Rouslan Bodelan
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Script error: No such module "infobox".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Script error: No such module "Check for conflicting parameters".
Rouslan Borysovych Bodelan (Template:Langx, Template:Langx; 4 April 1942 – 26 June 2025) was a Ukrainian politician.
Biography
Soviet times
Rouslan Bodelan started his career in 1959 as a sports coach/teacher in a secondary school. In 1961, he began his work at the "Odessilbud" construction company (within its Construction and Field Assembly Department #14) in Balta.
Beginning in 1964, Bodelan was active in politics, as a member and functionary in Komsomol, Communist Party of the Soviet Union and other Soviet organizations. In 1965, he became a First Secretary (Head) of Kiliia Raion Komsomol Organization. His top position in the CPSU was the First Secretary of Odesa Regional Committee, which he occupied in April 1990.
Career in independent Ukraine
On 3 April 1990, Bodelan was elected as a member of the Odesa Oblast Soviet (council). He was later elected as Chairman of this council and occupied this position up to April 1998. Simultaneously, Bodelan was head of Odesa Oblast State Administration (i.e. governor) in July 1995 – May 1998, member of the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) of Ukraine in 1994–1998, a member of Maritime Policy Commission under President of Ukraine in 1995–1998, and head of the Commonwealth of Danube States' Executive Group in 1996–1997.
In August 1998, Bodelan was elected mayor of Odesa.[1] He was re-elected as mayor in 2002,[1] but the election results were challenged in the courts. In 2005, an Odesa court ruled the elections void and proclaimed Eduard Gurvits the legal Mayor of Odesa.
While mayor, Bodelan allegedly took active part in a wide-range electoral fraud in favor of pro-government candidates during the 2004 presidential election. After the Orange Revolution he fled to Russia.[1] An investigation of his mayoral activities was opened soon after; Bodelan was charged with abuse of office.[1]
Immigration and return
Bodelan was placed under an Interpol search warrant,[1] but Russian authorities refused to extradite him. He was granted Russian citizenship in 2006[1] (which automatically revokes his Ukrainian citizenship) and a position of deputy director of the Saint Petersburg Sea Port. Bodelan refused to return to Ukraine voluntarily, claiming he was afraid of political prosecution by supporters of former president Viktor Yushchenko. On 9 April 2010, Bodelan returned to Odesa.[1]
Death
Bodelan died on 26 June 2025 at the age of 83.[2]
Awards
Rouslan Bodelan was awarded a number of Soviet and Ukrainian decorations and medals, including Order of the Red Banner of Labour, "Decoration of Honour" Order, Order of Merits III grade, order of St. Volodymyr II grade.
See also
References
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
External links
- Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
- Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
- Pages with script errors
- 1942 births
- 2025 deaths
- People from Podilsk Raion
- Members of the Central Committee of the 28th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
- Communist Party of Ukraine (Soviet Union) politicians
- Politicians from the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic
- First convocation members of the Verkhovna Rada
- Second convocation members of the Verkhovna Rada
- Recipients of the Order of Merit (Ukraine), 2nd class
- Recipients of the Order of Merit (Ukraine), 3rd class
- Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour
- Mayors of Odesa
- Governors of Odesa Oblast
- Heads of government who were later imprisoned
- Ukrainian emigrants to Russia