Yuriy Harbuz

Yuriy Harbuz was born in Milove on 18 November 1971^[3] in Milove, which was then part of Luhansk Oblast in the Ukrainian SSR.^[4] Harbuz, upon graduating from secondary school, did not initially seek higher education and instead became a worker.^[5] He first worked as a counselor in 1989 to a secondary school in Dibrova, before completing his mandatory service in the Soviet Armed Forces.^[5] He was then a teacher in history at a school in Balka Zhuravka, before founding in 1992 the farm "Garbuz Y.G.", and later in 1993 the Association of Farms "Nadiya".^[5] Additionally, in 1999, he founded the "Equestrian Theater", which eventually became a communal enterprise in 2003.^[5]

In 2006, he graduated from Luhansk National Agrarian University with a specialty of manager-economist.^[5]

In April 2005, he entered politics, becoming Head of the Markivka Raion State Administration, and in May 2006 he was elected chairman of the Markivka Raion District Council.^[5] He resigned from both posts in 2010 upon the expiring of his term, and he returned to heading his farm.^[5]

In January 2014, he was appointed chairman of the Milove District State Administration, from which he resigned in April 2014.^[6] Additionally, in 2014, he was elected a member of the Milov District Council of the IV convocation.^[7] He was also elected during the 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election to the Verkhovna Rada, the parliament of Ukraine, as a self-nominated non-partisan nominee for constituency no. 114 (Luhansk).^[8] Upon joining the Rada, he joined the Petro Poroshenko Bloc faction, a social democratic pro-European bloc.^[8] His duties were terminated early in 2016 upon Harbuz being appointed governor, as Ukraine forbids dual mandates.^[9]

On April 29, 2016, by the decree of Petro Poroshenko, Harbuz was appointed as Governor of Luhansk Oblast.^[10]

As of 2018^[update], Harbuz has a girlfriend and has 3 children. In his spare time, he goes out hunting.