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Victoria SyumarUkrainian journalist, public figure, deputy
Date of Birth: 23.10.1977
Country:  Ukraine |
Content:
- Ukrainian Journalist and Politician: Viktoria Syumar
- Journalism Career
- Political Involvement
- Committee on Freedom of Speech and Information
- Local and Presidential Elections
- Personal Life and Sanctions
- 2019 Parliamentary Elections
Ukrainian Journalist and Politician: Viktoria Syumar
Early Life and EducationViktoria Syumar was born on October 23, 1977, in Nikopol, Ukraine. She grew up in the Vinnytsia region and graduated from the history faculty of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Subsequently, she pursued postgraduate studies at the Institute of Ukrainian History.
Journalism Career
Syumar's journalism career began in 1999 as a journalist at the "Continent" radio station. In the same year, she became a freelance correspondent for "Voice of America" in Ukraine. She hosted political programs on "Civil Radio" in 2002.
Amidst growing censorship in 2004, Syumar joined the Institute of Mass Information, a human rights organization, and served as its executive director from 2005 to 2014. She was an active member of the Civil Council for Freedom of Speech and Information and the National Commission on Freedom of Speech Development during Viktor Yushchenko's presidency.
Syumar also taught at the Institute of Journalism at Kyiv University (2008-2010) and contributed articles to numerous publications, including "Zerkalo Nedeli," "Telekritika," and "Ukrayinska Pravda."
Political Involvement
During the Euromaidan protests, Syumar actively supported the opposition. In February 2014, she was appointed Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council by Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov. However, she resigned from this post in June 2014.
In the 2014 parliamentary elections, Syumar was elected as a member of the "People's Front" faction. She played a key role in the party's electoral strategy and devised the slogan "Strong Team for Difficult Times."
Committee on Freedom of Speech and Information
From December 2014, Syumar chaired the Committee on Freedom of Speech and Information. In this capacity, she was instrumental in the 2015 resolution to revoke the accreditation of Russian journalists covering Ukrainian government institutions.
Local and Presidential Elections
In the 2015 local elections, Syumar coordinated the media campaign for the "Petro Poroshenko Bloc" alongside Irina Friz. She also played a significant role in Poroshenko's 2018 presidential campaign.
Personal Life and Sanctions
Syumar was previously married to Viktor Taran, a media law expert, and has a daughter named Sofia. In 2018, she married Dmytro Khrystyuk, the deputy mayor of Irpin. On November 1, 2018, Russia imposed sanctions on Syumar.
2019 Parliamentary Elections
In 2019, Syumar ran for parliament as a member of the "European Solidarity" party. She actively participated in the party's electoral campaign as well.
