Who Is Wladimir Klitschko's Brother? Meet Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko

Wladimir Klitschko isn't the only famous name in his family.

His older brother, Vitali Klitschko, made a name for himself in the boxing world before transitioning into politics and eventually becoming the mayor of Kyiv. Now one of the country's most recognizable political figures, Vitali left the boxing ring to concentrate on Ukrainian politics.

Here's everything to know about Wladimir's brother, Vitali.

Born on July 19, 1971, Vitali was nearly named after Kirk Douglas' character in the 1960 film Spartacus. More than a decade after he was born, he moved with his family to Kyiv, where he, Wladimir and their grandmother lived in a small 200-square-foot apartment on the military base at the international airport.

According to his bio, Vitali began studying karate as a teenager before eventually switching to kickboxing while following in the footsteps of his role model, Arnold Schwarzenegger. His early kickboxing career was successful, and he made his professional boxing debut in the 1990s.

He withdrew from professional boxing in November 2005 — marking his first retirement.

"Unfortunately, I have had to fight off more injuries than opponents as of late," he said. "My decision to withdraw from professional sports has been a difficult one to reach. But I prefer to end my career at the top, and make way for others to follow."

He came out of retirement roughly two years later and finished with a record of 45-2, 41 KOs before retiring for good as he was named Champion Emeritus by the WBC in 2013.

"I want to thank the WBC and its president, Don Jose Sulaiman, for the support in our fight for democracy and freedom in Ukraine," he said at the time. "It was and is a great honor to hold the WBC title, and I've always done it with pride. The offer of the WBC gives me the theoretical possibility to return to the boxing ring, which I cannot imagine at all to the current state."

Vitali continued, "Right now, my full concentration is on politics in Ukraine, and I feel that the people need me there. My brother Wladimir will ensure more sporting success and I will, as always, support him as much as he currently supports me in my political fight."

While still active in boxing in 2006, Vitali entered politics when he made his first bid for mayor of Kyiv. He ran for the office again in 2008 before becoming chairman of the UDAR party in 2010.

After UDAR secured seats in parliament in 2012, Vitali became the party's parliamentary leader and later emerged as a prominent opposition figure during the Maidan protests. He then announced a presidential run in 2013 but withdrew from the race in March 2014, per his bio.

Two months later, he was elected mayor of Kyiv — a position he retained through subsequent reelection campaigns.

When asked why he decided to get involved in politics, Vitali explained in a December 2013 interview, "I remember the day Ukraine became independent. I was 20, now I am over 40. It was like one second – time goes so fast. If we wait, the next 20 years will go by. We have a choice to wait or to fight for the better future of our country. I know better than anyone: no fight, no win."

The Ukrainian politician was married to model and singer Natalia Egorova for more than two decades before announcing their divorce in August 2022. The former couple welcomed three children during their marriage: son Yegor-Daniel, born in 2000; daughter Elizabeth-Victoria, born in 2002; and son Maksym, born in 2005.