Andriy Anatoliyovych Kozhemiakin (Ukrainian: Андрій Анатолійович Кожем'якін; born November 13, 1965, in Odesa, Ukrainian SSR[7]) is a Ukrainian politician and a former security service officer.[8][9]

Andriy Kozhemiakin
Андрій Кожем'якін
People's Deputy of Ukraine
9th convocation
Assumed office
29 August 2019
ConstituencyFatherland, No.7[1]
People's Deputy of Ukraine
5th convocation
In office
25 May 2006 – 12 June 2007
ConstituencyYulia Tymoshenko Bloc, No.25[2]
6th convocation
In office
23 November 2007 – 12 December 2012
ConstituencyYulia Tymoshenko Bloc, No.23[3]
7th convocation
In office
12 December 2012 – 27 November 2014
ConstituencyFatherland, No.13[4]
8th convocation
Assumed office
27 November 2014
ConstituencyFatherland, No.13[5]
Personal details
Born (1965-11-13) 13 November 1965 (age 59)[6]
Odesa, Soviet Union
(now Ukraine)
Political partyAll-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland"
SpouseNataliya
Childrendaughter Daria, son Ruslan
Alma materTaras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv
AwardsOrder of Danylo Halytsky
Medal "For Irreproachable Service" III Class
Military service
AllegianceSoviet Union
Ukraine
Branch/serviceSoviet Navy
Security Service of Ukraine
Years of service1986–1988 (Black Sea Fleet)
1988–1991 (KGB)
1991–2006 (Security Service)
RankLieutenant General

Biography

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Military / Security Service career

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Kozhemiakin graduated in 1986 from the Kyiv Naval Political College and the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (majoring in "jurisprudence").[10] From 1986 till 1988 Kozhemiakin served as an officer in a submarine unit in the Black Sea Fleet of the Soviet Navy.[7][6] From 1988 till March 2006 he served as a senior security officer in a special unit in the KGB, and later starting in 1991 in the SBU.[10][6] He was promoted to colonel in 2002, and major general in 2005 when he headed the anti-corruption unit.[6]

Ranks promotions

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  • 2002 Colonel
  • 2005 Major General
  • 2016 Lieutenant General

Kozhemiakin is a former member of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine. He left the National Olympic Committee in January 2023.[11]

Parliamentary career

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In 2006 and 2007 Kozhemiakin was elected into Parliament on a Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc ticket.[7] After the 2007 election Ivan Kyrylenko was elected faction leader of Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc in the Ukrainian Parliament.[12] The faction re-elected Kozhemiakin as its faction leader on 7 December 2011.[8][9]

Kozhemiakin was placed at number 11 on the electoral list of Batkivshchina during the 2012 Ukrainian parliamentary election; he was re-elected into parliament.[13][14]

In the 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election he was again re-elected into parliament; this time after placing 13th on the electoral list of Batkivshchina.[15][16]

In the 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election Kozhemiakin was again re-elected into parliament; this time after placing 7th on the electoral list of Batkivshchina.[1] He was named Youth and Sports Committee Head, and chairperson of the parliamentary committee on law enforcement legislation.[17][18]

A draft civil union law, introduced following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, that would give same-sex partnerships legal status in Ukraine was supported by Kozhemiakin in 2023 because "If it will never exist in Russia, it should exist and be supported here."[19]

In 2023, Ukrainian four-time individual world sabre champion Olga Kharlan was disqualified by the Fédération Internationale d'Escrime (FIE) at the World Fencing Championships in Milan, Italy.[20] Kharlan defeated Russian Anna Smirnova 15-7. Smirnova extended her hand to Kharlan, who in turn extended her saber in an offer to the Russian to tap blades.[21][22] Kharlan said her choice of salute was meant as a sign of respect for her opponent, while still acknowledging the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.[23] After a long delay during which Smirnova protested and sat on the strip for 45 minutes, Kharlan was ultimately black-carded and eliminated from the championship by FIE officials.[24][25] The Russian had been allowed to compete as a neutral athlete.[26] The National Fencing Federation of Ukraine filed an appeal.[27] At the behest of the IOC, the FIE's disqualification of Kharlan was cancelled by the FIE, making it possible for her to enter the team event. Kharlan was also told by the IOC that due to the circumstances she was being granted automatic qualification into the 2024 Paris Olympics.[28] Kozhemiakin drafted resolution No. 9554 of Verkhovna Rada, a draft appeal that was registered to the parliaments and governments of democratic countries, the IOC, and international sports federations calling for the condemnation of the disqualification of Kharlan by the FIE.[29] It also asks that all persons involved in the decision to disqualify Kharlan be brought to justice, and calls for the disqualification of the Russian fencer for life for having engaged in a provocative act contrary to the Olympic spirit.[29]

References

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  1. ^ a b Small biography on Andriy Kozhemiakin, Civil movement "Chesno" (in Ukrainian)
  2. ^ "People's Deputy of Ukraine of the V convocation". Official portal (in Ukrainian). Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  3. ^ "People's Deputy of Ukraine of the VI convocation". Official portal (in Ukrainian). Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  4. ^ "People's Deputy of Ukraine of the IV convocation". Official portal (in Ukrainian). Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  5. ^ "People's Deputy of Ukraine of the VIII convocation". Official portal (in Ukrainian). Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  6. ^ a b c d "All or nothing for Mr. Yatseniuk"
  7. ^ a b c (in Ukrainian) Кожем'якін Андрій Анатолійович, довідку
  8. ^ a b BYT-Batkivschyna replaces its leader, Kyiv Post (7 December 2011)
  9. ^ a b Tymoshenko aware of change in leadership of BYT-Batkivschyna faction, Kyiv Post (7 December 2011)
  10. ^ a b (in Russian) Кожемякин Андрей Анатольевич, Информационно-аналитический центр "ЛІГА"
  11. ^ "NOC excluded Surkis, Shufrych, Shevchenko and Belenyuk from its composition". Ukrainska Pravda (in Ukrainian). 2022-01-13. Retrieved 2023-01-13.
  12. ^ elected on post of chairman of BYUT faction, UNIAN (19-12-2007)
  13. ^ (in Ukrainian) Список депутатів нової Верховної Ради, Ukrayinska Pravda (11 November 2012)
  14. ^ They Call Themselves the Opposition, The Ukrainian Week (31 August 2012)
  15. ^ Poroshenko Bloc to have greatest number of seats in parliament Archived November 12, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, Ukrinform (8 November 2014)
    People's Front 0.33% ahead of Poroshenko Bloc with all ballots counted in Ukraine elections - CEC Archived November 12, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, Interfax-Ukraine (8 November 2014)
    Poroshenko Bloc to get 132 seats in parliament - CEC, Interfax-Ukraine (8 November 2014)
  16. ^ (in Ukrainian) Full electoral list of "Fatherland" Archived 2014-09-15 at the Wayback Machine, TVi (15 September 2014)
  17. ^ "Back to school for Ukraine's new government". www.intellinews.com. September 2, 2019.
  18. ^ "UAWire - US, EU ambassadors and IMF ask Ukrainian parliament to postpone consideration of illicit enrichment bills". www.uawire.org.
  19. ^ "War brings urgency to fight for LGBT rights in Ukraine". The Guardian. 5 June 2023. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  20. ^ "World Fencing Championships: Ukraine's Olga Kharlan disqualified for refusing Russian Anna Smirnov's handshake". BBC Sport. 27 July 2023.
  21. ^ "World Fencing Championships: Ukraine's Olga Kharlan disqualified for refusing Russian Anna Smirnov's handshake". BBC. 27 July 2023.
  22. ^ Aadi Nair (27 July 2023). "Ukrainian fencer disqualified from world championships for refusing handshake with Russian opponent; Olga Kharlan offered to touch blades after beating Anna Smirnova, who then staged a sit-down protest at the handshake refusal". The Independent.
  23. ^ Dedaj, Paulina (27 July 2023). "Olympic gold medalist disqualified from World Championships after refusing handshake with Russian opponent; Olga Kharlan is a four-time individual world champion". Fox News.
  24. ^ Borger, Julian (2023-07-27). "Ukraine calls for disqualified fencer to be reinstated after anti-Russia protest". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-07-28. Smirnova approached the Ukrainian to shake hands, but Kharlan, an Olympic champion, held up her sabre instead and walked away.
  25. ^ Svitlana Vlasova and Tim Lister (27 July 2023). "Ukraine's top fencer disqualified from world championship after refused handshake with Russian". CNN.
  26. ^ "Брат росіянки Смірнової, якій не потиснула руку Ольга Харлан, служить в російській армії. А сама Смірнова робить з ним такі ось світлини. Це теж "спорт поза політикою"?". Base of Ukrainian sports. 27 July 2023.
  27. ^ Glynn A. Hill (27 July 2023). "Ukrainian fencer DQ’d after refusing handshake with Russian opponent", The Washington Post.
  28. ^ "Pour la Russie, le CIO a choisi le camp de l'Ukraine". Imaz Press. 28 July 2023.
  29. ^ a b "Verkhovna Rada decides what to do with Kharlan and the Russian woman who tried to frame the Ukrainian at the Fencing World Cup". Obozrevatel.