Vadym Serhiyovych Boychenko (; born 5 June 1977) is a
Ukrainian politician who serves as the de jure
mayor of Mariupol in
Donetsk Oblast
Donetsk Oblast, also referred to as Donechchyna (, ), is an Oblasts of Ukraine, oblast in eastern Ukraine. It is Ukraine's most populous province, with around 4.1 million residents. Its capital city, administrative centre is Donetsk, though d ...
, Ukraine since 2015. Boychenko served as mayor during the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...
and
Siege of Mariupol
The siege of Mariupol began on 24 February 2022 and lasted until 20 May, as part of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It saw fighting between the Russian Armed Forces (alongside the Donetsk People's Republic People's Militia) and the Ukrainian ...
though not inside the city,
during which the city has been "completely destroyed", according to
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film and television
*'' Præsident ...
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy (born 25 January 1978) is a Ukrainian politician and former entertainer who has served as the sixth and current president of Ukraine since 2019. He took office five years after the start of the Russo-Ukraini ...
.
Early life
Boychenko was born in
Mariupol
Mariupol is a city in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. It is situated on the northern coast (Pryazovia) of the Sea of Azov, at the mouth of the Kalmius, Kalmius River. Prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it was the tenth-largest city in the coun ...
on 5 June 1977. He is a graduate of both the
Priazov State Technical University and the
Donetsk National University
The Vasyl' Stus Donetsk National University ( DonNU, ; ) is one of the leading higher educational institutions of Ukraine.
In 2014, due to the war in Donbas, a number of teachers and students left Donetsk and subsequently reestablished the uni ...
.
He began employment at the
Azovstal Iron and Steel Works as a locomotive engineer in 2005, going on to become Deputy Head of Transportation before leaving the company in 2010.
He then held management positions at
Metinvest
Metinvest is a group of steel and mining companies that owns operations in Ukraine, Italy, Bulgaria, the UK and the US. The company mines ore and coal, produces coke, smelts steel and produces rolled products, pipes and other steel products. Th ...
and another steelworks company until his election as mayor in 2015.
Mayor of Mariupol
In 2013–2015, Boychenko was a member of the executive committee of the Mariupol City Council.
Boychenko was elected mayor of Mariupol
on 15 December 2015.
He was elected as a non-partisan self-nominated candidate with 69% of the vote.
Boychenko unsuccessfully took part in the
2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election
Parliamentary elections were held in Ukraine on 21 July 2019. Originally scheduled to be held at the end of October, the elections were brought forward after newly inaugurated President of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dissolved parli ...
for the
Opposition Bloc party, No. 5 on the list as a non-partisan.
[Electoral history of Vadym Boychenko]
Civil movement "Chesno"
Chesno () is a Ukrainian public campaign that emerged late 2011 to advance a fair election process. It is widely known for its critical analysis and evaluation of politicians and the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) in Ukraine. The organization provi ...
The party won six single-seat constituencies, but its nationwide list only won 3.23% of the votes, failing to overcome the 5% election barrier.
Boychenko was
re-elected for a second term in October 2020.
He was a candidate for the Vadym Boychenko Bloc.
Siege of Mariupol
When
Russian forces launched their full-scale
invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Mariupol quickly became one of the most devastated cities in the conflict. As the siege intensified, Boychenko was forced to leave the city for his safety. From outside the encircled city, working from places like Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia, he became one of the key voices sharing what was happening inside Mariupol. Boychenko gave regular updates to journalists and international organizations, describing the worsening humanitarian crisis—people trapped without food, water, or electricity, and neighborhoods reduced to rubble. His reports helped bring global attention to the suffering of Mariupol's residents and the scale of the destruction caused by the siege.
See also
*
List of mayors of Mariupol
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boychenko, Vadym
1977 births
Living people
Politicians from Mariupol
Mayors of places in Ukraine
Pryazovskyi State Technical University alumni
Donetsk National University alumni
21st-century Ukrainian politicians
Independent politicians in Ukraine
Siege of Mariupol