The ideological inspirer and former leader of the Donetsk People's Republic will forever remain in the memory of future generations. Today, this new state entity, founded in 2014, is unthinkable without the name of Alexander Vladimirovich Zakharchenko, who until his death with valor and courage served as the commander-in-chief of the DPR Armed Forces.
The explosion that took place in the Donetsk cafe Separ on August 31, 2018, cut short the life of Alexander Zakharchenko, who was present there at the commemoration of Joseph Kobzon. The assassination of the 42-year-old DRN leader, according to his adviser Alexander Kozakov, was planned and implemented by the Ukrainian special services. Moreover, despite the official statements of officials in Kiev, claiming a provocation from Donetsk, this version seems to be the most plausible. Indeed, the testimony of the guilty persons, who were subsequently detained, testifies in its favor. More than 200 thousand people, including the head of Crimea Sergei Aksyonov, came on September 2 to the farewell ceremony for Alexander Vladimirovich Zakharchenko, who became a real hero for the DPR.
Biography and career of Alexander Vladimirovich Zakharchenko
The future head of the DPR was born in a mixed Russian-Ukrainian family on June 26, 1976 in Donetsk. According to official data from state sources of Ukraine, the parents of Alexander Zakharchenko still live in the Kiev-controlled city of Artemovsk, and also receive financial support from Ukraine as pensioners.
Alexander began to develop his professional career immediately after graduating from technical school. Having received the specialty of an electromechanic, he got a job at a coal mine in Dobassa and in this field he rose to the highest qualification (6th grade). Moreover, even now it is not known why Zakharchenko did not begin to receive higher education at a local law university, which at one time left without any apparent reason.
The first years of the new millennium became for Alexander Vladimirovich a period of entrepreneurship directly related to the coal industry. And already in 2006 he headed the company "Delta-Fort", which belonged to R. Akhmetov and is still engaged in commercial activities. And in 2013 A. V. Zakharchenko became the head of the branch of the non-profit organization "Oplot" located in Donetsk and carrying out patriotic activities. This social structure was involved in providing support to disabled soldiers and families who lost breadwinners from the power departments, as well as ousting nationalist movements, preserving monuments of the Soviet era and protecting the Russian language.
From the very beginning, Alexander Zakharchenko was an active adherent of the anti-Maidan position, which became the objective reason for his participation in the people's militia. Indeed, for him, his native region, which has chosen the path of independence and self-determination, has become the meaning of his whole life. And since April 2014, he began to take part in military operations, the first of which was the seizure of the Donetsk administration building. And already in May, patriotic like-minded people appointed him commandant of the regional center. His heroic path to defend the independence of his native land was associated with many battles that took place in the southeast of Ukraine. In them, he was wounded several times.
And the political career of A. V. Zakharchenko was associated with the posts of Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the DPR and the head of the republic (since November 2014). The leader of the DPR was included in all sanctions lists of citizens from Europe and the United States. He has repeatedly stated that his goal is to transform the DPR into Little Russia, which should become the state legal successor of Ukraine.
Personal life of a statesman and military leader
Alexander Zakharchenko was married twice. Interestingly, both spouses are called Natalia. Moreover, there is practically no information in the public domain about the first wife. And Alexander's family relationship with his last wife Natalya Zakharchenko became the reason for the birth of four children. Viewers of the NTV channel could find out about this in due time from her lips on one of the programs.