Ivan Plyush Ukrainian political figure Date of Birth: 11.09.1941 Country: Ukraine

1. Early Life and Education
2. Party and Economic Leadership
3. Political Ascent
4. Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada
5. Presidential Ambition
6. Hero of Ukraine
7. Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council
8. Retirement from Politics

Early Life and Education

Born on September 11, 1941, in the village of Borzna, Chernihiv Oblast, Ivan Plyush began his education in 1956 at an agricultural technical school. He worked as a brigade leader in a state farm from 1959 and later graduated from the Ukrainian Agricultural Academy as an agronomist.

Party and Economic Leadership

In 1962, Plyush joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) and embarked on a career in party and economic management. He led agricultural enterprises and served as head of the agricultural department of the Communist Party's regional committee. He also graduated from the Academy of Social Sciences at the Central Committee of the CPSU.

Political Ascent

Plyush's political career took off in 1981, when he became director of the Kyiv Specialized Trust of Vegetable and Dairy Farms. In 1984, he was appointed First Deputy Head of the Executive Committee of the Kyiv Regional Council. In the March 1990 parliamentary elections, he was elected as a deputy from the Makarivsky electoral district, representing the CPSU (which he left in 1991).

Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada

In 1990, Plyush briefly served as acting head of the Verkhovna Rada (parliament). After Leonid Kravchuk became president on December 5, 1991, Plyush formally became Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada. He again held this position from 2000 to 2006.

Presidential Ambition

Plyush participated in the first round of the 1994 presidential elections, placing sixth with 1.24% of the vote. He ran as an independent in the 1994 parliamentary elections but later joined the People's Democratic Party (NDP).

Hero of Ukraine

On August 21, 2001, Plyush was awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine. He continued to serve in the Verkhovna Rada until 2007, representing various political factions.

Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council

In May 2007, President Viktor Yushchenko appointed Plyush as Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine. He held this position for a brief time before being elected to the Verkhovna Rada again in the September 2007 elections.

Retirement from Politics

After being dismissed from his post as Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council in November 2007, Plyush did not join the coalition formed between the Our Ukraine and Bloc of Yulia Tymoshenko factions. He retired from active politics shortly thereafter.