Denys Monastyrsky
Денис Монастирський
Official portrait, 2021
12th Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
In office
16 July 2021 – 18 January 2023
PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy
Prime MinisterDenys Shmyhal
Preceded byArsen Avakov
Succeeded byIhor Klymenko
People's Deputy of Ukraine
9th convocation
In office
29 August 2019 – 16 July 2021
ConstituencyServant of the People
Personal details
Born(1980-06-12)12 June 1980
Khmelnytskyi, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Died18 January 2023(2023-01-18) (aged 42)
Brovary, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine
Cause of deathHelicopter crash
Political partyServant of the People
SpouseZhanna Monastyrska
Children2
Alma materKhmelnytskyi University of Management and Law (PhD)
Military service
Allegiance Ukraine
Years of service2022–2023
Commands Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
Battles/wars

Denys Anatoliiovych Monastyrsky or Monastyrskyi (Ukrainian: Денис Анатолійович Монастирський, IPA: [deˈnɪs ɐnɐˈtɔlʲijɔʋet͡ʃ mɔnɐsˈtɪrsʲkej]; 12 June 1980 – 18 January 2023) was a Ukrainian lawyer and politician who served as Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine from 16 July 2021 until his death in a helicopter crash on 18 January 2023.[1][2][3] He had been very close to Volodymyr Zelenskyy since the beginning of his presidential campaign.[4]

Biography

Denys Monastyrsky was born in Khmelnytskyi, then in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic of the Soviet Union, on 12 June 1980.[5] He was a graduate of Faculty of Law of the Khmelnytskyi University of Management and Law.[5] Monastyrsky was also a former student at the Koretsky Institute of State and Law of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.[5] He had a PhD in law.[5]

In 2007, Monastyrsky started his career as a lawyer.[5] He also headed the department of lawmaking and scientific expertise of the research part of the Khmelnytskyi University of Management and Law, where he worked as an associate professor.[6]

Monastyrsky was a co-founder and a member of the board of the Podilia Youth Cultural Association "Into the Future through Culture".[5][6]

Between 2014 and 2019, Monastyrsky was an assistant-consultant to Anton Herashchenko in the 8th Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada.[6]

In the run-up to the 2019 Ukrainian presidential election Monastyrsky was presented as an expert of presidential candidate Volodymyr Zelenskyy's "team" on law enforcement reform.[6] Zelenskyy won the election and was inaugurated as President of Ukraine on 20 May 2019.[7]

Monastyrsky was a candidate for Servant of the People in the 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election.[5] He was placed No. 19 on the national election list and elected to the Ukrainian parliament.[5][8]

In parliament, he became head of the parliamentary Committee on Law Enforcement Affairs.[5] According to an analysis by Civil movement "Chesno" he was one of the people's deputies who submitted the most legislative initiatives.[6]

After Interior Minister Arsen Avakov had submitted his resignation as Interior Minister on 12 July 2021,[9] Monastyrsky was appointed Minister of Internal Affairs by 271 MPs on 16 July 2021.[1][2] Anton Herashchenko became one of his official advisors at the Ministry.[10]

In September 2022, Monastyrsky participated in the largest prisoner exchange operation between Ukraine and Russia, when 215 Ukrainian soldiers returned home, including more than 100 fighters and commanders of the Azov Regiment.[11]

Throughout the war, Monastyrsky was among the top security officials who remained in Kyiv, the capital, with Zelenskyy in the first days of the war as Russia's army bore down on the city.[12] As Ukraine's minister for internal affairs, he helped shape Ukraine's wartime goals and oversaw the country's National Police, State Emergency Service and the State Border Guard Service.[12]

Death

Monastyrsky, along with his deputy Yevhen Yenin, and Secretary of State of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Yurii Lubkovych, were killed in a helicopter crash on 18 January 2023, in Brovary, an eastern suburb of the capital Kyiv. The helicopter hit a kindergarten school as it crashed, and a child was among the 14 killed. At least 25 others were injured.[3]

Kyrylo Tymoshenko said at a briefing that the officials were heading to one of the hot spots of the war front.[13] The Security Service of Ukraine has started an investigation into the cause of the crash in Brovary.[13]

Monastyrsky's friend and MP Maria Mezentseva said it was "a tragedy for everyone" as Mr. Monastyrsky's ministry was playing a key role in Ukraine's response to the invasion. He was also very close to Zelenskyy from day one of his presidential campaign, she told the BBC.[4]

The funeral ceremony for Monastyrsky and other ministry employees who were killed took place in Ukrainian House on 21 January 2023. Top officials, including Zelenskyy and his wife, Olena Zelenska, attended the funeral, offering condolences to the relatives of the crash victims.[14]

Monastyrsky was buried on 21 January 2023 at the Baikove Cemetery in Kyiv.[15]

Awards

References

  1. 1 2 Parliament appoints Monastyrsky as Ukraine's interior minister Archived 20 March 2022 at the Wayback Machine, Ukrinform (16 July 2021)
  2. 1 2 "Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the presentation of the Minister of Internal Affairs: Trust and respect for law enforcement agencies is the most important thing for the new minister". president.gov.ua. Archived from the original on 9 March 2022. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Ukraine crash: Ministers killed as helicopter comes down near nursery". BBC News. 18 January 2023. Archived from the original on 18 January 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Who was Ukrainian minister Denys Monastyrsky?". BBC News. 18 January 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Consideration of motion on appointment of Monastyrsky as Interior Minister to take place on July 16 Archived 20 May 2022 at the Wayback Machine, Interfax-Ukraine (14 July 2021)
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 (in Ukrainian) Electoral history and small biography of Denys Monastyrsky Archived 19 February 2022 at the Wayback Machine, Civil movement "Chesno"
  7. ↑ "Ukraine's New President Vows To Dissolve Parliament As PM, Other Key Officials Resign". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 20 May 2019. Archived from the original on 20 May 2019. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
  8. ↑ CEC counts 100 percent of vote in Ukraine's parliamentary elections Archived 21 December 2019 at the Wayback Machine, Ukrinform (26 July 2019)
    (in Russian) Results of the extraordinary elections of the People's Deputies of Ukraine 2019 Archived 19 November 2019 at the Wayback Machine, Ukrayinska Pravda (21 July 2019)
  9. ↑ Avakov resigns from post of Interior Minister of Ukraine Archived 20 March 2022 at the Wayback Machine, Interfax-Ukraine (13 July 2021)
  10. ↑ (in Ukrainian) Herashchenko continues to work in the Ministry of Internal Affairs with Monastyrsky Archived 20 March 2022 at the Wayback Machine, Ukrayinska Pravda (30 August 2021)
  11. ↑ "Полонені українці думали, що їдуть на етап чи чергове судилище – Монастирський". www.ukrinform.ua. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  12. 1 2 Kramer, Andrew E. (18 January 2023). "Ukraine Minister Killed in Helicopter Crash Oversaw Some Security Forces". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  13. 1 2 "3 members of Ukrainian government die in helicopter crash". POLITICO. 18 January 2023. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  14. ↑ desk, The Kyiv Independent news (21 January 2023). "Funeral for late interior minister, other victims of Jan. 18 helicopter crash takes place in Kyiv". The Kyiv Independent. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  15. ↑ "Пролунав останній гімн: на Байковому кладовищі у Києві попрощалися із загиблим керівництвом МВС (відео)". ТСН.ua (in Ukrainian). 21 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  16. ↑ "Decree of the President of Ukraine № 593/2022". Office of the President of Ukraine (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 28 August 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
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