Dr. Viktor Yushchenko — Profile, Specialty, Credentials & Public Visibility

Summary

Updated 2026-06-21

The pro-Western Ukrainian president whose face was destroyed by dioxin poisoning during the 2004 campaign — then won anyway, rode a revolution to power, and watched it all collapse in five years of feuds and legislative gridlock.

Biography

About

Viktor Yushchenko started in banking, became governor of Ukraine's National Bank in 1993 during hyperinflation, and served as prime minister from 1999 to 2001 before President Leonid Kuchma dismissed him. He founded Our Ukraine Bloc, which became the country's most popular political force in 2002, and ran for president in 2004 against Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych. Late in the campaign someone poisoned him with dioxin, disfiguring his face but failing to kill him. When Yanukovych won the November runoff, mass accusations of fraud triggered the Orange Revolution; the Supreme Court ordered a…

Voice

In their own words

Sourced, dated quotes from Viktor Yushchenko

Viktor Yushchenko

said25 Jul 2006

Ukraine is facing a serious threat of isolation as some local political forces want to put an end to democracy and democratic reforms in the country

— Regnum, July 25, 2006

Viktor Yushchenko

saidundated

I am convinced that we will cope with this Moscow disaster. I think that now we have a unique chance if we open an internal dialogue! Ukrainian victory begins with you.

via Wikiquote · CC BY-SA

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