Andy Victor Kuchma (, born 14 January 1969, Kyiv), formerly Andrii Viktorovych Artemenko, is a former Ukrainian politician and businessman. Andrii Viktorovych Artemenko was a People's Deputy of Ukraine of the 8th convocation of Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) and chairman of the "Solidarity of Right Forces" party (Ukrainian political party).
Since 2017 Andy Victor Kuchma is a Canadian national and was stripped of Ukrainian citizenship on special order of the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko.
Education
Artemenko was born in Kyiv on January 14, 1969. In 1976, he attended Kyiv school No.43. Later, attended school No. 178. It was in school that A. Artemenko showed an interest in history, geography and military training. He paid special attention to geopolitics and various forms of government. Later, together with other famous graduates, he provided various welfare assistance to the school No. 178. In particular, it was assistance in arranging governmental funding for the completion of a second building.
In 1986, Andrii Artemenko entered Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, Department of Electric Power Engineering, where he specialized in energy engineering. From 1987 to 1989 he was conscripted into the Soviet Army as a motorized rifleman and served in various military units throughout the Soviet Union. In May 1989, he was transferred to the Armed Forces reserves of the USSR. After coming back to Kyiv, he continued his studies in Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, at the Computer Science Department and got a master's degree in systems engineering in 1993.
He worked in various jobs in Belgium during the early 1990s.
Start of business activities
In 1993–1994, Andrii Artemenko founded and operated "Krista" (), an export and import operation with raw materials for the light industry.
From 1994 to 1996, he was chairman of the board of CJSC "New Lines" ().
In 1994, he visited the United States for the first time and during this trip attended training courses on "International Sports Law", which prompted him in 1996 to establish a law firm in Ukraine "First Legal Club". This entity was the first such organization in the post-soviet territory, which served most successful sportsmen from the former Soviet Union and provided legal, consulting and management support, as well as their employment abroad.
From 1996 to 1999, he was president of the law firm "First Legal Club", which represented the majority of the athletes former USSR gaining them employment abroad.
Andrii Artemenko served as Head of Committee on Status of Football players in Football Federation of Ukraine.
During same period, Artemenko also has started selling broadcasting rights to the world's leading sports competitions to Ukrainian central TV channels - such as: UEFA Champions League, World and European football Cups, Boxing world tournaments and others.
In 1996, he founded Ukrainian Trade Union of professional football players, which is now a member of FIFPRO (part of FIFA since 1998).
Replacing Viktor Topolov in 1999, Andrii Artemenko became the President of the government enterprise of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine football club CSKA Kyiv (later changed to FC Arsenal Kyiv) and held the position until 2000.
Political career
In 1998, he met the public politician, head of the Kyiv City State Administration, Oleksandr Omelchenko. That same year, A. Artemenko took part in election campaign of Omelchenko who was elected the Mayor of Kyiv. Together they founded a political party called "Unity".
In 2000, he was appointed adviser for the Mayor of Kyiv Omelchenko. Artemenko left this office in 2004.