Orest Ivanovych Furdychko was born on 10 October 1952 in the village of Strilbychi [uk], in Ukraine's western Lviv Oblast.

Furdychko authored nine monographs and 45 scientific articles, and he was also an adviser to the government of Ukraine on green economy policies and forestry.

[1] Furdychko's campaign was hit by a scandal after a local news outlet revealed that it had been funded by government tree plantations in Lviv Oblast.

[1] Newspaper Ukrainska Pravda claimed in 2012 that Furdychko was an organised crime boss in his electoral district, with a local legend stating that he had a staff of 400 enforcers in the region.

[11] He was also deputy Minister of Environmental Protection from 17 August 2004[12] to 18 May 2005,[13] with a portfolio involving relations with the Verkhovna Rada (parliament of Ukraine).

[14] Anti-corruption non-governmental organisation Chesno, citing the NABU, later said that this bribe was taken with the promise not to interfere with a businessman's development of lands owned by the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences.

[9] After a three-year trial, Furdychko was found guilty of extortion and bribery on 30 July 2021 by the High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine and sentenced to eight years' imprisonment.