Yevhen Shcherban
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18 January 1946
Yevhen Shcherban | |
|---|---|
| Євген Щербань | |
 | |
| People's Deputy of Ukraine | |
| In office 27 March 1994 – 3 November 1996 | |
| Constituency | Volnovakha Raion |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Yevhen Oleksandrovych Shcherban 18 January 1946 |
| Died | 3 November 1996 (aged 50) |
| Manner of death | Assassination by gunshot |
| Citizenship | Soviet Union, Ukraine |
| Party | Liberal Party of Ukraine |
| Spouse | Nadia Nikitina |
| Children | 3 sons |
| Alma mater | Donetsk National Technical University |
| Occupation | businessman, politician |
Yevhen Oleksandrovych Shcherban (Ukrainian: Євген Олександрович Щербань, 18 January 1946 – 3 November 1996) was a Ukrainian businessman and politician.[1] As a member of the Liberal Party of Ukraine, he was elected to the Verkhovna Rada from the Volnovakha electoral district in Donetsk Oblast. He served as the People's Deputy of Ukraine from 1994 until his assassination in 1996.[2]
Yevhen Oleksandrovych Shcherban was born in the village of Kostyantynivka, Krasnokutsk Raion on 18 January 1948. From 1972-77 he studied at the Mining Industrial College in Donetsk, and later at Donetsk National Technical University. Until 1988 he worked as a mining engineer. After the independence of Ukraine he established a cooperative organization "Progress" and later a corporation "ATON".
In the mid-1990s, Shcherban was among the richest people in Ukraine and a prominent and influential member of parliament for the Liberal Party of Ukraine.[1][3][4]
Death
Shcherban and his wife Nadezhda (née Nikitina) were shot dead on a runway at Donetsk Airport on 3 November 1996 by several men posing as public force officers.[1][2]
Trial
Among the killers were Vadim Bolotskikh, Gennadiy Zangelidi and others. Prosecutors have stated the murder was intended to eliminate competition for control of the natural gas industry.[1] In 2002, eight men were arrested and tried for the murder. All of them were found guilty, with three receiving life sentences.[1]
Related events
Coincidentally, the event took place soon after replacement of the Governor of Donetsk Oblast Volodymyr Shcherban (no relation to Yevhen) with the former Minister of Coal Industry of Ukraine Serhiy Polyakov and the appointment of Viktor Yanukovych to the position of a deputy chairman.
Previously, in December 1995, when Serhiy Polyakov was appointed to the ministerial position in Donetsk, the Industrial Union of Donbas (ISD) was established. Nominally headed by Serhiy Taruta, many saw the real leader of the Union as Yevhen Shcherban. Preceding that, in October 1995, Akhat Bragin was assassinated. Since then a number of assassinations of lesser ISD members took place from January to July 1996. However, the assassination of Shcherban became the most noticeable, because he was a People's Deputy of Ukraine.
