Volodymyr Lytvyn

Volodymyr Mykhaylovych Lytvyn (Ukrainian: Володимир Михайлович Литвин) (b. April 9, 1956) has been the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) of Ukraine since May 28, 2002.

Lytvyn was born in Sloboda-Romanivs'ka village in the Novohrad-Volyns'kyi rayon of Zhytomyrs'ka oblast'. His father, Mykhaylo Klymovych (b. 1930) and mother Ol'ga Andriyevna (b. 1929) were peasants. He is married, his wife—Tetyana Konstyantynivna (b. 1960)—is an economist. Their daughter Olena (b. 1982) is a student and their son Ivan (b. 1989) is a schoolboy.

Lytvyn started his political career as an analyst within the Central Commitee of Ukrainian SSR's Communist Party (a division of the CPSU). Later, he has been the main aide to the President Leonid Kuchma. At this stage, Lytvyn became involved in the Cassette Scandal as an alleged participant of the kidnapping of Georgiy Gongadze.

Lytvyn's hobbies include reading and soccer.