Konstantin Vladimirovich Ivashchenko (born 3 October 1963) is a Russian and Ukrainian politician and businessman who served as the ''de facto'' mayor of Mariupol from 6 April 2022 to 23 January 2023, following the capture of the city by the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

n troops.

Early life and career

Konstantin Vladimirovich Ivashchenko was born on 3 October 1963 in Zhdanov (now

Mariupol Mariupol (, ; uk, Маріу́поль ; russian: Мариу́поль) is a city in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. It is situated on the northern coast ( Pryazovia) of the Sea of Azov, at the mouth of the Kalmius River. Prior to the 2022 Russia ...

), then in the

Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic ( uk, Украї́нська Радя́нська Соціалісти́чна Респу́бліка, ; russian: Украи́нская Сове́тская Социалисти́ческая Респ ...

of the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

. In 1985, he graduated from the Saratov Military Command Engineering High School of Missile Forces with a degree in engineering. Since 1992, he has been working at the Azovmash machine-building enterprise and has been the head of company since 2020.

Political career

In 2010 local elections, he was elected to the Mariupol City Council as a member of the

Party of Regions The Party of Regions ( uk, Партія регіонів, Partiia rehioniv, ; russian: Партия регионов, Partiya regionov) was a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine formed in late 1997 that then grew to be the biggest party of U ...

. He headed the party's Zhovtnevy district Mariupol branch. In 2015, he ran for the City Council as a member of Our Land, but he failed to get elected this time.Small biography on Konstantin Ivashchenko

Civil movement "Chesno" Chesno ( uk, Чесно, lit=honestly, fairly) is a Ukrainian public campaign that emerged late 2011 to advance a fair election process. It is widely known for its critical analysis and evaluation of politicians and the Verkhovna Rada (parliame ...

Since 2016, he has been a member of the executive committee of the Mariupol City Council. He was the head of the Mariupol branch of the Nashi party. He was elected deputy in the Mariupol City Council once again in

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...

as a member of the

Opposition Platform — For Life The Opposition Platform – For Life ( uk, Опозиційна платформа – За життя; russian: Оппозиционная платформа – За жизнь, OPZZh) was a parliamentary and now banned pro-Russian and Euros ...

Russian invasion of Ukraine

Following the partial capture of Mariupol by the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and

n troops, Ivashchenko was appointed mayor of Mariupol by

Denis Pushilin Denis Vladimirovich Pushilin (russian: Дени́с Влади́мирович Пуши́лин, ; uk, Денис Володимирович Пушилін, Denys Volodymyrovych Pushylin; born 9 May 1981) is a Russian and Ukrainian politician ...

, the head of the Donetsk People's Republic. On 9 April, the Prosecutor's Office of the Donetsk Oblast notified Ivashchenko in absentia of suspicion of high treason committed under martial law. Ivashchenko was ordered to clear parts of downtown of rubble and bodies for a celebration of

Victory Day Victory Day is a commonly used name for public holidays in various countries, where it commemorates a nation's triumph over a hostile force in a war or the liberation of a country from hostile occupation. In many cases, multiple countries may ob ...

on 9 May. Ivashchenko allegedly told the residents of Mariupol that the city will be annexed by Russia and incorporated into the Rostov Oblast. On 26 August, the Ukrainian Resistance Center reported that he left the city following an assassination attempt under the guise of medical treatment. Ivashchenko was relieved of his duties on 23 January 2023 and replaced by

Oleg Morgun Oleg Valerievich Morgun (Олег Моргун) is a Ukrainian separatist politician and former police officer serving as the ''de facto'' mayor of Mariupol since January 2023. Life Morgun is from Vinnytsia where he worked as a police chief. H ...

Sanctions

In July 2022 the EU imposed sanctions on Konstantin Ivashchenko in relation to the

Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ivashcenko, Konstantin 1963 births Living people Politicians from Mariupol Party of Regions politicians Our Land (Ukraine) politicians Opposition Platform — For Life politicians Ukrainian collaborators with Russia during the Russian invasion of Ukraine Businesspeople from Donetsk Oblast