The object of research is the political system of Ukraine during 1990 - 2014. The subject of research - the peculiarities of the formation and functioning of the regime of personal power of Viktor Yanukovych. The purpose of the study: a detailed analysis of the circumstances and causes, structure, mechanisms of power and internal contradictions of the regime of the fourth President of Ukraine. Results of the research: The dissertation presents a complex analysis of factual and narrative sources,
highlighting the formation and functioning of individual power regime of Victor Yanukovich government in the context of historic realities of 1990s – early 2010s.
The research is based on a number of social and political theories.The author proves the fact, that the establishment of the regime of individual
power of Victor Yanukovych was an integral part of a wider trend, the formation and strengthening of the Donetsk clan comprising regional elites of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. He was to air the “voice” of political interests of this informal group when holding the post of the Head of Regional State Administration and Vice Prime
Minister. After winning the presidential elections in 2010, Victor Yanukovych took active steps to extend his individual responsibilities and rights to influence the system
of state administration. The steps towards his seizing ultimate power included forming a “titushki coalition” with the help of “turncoat” deputies and deputy factions of Party of Regions, Lytvyn’s Block and Communists; resuming the legal power of Constitution of 1996 with the help of Constitutional Court; curbing oppositional powers through repressions and bribery, including Tymoshenko associates, Tax Maidan, right-wing radical organizations and other resistance organisations. Generally, by the end of 2011 Ukraine had been witnessing alternative political reality, different from the one relevant at the moment of V. Yanukovych presidential election victory. When taken
together, all the political changes occurring 2010-2011 indicate the coup. The head of the Donetsk Clan had single-handedly consolidated huge formal and informal power leverages, having in fact eliminated all democratic “fuses” to prevent the establishment of authoritarian regime. The backbone of Viktor Yanukovych’s regime was “The Family” – a group of associates of his elder son, O. Yanikovych. Its formalization became clearly visible in 2012, when a number of key government administration posts were reshuffled, followed by rapid expansion of junior Yanukovych businesses. The collapse of Yanukovych regime was indirectly ignited by international
politics. Still, the main reason of the abrupt downfall of the elaborately created authority vertical were its inner inconsistencies. Primitive internal and external policy
had led to acute political crisis. Its resolution demanded going beyond the practices, “preached” by the Donetsk Clan, those being informal agreements, administrative
pressure and corruption. However, Yanukovych himself was hardly capable of taking such radical steps. Quite predictable was the fact, that his regime fell under pressure
of the controversies and conflicts he himself created during the Revolution of Honour. Scope: creation of generalizing works on the history of Ukraine of the second half of the XX - beginning of the XXI century, for compiling historical, political encyclopedias, reference books, as well as for developing training courses, educational programs, textbooks for secondary and higher education institutions.
