Yuriy Meshkov
Encyclopedia
Yuriy Olexandrovich Meshkov ; born October 25, 1945) is a former Ukrainian
politician and Russia
n separatist in Crimea
. Yuriy Meshkov served as the first and only President of Crimea
(an administrative region of Ukraine) from 1994 to 1995.
of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (now Ukraine
) to a Ukrainian-born mother and a native Kuban Cossack Russia
n father. He grew up in Simferopol
where he finished high school. When he was about eight years old the region of Crimea was officially transferred from the Russian SFSR to the Ukrainian SSR
. His military obligation he served in the Border Guard
. In 1967 (in some sources 1977) he graduated from the Law School of Moscow State University
. Until 1982 he worked as a detective and then as the head detective in the office of the District's Attorney. From 1982 to 1985 he spent time on the science-researching yacht Skif. After 1985 and until 1990 worked privately as a judicial consultant. At that time he also was one of the leaders of the Crimea department of the All-Union historical-enlighting society "Memorial", and the president of the Crimean Federation of kickboxing
.
In 1990, Meshkov was elected as a deputy to the Supreme Council of Crimea (the republic's parliament). There he became the co-founder of the RDK Party (Republican movement of Crimea). In 1991 persistently sabotaged the local parliament. In 1994 he stood at the helm of the electoral bloc "Rossiya" for the republican presidential elections where he easily defeated in the second round of elections Mykola Bahrov who ran as the independent. Mykola Bahrov at that time was the head of the Supreme Council of Crimea. During the second round of the 1994 Crimean presidential elections
, Yuriy Meshkov won with 72.9 percent and elected as the republic's first and only president.
His main political platform was to facilitate much closer relationships with the Russian Federation up to the possible annexation of Crimea
by Russia
. Meshkov tried to initiate a military-political union with a foreign country and completely disregarded opinions of the Ukrainian government. He also tried to force the rotation of the Russian currency, issue foreign passports to the Ukrainian
population, and even transfer Crimea to the same time zone
as Moscow
. Due to the unforeseen resistance from the local opposition, Meshkov only managed in putting his autonomous republic into Moscow time zone
. He also appointed the vice prime-minister, the Russian
economist Yevgeny Saburov, who virtually became the head of the government. And then argued when was confronted by other government officials in regards to the legitimacy of his appointee who did not even have the Ukrainian passport. Due to that Yevgeny Saburov was forced to resign. After that he managed to paralyze the work of the Supreme Council of Crimea.
In 1995, the Ukrainian parliament
scrapped the Crimean Constitution and abolished the post of president on March 17, 1995. After couple of preceding warnings in September and November 1994 on March 17, 1995 the President of Ukraine
, Leonid Kuchma
, signed the Law of Ukraine that scrapped the amended Crimean Constitution and some other Laws of AR Crimea, because they contradicted the Constitution of Ukraine
and endangered the sovereignty 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...
politician and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n separatist in Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
. Yuriy Meshkov served as the first and only President of Crimea
President of Crimea
The President of the Republic of Crimea was the head of the state of the Republic of Crimea, Ukraine from February 16, 1994 to the time of its liquidation on March 17, 1995...
(an administrative region of Ukraine) from 1994 to 1995.
Biography
Yuriy Meshkov was born in 1945 in the Dnipropetrovsk OblastDnipropetrovsk Oblast
Dnipropetrovsk Oblast is an oblast of central Ukraine, the most important industrial region of the country. Its administrative center is Dnipropetrovsk....
of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (now 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...
) to a Ukrainian-born mother and a native Kuban Cossack Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n father. He grew up in Simferopol
Simferopol
-Russian Empire and Civil War:The city was renamed Simferopol in 1784 after the annexation of the Crimean Khanate to the Russian Empire by Catherine II of Russia. The name Simferopol is derived from the Greek, Συμφερόπολις , translated as "the city of usefulness." In 1802, Simferopol became the...
where he finished high school. When he was about eight years old the region of Crimea was officially transferred from the Russian SFSR to the Ukrainian SSR
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...
. His military obligation he served in the Border Guard
Border guard
The border guard, frontier guard, border patrol, border police, or frontier police of a country is a national security agency that performs border control, i.e., enforces the security of the country's national borders....
. In 1967 (in some sources 1977) he graduated from the Law School of Moscow State University
Moscow State University
Lomonosov Moscow State University , previously known as Lomonosov University or MSU , is the largest university in Russia. Founded in 1755, it also claims to be one of the oldest university in Russia and to have the tallest educational building in the world. Its current rector is Viktor Sadovnichiy...
. Until 1982 he worked as a detective and then as the head detective in the office of the District's Attorney. From 1982 to 1985 he spent time on the science-researching yacht Skif. After 1985 and until 1990 worked privately as a judicial consultant. At that time he also was one of the leaders of the Crimea department of the All-Union historical-enlighting society "Memorial", and the president of the Crimean Federation of kickboxing
Kickboxing
Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....
.
In 1990, Meshkov was elected as a deputy to the Supreme Council of Crimea (the republic's parliament). There he became the co-founder of the RDK Party (Republican movement of Crimea). In 1991 persistently sabotaged the local parliament. In 1994 he stood at the helm of the electoral bloc "Rossiya" for the republican presidential elections where he easily defeated in the second round of elections Mykola Bahrov who ran as the independent. Mykola Bahrov at that time was the head of the Supreme Council of Crimea. During the second round of the 1994 Crimean presidential elections
Crimean presidential election, 1994
The first and only presidential elections were contested in the Republic of Crimea for the post of President of Crimea, at the time a republic within Ukraine. The office was created by the Verkhovna Rada of Crimea, the republic's unicameral parliament October 13, 1993...
, Yuriy Meshkov won with 72.9 percent and elected as the republic's first and only president.
His main political platform was to facilitate much closer relationships with the Russian Federation up to the possible annexation of Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
by Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. Meshkov tried to initiate a military-political union with a foreign country and completely disregarded opinions of the Ukrainian government. He also tried to force the rotation of the Russian currency, issue foreign passports to the Ukrainian
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...
population, and even transfer Crimea to the same time zone
Time zone
A time zone is a region on Earth that has a uniform standard time for legal, commercial, and social purposes. In order for the same clock time to always correspond to the same portion of the day as the Earth rotates , different places on the Earth need to have different clock times...
as Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. Due to the unforeseen resistance from the local opposition, Meshkov only managed in putting his autonomous republic into Moscow time zone
UTC+3
UTC+03:00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +03. In ISO 8601 the associated time would be written as . This time is used in:-East Africa Time:*Comoros*Djibouti*Eritrea*Ethiopia*Kenya*Madagascar...
. He also appointed the vice prime-minister, the Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
economist Yevgeny Saburov, who virtually became the head of the government. And then argued when was confronted by other government officials in regards to the legitimacy of his appointee who did not even have the Ukrainian passport. Due to that Yevgeny Saburov was forced to resign. After that he managed to paralyze the work of the Supreme Council of Crimea.
In 1995, the Ukrainian parliament
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...
scrapped the Crimean Constitution and abolished the post of president on March 17, 1995. After couple of preceding warnings in September and November 1994 on March 17, 1995 the President of Ukraine
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...
, signed the Law of Ukraine that scrapped the amended Crimean Constitution and some other Laws of AR Crimea, because they contradicted the Constitution of Ukraine
Constitution of Ukraine
The Constitution of Ukraine is the nation's fundamental law. The constitution was adopted and ratified at the 5th session of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on 28 June 1996. The constitution was passed with 315 ayes out of 450 votes possible .Other laws and other normative legal acts of Ukraine...
and endangered the sovereignty of Ukraine.