Vasyl Durdynets

(Maj. Gen. Ret.) Vasyl Vasylovych Durdynets (Ukrainian: Василь Васильович Дурдинець, b. 27 September 1937)[1] is a Ukrainian politician and diplomat. He served as Acting Prime Minister of Ukraine during a short period in July 1997.[1]

Vasyl Durdynets Василь Васильович Дурдинець
Vice-Prime Minister of Ukraine on matters of State Security and Emergencies
In office 3 July 1995 – 18 June 1996
Prime Minister	Yevhen Marchuk
First Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine
In office 18 June 1996 – 30 July 1997
Prime Minister	Pavlo Lazarenko
Preceded by	Pavlo Lazarenko
Succeeded by	Anatoliy Holubchenko
Acting Prime Minister of Ukraine (ex officio)
In office 2 July 1997[1] – 30 July 1997[1]
President	Leonid Kuchma
Preceded by	Pavlo Lazarenko
Succeeded by	Valeriy Pustovoitenko
Director of the National Bureau of Investigations
In office July 1997 – March 1999
President	Leonid Kuchma
Preceded by	Oleh Lytvak
Succeeded by	office dissolved
Minister on matters of Emergencies and population security from consequences of the Chernobyl Disaster
In office 22 March 1999 – 30 November 2002
Prime Minister	Valeriy Pustovoitenko Viktor Yushchenko Anatoliy Kinakh
Preceded by	Valeriy Kalchenko
Succeeded by	Hryhoriy Reva
6th Ambassador of Ukraine to Hungary
In office 2 December 2002[2] – 15 July 2003[2]
Preceded by	Orest Klimpush
Succeeded by	Yuriy Mushka
4th Ambassador of Ukraine to Slovenia
In office 2 December 2002[2] – 15 July 2003[2]
Preceded by	Orest Klimpush
Succeeded by	Ivan Hnatyshyn
People's Deputy of Ukraine
1st convocation
In office 15 May 1990[3] – 10 May 1994[3]
Constituency	Communist Party of Ukraine, Kirovohrad Oblast, District No.230[3]
2nd convocation
In office 10 May 1994[4] – 3 September 1996[4]
Constituency	Independent, Kirovohrad Oblast, District No.229[4]
Personal details
Born	(1937-09-27) 27 September 1937 Romočevica, Czechoslovakia (now Romochevytsia, Mukachevo Raion, Zakarpattia Oblast, Ukraine)

Biography and career

Vasyl Durdynets was born into peasant family in Czechoslovakia before World War II. In 1960 he graduated the Law faculty of Ivano Franko Lviv State University. In 1958 through 1970 Durdynets was an active member of the Komsomol of Ukraine (1958-1966) and Komsomol (1966-1970) in Lviv, Moscow, and Kiev. In 1970 he became a staff member of the Lviv regional committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine.

In 1978 Durdynets was appointed as a deputy and in 1982 he became the first deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, holding the post until February 1991.[1] In March 1990 he was elected as a parliamentary to the Verkhovna Rada (first convocation) as member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union winning the 230th electoral district in Bobrynets, Kirovohrad Oblast.[1] At the first (12th) convocation, Durdynets headed the parliamentary commission on matters of defense and state security and was a non-affiliated member of parliament.[3] Since 29 January 1992 in Verkhovna Rada Durdynets served as vice-speaker (first deputy head).

To the next convocation Durdynets was reelected as non-affiliated at the 229th electoral district in the same city. At the second convocation Durdynets was a leader of deputy group "Center" and the parliamentary commission on fight with organized crime and corruption. Simultaneously he also served as the first deputy chairman of the Presidential coordination committee in fight with corruption and organized crime.

In July 1995 he rose to the position of Vice-Prime Minister in State Security and Extraordinary Situations and the chairman of Presidential Committee in fight of corruption and organized crime. The following year he became first Vice-Prime Minister (18 June 1996) in the Cabinet of the scandalous Pavlo Lazarenko.[1] After serving a brief term as an acting Prime Minister, he was dismissed and appointed the director of the country's National Investigation Bureau (30 July 1997), while continuing to serve as the chairman of Presidential Committee in fight of corruption and organized crime. In 1996 Durdynets became an initiator in creating of the Ministry of Emergencies and matters of population security from consequences of the Chernobyl Disaster. Since 22 March 1999 he served as a Minister of Extraordinary Situations .[1][5]

Since 1997 Vasyl Durdynets was promoted to the rank of a general of Internal Affairs Service of Ukraine.

In August 1997 he was admitted to the Council of National Security and Defense of Ukraine (RNBO). On 17 February 2000 he became a member of the government committee in the reformation of the agrarian sector and in the affairs of ecology and extraordinary situations.

In 2002 Durdynets unsuccessful ran for parliament in the 73rd electoral district in Zakarpattia Oblast as non-affiliated politician.

His state's awards include 5th and 4th Classes of the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 3rd Class of the Order of Merit, Order of the Red Banner of Labour, Order of the Badge of Honour, Order for Personal Courage, and Personal Firing Weapon.

On 25 April 2011 the President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych awarded Durdynets the "Distinguished Juror of Ukraine" as an advisor of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, a participant in the liquidation of consequences of Chernobyl disaster, and a general of Internal Service of Ukraine.[6]

Durdynets is an honorary professor of the National Academy of Internal Affairs.

See also

• Prime Minister of Ukraine

References

1. "DURDYNETS, Vasyl Vasylyovych", Government Portal (Ukraine Government), retrieved 5 February 2010
2. Vasyl Durdynets at the Association of Transcarpathians in Kiev
3. Profile at the Verkhovna Rada website
4. Profile at the Verkhovna Rada website
5. "Chornobyl's 'evil' still lives – 13 years later", The Record, 26 April 1999, retrieved 5 February 2010
6. (in Ukrainian) Presidential Decree #501/2011 "For distinguishing with the state awards of Ukraine" Archived 14 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine

External links

• Personal website (empty)

Political offices
Preceded by Pavlo Lazarenko	Prime Minister of Ukraine (acting) July 1997	Succeeded by Valeriy Pustovoitenko