Mykola Plaviuk

Mykola Plaviuk studied at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and Sir George Williams University. The recorded working language is Polish and Ukrainian. The field of work recorded is political activity. Positions recorded include President of Ukraine in exile. Distinctions recorded are Order of Merit (Ukraine), 3rd class, Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 1st class and Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 2nd class.

• Name — Mykola Plaviuk • Order — 4th President of the Ukrainian People's Republic in exile • Term Start — 8 December 1989 • Term End — 22 August 1992 • Predecessor — Mykola Livytskyi • Successor — Leonid Kravchuk (domiciled) • Order2 — 4th President of the World Congress of Free Ukrainians • Term Start2 — 1978 • Term End2 — 1981 • Predecessor2 — Wasyl Kushnir • Successor2 — Ivan Bazarko • Order3 — Leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (Melnykites) • Term Start3 — 1981 • Term End3 — 2012 • Predecessor3 — Denys Kvitkovskyi • Successor3 — Bohdan Chervak • Born — 5 June 1925 • Birthplace — Rusów, Poland (now Rusiv, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, Ukraine) • Died — 10 March 2012 • Place of death — Hamilton, Ontario, Canada • Party — Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (Melnykites) • Alma Mater — Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Concordia University • Footnotes — Plaviuk terminated his authority as President of the Ukrainian People's Republic on 22 August 1992 when he formally ceded his authority to the first President of Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk.

Mykola Plaviuk was born on 5 June 1925 in the village of Rusów in Poland (now Rusiv, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, in independent Ukraine). During World War II, Mykola became active in the Plast scouting movement in western Ukraine, which provided training after which many youths subsequently joined the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists. After the war, he fled to Germany where he received a diploma from the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München in economics. He immigrated to Montreal in Canada in 1949 where he became an active member of the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada. In 1954 he graduated from Concordia University.

Prior to the proclamation of an independent Ukrainian state in 1991, parallel to his professional career, Mykola Plaviuk held prominent positions in Ukrainian diaspora community/political institutions: president of the Ukrainian National Federation of Canada (1956–66); vice-president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (1966–71); senior Plast Ukrainian scout leader; initiator and chief organizer responsible for the establishment in 1967 of the World Congress of Free Ukrainians (WCFU) in New York; secretary general of the WCFU (1973–76); 1st vice-president of the WCFU (1976–78); president of the WCFU (1978–81); elected leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (Melnykite faction) in 1979; in June 1988 elected vice-president of the Ukrainian National Republic (UNR) in Exile. After death of incumbent president Mykola Livytskyi, Plaviuk became his successor, serving from 8 December 1989 to 1992. During a ceremonious session of the Verkhovna Rada on 22 August 1992 in Kyiv, Mykola Plaviuk formally ceded his authority and the activity of the UNR to the first president of independent Ukraine, Leonid Kravchuk, who was elected in 1991. In his declaration, Plaviuk proclaimed that the current Ukrainian state is the lawful successor to the Ukrainian People's Republic and a continuation of its authority and state traditions. According to Ukrainian law current Ukraine is the successor state of the Ukrainian SSR that was part of the Soviet Union. For his achievements in Ukrainian community and political affairs in the diaspora, Mykola Plaviuk was awarded the St. Volodymyr the Great Medal by the Ukrainian World Congress, and the Taras Shevchenko Medal by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress. In 1993, via extraordinary decree by President of Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk, Mykola Plaviuk was made a citizen of Ukraine. In 1996, by presidential decree Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma conferred upon Mykola Plaviuk the State Order of Merit, 3rd Class "…for his personal contribution to the development of Ukrainian statehood, and his active community and humanitarian involvement…." In 2007, through presidential decree President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko conferred upon Mykola Plaviuk The Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 1st Class for his contributions as a “…public and political leader, President of the UNR in exile 1988-1992, for his selfless service to the Ukrainian people, and distinguished personal achievements in the revival of Ukraine’s independence." Mykola Plaviuk was the leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists from 1981 until his death.

He was married, and had two sons and two daughters. Plaviuk lived in both Kyiv and Canada. He died on 10 March 2012 in Hamilton, Ontario.

The authorities additionally record the heading Mykola Vasyliovych Plaviuk. His recorded languages were Polish and Ukrainian. His recorded confession was Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kyiv Patriarchate. He married Yaroslava Plaviuk.