Vadym Hetman
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Vadym Hetman (Ukrainian: Вадим Петрович Гетьман (July 12, 1935 – April 22, 1998) was a Ukrainian statesman and prominent banker. He is credited with the creation of the central bank of the country, the National Bank of Ukraine.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life
Hetman was born in Snityn, Poltava Oblast, in 1935 [1]
[edit] Banker and Politician
Hetman supervised early monetary reforms in newly independent Ukraine through 1993, when he resigned from his position as the head of the supervisory board of the National Bank. However, he maintained close ties with his successor, Viktor Yushchenko. Interestingly, Hetman's signature appears on the original banknotes of Ukraine's national currency, the hryvnia, which was introduced only in September, 1996.
Hetman was a member of the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine's parliament) from 1990 to 1998. He ran for new term in March, 1998, but failed to get reelected. He is known to have complained to President Kuchma about voting irregularities.
[edit] Assassination
Hetman was shot by an apparently professional killer in the elevator of his own apartment block in Kyiv in late April, 1998.
An alleged assassin (a Serhiy Kulev) was later found and sentenced to life imprisonment in April, 2003. The Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine has claimed that the assassination was ordered and paid for by Pavlo Lazarenko, a former Prime Minister [2].
Despite the court's verdict, the case remains far from being certain. In early August, 2005, media reported that the convict filed an appeal to the Supreme Court of Ukraine on grounds that he had been forced to make a false confession. His lawyer subsequently made a public statement that the case was entirely fabricated.
[edit] Awards
Vadym Hetman was posthumously conferred the title of the Hero of Ukraine by President Yushchenko on July 11, 2005.
A regatta cup, "Vadym Hetman Cup" bears his name.
[edit] References
- ^ Biography of people's deputy. Verkhovna Rada official website.
- ^ Бывший премьер Украины Лазаренко оказался еще и киллером (Russian) Pravda, March 2, 2004
[edit] External links
- Vadym Hetman Cup
- National Bank of Ukraine - official site
Preceded by Volodymyr Matvienko |
Chairman of the National Bank of Ukraine 1992–1993 |
Succeeded by Viktor Yushchenko |