Rouslan Bodelan

Rouslan Borysovych Bodelan (Руслан Борисович Боделан, Руслан Борисович Боделан; born 4 April 1942) is a Ukrainian politician.

Rouslan Bodelan started his career in 1959 as a sports coach/teacher in a secondary school. In 1961, he began his work at the "Odessilbud" construction company (within its Construction and Field Assembly Department #14) in Balta. Since 1964 Bodelan is active in politics, being member and functionary in Komsomol, Communist Party of the Soviet Union and other Soviet organizations. In 1965, he became a First Secretary (Head) of Kiliia Raion Komsomol Organization. His top position in CPSU was the First Secretary of Odesa Regional Committee, which he occupied in April 1990.

On 3 April 1990, Bodelan was elected member of the Odesa Oblast Soviet (council). He was later elected a chairman of this council and was occupying this position up to April 1998. Simultaneously, Bodelan was a head of Odesa Oblast State Administration (i. e. governor) in July 1995 – May 1998, member of the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) of Ukraine in 1994–1998, a member of Maritime Policy Commission under President of Ukraine in 1995–1998, head of the Commonwealth of Danube States' Executive Group in 1996–1997. In August 1998 Bodelan was elected a mayor of Odesa city. but Russian authorities refuse to extradite him. He was granted Russian citizenship in 2006 (which automatically revokes his Ukrainian citizenship) and a position of deputy director of the Saint Petersburg Sea Port. Bodelan refused to return to Ukraine voluntarily, claiming he is afraid of political prosecution by supporters of former president Viktor Yushchenko. On 9 April 2010 the ex mayor returned to Odesa.

Rouslan Bodelan was awarded with a number of Soviet and Ukrainian decorations and medals, including Order of the Red Banner of Labour, "Decoration of Honour" Order, Order of Merits III grade, order of St. Volodymyr II grade.