The People’s Movement of Ukraine (Rukh) - Unique Political Force, which Led Ukraine to its Independence


It is impossible to overestimate Rukh’s impact on Ukraine’s destiny. In Ukraine Rukh played the same state-building role as People’s Fronts in Latvia and Estonia, the Sayudis in Lithuania and the Solidarity in Poland. However, while all these political forces had accomplished their historical mission and dissolved in the local politics, the People’s Movement of Ukraine goes on fighting for Ukrainian national interests and still plays an important role among national-democratic political forces of Ukraine.
In 2009 Rukh celebrated its 20^th anniversary. Celebrations and festivities took place in all Ukrainian regions, large towns and small villages. Rukh’s 20^th anniversary became a recognized national holiday.
 

President of the People’s Movement of Ukraine (Rukh)



Borys Tarasyuk elected as Rukh’s President by the XIII Ukrainian Rukh Congress on May 3, 2003.
Borys Tarasyuk is an MP (2002-2005, 2006, 2007-present), Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) Committee on European Integration. Since becoming a diplomat in 1975 he served at the Ukrainian Mission to the UN (1981-1986) and as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in Brussels (1995-1998, BENILUX, NATO, WEU), Deputy Foreign Minister (1992-1994), First Deputy (1994-1995) and two terms as the Foreign Minister (1998-2000 and 2005-2007).
Borys Tarasyuk graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv, International Law Department.
Borys Tarasyuk is the Founder and Director of the Institute for Euro-Atlantic Cooperation, which is an independent analytical center (think-tank).
Granted a rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (since 1992).
He contributed to development of Ukraine’s relations with Russia and the United States, Hungary and Poland, Romania and Moldova, Baltic and Nordic States, Latin America and the Black Sea region, the European Union and NATO, CIS and GUAM. In 1993 Ambassador Tarasyuk managed to attain the unanimous support of the UN Security Council for Ukraine in the dispute with Russia over the Ukrainian port city of Sevastopol.
He was a key figure in the negotiations of unprecedented complexity over the fate of Ukraine’s nuclear arsenal (world’s third largest), the Black Sea Fleet and conventional armaments. His efforts to activate the significant peacekeeping potential of Ukraine in combination with active diplomacy transformed Ukraine into a recognized contributor of European security and stability.
In 1997 he won the national award “Diplomat of the Year”, is honoured with the highest state awards of Argentina, Brazil, France, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal and Sweden and is a Cavalier of the State Order of Merit of Ukraine.
Foreign languages: Fluent in English, French and Russian.
Married, has two daughters, a son and three grandchildren.

Deputy-President of the People’s Movement of Ukraine (Rukh)


Vasyl Kuybida elected as Rukh’s Deputy-President in 2003.
Vasyl Kuybida is the Minister for Regional Development and Construction of Ukraine (since 2007).
Vasyl Kuybida was elected as an MP in 1998 (withdraw candidature), in 2006-2007 (return the seaboards), in 2007 (was appointed as a Minister).
President’s adviser (2007), Rukh’s Secretary General (2005-2006), Lviv Mayor (1998-2002), Lviv City Council Chairman (1994-1998).
Vasyl Kuybida graduated from Ivan Franko National University in Lviv: Department of Mathematics, Department of Law; Lviv National Polytechnic University, Department of Economics and Management.
Professor Vasyl Kuybida has a PhD in State Building, Legal and Physic-mathematical studies. He wrote nearly 150 scientific articles, 10 monographs. He is an Honored Lawyer of Ukraine.
In 1997 and 1998 he was a winner of the national nomination “City Major of the Year”, is a Cavalier of the State Order of Merit of Ukraine, State Order of Yaroslav the Wise, V Grade, State Order of Danylo Galutskiy, State Order of Volodymyr the Greate, II Grade. Vasyl Kuybida has been decorated with the highest state awards of Lithuania, Vatican and the Council of Europe. He was awarded with the Honorary Certificate of the Ukrainian Government.
Foreign languages: English, Polish and Russian.
Married, has a son.
 

Deputy-President of the People’s Movement of Ukraine (Rukh)


Vyacheslav Koval elected as Rukh’s Deputy-President in 1997.
Vyacheslav Koval is an MP (1998-2002, 2002-2006, 2006-2007, 2007-till now), Secretary of the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) Committee on Rules of the Parliamentary Procedure, Ethics and Work Support of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
In 1997 Vyacheslav Koval was elected as Rukh’s Secretary General. He worked as Rukh’s deputy Secretary General and Head of Rukh’s Secretariat General Organizational department (1994-1997).
 Vyacheslav Koval graduated from the National Pedagogical Dragomanov University; Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv, Department of Law.
Vyacheslav Koval has a PhD in Law.
Vyacheslav Koval is a Cavalier of the State Order of Merit of Ukraine. He was awarded with the Honorary Certificate of the Ukrainian Government and the Honorary Certificate of the Ukrainian Parliament.
Foreign languages: English, Russian.
Married, has two daughters.
 

Deputy-President of the People’s Movement of Ukraine (Rukh)


Ivan Krulko elected as Rukh’s Deputy-President in 2009.
Ivan Krulko is the Deputy-Minister for Youth, Family and Sport Affairs (since 2009). President of the “Youth People’s Movement” (since 2007).
Ivan Krulko worked as the Deputy-Chief of “Our Ukraine – People’s Self-Defense” Parliamentary faction Secretariat at the Ukrainian Parliament (2007-2009); the Deputy-Chief of “Our Ukraine” Parliamentary faction Secretariat (2006-2007); the Chief of Rukh’s Parliamentary faction Secretariat (2005-2006); as the II Secretary in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (2005); as an MP’s assistant (2002-2005).
Ivan Krulko graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv, Department of Law.
In 2009 elected as the Vice-President of the Atlantic Association of Young Political Leaders. Ivan Krulko awarded with the Honorary Certificate of the Ukrainian Government in 2009.
Foreign languages: English, Russian.
Married, has a daughter.
 

Deputy-President of the People’s Movement of Ukraine (Rukh)


Roman Sushko elected as Rukh’s Deputy-President in 2009.
Roman Sushko is Rukh’s Secretary General. Since 1998 he was the deputy chairman of Rukh’s Ivano-Frankivsk regional organization.
He is a deputy of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast Council (1994-19984, 2006 – till now), deputy of Kalush City Council (1990-1994). Roman Sushko was a member of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe (1996-1998).
Roman Sushko worked as an MP’s assistant (since 2006), Mayor of Kalush (2002-2006); Project Coordinator of Ukraine’s City Association; Ivano-Frankivsk Major City Deputy; Mayor of Kalush (1990-1998). 
Roman Sushko graduated from Lviv National Polytechnic University, Department of Chemistry; Ivan Franko National University in Lviv, Department of Law.
Roman Sushko has a PhD in Chemistry. He is an author of more than 90 scientific works and researches.
In 1992 Roman Sushko won a State Award in the sphere of science and technology. An honored worker of Ukraine’s Industry (since 2005).
Foreign languages: Russian, English and Polish.
Married, father of three children.

The People’s Movement of Ukraine founding Congress took place on September 8-10, 1989 in Kyiv. On the 9^th February 1990, the People’s Movement of Ukraine was registered as a political entity eligible to participate in elections.
The People’s Movement of Ukraine acronym – Rukh
Rukh’s emblem: tipping trident, signed Rukh.
Flag: yellow and blue Horizontal Striped Flag with Rukh’s emblem at the center.
Slogan: “Statehood, Democracy, Reforms!”
 
Leading Party Bodies:
-         Rukh’s Congress;
-         Central Committee;
-         Political Council.
 
1. Rukh’s Congress – foremost Rukh’s leading body. The Congress has to be convened at least once in 2 years. The latest Rukh’s XVIII Congress was held in three rounds. During the first two rounds the Congress’s statements “On Political Situation”, “On Rukh’s Position Concerning Overcoming Consequences of the Financial-Economic Crises” and “on Rukh’s 20^th Anniversary” were adopted. Borys Tarasyuk was reelected as Rukh’s President, Vasyl Kuybida, Vyacheslav Koval, Ivan Krulko and Roman Sushko were elected as his deputies. Rukh’s Central Committee and Rukh’s Political Council partly changed their membership.
The third round of Rukh’s XVIII Congress took place on October 24, 2009. In a statement adopted by the Congress, the People’s Movement of Ukraine urged all democratic political forces to support Yulia Tymoshenko as a single candidate in the Presidential elections.
 
2. Central Committee is a top leading body in the period between Rukh’s Congresses.
Members of Rukh’s Central Committee are:
 
1.      Borys Tarasyuk
2.      Vasyl Kuybida
3.      Vyacheslav Koval
4.      Ivan Krulko
5.      Roman Sushko
6.      Bogdan Horyn
7.      Yuriy Didenko
8.      Bohdan Kostunyuk
9.      Valentyn Korolyuk
10. Leonid Pylunskii
11. Mykola Porayko
12. Viktor Sychenko
13. Hennadiy Udovenko
14. Roman Shmidt
15. Hennadiy Shchipkovskii
16. Volodymyr Banada
17. Oleksandr Burdenyuk
18. Sergiy Butenko
19. Viktor Vashchuk
20. Anatolii Vykhryshch
21. Nataliya Hayokha
22. Yurii Hromovskii
23. Leonid Yefremenko
24. Ihor Klyus
25. Viktor Labazov
26. Serhiy Svytko
27. Volodymyr Solonyshyn
28. Larysa Fisochenko
29. Oleksandr Chornovolenko
30. Oleksandr Cherepakha
31. Yevhen Khovanskii
32. Stepan Budz
33. Valerii Veremchyk
34. Oleksandr Voloshchenko
35. Lev Hlukhivskiy
36. Andriy Dyachuk
37. Volodymyr Zubar
38. Valeriy Ishchenko
39. Yuriy Kushnirenko
40. Ihor Oliynyk
41. Dmytro Petrenko
42. Petro Serdyuk
43. Anatolii Suldin
44. Roman Chokan
45. Oleksandr Shabanov
46. Tymofii Yanko
47. Nadiya Yashan
 
Invited:
1.      Andrii Kornat
2.      Ihor Shymeha
3.      Andrii Savielyev
4.      Volodymyr Fedorenko   
5.      Volodymyr Filonchuk
 
3. Political Council is Rukh’s permanent executive body.
Members of Rukh’s Central Committee are:
 
1.      Borys Tarasyuk
2.      Vasyl Kuybida
3.      Vyacheslav Koval
4.      Ivan Krulko
5.      Roman Sushko
6.      Bohdan Horyn
7.      Yurii Didenko
8.      Bohdan Kostuniuk
9.      Valentyn Koroliuk
10. Leonid Pylunskii
11. Mykola Porayko
12. Viktor Sychenko
13. Hennadiy Udovenko
14. Roman Shmidt
15. Hennadiy Shchipkovskii

The People’s Movement of Ukraine is really a unique political force. And frankly speaking we have got a lot to be proud of: the People’s Movement of Ukraine achieved its strategic goal of attaining Ukrainian independence. It is Rukh that Ukraine owes its independence to.

Efforts of Rukh members and supporters, their activity in the Parliament and regional councils, Rukh’s strong referendum propaganda, massive public events made crucial influence on adoption of historical documents – the Declaration on State Sovereignty (on 16 July 1990), the Act of Independence (on 24 August 1991); achievement of positive results at the Referendum on Independence (1 December 1991) and regaining Ukraine’s independence. Unfortunately, national-democratic forces in Ukraine failed to come to power, unlike in the Baltic and Central European states. On the Parliamentary elections in 1990 Rukh won 25% of votes, on the Presidential elections in 1991 the national-democratic forces failed to nominate a single candidate for the Presidency. So Rukh’s candidate Vyacheslav Chornovil came the second gaining 24% of support. Rukh hasn’t succeeded in acquiring power to form the patriotic democratic government, electing a democrat and a patriot Vyacheslav Chornovil as the President of Ukraine.

Today we are witnessing consequences of this failure. If genuine Ukrainian patriots, who were involved in attaining Ukraine’s independence took over in the 90-ies instead of the former communist leaders, our country would have already been among the EU and NATO member states, like Lithuania where Landsbergis was elected as the President or Poland, headed by Valensa, or Czech – led by Gavel.

Despite all attempts to destroy Rukh, it has survived and successively fought for Ukrainian national interests during the last 20 years. The People’s Movement of Ukraine became an initiator and driving force of Yushchenko’s election block on the Presidential elections 2004. Members and supporters of our political force celebrated victory in the Orange revolution in 2004.

In the last 5 years we have been constantly urging to the unification of all patriotic national-democratic political forces. Unfortunately, our efforts have not been always sufficient, as some politicians’ own interests and ambitions prevailed over development of strong and prosperous European Ukraine. On October 24, 2009 Rukh’s XVIII Congress, despite our own political interests, adopted a decision not to nominate a Rukh’s candidate for Presidency but to support a single candidate from all democratic forces, who has the highest winning chances. Rukh is convinced that the current Prime Minister of Ukraine, Chairman of Batkivshchyna party Yulia Tymoshenko is such candidate.

From the very moment of its foundation and throughout the whole history of its existence, the People’s Movement of Ukraine have defended democratic values and European ideas in our state. Since December 2005 the People’s Movement of Ukraine belongs to a political family of the European People’s Party (EPP) as an observer party.

Chairman of the European People’s Party Wilfried Martens declared that with the creation of the People’s Movement of Ukraine twenty years ago, a new era in the country’s history began. And all the festive celebrations of Rukh’s glorious 20^th anniversary during the whole year 2009 only substantiate these words of support. Grand meetings dedicated to Rukh’s 20^th anniversary were held in all Rukh’s regional, district and local organizations. The meetings were followed by massive rallies, commemorations and church services to mark Rukh’s 20^th anniversary. Lectures on Rukh’s role in gaining Ukrainian independence and building the new state were presented in the majority of schools and others educational institutions. More than 30 conferences, round tables and more than 20 exhibitions dedicated to Rukh’s creation and activity took place, 10 commemorative plaque devoted to Rukh were opened last year in Ukraine. On December 24, 2009 First Vice-Prime Minister Oleksandr Turchynov and Vice-Chairmen of Ukrainian Parliament Mykola Tomenko attended a meeting of the People’s Movement of Ukraine Central Committee. In particular, on the occasion of Rukh’s 20^th anniversary Oleksandr Turchynov on behalf of the Government and Mykola Tomenko on behalf of the Ukrainian Parliament presented honorary diplomas to many Rukh’s activists.

Therefore we have a lot to be proud of. The People’s Movement of Ukraine made a significant input not only to the reestablishment of Ukraine and its consolidation but also to strengthening of Ukraine’s state position in Europe and the world. And now, in spite of all misfortunes and sheer cynicism of some politicians, Ukraine remains one of the most democratic states in the post-Soviet space.