, the parliamentary faction of the "Servant of the People" party nominated Vereshchuk for the position of Vice Prime Minister.

Awards

Vereshchuk has received commendations and honors, including the Gratitude and Honorary Diploma of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the Order of St. Barbara, the Order of St. Počajiv Mother of God, and the Order of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.

Personal Life and Property

Vereshchuk has a son, Oleh, from her first marriage to Igor Vereshchuk. Her current partner is Mykhailo Viktorovych Kuharenko, a colonel in the Security Service of Ukraine and a co-founder of the International Association of Veterans of the Anti-Terrorist Unit "Alpha" in Lviv.

Vereshchuk owns several properties, including four apartments in Ukraine and two land plots. She drives a Toyota Camry and her partner owns a Volkswagen Touareg. In addition to her income from public service, Vereshchuk has received earnings from collaborations with educational and commercial enterprises.