Olena Vitenko

Vitenko in 2011Olena Andriivna Vitenko (born 9 December 1960) is a Ukrainian politician, writer, and public figure. People's deputy of Ukraine of the 5th convocation from All-Ukrainian Union “Fatherland” ("Batkivshchyna"). Founder of the Vinnytsia Regional Local Lore Literary and Artistic Public Organization "Velyka Ridnya". Member of the National Union of Writers of Ukraine (2006) and National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (2005).

Early life and education Olena Vitenko was born on December 9, 1960, in the village of Dubovets of the Nemyriv district in the Vinnytsia region in a family of collective farmers. Her father is from Volyn, and her mother is from Podolia region. She lost her parents early.

Vitenko studied at the Kyiv Institute of Trade and Economics (1984–1989), graduating as a specialist in non-food products of the highest category. Then, she continued her education at the Vinnytsia State Technical University (1999–2000) as an accountant-economist ("Accounting and Auditing"). She was a postgraduate student of the National Academy of Public Administration under the President of Ukraine (2007–2011).

From April 2006 to November 2007, Vitenko was the People's Deputy of Ukraine of the 5th convocation from the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc as No. 119 on the list. At the time of the elections, she was the Head of the Main Department for Internal Policy, Mass Media and Public Relations of the Vinnytsia Regional State Administration and a member of the All-Ukrainian Union "Batkivshchyna”. Vitenko was the Head of the subcommittee on state policy in language development and use of the Committee on Culture and Spirituality (since July 2006) and a member of the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc faction (since May 2006).

In 2007, Vitenko founded the Vinnytsia Regional Local Lore Literary and Artistic Public Organization "Velyka Ridnya". She is a member of the National Union of Writers of Ukraine (2006), National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (2005), Vinnytsia city organization "Union of Ukrainian Women", Taras Shevchenko "Prosvita" Society, Vinnytsia Regional Literary and Art Association named after Vasyl Stus. Literary and artistic award named after Marko Vovchok (2007); Ivan Koshelivets International Literary Prize (2009); All-Ukrainian Literary Award named after Mykhailo Kotsyubynskyi (2019); All-Ukrainian literary and artistic award named after Stepan Rudanskyi (2020) for the books of satire and humor "In Your Own Europe" and "Everything Is Reaped".