Vitalii Kim
{{Short description|Ukrainian politician (born 1981)}}
{{family name hatnote|Oleksandrovych|Kim|lang=Eastern Slavic}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Vitalii Kim
| native_name = {{Nobold|Віталій Кім}}
| native_name_lang = uk
| office = Governor of Mykolaiv Oblast
| image = Виталий Ким .jpg
| predecessor = Heorhiy Reshetilov
| successor =
| term_start = 25 November 2020
| term_end =
| office1 =
| predecessor1 =
| successor1 =
| office2 =
| predecessor2 =
| successor2 =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1981|03|13|df=y}}
| birth_place = Mykolaiv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
(now Ukraine)
| death_place =
| nationality =
| spouse = Yulia Vitalivna Kim
| children =
| alma_mater =
| website =
| party = Independent
}}
Vitalii Oleksandrovych Kim ({{langx|uk|Віталій Олександрович Кім}}; born 13 March 1981) is a Ukrainian businessman and politician who has served as the Governor of Mykolaiv Oblast since 2020. He is also head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration.
Biography
Vitalii Oleksandrovych Kim was born on 13 March 1981 in Mykolaiv. His father, Oleksandr, is a basketball coach.{{Cite web|language=ru|url=https://news.pn/ru/politics/243217|title="Вставай и делай что-то полезное...": интервью с руководителем штаба "Слуги народа" в Николаеве Виталием Кимом|author=Акимова Юлия|website=news.pn|date=2020-10-16|publisher=|accessdate=2020-11-26}}
Kim graduated from the Mykolaiv Gymnasium No. 2 and the Admiral Makarov National University of Shipbuilding with a degree in enterprise economics.{{Cite web|language=ru|url=https://ru.slovoidilo.ua/persony/kim-vitalij-aleksandrovich|title=Виталий Ким|author=|website=Слово и Дело|date=|publisher=|accessdate=2020-11-26}}
In 1998, he began to engage in entrepreneurial activity. He was the managing partner of the Ushuaja entertainment complex.
In 2003, he worked for the Ukrpromresurs company, which was engaged in public sector auditing. From 2005 to 2011 he managed a number of enterprises in Mykolaiv, was engaged in international investments. From 2015 to 2016, he headed the analytical department of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine. He is also a founder of a group of development companies, engaged in the construction of residential complexes "Orange", "Concert" and "Uyutny".{{Cite web|language=ru|url=https://nikvesti.com/news/politics/189717|title=Арахамия рассказал, кто возглавит избирательный штаб "Слуги народа" в Николаеве|author=Середа Катерина|website=nikvesti.com|date=2020-06-01|publisher=|accessdate=2020-11-26}}
=Political activity=
In 2019, he was a volunteer of the Mykolaiv branch of the Servant of the People party in the presidential and parliamentary elections. During the local elections of 2020, he was a candidate for deputies of the Mykolaiv city council from Servant of the People under No. 2,{{clarify|date=March 2022}} while remaining non-partisan.{{Cite web|language=uk|url=https://www.cvk.gov.ua/pls/vm2020/pvm056pid102=8109pf7691=64114pt001f01=695rej=0pt00_t001f01=695.html|title=Миколаївська міська рада|author=|website=cvk.gov.ua|date=|publisher=|accessdate=2020-11-26}} Kim was also the head of the party's election headquarters and campaigned for the city and regional councils.
On 25 November 2020, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed Kim governor of Mykolaiv Oblast.{{Cite web|language=ru|url=https://www.president.gov.ua/ru/news/volodimir-zelenskij-priznachiv-vitaliya-kima-golovoyu-mikola-65245|title=Президент назначил Виталия Кима главой Николаевской ОГА|author=|website=Официальное интернет-представительство Президента Украины|date=2020-11-25|publisher=|accessdate=2020-11-26}}
During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Kim's role as governor of Mykolaiv Oblast oversaw an ultimately unsuccessful attack from Russian forces. Regarded by western sources such as The Economist and Le Monde as a charismatic leader,{{Cite news |date=16 March 2022 |title=Still Mykolaiv: A charismatic governor leads the defence of a strategic Ukrainian port |url=https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/03/16/a-charismatic-governor-leads-the-defence-of-a-strategic-ukrainian-port |access-date=16 April 2022 |newspaper=The Economist}}{{cite web |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2022/07/28/ukraine-pushes-back-in-the-kherson-region-one-village-at-a-time_5991781_4.html |title=Ukraine pushes back in Kherson region, one village at a time |work=Le Monde |date=28 July 2022 |author=Thomas D'Istria |access-date=6 October 2022 }} he has held daily video updates of the oblast's situation, which have garnered a following and established him as a popular figure across Ukraine.{{Cite web |date=29 March 2022 |title=Twelve dead in strike on Mykolaiv governor's office |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60914019 |access-date=16 April 2022 |website=British Broadcasting Corporation}} On 29 March 2022, his office was hit by a Russian missile in an airstrike, killing at least 37 people.{{Cite web |last=Zinets |first=Natalia |date=1 April 2022 |title=Death toll rises to 31 from strike on government building in Ukraine's Mykolaiv |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/death-toll-rises-31-strike-government-building-ukraines-mykolaiv-2022-04-01/ |access-date=16 April 2022 |website=Reuters}}
Personal life
=Family=
References
{{reflist}}
{{Current heads of First-level administrative divisions of Ukraine}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kim, Vitalii}}
Category:Governors of Mykolaiv Oblast
Category:Politicians from Mykolaiv
Category:Servant of the People (political party) politicians
Category:Pro-Ukrainian people of the Russian invasion of Ukraine