The Rise Of Viktor Yanukovych
![Playing a guitar at home in Novy Petrovtsy (courtesy yanukovych.com.ua)](https://gdb.rferl.org/f7af02f7-6bd4-491e-8237-c27d37ebc169_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Playing a guitar at home in Novy Petrovtsy (courtesy yanukovych.com.ua)
![In an undated childhood photograph](https://gdb.rferl.org/6c83e826-10b9-453c-89ac-6e19f1bba1cb_w1024_q10_s.gif)
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In an undated childhood photograph
![At a children's Christmas festival in 2001](https://gdb.rferl.org/f25ab31c-3a3d-48dd-8a1a-2e2e41bb9081_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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At a children's Christmas festival in 2001
![During a visit to a chemical plant in Donetsk in 2002.](https://gdb.rferl.org/c33039a5-7981-476f-b02f-719c2808185f_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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During a visit to a chemical plant in Donetsk in 2002.
![Meeting with then-Russian President Vladimir Putin in October 2004.](https://gdb.rferl.org/6a03fc63-8866-4f5c-8431-37768f4579e7_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Meeting with then-Russian President Vladimir Putin in October 2004.
![Kneeling down to thank his supporters during a rally in Donetsk in January 2005.](https://gdb.rferl.org/a1320ecf-9d3e-4cd3-82e7-e5993ebf5406_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Kneeling down to thank his supporters during a rally in Donetsk in January 2005.
![Biking with his wife, Ludmila (courtesy yanukovych.com.ua)](https://gdb.rferl.org/4763e051-99b4-47c3-a65c-a14896ee1380_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Biking with his wife, Ludmila (courtesy yanukovych.com.ua)
![Shaking hands with Yulia Tymoshenko during crisis talks in the president's office in 2006.](https://gdb.rferl.org/f21f279c-50b8-4179-909a-70b7689e9391_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Shaking hands with Yulia Tymoshenko during crisis talks in the president's office in 2006.
![Welcoming his supporters during a rally at St. Sophia Square in Kyiv in 2007.](https://gdb.rferl.org/f83f1c41-a969-41c0-8f58-cacf3eb794ad_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Welcoming his supporters during a rally at St. Sophia Square in Kyiv in 2007.
![Arriving at the secene of a mining accident in Donetsk in 2007.](https://gdb.rferl.org/2ba6d6b0-8e23-48bc-9b9e-5f5c032e33a4_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Arriving at the secene of a mining accident in Donetsk in 2007.
![Yanukovych, then prime minister, with President Viktor Yushchenko in 2007.](https://gdb.rferl.org/6780c93e-092b-414c-8864-fa794f9fd4f0_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Yanukovych, then prime minister, with President Viktor Yushchenko in 2007.
![At a conference of the United Russia Party in Moscow in 2008. - Ukraine](https://gdb.rferl.org/41507e76-9b2d-4024-8e8a-71fedfa5ab79_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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At a conference of the United Russia Party in Moscow in 2008. - Ukraine
![Waving to supporters at a congress of his Party of Regions in Kyiv.](https://gdb.rferl.org/43245d56-5420-4856-811c-9e618f3b0621_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Waving to supporters at a congress of his Party of Regions in Kyiv.