Denis Vladimirovich Pushilin (Russian: Дени́с Влади́мирович Пуши́лин, pronounced [dʲɪˈnʲis vlɐˈdʲimʲɪrəvʲɪtɕ pʊˈʂɨlʲɪn]; Ukrainian: Денис Володимирович Пушилін; born on May 9, 1981[1]) is a politician who was the self-declared Chairman of the People's Soviet (Speaker of parliament) of the Donetsk People's Republic, and therefore, under the draft Constitution adopted on May 15, the self-declared republic's head of state.[2]

Biography

Ukrainian media claimed that Pushilin's highest stage of formal education is secondary education.[1][3] According to his (November 2013) autobiography at the Central Election Commission of Ukraine, in May 2014 Russia's ITAR-TASS (news agency) reported Pushilin had graduated from the Donbass Academy of Civil Engineering and Architecture.[3][4]

Prior to his political activism, Pushilin worked for a recent successor of the 1990s Russian Ponzi scheme company MMM, which cost its customers millions of dollars before it was disbanded in 1994.[5][6] Pushilin never denied involvement in such schemes and affirmed that "pyramid schemes were legal in Russia at the time".

As a member of the "We Have One Goal" party Pushilin failed to win a seat in the 15 December 2013 repeat elections of the 2012 Ukrainian parliamentary election in simple-majority constituencies number 94 (located in Obukhiv) because got only 0.08% of the votes.[7][8] Pushilin's (only 1 page long) election program did not contain any statement on a wanted change of Ukraine's current borders.[1][3] According to his election information, in December 2013 Pushilin was "temporarily not working".[1][3]

On 19 May 2014 Pushilin became the self-declared Chairman of the Supreme Soviet (Speaker of parliament) of the Donetsk People's Republic, and therefore, under the draft Constitution adopted on May 15, the self-declared republic's head of state.[2]

Pushilin has survived two assassination attempts so far, both occurring within a week on the 7th[9] and 12th[10] of June 2014. Pushilin was in Moscow on those dates, as was widely reported at the time.[11][better source needed]

While in Moscow in June 2014, Pushilin announced that enterprises in the areas claimed as the Donetsk People's Republic refusing to pay taxes to the republic would be "nationalized".[12]

According to the Interfax agency, on 18 July 2014, Pushilin resigned from his post of the Chairman of the Donetsk People's Republic.[13]

From 14 November 2014 to 4 September 2015 he served as a Vice-Chairman of the Donetsk People's Republic Soviet then he replaced Andrei Purgin and became the Chairman of the Soviet once again.[14]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Деніс Пушилін: Мажоритарні округи \ Київська область \ Округ №94 [Denis Pushylin: Majority districts \ Kyiv oblast \ District №94] (in Ukrainian). nbnews.com.ua. 2013. Retrieved 11 September 2015. 
  2. ^ a b "Denis Pushilin elected parliamentary speaker of Donetsk People's Republic". Voice of Russia. 19 May 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2015. 
  3. ^ a b c d (Ukrainian) Short bio of candidate Pushilin, Central Election Commission of Ukraine
  4. ^ Newly formed Donetsk Republic elects parliament speaker, ITAR-TASS (15 May 2014)
  5. ^ Financial Times, Donetsk governor battles to restore order, by John Reed, 26/27 April 2014, p5.
  6. ^ Ukrayinska Pravda, Глава уряду самопроголошеної Донецької народної республіки: "Зараз мені ніколи займатися МММ" [The head of government of the self-proclaimed People's Republic of Donetsk: "Now I have no time to engage with MMM"], by Екатерина Сергацкова [Ekaterina Sergatskova], April 15, 2014.
  7. ^ Stephanie Höppner (20 April 2014). "Unknown takes separatist spotlight in Ukraine". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 11 September 2015. 
  8. ^ (Ukrainian) Results in single-member district 94 in 2013 repeat election, NB News
  9. ^ "В Донецке совершено покушение на председателя "Верховного совета ДНР" Пушилина, его помощник убит" [Assassination attempt in Donetsk on the chairman of the "Supreme Soviet of the DPR" Pushilin, his assistant killed] (in Russian). RBK Ukraine (РБК-Україна (uk)). 7 June 2014. 
  10. ^ "Blast targets self-proclaimed E. Ukraine leader's vehicle, 2 killed". Russia Today. 12 June 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2015. 
  11. ^ Dmitry Tymchuk (14 June 2014). "Dmitry Tymchuk's military blog: No end to Kremlin cynicism". Kyiv Post. Retrieved 11 September 2015. 
  12. ^ "Pushilin: Donetsk enterprises refusing to pay taxes to budget of Donetsk People's Republic will be nationalized". Kyiv Post. Interfax. 14 June 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2015. 
  13. ^ "Денис Пушилин ушел в отставку". Газета.Ru. 18 July 2014. Retrieved 18 July 2014. 
  14. ^ Пушилин возглавил парламент ДНР [Pushilin led DPR parliament astray] (in Russian). Interfax. 4 September 2015. Retrieved 11 September 2015. 

External links