Mykola Tomenko
Encyclopedia
Mykola Volodymyrovych Tomenko (born December 11, 1964) is a Ukrainian
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 statesman. He has been a member of 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...
(parliament) for two consecutive convocations (including 2006
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....
). In Verkhovna Rada he served as the Chairman of the Freedom of Speech and Mass Media Committee. In 2005, Tomenko served as Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine in the cabinet
Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine
The Cabinet of Ukraine is the highest body of state executive power in Ukraine also referred to as the Government of Ukraine...
of Yulia Tymoshenko
Yulia Tymoshenko
Yulia Volodymyrivna Tymoshenko , née Grigyan , born 27 November 1960, is a Ukrainian politician. She was the Prime Minister of Ukraine from 24 January to 8 September 2005, and again from 18 December 2007 to 4 March 2010. She placed third in Forbes Magazine's List of The World's 100 Most Powerful...
(coordinating social care and culture affairs).
Tomenko is a centre-right politician, currently a member of the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc. He was also one of the leaders and most notable speakers of the Orange Revolution
Orange Revolution
The Orange Revolution was a series of protests and political events that took place in Ukraine from late November 2004 to January 2005, in the immediate aftermath of the run-off vote of the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election which was claimed to be marred by massive corruption, voter...
.
He is currently deputy chairman of the Verkhovna Rada
Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is the speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's unicameral parliament. The speaker presides over the parliament and its procedures. They are elected by secret ballot from the parliament's deputy ranks...
.
Biography
Mykola Tomenko (born in a village of Mali Kanivtsi, Chornobaivskyi Raion (districtRaion
A raion is a type of administrative unit of several post-Soviet countries. The term, which is from French rayon 'honeycomb, department,' describes both a type of a subnational entity and a division of a city, and is commonly translated in English as "district"...
) in the Cherkasy Oblast
Cherkasy Oblast
Cherkasy Oblast is an oblast of central Ukraine located along the Dnieper River. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Cherkasy).-Geography:...
(province
Oblast
Oblast is a type of administrative division in Slavic countries, including some countries of the former Soviet Union. The word "oblast" is a loanword in English, but it is nevertheless often translated as "area", "zone", "province", or "region"...
) of Ukraine) is one of the few veteran
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
s of the Soviet-Afghan War among the Ukrainian prominent politicians. Between 1983 and 1985 Tomenko served his conscript service in the Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
Airborne Troops
VDV
The Russian Airborne Troops or VDV is a military branch of service of the Russian Military, on par with the Strategic Rocket Forces and the Russian Space Forces...
, reaching a rank of Sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
during the war.
In 1989, after his military service, Tomenko graduated from Kiev University
Kiev University
Taras Shevchenko University or officially the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv , colloquially known in Ukrainian as KNU is located in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. It is the third oldest university in Ukraine after the University of Lviv and Kharkiv University. Currently, its structure...
specializing in Ukrainian political history
Political history
Political history is the narrative and analysis of political events, ideas, movements, and leaders. It is distinct from, but related to, other fields of history such as Diplomatic history, social history, economic history, and military history, as well as constitutional history and public...
. Shortly after, in 1992 he obtained his Kandidat
Kandidat
The Candidate of Sciences degree is a first post-graduate scientific degree in some former Eastern Bloc countries, such as Russia and Ukraine, which is awarded for original research that constitutes a significant contribution to a scientific field. The degree was first introduced in the USSR on...
degree (roughly equivalent to Ph. D.) defending his thesis on the topic "The issue of statehood in the program, documents and activities of the present-day parties in Ukraine (historical-political analysis)."
During his student years, after initially being a Komsomol
Komsomol
The Communist Union of Youth , usually known as Komsomol , was the youth division of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The Komsomol in its earliest form was established in urban centers in 1918. During the early years, it was a Russian organization, known as the Russian Communist Union of...
activist, Tomenko later became the initiator of the local Komsomol organization's dissolution.
Tomenko began his professional career in 1992 at the Institute of National Operation and Self-government as the Head of the Political Science Department. Between 1992-1998 he was the vice-president of the Foundation
Foundation (charity)
A foundation is a legal categorization of nonprofit organizations that will typically either donate funds and support to other organizations, or provide the source of funding for its own charitable purposes....
“The Ukrainian Outlook”, the director of the Institute of Post-communism Society and the Institute of Politics (listed are non-governmental politics research organizations
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
). At the same time he continued lecturing history and political science courses at Kiev universities, finally becoming the Head of the Politology department in the National University “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy”.
In mid-1990s Tomenko began his political career as a member of "My" (Ukrainian for Us) Political Union - a liberal-patriotic group close to Reforms and Order Party
Reforms and Order Party
-History:The party was organized in October 1997 as a right-wing party, led by ex-vice Prime Minister Viktor Pynzenyk. And it was registered as the fiftieth political party in the history of Ukrainian modern politics....
. In 1998 he was number 15 in the electoral list of Parliament candidates for Reforms and Order Party, but the party obtained no seats in parliament.
In 2002 Tomenko was elected to the Parliament on the list of the “Our Ukraine
Our Ukraine
The Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc is an electoral alliance active in Ukraine, associated with former President Viktor Yushchenko. Since 2005, the bloc has been dominated by a core consisting of the People's Union "Our Ukraine" party and five smaller partner parties.The Our Ukraine Bloc is...
” Block (which contained Reforms and Order Party).
In late 2005 he left the party over a split on whether to back Yulia Tymoshenko
Yulia Tymoshenko
Yulia Volodymyrivna Tymoshenko , née Grigyan , born 27 November 1960, is a Ukrainian politician. She was the Prime Minister of Ukraine from 24 January to 8 September 2005, and again from 18 December 2007 to 4 March 2010. She placed third in Forbes Magazine's List of The World's 100 Most Powerful...
or President Viktor Yuschenko, and became a member of Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc. In 2006 Tomenko became elected to Verkhovna Rada on the list of that Bloc.
Mykola Tomenko authored several scholarly books, more than a dozen of journal articles, and, an essay
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
, like "Theory of Ukrainian Love".
Political style
Entering politics after studying it, Tomenko became a public speaker and hot issues commenter. This was criticized by his political opponents. In summer 2005, President Viktor Yuschenko became dissatisfied with Tomenko's public attitude towards coalition allies and accused him of willingness to "comment anything on Earth" and a lack of in-government team-play sense.One controversy during Tomenko's political career occurred when the 2005 Eurovision song contest was hosted 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....
. He openly supported the GreenJolly music group
GreenJolly
GreenJolly is a Ukrainian rap band most widely known for their song, Razom nas bahato, nas ne podolaty, which became the unofficial anthem of the Ukrainian Orange Revolution in 2004.-History:...
as a candidate for representative of Ukraine. This caused criticism from show business
Show business
Show business, sometimes shortened to show biz, is a vernacular term for all aspects of entertainment. The word applies to all aspects of the entertainment industry from the business side to the creative element ....
professionals that alleged a poor choice and Tomenko's abuse of Deputy Prime Minister position during the process.
Ukrainian Cultural Development
Tomenko initiated several promotional programs to familiarize Ukraine to visitors as well as the well established residents with the Seven Wonders of UkraineSeven Wonders of Ukraine
The Seven Wonders of Ukraine are the seven historical and cultural monuments of Ukraine, which were chosen in the Seven Wonders of Ukraine contest held in July, 2007...
followed by the Seven Natural Wonders of Ukraine
Seven Natural Wonders of Ukraine
The Seven Natural Wonders of Ukraine is the second stage of the Seven Wonders of Ukraine program. They are the seven natural attractions of Ukraine, which were chosen in the Seven Natural Wonders of Ukraine on August 26, 2008...
and the Seven Most Scenic Routes of Ukraine.
Selected works
- Томенко М. Теорія українського кохання. К., 2004.
- Кудряшов С., Томенко М. та ін. Карта Севастополя: тріумф і трагедія Президентів: Фонд "Українська Перспектива": Експертна оцінка. - К., 1996. (and other research papers of this foundation)
- several studies of Ukrainian political history authored by Tomenko and S. Sliusarenko
External links
Tomenko's personal website Institute of Politics website Unofficial bio, Ukrayinska PravdaUkrayinska Pravda
Ukrayinska Pravda is a popular Ukrainian internet newspaper, founded by Georgiy R. Gongadze in April, 2000...
, February 6, 2005. Have Ukraine finally got its own coryphaeus of all sciences?, Ukrayinska Pravda
Ukrayinska Pravda
Ukrayinska Pravda is a popular Ukrainian internet newspaper, founded by Georgiy R. Gongadze in April, 2000...
, April 22, 2005. Russia never mastered how to lose gratuitously, a chat with Tomenko at Korrespondent
Korrespondent
Korrespondent is a weekly magazine published in Ukraine in Russian and Ukrainian languages. The printed magazine was established in 2002, but it was preceded by the website korrespondent.net that was established already in 2000....
.net A two part Mykola Tomenko interview with Ukrayinska Pravda
Ukrayinska Pravda
Ukrayinska Pravda is a popular Ukrainian internet newspaper, founded by Georgiy R. Gongadze in April, 2000...
. Part 1, part 2 I've beaten Surkis, and interview. Stolichnye Novosti, April 5-11, 2005. GreenJolly and their hit song on Maydan and at the Eurovision Song Contest, Welcome to Ukraine, 2005-2.