Vitold Fokin

Vitold Fokin Вітольд Фокін
1st Prime Minister of Ukraine
In office 23 October 1990 – 1 October 1992 (acting until 24 August 1991)
President	Leonid Kravchuk
Preceded by	Vitaliy Masol (UkrSSR)
Succeeded by	Valentyn Symonenko (Acting)
State Planning Committee of Ukrainian SSR (DerzhPlan)
In office July 1987 – 1990
Prime Minister	Vitaliy Masol
Preceded by	Vitaliy Masol
Succeeded by	post liquidated
Director of the Pervomaiskvuhillya trest
Chief of the Sverdlovatratsyt kombinat
Personal details
Born	(1932-10-25) 25 October 1932 Novomykolaivka, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Ukrainian SSR
Political party	Independent (until 1990 KP(b)U)
Spouse	Tomila Hryhoriivna
Children	2
Alma mater	National Mining University of Ukraine
Signature

Vitold Pavlovych Fokin (Ukrainian: Віто́льд Па́влович Фо́кін; born 25 October 1932 in Novomykolaivka, Novomykolaivka Raion, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast), the son of a teacher, was appointed first deputy prime minister of Ukraine in November 1991. Today Novomykolaivka is located in Zaporizhia Oblast.

Fokin graduated from National Mining University of Ukraine in Dnipropetrovsk.

After Vitaliy Masol was forced to resign Fokin was appointed Head of the Council of Ministers of Ukrainian SSR (today's equivalent of prime-minister) on 17 October 1990.

Prime Minister of Ukraine

Further information: Vitold Fokin Government

On 18 April 1991 Vitold Fokin was appointed the first Prime Minister of Ukraine.

On 12 September 1991 Ukrainian parliament adopted its resolution on "Succession of Ukraine" where Ukraine was declared a direct successor of the Ukrainian SSR. On 22 August 1992 at a plenary session of Ukrainian parliament President of Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk accepted a succession diploma from the exiled government of the Ukrainian People's Republic.

Fokin was one of the drafters and signers of the Belavezha Accords that effectively ended the Soviet Union and founded the Commonwealth of Independent States.

As prime minister he tried to avoid any radical pro-market reforms, however, critics argued that Fokin's inaction, and further credits to various unproductive enterprises contributed to hyperinflation (1,210% in 1992) and in general to the disastrous performance of the Ukrainian economy. He resigned on 8 October 1992 under pressure from the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) and public. Until May 1994, he was vice speaker of the Verkhovna Rada. He currently serves as chairman of the supervisory board of AOZT Devon.

External links

• Interview of Fokin, Boulevard of Gordon; 23 October 2012.