1937. Vyacheslav Chornovil was born

May 1989. Photo by Sergey Lepakhi from the home archive Yuri Kolisnik

80 years ago, on December 24, 1937, Vyacheslav Chornovil, one of the leaders of the National Independence of Ukraine, was born in the village of Yerki in Cherkaschin.

Under the Soviets, Chornovil spent a total of 17 years in colonies and links: in 1967-1969, 1972-1979 and 1980-1988. In 1989 he acted as a co-founder of the people's rush of Ukraine; Since 1992, the party leader. In 1990-1992, the speaker of the Lviv Regional Rada; Simultaneously from 1990 to death, he was a deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

The initiator of the adoption of the declaration of state sovereignty of Ukraine on July 16, 1990 and the act of proclamation of independence of Ukraine on August 24, 1991.

In the presidential election on December 1, 1991, he took second place, losing to the former functionary of the CPSU Leonid Kravchuk. At the same time, in the Galician regions - Lviv, Ivano -Frankivsk and Ternopol - more than half of voters voted significantly for Chornovila.

On March 25, 1999, Chornovil, returning to the capital from Kirovograd, crashed by car near Borispol in the Kiev region, crashing into the KamAZ unfolding on the highway with a trailer. Together with the politician, his driver Evgeny Pavlov died; Press Secretary Chornovila Dmitry Ponamarchuk received serious injuries.

The circumstances of the incident have not yet been clarified. Former Deputy Prosecutor Governor of Ukraine Nikolai Golomsha stated that the wounded Chornovila was allegedly finished off with several strokes of the brand.

It was noted that the death of a politician was beneficial to the President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchme, who considered it a dangerous competitor in the Autumn of 1999 elections.

In 2000, the policy was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine.

In honor of Chornovil, streets, squares and educational institutions throughout Ukraine are named. He erected monuments and memorial boards.