Viacheslav Kirilenko Politician, Member of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Date of Birth: 07.06.1968 Country: Ukraine

1. Childhood and Education
2. Political Activism in the Late 80s and Early 90s
3. Involvement in the People's Movement of Ukraine (1993-1999)
4. Parliamentary Career and Party Leadership (1998-Present)
5. Coalition Formation and Governmental Positions
6. Personal Life

Childhood and Education

Born on June 7, 1968, in Poleiske, Ukraine, Vyacheslav Anatoliyovych Kyrylenko grew up in a small town near Kyiv. He studied at the Philosophical Faculty of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, graduating in 1993. In 1996, he completed his postgraduate studies and defended his thesis on "Ukrainian Philosophy of National Radicalism of the 20th Century: Historical and Content Formation." In 1997, he received his Candidate of Philosophical Sciences degree.

Political Activism in the Late 80s and Early 90s

Kyrylenko was a leading figure in the semi-underground "Ukrainian Student Union" (USU) in the late 1980s. In December 1989, he became the Chairman of the USS Secretariat and led the organization from September 1992 onwards.

Kyrylenko played a key role in the 1990 "Granite Revolution," a student hunger strike in Kyiv that resulted in the resignation of Ukrainian Prime Minister Vitaliy Masol.

Involvement in the People's Movement of Ukraine (1993-1999)

In 1993, Kyrylenko joined the People's Movement of Ukraine (PMU). From 1993 to 1999, he served as Chairman of the PMU's youth organization, "Molodyy Ruch" (Young Movement). He held various leadership positions within the PMU, including membership in the Small Council (1993-1999), the Central Leadership (1994-1999), and the Presidium (1995-1999).

Parliamentary Career and Party Leadership (1998-Present)

In 1998, Kyrylenko was elected to the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) as a PMU representative. In February 1999, he left the PMU after its split and joined Yuriy Kostenko in establishing a new party, the Ukrainian People's Movement (UPM).

Kyrylenko held the position of Deputy Chairman of the UPM from 1999 to 2002. In 2002, he was re-elected to the Verkhovna Rada, this time as a member of Viktor Yushchenko's "Our Ukraine" bloc. He became a member of the "Our Ukraine" faction and served as First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Social Policy and Labor.

In February 2005, Kyrylenko was appointed Minister of Labor and Social Policy in Yulia Tymoshenko's Cabinet. In September 2005, he became Vice Prime Minister for Humanitarian and Social Affairs in Yuriy Yekhanurov's government.

In 2006, Kyrylenko was re-elected to the Verkhovna Rada as a member of the "Our Ukraine" bloc. In December 2006, he became a member of the People's Union "Our Ukraine" (NSNU) and was elected leader of the "Our Ukraine" faction in the Verkhovna Rada.

In March 2007, Kyrylenko was elected Chairman of the "Our Ukraine" party. He led the party's campaign in the 2007 parliamentary elections, which resulted in "Our Ukraine - People's Self-Defense" (OUR-PSD) bloc winning 72 seats.

Coalition Formation and Governmental Positions

Following the 2007 elections, Kyrylenko played a crucial role in forming a coalition between "Our Ukraine - People's Self-Defense" and Yulia Tymoshenko's Bloc. However, he withdrew his candidacy for the position of Verkhovna Rada Chairman, paving the way for Arseniy Yatsenyuk's appointment as Speaker.

Personal Life

Kyrylenko is married to Kateryna Mykhailivna Kyrylenko, a philosophy professor at the Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts. They have one daughter.