15 Facts About Yuriy Meshkov

Yuri Aleksandrovich Meshkov was a Ukrainian politician and leader of the pro-Russian movement in Crimea.

Yuriy Meshkov served as the only President of Crimea from 1994 to 1995.

However, eleven days after his return to Crimea in 2011, which was his first visit since 1995, Meshkov was deported from Ukraine on July 13,2011, with a five-year restriction on his entry.

Yuri Yuriy Meshkov was born on October 25,1945, in Synelnykove, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.

Yuriy Meshkov's mother was Ukrainian-born, and his father was a native Kuban Cossack Russian.

Yuriy Meshkov grew up in Simferopol, where he completed his high school education.

Yuriy Meshkov was actively involved in various leadership roles, such as being one of the leaders of the Crimea department of the All-Union historical-enlightening society "Memorial" and serving as the president of the Crimean Federation of kickboxing.

In 1990, Yuriy Meshkov was elected as a deputy to the Supreme Council of Crimea, the parliament of the Republic of Crimea.

Yuriy Meshkov played a role in co-founding the RDK Party.

In 1994, Yuriy Meshkov led the electoral bloc "Russia" during the republican presidential elections.

Yuriy Meshkov attempted to initiate a number of measures to prepare Crimea for future integration with Russia; though he was able to align Crimea's time zone with that of Russia he was unable to fully implement his platform nor obtain the support of Russian president Boris Yeltsin for Crimean accession to the Russian Federation.

Ukrainian special forces entered Yuriy Meshkov's residence, disarmed his bodyguards and put him on a plane to Moscow.

Yuriy Meshkov did not return to Crimea till 2 July 2011 because his ex-wife had died.

Yuriy Meshkov stated then that he ruled out the possibility of his participation in the political life of Crimea because of the need to change citizenship; but instead would participate in "the work of social organizations".

Yuriy Meshkov stated "the Russian movement in Crimea is divided and overrun by random people and traitors".