Yevhen Marchuk
Encyclopedia
Yevhen K. Marchuk , born on January 28, 1941, is a Ukrainian
statesman and politician. During his career, Marchuk was prime minister of Ukraine
, presidential candidate, secretary of the National Security and Defense Council
, and Defense Minister of Ukraine. Marchuk is affiliated with the Ukrainian Den
newspaper, edited by his wife. He has been a general in the Army of Ukraine since March 23, 1994.
into a peasant family in Central Ukraine. In 1963, upon graduation from the Kirovohrad
Pedagogical Institute, Marchuk was recruited by the KGB
and steadily rose through the ranks of that organization. As an operative officer he served first in Kirovohrad Oblast
, then in the republican
KGB branch in Kiev
as an intelligence and secret service officer, for a total of 31 years of service. Marchuk has admitted specializing in secret police
functions. However, he claims to have been a humane lawful agent, secretly protecting some Ukrainian dissident
s from harsh persecution.
In the early 1990s, Marchuk was one of the first high-level KGB officers who appeared to be loyal to the newly-established Ukrainian independence and was one of the reformers of the Ukrainian Secret Service (later SBU) serving as the first Chief of SBU. At first he was appointed the Ukrainian SSR Minister of National Security and Defence. That position held no actual power since local KGB, militsiya
, and the army were still subordinated to Moscow until 1991. The Soviet Union then collapsed, ending Marchuk’s service to the KGB, and he was able to participate fully in the Ukrainian independent government. He headed the SBU until 1994.
After the 1994 parliamentary elections
, Marchuk became head of the liberal Social Market Choice faction, whose members included former President
Kravchuk. Marchuk was appointed the acting Prime minister of Ukraine
on March 1, 1995, holding the position of the first vice-Premier Minister in the cabinet of Vitaliy Masol
. He was later promoted to the position of the Premier Minister on June 8, 1995. He formed his cabinet, which was confirmed on July 3, 1995. After being elected to the Verkhovna Rada
(December 1995), he resigned on May 27, 1996. Marchuk and Kravchuk became members of the Social Democratic Party of Ukraine (united) before the 1998 elections
. From April to December 1998 he was the leader of the party. From July 1998 Marchuk headed a parliamentary committee in Social Policy and Labor.
When the SDPU(u) refused to back Marchuk in the 1999 presidential elections
, he left to create his own Social Democratic Union
. He ran as an independent in the 1999 presidential election, coming in fifth place with 8.13% of the vote in the first tour of the elections, and was appointed secretary of the National Security and Defense Council
by the re-elected President
Leonid Kuchma
. Marchuk was secretary of the National Security and Defense Council from November 10, 1999, to June 25, 2003 (till June 2009 he stayed on ass chairperson of the council's interagency commission on information policy). Later, he was the Defense Minister of Ukraine from June 2003 to September 2004.
During the 2006 parliamentary elections
Marchuk lead the electoral alliance
(Electoral Bloc "Yevhen Marchuk" - "Unity
") (including his own party, Party of Freedom) which didn't make it into parliament, winning only 0.06% of the votes.
prosecutor's office accused Marchuk of violating the UN embargo
on supplying arms to various parts of the world. The accusations remained, never investigated nor prosecuted.
.
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...
statesman and politician. During his career, Marchuk was prime minister of Ukraine
Prime Minister of Ukraine
The Prime Minister of Ukraine is Ukraine's head of government presiding over the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, which is the highest body of the executive branch of the Ukrainian government....
, presidential candidate, secretary of the National Security and Defense Council
National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine
National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine , locally referred by its abbreviation RNBO, is an organizational state body in Ukraine tasked with developing national security policy on domestic and international matters in advising the President of Ukraine .The Council was originally created in...
, and Defense Minister of Ukraine. Marchuk is affiliated with the Ukrainian Den
Den (newspaper)
Den is a Kiev-based, centrist daily boardsheet newspaper. Founded in 1996, the paper has a circulation of about 60,000. It is linked to former prime minister Yevhen Marchuk - his wife Larysa Ivshyna is the paper's editor-in-chief...
newspaper, edited by his wife. He has been a general in the Army of Ukraine since March 23, 1994.
Biography
Yevhen Marchuk was born soon before World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
into a peasant family in Central Ukraine. In 1963, upon graduation from the Kirovohrad
Kirovohrad
Kirovohrad , formerly Yelisavetgrad, is a city in central Ukraine. It is located on the Inhul River. It is a motorway junction. Pop. 239,400 ....
Pedagogical Institute, Marchuk was recruited by the KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
and steadily rose through the ranks of that organization. As an operative officer he served first in Kirovohrad Oblast
Kirovohrad Oblast
Kirovohrad Oblast is an oblast of Ukraine. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Kirovohrad.-Geography:The area of the province is , its population is 1.1 million....
, then in the republican
Ukrainian SSR
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or in short, the Ukrainian SSR was a sovereign Soviet Socialist state and one of the fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union lasting from its inception in 1922 to the breakup in 1991...
KGB branch in Kiev
Kiev
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....
as an intelligence and secret service officer, for a total of 31 years of service. Marchuk has admitted specializing in secret police
Secret police
Secret police are a police agency which operates in secrecy and beyond the law to protect the political power of an individual dictator or an authoritarian political regime....
functions. However, he claims to have been a humane lawful agent, secretly protecting some Ukrainian dissident
Dissident
A dissident, broadly defined, is a person who actively challenges an established doctrine, policy, or institution. When dissidents unite for a common cause they often effect a dissident movement....
s from harsh persecution.
In the early 1990s, Marchuk was one of the first high-level KGB officers who appeared to be loyal to the newly-established Ukrainian independence and was one of the reformers of the Ukrainian Secret Service (later SBU) serving as the first Chief of SBU. At first he was appointed the Ukrainian SSR Minister of National Security and Defence. That position held no actual power since local KGB, militsiya
Militsiya
Militsiya or militia is used as an official name of the civilian police in several former communist states, despite its original military connotation...
, and the army were still subordinated to Moscow until 1991. The Soviet Union then collapsed, ending Marchuk’s service to the KGB, and he was able to participate fully in the Ukrainian independent government. He headed the SBU until 1994.
After the 1994 parliamentary elections
Ukrainian parliamentary election, 1994
The first parliamentary election in independent Ukraine took place in 1994. The elections were conducted for the second convocation of the Parliament regarding the previous one as temporary and transitional....
, Marchuk became head of the liberal Social Market Choice faction, whose members included former President
President of Ukraine
Prior to the formation of the modern Ukrainian presidency, the previous Ukrainian head of state office was officially established in exile by Andriy Livytskyi. At first the de facto leader of nation was the president of the Central Rada at early years of the Ukrainian People's Republic, while the...
Kravchuk. Marchuk was appointed the acting Prime minister of Ukraine
Prime Minister of Ukraine
The Prime Minister of Ukraine is Ukraine's head of government presiding over the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, which is the highest body of the executive branch of the Ukrainian government....
on March 1, 1995, holding the position of the first vice-Premier Minister in the cabinet of Vitaliy Masol
Vitaliy Masol
Vitaliy Andriiovych Masol was confirmed as Prime Minister of Ukraine on June 16, 1994.President Kravchuk's appointment of an advocate of state-controlled economy as prime minister was seen as a pre-election concession to the communist-dominated parliament. Force into resignation 1990 by the...
. He was later promoted to the position of the Premier Minister on June 8, 1995. He formed his cabinet, which was confirmed on July 3, 1995. After being elected to the 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...
(December 1995), he resigned on May 27, 1996. Marchuk and Kravchuk became members of the Social Democratic Party of Ukraine (united) before the 1998 elections
Ukrainian parliamentary election, 1998
The second Ukrainian parliamentary election after the collapse of the Soviet Union took place on 29 March 1998. In comparison to the first parliamentary election, this time half of 450 parliament seats were filled by single-seat majority winners in 225 electoral regions , and the other half were...
. From April to December 1998 he was the leader of the party. From July 1998 Marchuk headed a parliamentary committee in Social Policy and Labor.
When the SDPU(u) refused to back Marchuk in the 1999 presidential elections
Ukrainian presidential election, 1999
The Ukrainian presidential election, 1999 was a presidential election held in 1999 in Ukraine.There were 15 candidates originally with two withdrawing prior to election ....
, he left to create his own Social Democratic Union
Social Democratic Union (Ukraine)
The Social Democratic Union is a political party in Ukraine registered in March 1999.-History:At the Ukrainian parliamentary election, 2002 the party was part of the Unity alliance...
. He ran as an independent in the 1999 presidential election, coming in fifth place with 8.13% of the vote in the first tour of the elections, and was appointed secretary of the National Security and Defense Council
National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine
National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine , locally referred by its abbreviation RNBO, is an organizational state body in Ukraine tasked with developing national security policy on domestic and international matters in advising the President of Ukraine .The Council was originally created in...
by the re-elected President
President of Ukraine
Prior to the formation of the modern Ukrainian presidency, the previous Ukrainian head of state office was officially established in exile by Andriy Livytskyi. At first the de facto leader of nation was the president of the Central Rada at early years of the Ukrainian People's Republic, while the...
Leonid Kuchma
Leonid 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...
. Marchuk was secretary of the National Security and Defense Council from November 10, 1999, to June 25, 2003 (till June 2009 he stayed on ass chairperson of the council's interagency commission on information policy). Later, he was the Defense Minister of Ukraine from June 2003 to September 2004.
During the 2006 parliamentary elections
Ukrainian parliamentary election, 2006
The Ukrainian parliamentary election took place on March 26, 2006. Election campaigning officially began on July 7, 2005. Between November 26 and December 31, 2005 party lists of candidates were formed....
Marchuk lead the electoral alliance
Electoral alliance
An electoral alliance may take the form of a bipartisan electoral agreement, electoral agreement, electoral coalition or electoral bloc. It is an association of political parties or individuals which exists solely to stand in elections...
(Electoral Bloc "Yevhen Marchuk" - "Unity
Unity (Ukraine)
Unity is a political party in Ukraine created in 1999 in protest of the then politics. The party was led by the former mayor of Kiev Oleksandr Omelchenko but in early 2008 he temporally halted his party membership and is now a member of Our Ukraine-Peoples Self Defence.-Ukrainian parliamentary...
") (including his own party, Party of Freedom) which didn't make it into parliament, winning only 0.06% of the votes.
Controversy
On December 6, 2001, the ItalianItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
prosecutor's office accused Marchuk of violating the UN embargo
Embargo
An embargo is the partial or complete prohibition of commerce and trade with a particular country, in order to isolate it. Embargoes are considered strong diplomatic measures imposed in an effort, by the imposing country, to elicit a given national-interest result from the country on which it is...
on supplying arms to various parts of the world. The accusations remained, never investigated nor prosecuted.
Recent career developments
In May 2008, Marchuk was appointed one of the personal advisors to President 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...
.