Chairwoman of the Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc

Place of birth: Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine

Education: In 1984 graduated with honors from the Economic Department of Dnipropetrovsk State University. Has a degree in Economics.

Career: 1984 - 1988 - engineer-economist in the machine-building plant in Dnipropetrovsk.

1989 - 1991 – appointed a commercial director of the Terminal youth center.

1991 - 1995 - General Director of Ukrainian Petrol Corporation, that provided agriculture of Dnipropetrovsk with oil products.

1995 - 1997 - headed corporation “United Energy System of Ukraine”.

Dec. 30, 1999 – appointed Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine.

Jan. 2001 – dismissed from the post of Vice Prime Minister.

Feb. 4, 2005 – the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine approved by 373 votes the candidacy of Yuliya Tymoshenko to the post of Prime Minister of Ukraine.

Sep. 8, 2005 - President Viktor Yushchenko signed a decree on Yuliya Tymoshenko\'s Cabinet dismissal.

March 2006 - Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc won 22.3% of votes at the parliamentary election.

December 18, 2007 - elected by the Verkhovna Rada to become Prime Minister of Ukraine.  

January - February 2010 - ran for the President of Ukraine. Yuliya Tymoshenko received 45.47% of the vote in the second round of Ukraine's presidential election, 3.48% fewer than her opponent, Viktor Yanukovych.

March 3, 2010 – The Verkhovna Rada dismissed Ukraine’s Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Yuliya Tymoshenko.

Political activity: 1996 – elected deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of the second convocation.

1998 – elected deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of the third convocation on a ticket of the “Gromada” Party. Headed of the Verkhovna Rada Budget Committee.

Feb. 1999 – elected leader of the “Batkivschyna” parliamentary faction established by a group of deputies broken away from the “Gromada” Party.

Dec. 1999 – elected leader of the All-Ukrainian union “Batkivschyna”.

Aug. 18, 2000 – Yuliya Tymoshenko’s husband Olexander Tymoshenko, head of the “United Energy System of Ukraine”, was detained and then arrested.

Jan. 5, 2001 - Yuliya Tymoshenko was accused of smuggling, forgery and tax evasion.

Feb. 2001 – On the initiative of Tymoshenko’s “Batkivschyna” Party the Front of National Salvation was formed with the aim to accuse President Kuchma of being involved in disappearance and assassination of the chief editor of the “Ukrainskaya Pravda” Georgiy Gongadze.

Feb. 13, 2001 – Tymoshenko was arrested. Afterwards the Supreme Court of Ukraine declared her arrest illegal.

2002 - Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc won 7.26% of votes at the parliamentary election. In the Verkhovna Rada Tymoshenko joined the Legal Committee.

In summer 2004 Yuliya Tymoshenko supported the candidacy of Viktor Yushchenko. Later on, she became one of the most active participants and leaders of the Orange Revolution that brought victory to Viktor Yushchenko.

Political and personal contacts: Tymoshenko enjoyed the political backing of Ex Prime Minister of Ukraine Pavlo Lazarenko. She entered the “Gromada” Party founded by Lazarenko and was elected on the “Gromada” Party ticket to the Verkhovna Rada of the third convocation. Later on, divisions of opinions with Lazarenko made Tymoshenko leave “Gromada” and organize her own faction “Batkivschyna”.

Media reports: Yuliya Tymoshenko is charged with numerous abuses, which she allegedly committed under Lazarenko’s protection while heading the “United Energy System of Ukraine”.

Marital status: Married, has a daughter.