Viktor Chernomyrdin with granddaughter Maria

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Ukraine Viktor Chernomyrdin, left, with his granddaughter Maria at the solemn appointment on the occasion of the state holiday of the Russian Federation - Day of Russia, in Kyiv, on Thursday, June 11, 2009. On Thursday, June 11, 2009, President of Russia by his decree dismissed Viktor Chernomyrdin from post of Ambassador of the RF to Ukraine, having appointed him as a counsellor of the President of the RF and having entrusted him with duties of special representative of the President on issues of economic cooperation with states - participants of the CIS. Photo by Aleksandr Burkovsky/UNIAN