At 72, Viktor Yushchenko: The Life of Ukraine's Third President After Politics

Viktor Yushchenko Turns 72: A Look at His Post-Presidency Life

According to Главком: Viktor Yushchenko, Ukraine's third president, celebrated his 72nd birthday on February 23, 2023. Born in 1954 in the Sumy region, he graduated from the Ternopil Finance and Economics Institute in 1975. His early career included compulsory military service in the Soviet Army on the Soviet-Turkish border and later work as an economist in Sumy Oblast. Yushchenko's tenure as Chairman of the National Bank of Ukraine was pivotal, overseeing the country's monetary reform and the introduction of the hryvnia as the national currency.

Political Career

Yushchenko's political ascent began with his appointment as Prime Minister of Ukraine in 1999. In 2002, he formed and led an opposition bloc that won the largest share of votes in the parliamentary elections. He ultimately ascended to the presidency following the 2004 Orange Revolution, a pivotal moment for post-Soviet Ukraine, and was inaugurated in 2005. His presidency saw the enactment of a new version of Ukraine's Constitution, altering the balance of power between the president and parliament, and the introduction of an independent external evaluation system for university admissions. However, his term was also marked by two major gas supply crises stemming from conflicts with Russia. A defining personal moment was his poisoning by dioxin during the 2004 presidential campaign.

Personal Life and Present Day

Yushchenko has been married twice. His first wife was Svitlana Kolesnyk, with whom he has a daughter, Vitalina, and a son, Andriy. In 1998, he married Kateryna Chumachenko, a former U.S. State Department official who became a Ukrainian citizen in 2005 and renounced her U.S. citizenship in 2007. Together they have daughters Sofia (born 1999) and Khrystyna, and a son, Taras. Yushchenko is also the godfather to the twin daughters of former President Petro Poroshenko, sharing the role with singer Oksana Bilozir.

Today, Yushchenko resides in the village of Novi Bezradychi near Kyiv. His estate features a three-story house, a garden, a farm, an apiary, a mini-museum of Ukrainian culture, a carpentry workshop, and a pond. His personal passions include beekeeping and collecting antiquities. He was recently spotted at a Kyiv market ahead of his birthday. Yushchenko, who remains a respected elder statesman, is also a grandfather to five grandchildren.

As Ukraine's third president, Viktor Yushchenko played a crucial role in the nation's modern history, particularly during the Orange Revolution, which became a symbol of the struggle for democracy and a European path for the country.

His presidency was characterized by both achievements and significant challenges, notably in relations with Russia-a theme that remains critically relevant for Ukraine today. He continues to be an influential figure in Ukrainian society, participating in various cultural and social initiatives.