Anya Mikulevko

Anna "Anya" Omaravna Mikulevko (; born 1 July 1960) is an Akrainian politician, businesswoman, and stateswoman who has served as president of Akraine since 2019, and prime minister of Akraine from 2008 until 2011, being the first woman to hold both of those offices. Additionally, Mikulevko is the founder and leader of the All-Akrainian Union, served in the Tarshan zh‘Danku from 2008 until 2012, and served as Minister of Finance in the Kolisnyk government from 2005 until 2007.
Born to a middle-class family in Helonov, Mikulevko completed secondary schooling in 1978, and later enrolled in Helonov State University to study business administration, graduating with her degree in 1981. While a university student, Mikulevko married Vadym Habarov, and after their graduation they founded the logging company Lurisma Lumber in 1982. Mikulevko served in senior executive positions at the company, while Habarov was its chief executive officer (CEO). The company began to gradually grow throughout the 1980s, before becoming one of the largest corporations in the Akrainian logging industry by 1992. In 2002, they sold the company for $256.7 million, and the two became primarily involved in investing, often operating as angel investors for smaller companies. 
Mikulevko began her political career in 2005, when she was appointed by David Voronov to serve as Minister of Finance in the Kolisnyk government, to replace the resigning Lyubomyr Darov. With her appointment, she became the first woman to serve in the role, often considered to be one of the most powerful ministers in the Akrainian government. While in the position, Mikulevko became elevated to national stardom, and frequently came into conflict with both Voronov, Oleh Kolisnyk, and the Community and Unity Party due to her belief that they were corrupt and their financial policies sought to empower themselves rather than help the country. Amidst plummeting approval ratings for Voronov and Kolisnyk, Mikulevko tendered her resignation from the government in July 2007, and confirmed that she had founded the All-Akrainian Union, a political party that she intended to stand for eradicating corruption in Akraine and distancing relations with Kasha. She stood for election in the 2008 parliamentary election as the All-Akrainian Union leader, where the party secured a plurality of seats. She was subsequently appointed by Volodymyr Tkach to serve as prime minister, becoming the first woman to serve in the position, and subsequently created the Mikulevko government.
As prime minister, Mikulevko began to attract international recognition for her fight to eradicate corruption in Akraine, and was continuously declared to be one of the top twenty most powerful women in the world. Despite initial strong relations between herself and Tkach, their relationship began to crumble when Mikulevko began to accuse him of corruption in 2011. Four months after she levied accusations against him, she was sacked as prime minister and replaced by Nakita Tolosov; afterwards, she was charged with misuse of public funds, bribery, and abuse of power, with international observers declaring the charges as "phony." Despite international pressure to drop the charges against her, Tkach publicly declared Mikulevko as a "corrupt politician," and she was later convicted on all three counts and sentenced to twelve years in prison, with the additional penalty of never being allowed to hold public office again. Mikulevko began her sentence on 10 September 2012, and was viewed by the international community to be a political prisoner held in custody by the Akrainian government for her oppositional political views. She was reportedly frequently abused by prison guards, and was force fed through a feeding tube after attempting a hunger strike to protest her treatment.
After less than a year in custody, Mikulevko was released from prison by activists in the 2013 Akrainian revolution, and her convictions were subsequently overturned. Now a widely popular and internationally recognizable figure, Mikulevko stood as a candidate in the 2013 presidential election, campaigning on behalf of reform, anti-corruption, and a disintegration of relations with Kasha. Despite being the widespread favorite to win the election and the plurality vote winner of the first round, she ultimately lost in the run-off to Antoni Zhaschevko by less than two percentage points. After her narrow defeat, Mikulevko promised that she'd instruct the All-Akrainian Union to work with Zhaschevko and his Party of Change, but that she would not stand as a candidate in the upcoming parliamentary election. After allegations of corruption against Zhaschevko began to emerge in 2016, Mikulevko pulled All-Akrainian Union parliamentary support from the Party of Changes, causing a new parliamentary election to be held, where the All-Akrainian Union won a plurality of seats for the first time since 2008. She began to be seen as an opposition figure to Zhaschevko, and later declared that she would challenge him in the 2019 presidential election. Despite placing only second in the first round, Mikulevko advanced to the run-off with Zhaschevko, where she defeated him by six percentage points, being elected president of Akraine. She later took office on 30 September 2019, becoming the first woman to hold the position.
Widely described as one of the most powerful women in the world and the most powerful woman in Akrainian history, Mikulevko has received international praise and has been described as the "Free Leader of Eastern Eurea." Ideologically, Mikulevko's All-Akrainian Party does not position itself in the left-to-right political spectrum. Mikulevko describes herself as being a "centrist liberal," but publications and pundits have described her and the party of being anywhere from left-wing to center-right. Mikulevko advocates for social and economic liberalism, rural and agrarian interests, strengthening Akraine's relationship with the rest of Eurea, and limiting Kashan influence on Akrainian interests. Mikulevko is additionally the wealthiest woman in Akraine, with her net worth being reportedly $645.6 million, as of .
==Early life and education==
Mikulevko was born on 1 July 1960 in Helonov to parents Omar Mikulevko (1933–1967) and Anna Tabakyna (born 1935). Her father worked in sales, while her mother was a homemaker. Her mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother were all named Anna, and it was family tradition to refer to the youngest girl by the nickname Anya; after her birth, Mikulevko began to be referred to as Anya, and she continued to use this nickname throughout her entire professional career. Mikulevko was raised as an only child in a middle-class family. 
In 1967, when Mikulevko was seven years old, her father died after suffering a heart attack. After his death, she and her mother suffered economically, and they moved into her maternal grandparents' home. Mikulevko's mother subsequently found employment as a seamstress, although they never went on to purchase their own home again. Mikulevko began her education in 1966, attending a local, public primary school in Helonov. After graduating from primary school in 1974, she began secondary school, where she became interested in business and economics, graduating in 1978.
After completing her secondary education, Mikulevko enrolled in Helonov State University, where she studied business administration. This was considered unusual at the time, as business was not a subject deemed suitable for women, and Mikulevko was often the only girl in her courses. She later graduated with her degree in 1981. In 1993, Mikulevko enrolled in a doctoral program at the National University in Prav, graduating with her doctorate in 2000. She wrote her dissertation on woman-run corporations and the representation of women in finance.
==Lurisma Lumber and investing==
After graduating with her university degree, Mikulevko found work in the quality assurance department of a logging company. However, she quickly became dissatisfied with the work, largely due to a poor relationship with her boss, whom she has described as "grossly sexist." After less than a year with the company, Mikulevko quit her job in 1982, and had considered suing her employer for gender discrimination and sexual harassment, but knew that the case would not move forward under the fascist leadership of the Kashan Union. Looking to explore a career where she could be her own boss, Mikulevko and her husband Vadym Habarov founded the logging company Lurisma Lumber that year; they initially decided to enter the logging industry to compete with Mikulevko's previous employer, but later realized that the industry was actually immensely profitable.
After founding the company, Mikulevko became president and chief operating officer (COO), while her husband became chief executive officer (CEO). As president and chief operating officer, Mikulevko was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company. Through their management of the company, Lurisma quickly began to grow into a dominant force in the logging industry; in 1989, the company purchased the logging company that Mikulevko had previously been employed by, which she went on to refer to as "closure" that she needed. By 1992, Lurisma had become one of the most dominant logging companies in Akraine. In 2002, Mikulevko and Habarov sold the company for $256.7 million. With their newfound fortune, they began to pursue investing opportunities, where they worked as angel investors for a number of start-ups and small companies across a variety of industries. 
==Political career==
===Early politics and Minister of Finance===
Mikulevko first entered politics in 2005, after she was appointed by David Voronov to serve as Minister of Finance in the Kolisnyk government, following the resignation of Lyubomyr Darov. Mikulevko had never been interested in politics before, and registered with the Community and Unity Party just prior to her appointment. With her appointment, she became the first woman to serve in the position, and was considered to be one of the most powerful women in Akraine, as the finance ministry is considered to be one of the most powerful and important ministries of the Akrainian government.
Mikulevko became a high-profile individual due to frequent media reports of her coming into conflict with both Voronov and Oleh Kolisnyk. Reports stated that Mikulevko disapproved of the actions of Voronov and Kolisnyk, believing that they were corrupt and that the financial policies they supported more so empowered themselves than helped the Akrainian public. In 2007, approval ratings for Voronov and Kolisnyk began to plummet following allegations of widespread political corruption that began to come to light. Mikulevko tendered her resignation from the government in July 2007, and confirmed that she had founded the All-Akrainian Union, a political party that she intended to stand for eradicating corruption in Akraine and distancing relations with Kasha.
As the leader of the All-Akrainian Union, Mikulevko stood as a candidate in the 2008 parliamentary election as the first candidate on the party's nationwide electoral list. Due to tactile campaigning and a desire for change amongst Akrainians, Mikulevko and the All-Akrainian Union won a plurality of seats in the Tarshan zh‘Danku, accumulating a great deal of power for herself and her party.
===Prime minister===
 
After the conclusion of the 2008 parliamentary election, Mikulevko was in a very strong position politically. As the leader of the largest party in parliament, she was instantly considered to become a frontrunner for the position of prime minister. After discussions with Volodymyr Tkach, it was confirmed that Tkach would appoint Mikulevko as prime minister and that the All-Akrainian Union would govern with Tkach's Free Akrainian Party. With this appointment, Mikulevko became the first woman to serve as prime minister in Akrainian history. Her government was later sworn in as well, which had the most gender diversity of any Akrainian government, with nine women included out of the twenty-one ministerial offices.
Following the appointment of her government on 10 March 2008, Mikulevko began to receive international recognition for her fight against corruption in Akraine and desire to closely align Akraine's future with that of other developed countries in Eurea. She was invited to numerous international conferences on corruption and women's rights, and additionally began undertaking state visits, with some governments requesting that Mikulevko complete the state visit instead of Tkach, to whom the responsibility would traditionally go to most often. Mikulevko's rise in popularity and international recognition reportedly led to ill-will between herself and Tkach by 2010, and the relations between their respective parties additionally became tense, resulting in difficulties in governing. 
====Arrest and imprisonment====
In May 2011, Mikulevko publicly alleged that Tkach had been engaging in political corruption and implied that she intended on challenging him in the upcoming 2013 presidential election. This allegation led to a complete breakdown of the working relationship between Mikulevko and Tkach. After four months of government gridlock due to the two parties' inability to work together, Mikulevko was fired by Tkach as prime minister in September 2011. After the sacking, rumors emerged that Tkach had fired Mikulevko in order to remove her absolute immunity, and would frame her for political corruption.
Shortly after her sacking, the Attorney-General of Akraine levied three criminal charges against Mikulevko: misuse of public funds, bribery, and abuse of power, all dating back to alleged exchanges between 2005 and 2007, when Mikulevko reportedly granted government contracts to firms in exchange for monetary compensation while serving as Minister of Finance. The international community regarded the charges as "phony," believing that Tkach was attempting to frame Mikulevko in order to silence her and erase her credibility. Despite international outrage, Tkach's popularity led to a breakdown of trust in Mikulevko within Akraine. Due to the criminal investigations against her, she did not run for reelection in the 2012 parliamentary election, and the All-Akrainian Union lost all but three seats. Her trial was held throughout July 2012, ultimately concluding on 25 July, where she was convicted on all three counts and sentenced to 12 years in prison, with the additional punishment of being banned from holding public office ever again. The conviction was met with widespread backlash from the international community, who referred to Mikulevko as a political prisoner of the Akrainian government for her oppositional political views.
Mikulevko began her sentence on 10 September 2012, reporting at the Sivovinska Prison in Prav. While incarcerated, Mikulevko was a frequent victim of torture by prison guards, and was also often abused by her fellow inmates. International reports alleged that inmates were granted compensation from guards if they would abuse Mikulevko. In December 2012, she attempted a hunger strike to protest her treatment, but was met with further abuse from guards and was forced to use a feeding tube.
===2013 revolution and subsequent activities===
Following increasing scrutiny of Tkach and his pro-Kashan policies, unrest began to emerge in Akraine in May 2013. Akrainians began to take to the streets demanding a preservation of Akrainian sovereignty from Kashan influence, and for Tkach to resign from office. This unrest ultimately led to the 2013 Akrainiian revolution, which occurred from May until August 2013. Tkach resigned from office on 5 June 2013, and fled from Akraine to Kasha in order to avoid criminal prosecution. Following Tkach's resignation, revolution activists stormed Sivovinska Prison and freed Mikulevko on 7 June. After being freed from prison, all criminal convictions against her were dropped.
Free from her incarceration, Mikulevko regained her popularity and became a leader of the revolution. Advocating for an elimination of government corruption, strengthening of relations with Eurea, and total disintegration of relations with Kasha, Mikulevko announced her intention to stand as a candidate in the 2013 presidential election. Considered to be the obvious frontrunner, Mikulevko led the polls by double-digits for months leading up to the election. However, just two months prior to the election, Antoni Zhaschevko began to emerge as a legitimate challenger to Mikulevko. The first round of the election was held on 7 September 2013, where Mikulevko placed first, beating Zhaschevko by two percentage points. They advanced to a run-off held on 5 October, where Zhaschevko defeated Mikulevko by less than two percentage points, and was elected president.
Following her loss, Mikulevko pledged her support behind Zhaschevko and stated that she had "trust he would help Akraine in its reform." Ahead of the 2014 parliamentary election, Mikulevko confirmed that she would not stand as a candidate, but would instruct the All-Akrainian Union to work with Zhaschevko's Party of Changes in order to prioritize reform and anti-corruption work. The party greatly rebounded from their previous electoral loss, becoming the third-largest party in parliament, and entered into a coalition government with the Party of Changes. Mikulevko was offered a ministerial post, but ultimately refused.
===Return to opposition===
After working with Zhaschevko and the Party of Regions for nearly two years, allegations of political corruption began to emerge against Zhaschevko through whistleblower reports in June 2016. Zhaschevko vehemently denied the reports, but Mikulevko ultimately pulled the All-Akrainian Union out of their coalition deal that month, due to the allegations. This led to a breakdown of the government, and a new parliamentary election was called. During the campaign season, Mikulevko strongly campaigned against Zhaschevko and the Party of Changes, alleging that they were "no different" from the "corrupt politicians" that the 2013 revolution was meant to eliminate.
The All-Akrainian Union ultimately won a slim plurality of seats in the election, but swore off any coalition agreement with the Party of Changes. This led to them remaining in the opposition, as the Party of Changes managed to secure a majority government with several smaller parties. Despite their opposition status, pundits saw their victory in the election as evidence that Mikulevko could realistically challenge Zhaschevko for the presidency and win. 
===President of Akraine===
In 2019, Mikulevko declared her candidacy in the 2019 presidential election, seeking to challenge Zhaschevko. Considered to be a very vulnerable incumbent, Zhaschevko struggled in his campaign, with numerous newly emerging corruption scandals also beginning to arise. The first round was held on 17 August 2019, where Mikulevko placed second to Zhaschevko and advanced to a run-off with him. In the run-off, held on 21 September, Mikulevko defeated Zhaschevko by six percentage points, being elected president.
She took office as president of Akraine on 30 September 2019, becoming the first woman to hold the role. As president, Mikulevko serves as the head of state and most senior leader of Akraine. She is tasked with selecting the prime minister and the three most senior members of the government, formally appointing the prime minister's nominations, signing off on or vetoing passed legislation, and serving as the commander-in-chief of the Akrainian Defense Forces. Mikulevko is also the chief representative of Akraine both abroad and at home, making state visits, hosting foreign dignitaries to Akraine, and attending international conferences. After taking office, she moved into Hryhorensky Palace in Prav, the traditional residence of the president.
In January 2020, Mikulevko called for a parliamentary election, which led to the All-Akrainian Union obtaining a slim majority in parliament on their own, something unusual in Akrainian politics. This led to Mikulevko being able to choose whomever she'd like to serve as prime minister, and she ultimately appointed Danil Grigorchuk. Following Grigorchuk's appointment, the two made a joint speech together where they stated that Akraine would move on a path to "Eureanization," distance themselves from Kashan influence, and support the social and economic liberalization of the country. 
==Personal life==
Mikulevko began a relationship with Vadym Habarov in 1978, meeting while both were business students at Helonov State University. Mikulevko and Habarov later became engaged after six months of dating, and married in 1980, while they were still university students. After their graduations, Mikulevko and Habarov became business partners, founding Lurisma Lumber together and managing it for two decades. They had one daughter together: Anna, born , who also is a politician.
Mikulevko and Habarov owned their primary home in Prav, while also owning supplementary homes in Helonov, Dollchester, a ski home in Fachèle-Biezmont, Frankenland, and a beach house in Fallarta, Dain. Mikulevko filed for divorce from Habarov in 2003, citing irreconcilable differences, and the divorce was later finalized two years later; Mikulevko reportedly received a large settlement, amounting to around $100 million, making it the most expensive divorce in Akrainian history. As of , Mikulevko's net worth is reported to be $645.6 million, making her the wealthiest woman in Akraine.
Mikulevko has stated that Kashan is her native language and until Akrainian independence, she had never spoken Akrainian outside of classes in school. In 2006, she stated that she has thought, spoke, and dreamt in the Akrainian language since the 1990s.
Category:1960 births
Category:21st-century Akrainian female politicians
Category:Akrainian businesswomen
Category:Akrainian female investors
Category:Akrainian logging businesspeople
Category:Akrainian politicians
Category:Akrainian women in politics
Category:All-Akrainian Union politicians
Category:Community and Unity Party (Akraine) politicians
Category:Elected female heads of state
Category:Female heads of government
Category:Helonov State University alumni
Category:Living people
Category:National University in Prav alumni
Category:People's Deputies of Akraine
Category:People from Helonov
Category:Political prisoners of Akraine
Category:Prime Ministers of Akraine