Modest, PhD, American: What are the first ladies of Ukraine remembered
'11.05.2019'
Source: Ukraine.ru
Behind every successful man stands a strong woman, says the famous wisdom. The Ukraina.ru publication recalls what the first ladies of Ukraine did and remember during the period of its independence - from 1991.
Antonina Kravchuk: modestly and in the shadow of her husband
The wife of Leonid Makarovich rarely appeared in public, practically did not give an interview and did not go with her husband on foreign trips. They knew little about it, many Ukrainians simply never saw it.
It is known that Antonina Kravchuk grew up without a father, lost her mother early. She was brought up by her older sister. I met Leonid in my first year at university. As Antonina recalled, the future husband did not immediately make a strong impression on her: “He separated himself, he became an informal leader later. Interesting, charming - it was impossible not to pay attention. ”
While Leonid was moving towards the presidency, his wife chose a career as a teacher and a scientist, and raised her son with her husband.
“When Leonid became president, I received the status of first lady. Like it or not. I immediately understood: everything connected with this is not for me, not my business. Everyone should do what he knows, what he is destined to, ”admitted Antonina Kravchuk.
On the subject: New first lady of Ukraine: 9 facts about Elena Zelenskaya
And her husband declared: “My wife is a self-sufficient person with excellent self-control. She treated her role in the state very responsibly, probably even more than I took myself. And I measured all my steps precisely with this huge responsibility. ”
Lyudmila Kuchma: a strong-willed woman and a “ticket” for Leonid Danilovich
Leonid Danilovich's wife was an influential public figure in the social, sports and even political life of Ukraine. They said that she has a huge impact on her husband. It is noteworthy that in Ukraine they considered: “the start in life” to Kuchma was given by the adoptive father of Lyudmila.
Lyudmila Kuchma had the image of a tough, strong-willed woman. But, according to her daughter Elena, Lyudmila was “very responsive to requests and unnecessarily trusting.”
Lyudmila met Leonid Danilovich on a collective farm. There young specialists were sent for weeding.
“It was love at first sight. I went to the team leader, and she was in my submission. It was hot for 30, Luda was all burned, and I was rescued, helped her weed the row to the end, ”recalled Kuchma.
Three years after the wedding, in 1970, the only daughter of the spouses Elena was born. Today she is the wife of the Ukrainian billionaire Viktor Pinchuk.
Lyudmila Kuchma worked for 30 for years at the plant, and when she became the first lady, she began active social activities. Marked by numerous medals and titles.
There was a lot of talk about Lyudmila Kuchma’s elegant style and her staying public: calm, confident and friendly.
Kateryna Yushchenko: Scandalous and Stylish American
The wife of Viktor Yushchenko was born in Chicago, in a family of former Ukrainian Ostarbeiters. They left for the USA from Germany after the end of the Second World War. Catherine Claire ("American" name of Katerina Yushchenko) since childhood was interested in its roots. She graduated in international economics. She worked in the White House, the US Treasury and the US Congress.
“She was extraordinarily purposeful and energetic,” said Congressman Christopher Cox, who knew Yushchenko’s future wife at work in the White House.
In 1993, Catherine came to Kiev to work in the Ukrainian representative office of a large American company. In the same year she met her future husband, at that time, the head of the National Bank, Viktor Yushchenko. Five years later, they were married, and after the election of her husband as the third president of Ukraine, Kateryna Yushchenko took Ukrainian citizenship. The couple have three children.
On the subject: The love story of Vladimir Zelensky and his wife Helen
In Ukraine, Ekaterina Mikhailovna Yushchenko was remembered not only by the American accent and relaxed style of communication. She was often criticized, and during the late Yushchenko President, she was openly accused of financial and political fraud.
The story of the “Hospital of the Future” made a stir: the money for a large-scale project was collected by the whole world, but later opinions appeared that the contributions of the oligarchs to the Katerina Yushchenko Foundation were bribes for President Viktor Yushchenko. In fact, over the 10 years, the Foundation has built only the foundation of the hospital.
In the secular world, Catherine was known as an educated man, with a good sense of style, and advocated for the support of Ukrainian culture.
Lyudmila Yanukovych: Lady of the People and Bright Speaker
The wife of Viktor Fedorovich was born in Yenakiyevo, Donetsk region. The future first lady was brought up by mom (disabled person of the first group), grandmother and grandfather. She met Victor at the factory in 1969. Two years later they were married, and in 1997, they decided to marry.
Social activities Lyudmila Yanukovych began long before she became the first lady.
In the status of the president’s wife, she often attended cultural events, exhibitions, going to the theater and to the ballet. But on social events with Yanukovych did not appear, did not accompany him in foreign visits.
During her husband’s election campaign in 2004, Ludmila headed a children's charity foundation. But it became known not because of this, but when, at the height of the Orange Revolution, she made a fiery speech from the stage in support of her husband. Pearls about "pinned oranges", "American boots" and "Dad, I try" went to the people.
Ludmila Yanukovych in Ukraine laughed at the style of clothes and appearance, hinting at the “nationality” and the incompatibility of her image with the status of the first lady.
As it turned out after the change of power in the country, Lyudmila Alexandrovna did not live with him in the last years of her presidency: she left for Donetsk, lived in a house where she grew up.
Maryna Poroshenko: the keeper of the family hearth and the candidate of medical sciences
President Poroshenko’s wife is a cardiologist by profession, candidate of medical sciences. However, instead of a scientific career, Marina chose a family: she and Petr Alekseevich have four children. The first son was born when Poroshenko served in the army.
Maryna Poroshenko heads the Petro Poroshenko Charity Foundation.
12 November 2016, Maryna Poroshenko received the All-Ukrainian Prize “Woman of the 3rd Millennium” award in the category “Sign figure”. 19 January 2018 was appointed as chairman of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation.
Poroshenko also remembered the scandal due to a photo shoot made for one of the fashion magazines, which she held at the height of the war in the Donbas in August 2014 of the year.
“I tried to show the face of Ukraine so that everyone could see that we are normal people. We support our Ukraine, ”said Maryna Poroshenko, assuring that the magazine sent part of the money to the needs of the army.
Recall that on April 21, 2019, Ukraine held elections for a new president - Vladimir Zelensky will become him. The inauguration of the new leader will take place at the end of May. This is what we know about the future first lady. Elena Zelenskaya at the moment. And what kind of activities she will engage in as the spouse of the leader of the state - time will tell.
