List of leaders of Ukraine

Last updated

This is a list of heads of state of Ukraine since 1917.

Contents

Ukrainian People's Republic (1917–1921)

The Ukrainian People's Republic was formed after the Russian Revolution of 1917, and lasted until the Peace of Riga between Poland and Soviet Russia in March 1921. The state leadership position title varied and, despite a rather widespread misconception, none of them had an official Presidential title.

The Directorate of Ukraine was a provisional council of the UNR formed after Skoropadskyi's Hetmanate fell apart. On 22 January 1919, the Act of Unification of the Ukrainian People's Republic and the West Ukrainian People's Republic was passed. The text of the universal was made by the members of the Directory.

No.PictureName
(Birth–Death)
Began officeLeft officePartyTitle(s)
Naumenko-226x300.jpg Volodymyr Pavlovych Naumenko
(1852–1919)
17 (4) March 191728 (15) March 1917 Constitutional Democratic Party Chairman of the Central Rada
1 Hrushevskyi Mykhailo XX.jpg Mykhailo Hrushevsky
(1866–1934)
28 (15) March 1917 [1] 29 April 1918 Ukrainian Socialist-Revolutionary Party Chairman of the Central Rada
2 Volodimir Kirilovich Vinnichenko.jpg Volodymyr Vynnychenko
(1880–1951)
14 December 191811 February 1919 Ukrainian Social Democratic Labour Party Chairman of the Directory
3 Simon Petliura 1922.jpg Symon Petliura
(1879–1926)
11 February 191910 November 1920 Independent Chairman of the Directory

In exile (1921–1992)

In Munich during 1948–1992, and in New York City in 1992:

No.PictureName
(Birth–Death)
Began officeLeft officeParty
1 Andrij Liwycki.jpg Andriy Livytskyi
(1879–1954)
16 July 194817 January 1954 Ukrainian Social Democratic Labour Party
2 Stepan Wytwycki (UNR President).jpg Stepan Vytvytskyi
(1884–1965)
17 January 19549 October 1965 Independent
3 Mikola Livits'kii.jpg Mykola Livytskyi
(1907–1989)
9 October 19658 December 1989 Independent
4 Mykola Plaviuk.jpg Mykola Plaviuk
(1925–2012)
8 December 198922 August 1992 Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists

Ukrainian State (1918)

Following a coup inspirated by the German military authorities on 29 April 1918, an authoritarian provisional state was proclaimed by a former Imperial Russian General Pavlo Skoropadskyi, who proclaimed himself Hetman of Ukraine. This regime was deposed in December same year, when the Ukrainian People's Republic was reinstalled, now led by the Directory.

HetmanReignDynasty
Skoropadski.jpg Alex K Ivan Skoropadskyi.svg Pavlo Skoropadskyi
(1873–1945)
29 April 1918 – 14 December 1918 Skoropadsky

West Ukrainian People's Republic (1918–1919)

The government of the Western Ukrainian People's Republic, which was proclaimed on 19 October 1918, united with the Ukrainian People's Republic on 22 January 1919, although this was mostly a symbolic act because the western Ukrainians retained their own Ukrainian Galician Army and government structure. After the Polish-Ukrainian War, Poland took over most of territory of the West Ukrainian People's Republic by July 1919.

No.PictureName
(Birth–Death)
Began officeLeft officePartyTitle(s)
1 Petrushevych Yevhen.jpg Yevhen Petrushevych
(1863–1940)
18 October 191822 January 1919Ukrainian National Democratic PartyPresident

Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (1917–1991)

The nomenclature for the head of state position was changing. At first it was called the Chairman of the Central Executive Committee, then it was called the Uprising Nine (Povstanburo) which was later reorganized into the Central Military-Revolutionary Committee (sort of revkom). In mid July 1918 there were some biases about the idea of the Ukrainian SSR, but with the help of more nationally inclined bolsheviks such as Skrypnyk, Zatonsky, and others the government of the Soviet Ukraine was preserved. After the defeat of Directoria the head of state was again called as the chairman of the Central Executive Committee. Ukraine was incorporated into the Soviet Union on 30 December 1922. Since 1938 the position began to be called as the chairman of the Presidium of Verkhovna Rada which was abolished in 1990. From 1990 to 1991 it was simply the head of the Verkhovna Rada until the introduction of the office of the President of Ukrainian SSR.

No.PictureName
(Birth–Death)
Began officeLeft officePartyTitle(s)
1 Medvediev Iukhim Grigorovich.jpg Yukhym Medvedev
(1886–1936)
24 December 191718 March 1918 Ukrainian Social Democratic Labour Party Chairman of the Central Executive Committee
2 Zatonskij Volodymyr.jpg Volodymyr Zatonsky
(1888–1938)
18 March 191818 April 1918 Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (Bolshevik)Chairman of the Central Executive Committee
COA of the Ukrainian SSR (1918).svg Ukrainian Bureau For Directing
the Partisan Resistance Against the German Occupiers
18 April 191828 November 1918 Communist Party of Ukraine (Bolshevik) Chairman of the Central Executive Committee
Pyatakov GL.jpg Georgy Pyatakov
(1890–1937)
28 November 191829 January 1919 Communist Party of Ukraine (Bolshevik) Chairman of the Central Executive Committee
Rakovsky01.jpg Christian Rakovsky
(1873–1941)
29 January 191910 March 1919 Communist Party of Ukraine (Bolshevik) Chairman of the Central Executive Committee
3 Petrovskiy GI Soc Kiev 1937 01 p10bis.jpg Grigory Petrovsky
(1878–1958)
10 March 191910 March 1938 Communist Party of Ukraine (Bolshevik) Chairman of the Central Executive Committee
Korniyets.jpg Leonid Korniyets
(1901–1967)
10 March 193825 July 1938 Communist Party of Ukraine (Bolshevik) Chairman of the Central Executive Committee
Burmistrenko.jpg Mykhailo Burmystenko
(1902–1941)
25 July 193827 July 1938 Communist Party of Ukraine (Bolshevik) Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet
4 Korniyets.jpg Leonid Korniyets
(1901–1969)
27 July 193828 July 1939 Communist Party of Ukraine (Bolshevik) Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet
28 July 193914 January 1954 Communist Party of Ukraine (Bolshevik) Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet
5 Demjan Korotczenko.jpg Demyan Korotchenko
(1894–1969)
14 January 19547 April 1969 Communist Party of Ukraine Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet
6 A.P. Liashko mogila (cropped).jpg Oleksandr Liashko
(1915–2002)
7 April 19698 June 1972 Communist Party of Ukraine Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet
7 I.S. Grushets'kogo mogila.jpg Ivan Hrushetsky
(1904–1982)
8 June 197224 June 1976 Communist Party of Ukraine Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet
8 Emblem of the Ukrainian SSR.svg Oleksiy Vatchenko
(1914–1984)
24 June 197622 November 1984 Communist Party of Ukraine Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet
9 Emblem of the Ukrainian SSR.svg Valentyna Shevchenko
(1935–2020)
22 November 19844 June 1990 Communist Party of Ukraine Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet
10 NDU 1 Ivashko Volodimir Antonovich.jpg Vladimir Ivashko
(1932–1994)
4 June 19909 July 1990 Communist Party of Ukraine Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet
Ivan Plyushch 3.jpg Ivan Plyushch
(1941–2014)
9 July 199023 July 1990 Communist Party of Ukraine Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet
11 Leonid Kravchuk.jpg Leonid Kravchuk
(1934–2022)
23 July 199024 August 1991 Communist Party of Ukraine Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet

Ukraine (1991–present)

On 5 July 1991, the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR passed a law establishing the post of the "President of the Ukrainian SSR". The title was changed to "President of Ukraine" upon the proclamation of independence on 24 August 1991, simultaneously making then-Speaker of the parliament Leonid Kravchuk acting president.

The first presidential election in Ukraine was held on 1 December 1991. On 22 August 1992, the last President of the Ukrainian People's Republic in exile Mykolva Plaviuk transferred his authorities to the first post-Soviet president Leonid Kravchuk.

  Non-partisan, without support or independent   People's Union "Our Ukraine"    Party of Regions    All-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland"    Petro Poroshenko Bloc "Solidarity"    Servant of the People

PresidentTook officeLeft officeElectedParty
Leonid Kravchuk (1) (cropped).jpg Leonid Kravchuk
(1934–2022)
24 August 19915 December 1991 [a] Independent
15 December 199119 July 1994 1991
2 Leonid Kuchma.jpg Leonid Kuchma
(Born 1938)
19 July 199423 January 2005 1994
1999
Independent
3 Portret 3-go prezidenta Ukrayini Viktora Iushchenka (cropped).jpeg Viktor Yushchenko
(Born 1954)
23 January 200525 February 2010 2004 Our Ukraine
4 Viktor Yanukovych official portrait (cropped).jpg Viktor Yanukovych
(Born 1950)
25 February 201022 February 2014 2010 Party of Regions
Turchynov March 2014 (cropped).jpg Oleksandr Turchynov
(Born 1964)
23 February 20147 June 2014 [b] Fatherland
5 Official portrait of Petro Poroshenko.jpg Petro Poroshenko
(Born 1965)
7 June 201420 May 2019 2014 Petro Porshenko Bloc
6 Occupiers will try to recruit men into their army, avoid this as much as you can - address of President of Ukraine. (52440673883) (cropped).jpg Volodymyr Zelenskyy
(Born 1978)
20 May 2019Incumbent 2019 Servant of the People
  1. Acting President as then-Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada between the proclamation of independence and the first presidential election.
  2. Acting President after the 2014 Revolution of Dignity and the subsequent flight of Viktor Yanukovych to Russia.

Timeline

Volodymyr ZelenskyyPetro PoroshenkoOleksandr TurchynovViktor YanukovychViktor YushchenkoLeonid KuchmaLeonid KravchukIvan PlyushchVladmir IvashkoValentyna Shevchenko (politician)Oleksiy VatchenkoIvan HrushetskyOleksandr LiashkoDemyan KorotchenkoMykhailo BurmystenkoLeonid KorniyetsGrigory PetrovskySymon PetliuraChristian RakovskyVolodymyr VynnychenkoGeorgy PyatakovYevhen PetrushevychPavlo SkoropadskyiCommunist Party of Ukraine (Soviet Union)Voldymyr ZatonskyYukhym MedvedevMykhailo HrushevskyVolodymyr Pavlovych NaumenkoList of leaders of Ukraine

References