Vitold Fokin

Vitold Pavlovych Fokin (Ukrainian: Віто́льд Па́влович Фо́кін; born 25 October 1932 in Novomykolaivka, Novomykolaivskyi Raion, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast), the son of a teacher, was appointed first deputy prime minister of Ukraine in November 1991. Today Novomykolaivka is located in Zaporizhia Oblast.
Fokin graduated from National Mining University of Ukraine in Dnipropetrovsk.
After Vitaliy Masol was forced to resign Fokin was appointed Head of the Council of Ministers of Ukrainian SSR (today's equivalent of prime-minister) on 17 October 1990.

Prime Minister of Ukraine

On 18 April 1991 Vitold Fokin was appointed the first Prime Minister of Ukraine (at that time the Ukrainian SSR, technically).

On 12 September 1991 Ukrainian parliament adopted its resolution on "Succession of Ukraine" where Ukraine was declared a direct successor of the Ukrainian SSR. On 22 August 1992 at a plenary session of Ukrainian parliament President of Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk accepted a succession diploma from the exiled government of the Ukrainian People's Republic.

As prime minister Fokin tried to avoid any radical pro-market reforms, however, critics argued that Fokin's inaction, and further credits to various unproductive enterprises contributed to hyperinflation (1,210% in 1992) and in general to the disastrous performance of the Ukrainian economy. He resigned on 8 October 1992 under pressure from the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) and public. Until May 1994, he was vice speaker of the Verkhovna Rada. He currently serves as chairman of the supervisory board of AOZT Devon.