As the presidential election approaches, public interest in potential first ladies – or a potential first gentleman, in the case of Yulia Tymoshenko’s husband -- grows.
People have unpleasant or dim memories of Liudmyla Yanukovych, the wife of overthrown President Viktor Yanukovych. She avoided the public duties of the first lady, giving rise to speculation about whether they were even a couple anymore.
Here’s a roundup of the potential first spouses:
Maryna Poroshenko, homemaker
Maryna Poroshenko, 52, is four years older than her famous husband. She met Petro Poroshenko, the billionaire businessman, when both were studying in university. Maryna Poroshenko has a Ph.D. in medicine, but is not working outside of the home. She is sewing, embroidering, knitting and cooking – and taking care of the couple’s four children. The oldest one is 29 and married. She is traditional and calls her husband “the real head of the family” and says “his word is law.” The family celebrates all holidays together, except for Maryna Poroshenko’s birthday, when she and Petro prefer to go for a trip alone, without the kids. During the presidential campaign, Maryna Poroshenko has been a constant companion. At every rally, the candidate makes a point of saying that he is “madly in love with my wife.”
Oleksandr Tymoshenko, dark horse
Oleksandr Tymoshenko, 54, husband of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, is a businessman who does not like publicity. He rarely appeared in public, even during his wife’s two stints as prime minister. Little is known about the business he runs. In the 1990s, Tymoshenko’s husband was a manager of his wife’s gas trading company. He was arrested in 2001 on suspicion of embezzlement of public funds, but was never convicted.
In early 2012, he was granted asylum in the Czech Republic after fleeing Ukraine because of alleged political persecution. He is believed to reside in Prague. In an interview with Ukrainska Pravda in 2011, Oleksandr Tymoshenko said he has often tried to persuade his wife to quit politics. In the same interview, Tymoshenko’s husband said his wife behaves “like a cat,” meaning “she’s very calm and does not raise her voice.”
In 2013, the Tymoshenkos marked their 34th wedding anniversary. It is rumored that the couple has been de facto separated for a long time, yet the Tymoshenkos fiercely deny the gossip.
Viktoriya Tigipko, businesswoman
Viktoriya Tigipko, 40, wife of former Party of Regions’ member and former deputy Prime Minister Sergiy Tigipko, runs TA Ventures investment firm and takes great interest in the information technology sector. She said she earned her first money when she was in school and bought her first car during her first year in college from the money earned in translation services. At the age of 23, Viktoriya Tigipko founded her first company. She speaks English, German, French and Italian. Her business idol is Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s chief operating officer. She says that being first lady will not change her life much. Viktoriya Tigipko has founded the annual Odessa International Film Festival in 2010. She likes fashion shows and leading a public life. She is Tigipko’s second wife. The couple has been together since 2004 and got married five years ago. They are raising three children.
Yulia Mostova, journalist
Yulia Mostova, 45, second wife of lawmaker Anatoliy Grytsenko, is chief editor of Ukraine’s oldest newspaper Dzerkalo Tyzhnya (Mirror of the Week), which she and her father founded in the 1990s. Mostova believes her husband is the most worthy presidential candidate.
“I do not use my paper to promote my husband’s candidacy because I think I don’t have a right to impose my personal opinion on readers,” Mostova told the Kyiv Post. Journalism is her biggest passion, but she is ready to drop it if her husband is elected. “As first lady I would do my best to keep children away from drugs and alcohol and to improve Ukrainian hospices,” she said. The couple married in 2003 and has two children.
Alina Dobkina, mystery wife
Former ruling Party of Regions’ candidate Mykhailo Dobkin, 44, does not reveal much about his family. Very little is known about Alina Bozhenko, 35, his second wife, a blonde with a striking appearance. She doesn’t participate in his campaign and her occupation is unknown but, according to Dobkin’s tax declaration, his wife makes more than Hr 17 million a year. The couple has two daughters.
Kyiv Post staff writer Natalia Trach can be reached at [email protected]
