The Head of Kyiv City (
Ukrainian: Київський міський голова,
romanized: Kyivskyi miskyi holova), unofficially and more commonly the Mayor of Kyiv (
Ukrainian: Мер Києва,
romanized: Mer Kyieva), is a city official elected by popular vote who serves as a head of the
Kyiv city state administration (the capital of
Ukraine) and a chairperson the
Kyiv City Council.
The mayor is elected for the term of four years.[2] Current mayor
Vitali Klitschko was sworn in on 5 June 2014.[1] Klitschko was last reelected in the
2020 Kyiv local election with 50.52% of the votes, in the first round of the election.[3]
As of December 2006, Chernovetskyi's rating had decreased to 8%.[citation needed] This was mostly due to his betrayal of those who elected him, most notably through his increasing of the price of household services (such as water and gas) by 340%.[citation needed]
However, Chernovetskyi won a second term as Mayor of Kyiv with 38% of the vote in the 25 May 2008
snap local election, called by the
Verkhovna Rada in March.[6] From the resignation of Chernovetskyi[7][8][9][10] in July 2012 until fresh elections in 2014, Kyiv City Council Secretary and Deputy Mayor
Halyna Hereha was the acting Mayor of Kyiv.[11][12][13][14]
The
2015 Kyiv local election (including mayoral elections) took place on 25 October 2015.[17] A second round of mayoral elections was held on 15 November 2015 between Klitschko and
Boryslav Bereza after incumbent Mayor Klitschko scored 40.5% of the vote and Bereza 8.8% in the first round.[18][19] Klitschko won the second round with 66.5%; Bereza gained 33.51% of the votes.[20]
The
2020 Kyiv local election (including mayoral elections) took place on 25 October 2020.[21] Incumbent Mayor Klitschko won the election with 50.52% of the votes, in the first round of the election. None of the other candidates had more than 10% of the vote.[3]
Dualism of authority in Kyiv
An October 2010
Presidential decree relieved then-mayor of Kyiv
Leonid Chernovetskyi of the office of
Head of Kyiv City Administration, while still preserving the post of mayor.[22] This led to Chernovetskyi being deprived of his official decision-making role and most power in the capital was handed over to the Head of Kyiv City Administration.[10][23][24] At the time that was
Oleksandr Popov, who was appointed by President
Viktor Yanukovych on 16 November 2010.[10][23][24] Before these amendments, the elected mayor of the
Kyiv City Council was automatically appointed also as head of the Kyiv City Administration.[22][25]
Chernovetskyi was not seen in Kyiv for several months after Popov's appointment,[10][26] but returned to the public eye in early 2011.[27][22] By that time, Chernovetskyi had become extremely unpopular among the residents of Kyiv.[28]
Chernovetskyi tendered his resignation on 1 June 2012.[29] The city council decided on 12 July 2012 that
Halyna Hereha would temporarily act as the mayor of the capital city.[29] A petition to the
Ukrainian Parliament on holding an early mayoral election in the city was sent (the dates of the early mayoral elections are set by Ukraine's parliament).[29] New elections were held in 2014;
Vitali Klitschko was elected as mayor of Kyiv with almost 57% of the votes.[15][30]
Since 25 June 2014 the post of mayor of Kyiv and Head of Kyiv City Administration have been held by a single person again.[31] This person is
Vitali Klitschko, who was sworn in as mayor on 5 June 2014[1] and who was appointed Head of Kyiv City Administration by
Ukrainian PresidentPetro Poroshenko on 25 June 2014.[31]
1500 – 1835 Vogt of the city of Kyiv, official title was "Vijt" (
Ukrainian: Війт) which is an adaptation of the Polish "Wojt"
Vogt was in charge of city magistrate. After the partition of Poland the post was transformed and magistrate became a city court. In 1831 the Magdeburg town rights were abolished in the
Russian Empire, except for Kyiv where it was discontinued in 1835 following a transitional period that began in 1781.
1835 – 1919 Head of the city of Kyiv (Russian Empire)
1919 – 1941 Chairperson of the Kyiv Council (Soviet Union)