War for the poor, luxury for mayors: how officials profit and hide their fortunes while the country suffers

The war in Ukraine showed the face of everyone, demonstrating a deep gap between different layers of society. While some Ukrainians on the front line are holding the front line at the cost of their lives, losing their homes and the last pennies for treatment and food, others at the same time skillfully multiply their fortunes. And they don’t just multiply, but hide them behind the names of wives, children, relatives, so as not to attract too much attention. This shameful picture is especially evident among the mayors of Ukrainian cities. Communities are surviving, looking for money to rebuild, patch roofs and repair destroyed houses, and some mayors seem to live in a parallel reality. Estates, apartments, new cars and businesses appear quietly, without unnecessary questions. Paradox? No, these are Ukrainian realities, where for some the war is victims, losses and white, and for others it is an ideal moment for increasing capital.

The fortunes of Ukrainian mayors are examples of “interesting” declarations

The war changes destinies, destroys lives, leaves many Ukrainians without homes, jobs and confidence in the future. Someone is fighting for the freedom of Ukraine on the front lines, receiving modest salaries and risking their lives every day. Someone is forced to leave his native land, leaving behind everything he has earned for years. Others, having lost their homes due to shelling, are looking for temporary shelter and trying to rebuild their lives from scratch. This is the reality for the majority of Ukrainians who are living the war on their own skin.

But there is another reality – polar opposite. This is the world of Ukrainian officials who, despite the war, manage to increase their fortunes. And it’s not just about new houses or cars. We are talking about real estate, luxury cars, businesses registered to wives, children, relatives or even acquaintances. These people live in comfort, avoiding questions about the sources of their incomes, which are growing in a strange way precisely in the most difficult period for the state.

To write about the fortunes of all Ukrainian mayors in one article is a task from the category of fiction. First, because the scale of “success” of some officials is impressive even against the background of general poverty. Secondly, because the more you immerse yourself in the declaration, the more you want to ask: “Maybe we misunderstood something about the war?”. After all, while someone is collecting donations for bulletproof vests, others are collecting square meters, luxury cars and cash “gifts”.

Declaration of Truskavets Mayor Andriy Kulchynskyi

Let us take for example the mayor of Truskavets Andriy Kulchynsky, whose declaration raises serious questions about the origin of his wealth, especially considering that a large part of real estate was acquired during a full-scale war, and a large part of this property was issued to his wife, Natalia Kulchynska.

Among the objects declared in 2024 are several plots of land, apartments, non-residential premises and a residential building. Some of the property was collected even before the start of the war, but the key acquisitions took place in 2023.

1. A plot of land with an area of ​​2,500 m², which Andriy Kulchynskyi purchased for himself on October 31, 2014. It is in his full ownership.
2. A plot of land with an area of ​​962 m², registered to Natalia Kulchynska. The property was registered on November 21, 2014. This object is one of the first designed for the mayor’s wife.
3. An apartment with an area of ​​107.7 m², which is also owned by Natalia Kulchynska. The date of acquisition of the right is March 4, 2009. The cost at the time of acquisition was 344,140 hryvnias.
4. Residential building with an area of ​​171.3 m², purchased by Andrii Kulchynskyi on January 19, 2018. The cost of the object at the time of acquisition was 964,952 hryvnias.
5. A plot of land with an area of ​​947 m², the acquisition of the right to which was also recorded on January 19, 2018. Its cost was 539,564 hryvnias.
6. A plot of land with an area of ​​218 m², registered on January 19, 2018, worth 124,208 hryvnias.

Nataliya Kulchynska’s wife – the deputy head of the hospital from the medical department – the head of the department, the head of the VLK also does not care. Special attention is drawn to a series of acquisitions made for it already during the war – July 10, 2023. These acquisitions look particularly revealing in view of the difficult socio-economic situation in Ukraine, its official salary and position.

1. Apartment with an area of ​​65 m², costing 89,375 hryvnias.
2. An apartment with an area of ​​65 m² at the same price – 89,375 hryvnias.
3. An apartment with an area of ​​70 m² and a price of 96,250 hryvnias.
4. Non-residential premises with an area of ​​41 m², worth 56,375 hryvnias.
5. Non-residential premises with an area of ​​49 m², worth 67,375 hryvnias.

All these objects, which were purchased at once on one day, were issued exclusively for Nataliya Kulchynska. This may indicate an attempt to avoid direct contact with the declarant or an attempt to hide the real origin of the funds used to purchase real estate. At the same time, Andrii Kulchynskyi declared 569 thousand hryvnias of salary received as the mayor. In addition, he earned 14,506 hryvnias, working part-time in the city hospital. On average, his monthly income was about 48.6 thousand hryvnias. At the same time, Nataliya Kulchynska in the A7234 military unit received 735,576 hryvnias for the year, which is an average of about 61.3 thousand hryvnias per month.

In addition to salaries, the mayor’s declaration also lists other sources of income. In 2024, Andrii Kulchynskyi declared two monetary gifts from Solomia Kulchynskyi: one for 360,000 hryvnias and one more for 400,000 hryvnias, received on August 30. It is also worth mentioning the cash savings of the family. Andriy Kulchynskyi also has significant savings — 19,000 US dollars and 13,000 euros in cash. At the same time, his wife has valuable things: women’s jewelry. However, their value, number and year of acquisition are not in Kulchytskyi’s declaration.

Therefore, the official income of this family does not significantly correspond to the value of the purchased property, which may raise additional questions about sources of financing. At the same time, the mayor of Truskavets’ registration of most objects for his wife instead of himself raises reasonable suspicions about attempts to avoid attention from anti-corruption authorities and the public. After all, the property registered to close relatives does not always fall under the close control of the relevant services.

In addition, there is the question of the source of financing for such acquisitions, especially during the war, when most Ukrainians face financial difficulties. It is important to note that Kulchynsky publicly did not show any income data that could explain such expenses. It is also worth considering that the purchase of several objects in one day may indicate a prepared scheme for the concentration of property and avoidance of declaration in the future.

Declaration of Pavlograd Mayor Anatoly Vershina

The declaration of the mayor of Pavlograd, Anatoly Vershina, is a true example of how during a great war one can not only survive, but also prosper. While the country is fighting for its existence, the 61-year-old mayor demonstrates how profitable it is to be a “humble” official. Triple your own pension during the war? No problem! Buying an estate in Truskavets? Light! Everything is official, everything is beautiful – the declaration is clean, like a tear.

In 2024, the mayor’s pension amounted to 263.5 thousand hryvnias. This is not a joke – three times more than in 2021. This is where the real Ukrainian “success” is! And all this thanks to the court’s decision, because, as it turned out, the Main Directorate of the Pension Fund in the Dnipropetrovsk region somehow incorrectly calculated his merits to the Motherland. The mayor did not put up with this and went to court and defended his legal right to “honest” payments. But this was not enough! Already in October 2023, Vershina sued again, demanding the reinstatement of the monthly pension supplement in the amount of 2,000 hryvnias. And, of course, the court could not refuse. It is surprising that the mayor does not seem to demand additional payments for merits in the fight for his own well-being. And the most interesting thing is that while the military are giving their lives at the front, the mayor defends his right to receive more money in the courts. At least for the entourage, for solidity.

Meanwhile, the mayor’s wife, Valentina Vershina, is not sitting idly by either. In February 2024, she became the owner of a chic country house in Truskavets with an area of ​​211.1 square meters. The cost of this “modest” estate is 1.36 million hryvnias. But that’s not all. In the same period, she acquired a land plot of 0.07 hectares and an apartment in Pavlograd with an area of ​​63.3 m². And this during the war! Well, it’s just a reference example of how Ukrainian family traditions work – while one chooses justice in the courts, the other invests in real estate.

And for a complete set – the Stema ST 02-1 trailer, manufactured in 2022, priced at 111,000 hryvnias. Probably, to transport all those declarations and proofs of financial modesty. Because, according to the declaration, the official and his wife do not keep money in banks – “so as not to worry.” Instead, they have 650,000 hryvnias and 7,000 euros under their mattress. It’s just more convenient that way, I guess. Because war is the best time to accumulate cash.

So, a logical question arises: how do the mayor and his wife so successfully increase their fortunes during the war? And how does all this pass by the anti-corruption bodies, which, according to logic, should at least sometimes be interested in such amazing examples of “successful management”? One gets the impression that for some Ukrainian officials, the war is not about challenges and losses, it is about new opportunities. Opportunities to increase your pension, buy real estate and increase your savings. And the main thing is to arrange it “beautifully”, through courts and declarations. Because even war for someone is just another business plan.

Declaration of the mayor of Brody, Anatoly Beley

The mayor of the small town of Brody, Anatoly Beley, submitted a declaration that is a true example of virtuoso skill in minimizing one’s own assets. One gets the impression that the mayor does not just live modestly, but leads an ascetic lifestyle. No property, car or savings – all this is “carefully” written down for his wife. Well, in order not to be distracted from managing the community, of course.

Let’s start with real estate. In Mr. Anatoly’s property there is an emptiness. But his wife, Iryna Beley, is not so modest. She owns a plot of land with an area of ​​696 m² and a residential building with an area of ​​188.9 m². For some reason, the mayor did not specify the cost of these objects. Maybe this is such a new tactic – you don’t know how much it costs, so you don’t need to declare it? Or he simply forgot because he didn’t have time to look into his wife’s documents. As for transport, it’s even more interesting. The mayor does not have a car, as is customary for “modest” officials. But he has the right to use a 2005 Lexus ES300, which, oddly enough, belongs to his wife. The cost of this car as of 2015 was 261,470 hryvnias. But it’s not the mayor’s property, right? Just like that, my dear wife allows me to travel from time to time.

Corporate rights? Oh, everything is clearly thought out here too. Anatoly Beley is the founder of his own charitable foundation. Just imagine how noble it sounds – charity! He is also a co-founder of the “Bereginia” fund (25% of the total capital) and has a share in the public formation “Territorial defense of Brodivshchyna” (10% of the capital). And all this is for the good of the community, of course.

And now the income part. In addition to his salary, which amounted to 836,684 hryvnias (or about 69,723 hryvnias per month), Beley also declared his wife’s income from business activities – 876,597 hryvnias (this is approximately 73,050 hryvnias per month). Also, the wife received a pension of 31,993 hryvnias and a modest 3,047 hryvnias of interest from Privatbank. Well, who would have thought that the family so carefully saves every penny. But the mayor decided “not to strain” with monetary assets. He has no savings of his own – apparently, all his salary is spent on lunches in the city council. Instead, the wife has 2,388 dollars, 704 euros and 120,000 hryvnias in cash. She has another 56,677 hryvnias in accounts at Privatbank. Modesty is modesty, but you need to think about the currency reserve.

It is interesting that Beley has been managing Brody for more than 13 years. Since 2010, he has always been elected mayor, and since 2020 he has also headed the Brodivska OTG. During this time, he managed to avoid accumulating property. Well, at least officially. A great example for those who think that officials must necessarily be wealthy. The main thing is to have a wife who “accidentally” has everything you need.

So, Anatoly Beley’s declaration is a true masterpiece of Ukrainian bureaucracy. She demonstrates how it is possible to formally remain “poor” by having everything. And this is certainly inspiring: this is what the real fight for transparency looks like, at least on paper.

Declaration of Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov

Mayor of Kharkiv Ihor Terekhov submitted a declaration that is a perfect example of how you can officially have nothing, but at the same time use everything. Terekhov has nothing in his property, he is a renter: the apartment is rented, the car is rented, even living in houses and apartments is not his. As the media reported, since 2016 the official has been renting housing from his mother — an apartment measuring 29.5 m². This is the philosophy of an easy life – everything is someone else’s, but I use it as if it were my own. And this is despite the fact that the mass media has already repeatedly written: in 2019-2020, Terekhov received shares in the medical companies “On Clinic Advanced”, “DoctorPro Kyiv”, “Medical Advance”, “Briyut”, “Medical Ray” and “On Clinic Kharkiv Dvorets Sporta”. In addition, it was reported that the mayor of Kharkiv is misleading the public by denying his involvement in the Kiset retail chain. At the same time, he did not deny the information that Kiset operates illegally and evades payment of funds to the city budget.

But let’s return to his interesting declaration. In 2023, Ihor Terekhov earned 1,716,555 hryvnias. This is approximately 143 thousand hryvnias every month. But this money, obviously, goes exclusively for rent, because what else can explain the absence of the mayor’s own apartment or car?

Terekhov, like a true ascetic, rents a 101.3 m² apartment in Kharkiv from its owner, Alla Popova. Why the mayor of a big city did not get his own home remains a mystery. Maybe renting is a new trend among officials. Add here another apartment, with an area of ​​69.8 m², which he jointly owns with Victoria Terekhova. But here too, everything is not so simple – it is not his apartment, but only a shared one, so why declare the property details in detail, if you can get by with a minimum of information?

The information about the house in Spain, in which Terekhov’s son Andriy has the right to live, looks even more interesting. Of course, this is not the property of the mayor, because the house is registered for a citizen of Ukraine Oleksandr Yasynskyi. It looks perfect: the house is there, residence is allowed, but the responsibility is on someone else. Beauty! But this is not the limit either. From September 1, 2023, the mayor’s son Andriy Terekhov began renting an apartment in Kyiv with an area of ​​119.7 m², which is owned by Viktor Levchenko. It appears that the entire family lives exclusively in rented accommodation to avoid unnecessary questions about sources of income. Such a minimalist approach to life. As for transport, everything is also simple. Terekhov rents a Mercedes-Benz GL 350 CDI 4 Matic (owner – Olga Kotelnikova) and a Volkswagen Transporter van (owner – Pavlo Stepanenko). Perhaps the mayor does not like to be tied to one place, so he changes cars together with lease agreements.

Among the valuable possessions, the mayor listed only one Omega Speedmaster Automatic watch. This is perhaps his most significant achievement in ownership. Because everything else is for rent. And, of course, Terekhov has securities – 15,000 securities of 1,000 hryvnias each in Finex-Capital LLC, closed non-diversified venture investment fund Genoa. The total value of these papers is 15 million hryvnias, but that’s it, a small thing that is convenient to keep in case you suddenly want to rent something more expensive.

Terekhov also declared cash savings: 135 thousand hryvnias, 54 thousand euros and 151 thousand dollars. Banks have a modest 84,938 hryvnias. And he also has a financial obligation in favor of Lada Kremerman – a loan for more than 10 million, or more precisely – 10,081,600 hryvnias, which arose on November 20, 2017. It is interesting that a woman with the same name previously appeared as a co-owner of Finex Capital and was mentioned in journalistic investigations related to the Kharkiv City Hall and Gennady Kernes. According to media reports, this woman, who is lending millions to Terekhov, herself has utility debts that are currently being collected through court orders.

And of course, one cannot ignore the income of the mayor’s family. In 2023, son Andrii Terekhov received an additional benefit in the amount of 1,184 hryvnias. I wonder what kind of benefit this is, but it was probably a symbolic compensation for the right to rent something more. In general, Igor Terekhov’s declaration is a real masterpiece of tricks. If you want to live modestly, live on someone else’s property, but pretend to be honest, the main thing is that the declaration looks clean. And it looks really clean, but whether it is transparent is a rhetorical question.

Declaration of the ex-deputy head of the Kherson KHMA Yaroslav Yakovlev

Although not the mayor’s declaration, Yaroslav Yakovlev, the former deputy head of the Kherson City Military Administration (KHMVA), also raises serious questions. Yakovlev received more than 1.3 million hryvnias as a salary for a year in public office. Not bad for an official during the war, especially considering that he also has solid savings – 484,000 hryvnias and 60,000 dollars in cash. Where such money came from is an open question. However, the situation with property looks even more interesting. Yakovlev owns a modest Daewoo Lanos and a jet ski. But the main “treasure” is registered to his wife: an apartment in Kyiv and three cars. At the same time, there is not a word in the declaration about Ms. Yakovleva’s sources of income. She, it turns out, is the owner of considerable property, but does not officially work anywhere? This fact looks suspicious, to say the least, considering how rapidly their fortunes have grown in the past two years.

Back in 2022, the Yakovlev family lived on payments for internally displaced persons – 18 thousand hryvnias. That’s all that was enough then. And already in 2023, the wife suddenly declares 1.5 million hryvnias from entrepreneurial activities. The question arises: what kind of business “shot” so quickly during the war? In 2023, Yakovlev himself received only 285.2 thousand hryvnias in salary and 24 thousand hryvnias in social benefits. However, already in 2024, his earnings have increased several times. It is even more interesting that at the end of 2024, Yakovlev unexpectedly resigned from KhMVA, but the reasons for the dismissal are not disclosed. Maybe because the increased incomes and the rapid improvement of well-being have already raised questions from the relevant authorities?

The declaration states that Yakovlev’s own fleet consists only of Daewoo Lanos. Modest, but taking into account the salary, it is also logical. However, his wife owns three cars, the brand of which is not specified for some reason. This is another detail that leaves room for doubt. After all, it is hard to believe that in the absence of official income, the wife can afford three cars and an apartment in the capital. The jet ski owned by Yakovlev also deserves special attention. The cost of this vehicle is not indicated in the declaration, but the market speaks for itself: such “toys” can cost from several thousand to tens of thousands of dollars. Whether this corresponds to the level of the official’s income is a rhetorical question.

Yakovlev’s declaration looks like a mixture of inconsistencies and mysteries. Where does this money come from? Why is the property registered for a wife who officially has no income? And most importantly, why has the family’s financial situation improved so dramatically over the past two years? Answers to these questions should be provided not only by society, but also by competent authorities. After all, even a shadow of doubt on an official during the war is a blow to the trust in the government, which is already falling rapidly.

These are far from all examples of the fortunes of Ukrainian mayors and their official declaration. However, even they show how some officials profit openly during the war, while others probably do the same, but hide their income in a much more cunning way. Registration of property for wives, numerous leases, lack of information about real sources of income – this is a standard scheme that has been successfully practiced in Ukraine for years. With great probability, we can say that these situations are typical. It’s just that not every mayor has time to make a declaration as fast as his fortune grows.

In Ukraine, where some remain homeless and others save the country on the front lines, the existence of such a situation is bitterly understandable: there are those for whom war is a tragedy, and there are others for whom it is a great opportunity in the midst of chaos. Property acquisitions by mayors and other officials raise reasonable questions about the transparency of financial sources and the legality of their actions. Of course, the registration of most of the property to wives and other family members is an avoidance of public and anti-corruption control. But what are the numerous anti-corruption bodies doing, which, according to the law, should check the declarations of officials, look for inconsistencies and detect shadow income? Where are their conclusions, investigations, and cases referred to the courts? Is the verification of declarations only a matter for journalists? If the heads of local communities, who were elected by the people, allow themselves such an open demonstration of dubious property and “accidental” wealth, then what happens behind closed doors, where no declaration will reveal the truth? The war did not become a reason for conscience for many – on the contrary, it is a convenient moment for those who know how to hide the excess. And while the anti-corruption structures are silent, this “rule of the game” remains unchanged.