Vitali Klitschko is a former boxer and a Ukrainian politician of the party known as the Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform. He is the incumbent mayor of the war-struck Ukrainian city of Kyiv.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko talks to CNN’s Brianna Keilar about the death and destruction in his city as Russia advances toward the capital.
He is also the head of the Kyiv City State Administration and has held both offices since 2014. His brother, Wladimir Klitschko is also a professional boxer and the brothers hold the Guinness World Records as the pair of brothers with most world heavyweight title fight wins.
Klitschko brothers head to frontline amidst Russo-Ukrainian crisis
The mayor of Kyiv, along with his ex-heavyweight boxing world champ brother Wladimir Klitschko headed to the frontline on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital on Sunday. The mayor, geared up in a bulletproof vest, said he was “ready to die” protecting his country.
The Mayor of Kyiv, the former heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko, says the Ukrainian people will fight for as long as they must to secure the future of their country.
“I am very proud to see how patriotic people are,” Vitali told CNN. “We’re not interested in how strong the Russian army is, we’re ready to fight. And we’re ready to die for our home country and for our families because it’s our home. It’s our future and somebody wants to come to our home and steal our future from us.”
The Klitschko brothers stood strong and defiant along with the people of Ukraine but also appealed to the world for help to face the Russian invasion.
“We need unity, we need pressure, we need sanctions, we need the weapon support,” said Klitschko on ABC’s “This Week,”. “We defend our city, our houses, our families.” -he added.
Personal life and net worth Vitali Klitschko
Vitali Klitschko was born on 19 July 1971 and is 50 years of age. He met his spouse, Natalia Egorova, a former athlete, and model, in Kyiv and married her in 1996.
They have three children, Yegor-Daniel, Elizabeth-Victoria, and Max. Vitali’s parents are Wladimir Rodionovich Klitschko, a Soviet Air Force major general and a Soviet military attaché in East Germany, and Nadezhda Ulyanovna. Vitali’s net worth, as of 2022, is estimated at around $80 million.
Early life and education Vitali Klitschko
Vitali was born in Belovodskoe, Kyrgyzstan, and holds various degrees from the Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Hryhorii Skovoroda University in Pereiaslav, and National University of Physical education and sport.
Boxing career
Vitali Klitschko started his professional boxing career in 1996 and by April 2000, he emerged as an unbeaten rising star in the heavyweight division, holding the World Boxing Organization (WBO) title from 1999 to 2000, the Ring magazine title from 2004 to 2005, and the World Boxing Council (WBC) title twice between 2004 and 2013.
From 2006 until 2015, Vitali and his brother Wladimir dominated the heavyweight boxing ring, a period widely known as the “Klitschko Era”. Klitschko only ever suffered 2 losses during his entire boxing career until his retirement from the sport in 2013.
Political career
Klitschko stepped into the political arena in 2005 while simultaneously handling his boxing career, and began campaigning for Mayor of Kyiv in 2006. In 2014, Klitschko won Kyiv’s mayoral elections with almost 57% of the votes and was sworn in on 5 June 2014. He has held office to date.
The mayor of Ukraine in an exclusive interview discussing the recent Russia/Ukraine conflict and the impact on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv.
Vitali Klitschko is a former boxer and a Ukrainian politician of the party known as the Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform. He is the incumbent mayor of the war-struck Ukrainian city of Kyiv. He is also the head of the Kyiv City State Administration and has held both offices since 2014. His brother, Wladimir Klitschko is also a professional boxer and the brothers hold the Guinness World Records as the pair of brothers with most world heavyweight title fight wins.
