Arsen Avakov

Early life and education

Arsen Avakov was born to an Armenian family on January 2, 1964 in Kirov town (Kirovskiy district which is now Binagadinskiy district) of Baku, Soviet Azerbaijan. "Avakov" is the Russified version of the Armenian surname "Avagyan" (also transliterated as "Avakyan" or "Avakian"). He moved to Ukraine with his family in 1966.

From 1981 to 1982, Avakov worked as a laboratory assistant for the Chair for Automated Control Systems at the Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute. In 1988, he graduated from Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute as a systems engineer with a major in automated control systems. From 1987 to 1990 he worked as an in Kharkiv. He joined a commercial bank in 1992, becoming a member of its supervisory board.

Political career

In 2002, Avakov was elected a member of the Executive Committee of Kharkiv City Council. During the presidential electoral campaign in 2004, he was the deputy head of Kharkiv Regional Headquarters of Viktor Yushchenko, a presidential candidate, and the First Deputy Head of “The National Salvation Committee” in Kharkiv region.

On February 4, 2005, by the decree of the President of Ukraine, Avakov was appointed the head of the Regional State Administration in Kharkiv. He resigned from his positions at Investor JSC and Basis Commercial Bank. In March 2005, he was elected into the council of the political party "Our Ukraine," a member of the Party Presidium. On March 26, 2006, he was elected a deputy of the Kharkiv Regional Council, 5th convocation, and became a member of the Standing Committee on Budgetary Issues.

Avakov was on the organizing committee for Euro 2012 in Ukraine from April 24 to May 8, 2007. From May 5, 2007 through January 21, 2008, he was a member of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine. He was also a member of the National Council on Interaction between Government Authorities and Local Self-Government Bodies and was named an Honored Economist of Ukraine. On October 31, 2010, he was elected deputy of the Kharkiv Regional Council, 6th convocation, and became a member of the Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Historical Heritage, Intellectual Wealth and National Minorities. He resigned on February 9, 2010 pursuant to Part 3 of Article 31 of The Law of Ukraine “On Civil Service”: "Principled disagreement with decisions made by the public body or an official thereof, and ethical reasons preventing continuation of civil service."

On February 1, 2010, Avakov withdrew from Our Ukraine. He issued a detailed Summary Report at the close of his term of office in Kharkiv Regional State Administration. On April 21, 2010, he joined the Batkivshchyna political party and accepted the offer of Yulia Tymoshenko to lead its regional organization (Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc). Avakov ran for mayor of Kharkiv in the 2010 Ukraine local elections on 31 October 2010. He finished second, losing to Hennadiy Kernes by a margin of 0.63%.

Charged on 31 January 2012 with illegally transferring land, Avakov was placed on the international wanted list of Interpol on 21 March 2012. He was detained in Frosinone (Italy) late March 2012. An Italian court placed him under house arrest as a preventive measure on 12 April 2012. In October 2012, Avakov was elected into the Ukrainian parliament on the party list of "Fatherland" (number 24 on this list). This led to a court ruling on 10 December 2012 that canceled the restriction measures against him (detention and a warrant for his arrest). He returned to Ukraine the next day, on 11 December 2012.

Minister of Internal Affairs

On February 27, 2014, Avakov was appointed Acting Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. He described pro-Russian separatists as "terrorists". Russia requested that Avakov be placed on Interpol's wanted list for "the use of prohibited means and methods of warfare, aggravated murder, the obstruction of professional activities of journalists, and abduction." On 9 July 2014, a Moscow district court arrested him in absentia.

In September 2014 Avakov became a founding member of his new party People's Front.

Avakov has published twelve scientific papers, one monograph, and a number of essays on political and social issues.

In November 2014, Ukraine's chief rabbi Yaakov Bleich condemned Avakov's appointment of Azov Battalion deputy commander and leading Patriot of Ukraine member Vadym Troyan as Kiev Oblast police chief, and demanded that "if the interior minister continues to appoint people of questionable repute and ideologies tainted with fascism and right-wing extremism, the interior minister should be replaced."

Personal life

Avakov is married and has a son Oleksandr. At the age of 25 his son volunteered for the special police detachments Kyiv-1 Battalion in August 2014 and fought in the Siege of Sloviansk.

Published works

Arsen Avakov is author of 12 scientific papers and one monograph including: