Name Vitaliy Masol Spouse Nina Masol | Preceded by Petro Rozenko | |
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President Leonid KravchukLeonid Kuchma Education Kyiv Polytechnic Institute | ||
Ukrainian politician Vitaliy Masol Died at 89
Vitaliy Andriyovych Masol (Ukrainian: Віталій Андрійович Масол; born November 14, 1928) is a Ukrainian politician who was Prime Minister of Ukraine from 1994 to 1995. He was confirmed as Prime Minister on June 16, 1994 and resigned from that post on March 1, 1995.
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Biography
Masol graduated in 1951 from Kyiv Polytechnic Institute as an engineer. In 1971 he was awarded a doctorate in technical science.
Masol was Head of the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR (today's equivalent of Prime Minister) from 1987 until 17 October 1990, when was forced to resign and was replaced by Vitold Fokin. He was forced into resignation by Ukrainian student protests and hunger strikes.
President Leonid Kravchuk's appointment of Masol as Prime Minister of Ukraine on June 16, 1994 with his image of "an advocate of state-controlled economy" was seen as a surprise and a pre-election concession to the communist-dominated Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine's parliament). Masol was once again reinstated by President Leonid Kuchma. Masol was against most of Kuchma's reform plans and openly so; he sometimes mobilized the Verkhovna Rada against Kuchma. Masol resigned on March 1, 1995 continuing to attend meetings of the Verkhovna Rada.
Awards
During his public service Vitaliy Masol received numerous civil and state awards and recognitions, including the Order of Lenin (in 1966 and 1986), the Order of the October Revolution (in 1971), the Order of the Red Banner of Labour (1978), the Order of the Badge of Honour (in 1960), the Order of Merit, 3rd class (in 1997) and 1st Class (in 2008), the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 5th Class (in 1998) and 4th Class (in 2003).