Vladimir Konstantinov (politician)

Vladimir Andreyevich Konstantinov (Russian: Влади́мир Андре́евич Константи́нов, Ukrainian: Володимир Андрійович Константинов; born November 19, 1956) is a Crimean and Russian politician serving as Chairman of the State Council of the Republic of Crimea from 17 March 2014.

Vladimir Konstantinov Влади́мир Константи́нов
Chairman of the State Council
Incumbent
Assumed office 17 March 2014
President	Vladimir Putin
Head	Sergey Aksyonov
Preceded by	Office established
Chairman of the Supreme Council
In office 17 March 2010 – 17 March 2014
President	Viktor Yanukovych
Prime Minister	Vasyl Dzharty Pavlo Burlakov (Acting) Anatolii Mohyliov Sergey Aksyonov
Preceded by	Anatoliy Hrytsenko
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Personal details
Born	19 November 1956 Vladimirovca, Moldavian SSR, Soviet Union
Political party	Party of Regions (until 7 April 2014) United Russia (since 7 April 2014)[1]
Alma mater	Sevastopol Instrument-Making Institute

He served as Chairman of the Supreme Council in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea from 17 March 2010 until 17 March 2014. On March 5, 2014, the Shevchenko District Court of Kyiv ruled on the detention of the self-proclaimed leaders Sergey Aksyonov and Vladimir Konstantinov.[2] The Security Service of Ukraine was charged to bring them to court.[2] On March 15, 2014 Ukrainian parliament dissolved the Supreme Council of Crimea.[3][4][5]

In 2012 Konstantinov strongly condemned calls for an incorporation of Crimea into Russia.[6] On 20 February 2014, during a visit to Moscow, he stated that the 1954 transfer of Crimea from the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic had been a mistake.[7] Since March 2014, Konstantinov is a strong supporter of the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea.[8]

Biography

He was born in Vladimirovca in the Moldavian SSR (present-day Moldova/Transnistria) on November 19, 1956. In 1973, he graduated from Nauchnenskaya secondary school of Bakhchysarai Raion. He is a graduate of Simferopol branch of Sevastopol instrument-making institute, majoring in industrial and civil engineering. From 1979 to 1981 he served in the military service in the Armed Forces of USSR. He holds numerous awards and merits including the "Honored Builder of Ukraine".[9]

Political career

He served as Deputy of the Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea 1998–2002.

Alleged criminal involvement

Andriy Senchenko, member of the Verkhovna Rada (Supreme Council of Ukraine) from Batkivshchyna party led by Yulia Tymoshenko, has alleged in March 2014 that Vladimir Konstatinov has been involved in fraudulent real estate transactions and that he has worked since the 1990s with Prime Minister Sergey Aksyonov,[10] who Senchenko alleged to be a member of organized crime.[11][12]

Notes

References

1. Крымский спикер Константинов возглавил региональное отделение "Единой России" — Интерфакс (in Russian)
2. The court gave the green light to arrest "puppets of Putin" in Crimea. Ukrayinska Pravda. March 5, 2014
3. VR dissolved the parliament of Crimea. UNIAN. March 15, 2014
4. In Kiev, Ukraine Parliament Axes Crimea. Forbes. March 15, 2014
5. Ukraine Votes to Dissolve Crimean Parliament. NBC News. March 15, 2014
6. Pro-Russian Activist Falls On Hard Times In Annexed Crimea, Radio Free Europe (January 16, 2016)
7. The Chronicles of Alienation; The annexation of Crimea from December 2, 2013, through April 4, 2014, The Ukrainian Week (16 March 2015)
8. Ukraine latest: Russia defiant in face of Western sanction threats, The Independent (7 March 2014)
9. Rada of Crimea
10. Премьер по кличке "Гоблин" Radio Svoboda, March 4, 2014
11. "Премьером Крыма выбрали бандита по кличке Гоблин, — Сенченко". Izvestia. March 4, 2014. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
12. EU Observer, The Empire strikes back March 3, 2013