Oleksii Reva
Oleksii Reva | |
|---|---|
Олексій Рева | |
| Mayor of Bakhmut | |
| In office April 1991 – present (de jure)[a] | |
| Preceded by | None |
| Head of Bakhmut City Council | |
| In office 9 April 1990 – present | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 8, 1953 |
| Citizenship |  Soviet Union Ukraine |
| Political party | Independent |
| Education | Ukrainian Correspondence Polytechnic Institute, Donetsk Academy of Management and Public Administration |
| Profession | Politician |
Oleksii Reva (Ukrainian: Олексій Олександрович Рева, romanized: Oleksii Oleksandrovich Reva; born 8 May 1953) is a Ukrainian politician and mayor of Bakhmut since 1991.
Early life
[edit]Oleksii Reva was born on 8 May 1953 in the city of Artemivsk (now Bakhmut). He first graduated from Ukrainian Correspondence Polytechnic Institute with a degree in mechanical engineering, and later from Donetsk Academy of Management and Public Administration with a degree in economics.[1]
Career
[edit]Early positions
[edit]From 1971 to 1974, Reva served in the Northern Fleet, and returned to his hometown after his service. He then began working at a local machine-building plant as an apprentice welder. He then became deputy head and later head of the production shop.[1]
Mayor of Bakhmut
[edit]Reva became head of the Bakhmut City Council on 9 April 1990, and began his post as mayor of Bakhmut a year later in April 1991.[2]
In 2021, Reva officially became recognized as the longest-serving mayor in Ukrainian history.[3]
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Reva began efforts to help residents of Bakhmut in wartime, including accommodations for healthcare and educational facilities. As the situation worsened, Reva began organizing evacuations to areas farther west, mostly west of the Dnipro river. Reva estimated that as of June 2023, only 500 out of 80,000 pre-war residents remained in the city. Reva admitted that in his 30+ years as mayor, he never thought that Ukraine would be at war with Russia, and that Bakhmut is now in "ruins and ashes". He also believes that Ukraine will win this war, and be able to rebuild everything, including Bakhmut.[4][5]
Notes
[edit]- ^ Due to Russian victory following the Battle of Bakhmut, Reva does not currently have de facto control
References
[edit]- ^ a b Borychenko, Marharyta (20 February 2024). "Олексій Рева: досьє керівника Бахмутської міської військової адміністрації" (in Ukrainian). Eastern Variant.
- ^ "У мера Бахмута Олексія Реви ювілей — 35 років на посаді" [Bakhmut Mayor Oleksii Reva celebrates his 35th anniversary in office] (in Ukrainian). Vilne Radio. 10 April 2025. Archived from the original on 10 April 2025.
- ^ "Олексій Рева офіційно став мером-рекордсменом. Ще ніхто в Україні не очолював місто так довго" [Oleksii Reva officially became the record-breaking mayor. No one in Ukraine has led a city for so long] (in Ukrainian). Vilne Radio. 24 March 2021. Archived from the original on 1 August 2021.
- ^ Kolhusheva, Olena (2 June 2023). "Oleksii Reva, Bakhmut Mayor: We will return to our city united, indestructible, and tempered by the war". Ukrinform. Archived from the original on 2 June 2023.
- ^ "Scars Of War: Ukraine's Transformation Under Russian Aggression". Radio Free Europe. 23 February 2025. Archived from the original on 23 February 2025.