Yuriy Odarchenko Ukrainian political figure Date of Birth: 05.04.1960 Country: Ukraine

1. Early Life and Education
2. Career in Construction
3. Political Career
4. Governorship of the Kherson Oblast
5. Return to the Verkhovna Rada
6. Other Notable Events
7. Family

Early Life and Education

Yuriy Eduardovych Odarchenko was born in Ukraine in the year 1958. He received his higher education in 1982 from the Kherson Agricultural Institute named after A. D. Tsuryupa, where he graduated as an engineer-builder. Subsequently, he became a corresponding member of the Academy of Construction of Ukraine (1996) and earned a Candidate of Economic Sciences degree (1997).

Career in Construction

After graduating, Odarchenko began his professional career as a foreman at the "Prodstroy-2" construction company. He served in the Soviet Army from 1982 to 1984, following which he returned to the construction industry, holding various positions at the "Promstroy-2" company. In 1989, he became a production manager at the "Mechanization of Construction" department within the "Khersonpromstroy" trust.

In 1992, Odarchenko became the director of the "Mechanization of Construction" joint-stock company in Kherson. He later served as president of the closed joint-stock company "Stroymekhanizatsiya" from 1993 to 2002, and as chairman of the Supervisory Board of the same company from 2002 to 2006.

Political Career

Odarchenko's political journey commenced with his election as a deputy of the Kherson City Council, where he served for two terms from 1998 to 2006. During this period, from 2002 to 2006, he also held the position of first deputy mayor of the city, responsible for the activities of executive bodies.

In 2006, Odarchenko was elected as a People's Deputy of Ukraine and served as a member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Construction, Urban Development, and Housing and Communal Services and Regional Policy until 2014. From 2015 to the present, he has served as a deputy of the Kherson Regional Council.

Governorship of the Kherson Oblast

In 2014, Odarchenko was appointed Chairman of the Kherson Oblast State Administration by acting President Oleksandr Turchynov. He held this position concurrently with his role as a People's Deputy until his resignation in August 2014.

Odarchenko resigned as governor, citing ethical reasons and disagreements with the policies of President Petro Poroshenko, particularly the refusal to impose martial law in the Kherson Oblast, which he believed was necessary to prevent a potential invasion from the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula.

Return to the Verkhovna Rada

After his resignation as governor, Odarchenko ran for parliament in the 2014 parliamentary elections in the single-member constituency number 182 (Kherson Oblast), where he faced strong competition from Oleksandr Spivakovsky, a candidate from the "Petro Poroshenko Bloc." Despite initial leads, Odarchenko ultimately lost by a margin of 174 votes.

In 2016, Odarchenko successfully ran in a by-election in the 183rd constituency (Kherson), defeating Andriy Putylov, the incumbent chairman of the Kherson Regional Council. He took the oath as a People's Deputy on September 6, 2016, resuming his career as a member of the legislature.

Other Notable Events

In May 2014, Odarchenko caused controversy with a speech he gave on Victory Day, where he compared the actions of Nazi Germany to those of Russia in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine. The speech drew mixed reactions and attempts to disrupt his address.

Family

Odarchenko is married and has three children. His father, Vitaly Anatolievich, is a retired builder, and his mother, Maria Fedoseevna, is a pensioner. His daughter, Yekaterina, is a political technologist.