Eduard Gurwits
Encyclopedia
Eduard Yosipovich Gurvits is a Ukrainian
politician, Mayor of Odessa
in 1994–1998 and from 2005 - to November 6, 2010, when he lost his office to Alexei Kostusev.
, in the Vinnytsia
region of Ukraine
, USSR. He attended the Leningrad Engineering and Construction Institute and graduated as an Engineer of Communications. Gurvits was drafted into the Soviet Army
in 1971, where he served as a private in the Strategic Rocket Forces. After leaving the army he worked as a master construction foreman
in Moldova
and Odessa
. In 1987, he created and headed one of the first Soviet manufacturing co-operatives, the Experimental and Creative Studio 'Ekopolis'. In May, 1990, he was elected head of Odessa's Zhovtnevy district council and in 1991 became the head of the Zhovtnevy district executive committee. In April, 1994, Gurvits was elected Deputy of Verkhovna Rada
in Ukraine
and in July, 1994 was elected Mayor of Odessa
.
, the Kirovograd Regional Court of Appeal declared the elections void. The same court barred Gurvits from participating in further election. It is speculated that these events were influenced by Gurvits's support of former Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko
.
Gurvits survived two assassination attempts and two of his close associates - Igor Svoboda and Sergey Varlamov - were kidnapped. (The body of Varlamov was recovered in 2005).
Also in 1998, Gurvits was elected Deputy of Verkhovna Rada
from the Suvorovsky district of Odessa.
political bloc, Eduard Gurvits's Bloc Our Odessa, during the simultaneous Odessa city council elections.
After the failing of Odessa to become one of the host city's for EURO 2012 President of the Ukrainian Football Federation Hryhoriy Surkis
stated (in mid-December 2009) that "The Odesa mayor promised a lot and did little".
and a son, Stanislav, born in 1983, who lives in Haifa
, Israel
. He also has two grandchildren: Masha, born in 1996, and Misha, born in 1999, who are living together with their parents in Kiev.
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
politician, Mayor of Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
in 1994–1998 and from 2005 - to November 6, 2010, when he lost his office to Alexei Kostusev.
Biography
Edward Yosipovich Gurvits was born on January 30, 1948 in Mohyliv-PodilskyiMohyliv-Podilskyi
Mohyliv-Podilskyi is a city in the Mohyliv-Podilskyi Raion of the Vinnytsia Oblast , Ukraine. It is located at , on the border with Bessarabia, Moldova.-History:The first mention of the town dates from 1595...
, in the Vinnytsia
Vinnytsia
Vinnytsia is a city located on the banks of the Southern Bug, in central Ukraine. It is the administrative center of Vinnytsia Oblast.-Names:...
region of Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, USSR. He attended the Leningrad Engineering and Construction Institute and graduated as an Engineer of Communications. Gurvits was drafted into the Soviet Army
Soviet Army
The Soviet Army is the name given to the main part of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union between 1946 and 1992. Previously, it had been known as the Red Army. Informally, Армия referred to all the MOD armed forces, except, in some cases, the Soviet Navy.This article covers the Soviet Ground...
in 1971, where he served as a private in the Strategic Rocket Forces. After leaving the army he worked as a master construction foreman
Construction foreman
A construction foreman is the worker or tradesman who is in charge of a construction crew. While traditionally this role has been assumed by a senior male worker, the title in the modern sense is gender non-specific in intent...
in Moldova
Moldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
and Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
. In 1987, he created and headed one of the first Soviet manufacturing co-operatives, the Experimental and Creative Studio 'Ekopolis'. In May, 1990, he was elected head of Odessa's Zhovtnevy district council and in 1991 became the head of the Zhovtnevy district executive committee. In April, 1994, Gurvits was elected Deputy of Verkhovna Rada
Verkhovna Rada
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is Ukraine's parliament. The Verkhovna Rada is a unicameral parliament composed of 450 deputies, which is presided over by a chairman...
in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
and in July, 1994 was elected Mayor of Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
.
Events of 1998
In March 1998, Edward Yosipovich Gurvits was re-elected as mayor, by a margin of 70,000 votes. Due to pressure by then President of Ukraine Leonid KuchmaLeonid Kuchma
Leonid Danylovych Kuchma was the second President of independent Ukraine from 19 July 1994, to 23 January 2005. Kuchma took office after winning the 1994 presidential election against his rival, incumbent Leonid Kravchuk...
, the Kirovograd Regional Court of Appeal declared the elections void. The same court barred Gurvits from participating in further election. It is speculated that these events were influenced by Gurvits's support of former Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko
Pavlo Lazarenko
Pavlo Ivanovych Lazarenko is a former Ukrainian politician and former Prime Minister who, in August 2006, was convicted and sentenced to prison in the United States for money laundering, wire fraud and extortion...
.
Gurvits survived two assassination attempts and two of his close associates - Igor Svoboda and Sergey Varlamov - were kidnapped. (The body of Varlamov was recovered in 2005).
Also in 1998, Gurvits was elected Deputy of Verkhovna Rada
Verkhovna Rada
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is Ukraine's parliament. The Verkhovna Rada is a unicameral parliament composed of 450 deputies, which is presided over by a chairman...
from the Suvorovsky district of Odessa.
Later developments
In 2002, Gurvits participated in new mayoral elections, but lost to Rouslan Borisovich Bodelan. Later, in 2005, the Primorsky district court of Odessa declared the elections invalid and proclaimed Edward Yossyfovych Gurwits Mayor of Odessa. During the 2006 elections, Gurwits was formally elected Mayor of Odessa. He supported the pro-President Viktor YushchenkoViktor Yushchenko
Viktor Andriyovych Yushchenko is a former President of Ukraine. He took office on January 23, 2005, following a period of popular unrest known as the Orange Revolution...
political bloc, Eduard Gurvits's Bloc Our Odessa, during the simultaneous Odessa city council elections.
After the failing of Odessa to become one of the host city's for EURO 2012 President of the Ukrainian Football Federation Hryhoriy Surkis
Hryhoriy Surkis
Hryhoriy Surkis is a Ukrainian businessman and politician. Surkis is the president of Football Federation of Ukraine....
stated (in mid-December 2009) that "The Odesa mayor promised a lot and did little".
Private life
Edward Gurvits is divorced. He has two children: a daughter, Evgenia, born in 1975, who lives in KievKiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
and a son, Stanislav, born in 1983, who lives in Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. He also has two grandchildren: Masha, born in 1996, and Misha, born in 1999, who are living together with their parents in Kiev.
External links
- Eduard Gurwits Official Site (Russian)