Viktor Baloha

Viktor Baloha (Viktor Ivanovych Baloha) (15 June 1963, Zavydovo) – is a Ukrainian politician. Former Minister of Emergencies of Ukraine (Ministry of Ukraine on Emergencies and Affairs of Population Protection from Consequences of Chernobyl Catastrophe – 2005–2006, Мinistry of Emergencies of Ukraine from November 2010). The Head of the Secretariat of the President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko (2006–2009). People’s Deputy of Ukraine of the fourth Verkhovna Rada (2002–2005) and gain since late 2012. Zakarpattia Regional State Administration Chairman (05.05.1999–01.06.2001, 04.02.-27.09.2005), Mukachevo Mayor – 04.1998–05.1999).

Viktor Baloha was born on 15 June 1963 in the village Zavydovo, Mukachevo district, Zakarpattia Oblast. Father – Ivan Pavlovych Baloha. Mother – Mariya Vasilivna Baloha. Brothers – Ivan Ivanovych Baloha and Pavlo Ivanovych Baloha. Ethnicity - Ukrainian, according to other sources - Rusyn.

Baloha graduated from the secondary school of the village Zahattya of Іrshava district in 1980 which he attended after having finished the eight-year school in the village Zavydovo in 1978.

09.1980 – 06.1984 – Baloha was the student of the Lviv institute of trade and economics, he obtained a higher education with a degree in "Commodity science and food products trade organization".

07.1984 – 11.1985 – Baloha did compulsory military service in the Soviet Army.

Since January 1986 up to February 1987 Baloha worked as senior commodity expert in Beregovo Regional Consumer Society, city of Beregovo, Zakarpattia region; 02. 1987 – 05. 1987 he worked as Deputy Director of Kosyno Consumers’ Societies Association, village Kosyno, Beregovo district, Zakarpattia region; 05. 1987 – 10. 1992 — he worked as senior commodity expert in Mukachevo Business and Commercial Base; 10. 1992 – 03. 1997 – LLC "Ray-Promin" Director, Mukachevo, Zakarpattia region; 04. 1997 – 04. 1998 - Chairman of the management board of LLC "Barva", city of Mukachevo, Zakarpattia region.

On 10 April 1998 Viktor Baloha was elected the Mayor of the city of Мukachevо and worked as a Mayor till 5 May 1999.

On 5 May 1999 Viktor Baloha was appointed as Zakarpattia Regional State Administration Chairman.

Being against the resignation of the Prime Minister of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko Viktor Baloha resigned himself; on 1 June 2001 he was discharged from the position of the Zakarpattia Regional State Administration Chairman according to his letter of resignation.

01.2002 – 04.2002 – Baloha was the Chairman of the management board of LLC "Barva", the city of Mukachevo, Zakarpattia region.

On 3 April 2002 Viktor Baloha was elected the Mayor at municipal elections and simultaneously the People’s Deputy at parliamentary elections; he chose to work in the Verkhovna Rada.

05.2002 – 09.2005 – People’s Deputy of Ukraine, electoral district No.71, was the member of parliamentary faction "Our Ukraine"(Ukrainian: Наша Україна, Nasha Ukrayina), the member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on the issues of economic policy, administration of national economy, property and investments.

In May 2004 Baloha stood for Mukachevo city Mayor Election as one of the main candidates but lost the vote. Elections were declared invalid for the reason of the electoral fraud.

During the presidential campaign Baloha became the election agent of Viktor Yushchenko in Zakarpattia, electoral district No.71.

On 4 February 2005, after being elected President, Viktor Yushchenko appointed Viktor Baloha to the position of Zakarpattia Regional State Administration Chairman.

On 8 September 2005 the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine terminated the powers of Baloha V.I. as the People’s Deputy of Ukraine ahead of time according to his personal statement of resignation.

On 27 September 2005 Viktor Yushchenko discharged Viktor Baloha from the position of Zakarpattia Regional State Administration Chairman.

On 27 September 2005 Viktor Yushchenko appointed Viktor Baloha to the position of the Minister of Emergencies and Affairs of Population Protection from the Consequences of the Chernobyl Catastrophe of Ukraine.

On 15 September 2006 Viktor Yushchenko appointed Viktor Baloha to the position of the Head of the Secretariat of the President of Ukraine.

On 5 October 2006 Viktor Baloha resigned from the position of the Minister of Emergencies and Affairs of Population Protection from the Consequences of the Chernobyl Catastrophe of Ukraine.

At the beginning of May 2009 V. Baloha filed a resignation and on 19 May 2009 Viktor Yushchenko discharged him from the position of the Head of Secretariat of the President of Ukraine on Baloha’s own accord. Viktor Baloha named the main reason for this resignation from the position of the Head of the Secretariat of the President of Ukraine his definitive disagreement with the decision of Viktor Yushchenko to run for president for the second term. Baloha also explained his desire to resign by the fact that he has lost his point to work under conditions when the initiatives of the team of the Presidential Secretariat drowned in the apathy of the President.

On 12 November 2010 the President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych appointed Viktor Baloha to the position of the Minister of Emergencies and Affairs of Population Protection from the Consequences of the Chernobyl Catastrophe of Ukraine.

On 9 December 2010 the President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych discharged Viktor Baloha from the position of the Minister of Emergencies and Affairs of Population Protection from the Consequences of the Chernobyl Catastrophe of Ukraine and appointed Viktor Baloha to the position of the Minister of Emergencies of Ukraine.

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine authorized V. Baloha to be the Head on Ukrainian part of several joint intergovernmental commissions for cooperation issues.Viktor Baloha is the Head on Ukrainian part of the following intergovernmental commissions for cooperation issues: Ukrainian-Czech mixed commission on economic, industrial and scientific-technical cooperation issues; Intergovernmental Ukrainian-Israeli commission on trade and economic cooperation issues; Ukrainian-Slovak mixed commission on economic, industrial and scientific-technical cooperation issues.

On 20 November 2012 Baloha resigned as emergencies minister because he preferred to take in the seat in the Ukrainian Parliament he had won in the October 2012 Ukrainian parliamentary election when he won a single-seat constituency in Zakarpattia Oblast for United Centre.

In the October 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election when he won the same single-seat constituency as in the 2012 Ukrainian parliamentary election and thus returned to parliament.

In 1997 he joined the Social Democratic Party of Ukraine (united). In 1998 during parliamentary electoral campaign Baloha was the campaign chief of the Social Democratic Party of Ukraine (united) in Zakarpattia region: the Social Democratic Party (united) received the fifth part of its votes in Zakarpattia.

Viktor Baloha supports the national movement of Rusyns (Carpatho-Russians), in particular he stands for recognition of Rusyns as a separate nationality in Ukraine.

In 2000 V. Baloha initiated "de-partisation" in the region and withdrew his membership in the Social Democratic Party of Ukraine (united). This initiative was supported by the then President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma and the Prime Minister Viktor Yushchenko.

In 2007 Baloha was elected as the head of Political Council of the People’s Union “Our Ukraine” party.

On 15 February 2008 Baloha declared that he withdraws the membership in the presidential People’s Union "Our Ukraine". The politician stressed that "notwithstanding the circumstances" his participation in politics would be connected with the President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko – "a person of high principles and noble aims".

In June 2008 Viktor Baloha joined the party United Centre. Since July 2008 he is the member of the Presidium of United Centre. Since August 2010 he is the Leader of United Centre. Since 2010 up to now he is the Deputy of Zakarpattia Regional Council.

In the 2012 and 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election Viktor Baloha's two brothers Ivan and Pavlo won parliamentary seats after winning as independent candidates constituencies in Zakarpattia Oblast. After having failed to do so in 2012 distant relative Vasyl Petyovka also won a parliamentary seat this way in 2014. Meaning that the Baloha family won four out of the six single mandate constituencies of Zakarpattia Oblast.

In the 2015 Ukrainian local elections Boloha's son Andriy Baloha was elected Mayor of Mukacheve.

Decorated by the awards of Ukrainian Orthodox Church Moscow Patriarchate:

• The Order of the Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Great Prince Vladimir of the first degree;
• The Order of the Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Great Prince Vladimir of the second degree;
• The jubilee order "2000 years of the Nativity of Christ" of the first degree.
• On 23 February 2012 by state decoration of Vatican – the Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Sylvester Pope and Martyr.

• The Order of the Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Great Prince Vladimir of the first degree (Ukrainian: Орден святого рівноапостольного князя Володимира I ступеня)
• The Order of the Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Great Prince Vladimir of the second degree (Ukrainian: Орден святого рівноапостольного князя Володимира II ступеня)
• The jubilee order “2000 years of the Nativity of Christ” of the first degree (Ukrainian: Ювілейний орден «Різдво Христове — 2000» I ступеня)
• The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Sylvester Pope and Martyr (Latin: Ordo Sanctus Silvestri Papae, Italiano: Ordine di San Silvestro Papa)