Guide Note:

Victor Yushchenko is the current President of Ukraine, having been elected to the post in 2005. In the election, Yuschenko originally lost to rival Viktor Yanukovich, but after nationwide protests disputed the results, the votes were recounted and Yuschenko was declared the winner. The protest movement that helped Yuschenko into power is today known as the Orange Revolution.

Fast Facts

1. Born: February 23, 1954
2. Birthplace: Khoruzhivka, Ukraine (former Soviet Union)
3. Education: Ternopil Finance and Economics Institute
4. Spouse: Kateryna Yuschenko
5. Posts held prior to Presidency: Chairman of National Bank, Prime Minister

Key Dates

1. 1954: Born in Ukraine, while still part of Soviet Union
2. 1999: Nominated Prime Minister of Ukraine
3. September, 2004: Falls seriously ill from effects of dioxin poisoning; face permanently disfigured
4. October, 2004: Elected President of Ukraine
5. April, 2007: Dissolves Ukrainian Parliament; calls for new elections

In September of 2004, just a month before the Presidential elections, Yuschenko fell ill from an unknown ailment and was transported to Vienna for care. In Austria, doctors determined that the candidate had been poisoned with dioxin, administered orally, and that he had more than 1,000 times the level of dioxin usually found in the human body. His face became disfigured from the poison, and Yuschenko accused Russian agents of carrying out the plot to prevent him from ascending to the Presidency, due to his pro-Western views.