“They used people as expendables, you understand?”
No safety, no shower, no heating. 2 accidents, 38 dead, millions in profits.
Welcome (back) to Ukraine!
Bazhanova mine, Makiyivka, Donetsk oblast: 11 dead
Sukhodolska-Skhidna mine, Luhansk oblast: 27 dead
The latter belongs to Ukraine's richest man/MP Rinat Akhmetov, a supporter of Yanukovych and a neighbor of Tymoshenko.
Fighting back tears, the miner who works at Akhmetov's mine identifies himself as Smetanin Ihor Volodymyrovych. He says he makes $162/month, cried all night helping recover the bodies and will most likely quit after 3 years on the job.
Sources:
http://censor.net.ua/ru/video_news/view/177169/v_razmen_lyudeyi_kak_rashodny
yi_material_my_tut_kak_skoty__gornyak_shahty_ahmetova_video
http://censor.net.ua/ru/video_news/view/176802/mat_propavshego_shahtera_on_gdeto_tam__pod_zavalom_vse_net_ego_video
Thursday, August 04, 2011
'Expendable' Coal Miner Speaks Out After Accident
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Welcome to Tymoshenko, Akhmetov, Tabachnyk Beaches!
“Do you know where you are? Rich folks live here. So don't sail any closer!”
Can beaches be private property? No, says environmental law. Yes, says the law of the jungle.
That’s the law that trumps the law that guarantees free riverfront passage and bans home construction within 100 meters of any water body.
In a country where government is private property, nothing is impossible!
OK, here we go. Tymoshenko beach (4:17). Feels nice, but nobody’s home. Oh, she's so busy these days! Not only does she frequently appear in Yanukovych’s court...
...but she also lives next door to Ukraine’s richest man Rinat Akhmetov!
Red: Tymoshenko (former MP/PM/now opposition leader)
White: Akhmetov (oligarch/MP/Yanukovych backer)
Pretty cool, huh? How about an Overboard remake? Best filming location ever!
The final *swim-union* scene (2:04)
Donbas Arena opening ceremony (August 2009)
Anyway, other beaches turned out not so romantic.
Tabachnyk beach guard: “Are you gonna teach law to me? I have my own laws. You understand?”
Sources:
http://censor.net.ua/ru/video_news/view/174946/jurnalisty_popytalis_pozagorat_na_lichnyh_plyajah_timoshenko_ahmetova_i_tabachnika_ty_tolko_za_zabor_vylezesh_ya_tebya_iz_pistoleta_vylezu_video http://tsn.ua
http://www.pravda.com.ua/photo-video/2011/07/14/6386726/
http://www.pravda.com.ua/rus/articles/2009/08/30/4501048/
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Forbes Lists 5 Billionaires from Ukraine, Up from 4 in ‘09
As Ukraine is getting poorer (economy: -15%, hryvnia: -60%), the oligarchs are getting richer.
In 2010, The World’s Billionaires features five slots from Ukraine:
148. Rinat Akhmetov: $5.2
307. Viktor Pinchuk: $3.1B
488. Ihor Kolomoysky: $2.0B
582. Hennadiy Boholyubov: $1.7B
828. Kostyantyn Zhevago: $1.2B
MP Akhmetov regains his leading position, lost to Pinchuk last year. MP Zhevago (a businessman, not an oligarch, as Tymoshenko would argue) reenters the ranking.
Sources:
http://www.forbes.com/lists/2010/10/billionaires-2010_The-Worlds-Billionaires_CountryOfCitizen_23.html
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Forbes: Pinchuk Tops Akhmetov As Ukraine's Richest Man
Times are tough.
Viktor Pinchuk, net worth $2.6B, has taken the lead in Ukraine, according to the The World’s Billionaires 2009, beating Rinat Akhmetov, net worth $1.8B.
Compared to last year’s rankings, Ukraine has lost three billionaire slots.
It’s even more of a cold shower if you compare it to the June 2008 rankings by Korrespondent/Dragon Capital.
Sources:
http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2009/3/12/91196.htm
http://www.forbes.com/lists/2008/10/billionaires08_The-Worlds-Billionaires_CountryOfCitizen_25.html
http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/10/billionaires-2009-richest-people_The-Worlds-Billionaires_CountryOfCitizen_16.html
http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/10/billionaires-2009-richest-people_The-Worlds-Billionaires_CountryOfCitizen_17.html
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Akhmetov’s Foundation to Lobby for Ukraine in Washington?
Washington is becoming a public relations playground for Ukraine's oligarchs.
This time, it's not about Viktor Pinchuk, Ukraine’s second-richest man. It's about Rinat Akhmetov, Ukraine's richest man.
Enjoy this article on how Akhmetov’s Foundation for Effective Governance “is mounting a campaign to press Washington to treat the newly democratic nation as a key ally in Europe.”
Sources:
http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2009/2/25/90274.htm
http://thehill.com/content/view/80011/70/1/0/
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Akhmetov, Net Worth $31.1B, Named Richest Man in Ukraine, CIS, EU
According to Korrespondent magazine, Ukraine’s Top 50 richest people have doubled their assets over the last year.
Not only has Rinat Akhmetov become the richest man in the CIS, but he has also won the title of the richest man in Europe, outclassing Ingvar Kamprad of IKEA.
Korrespondent gives the following ranking:
#1 Rinat Akhmetov, PRU, $31.1B.
#2 Viktor Pinchuk, $8.8B, sponsor of Paul McCartney’s upcoming June 14 concert
#3 Ihor Kolomoisky, often linked to NUNS, $6.6B
#4 Hennadiy Boholyubov, Kolomoisky’s partner, $6.2B
#5 Kostyantyn Zhevago, BYuT, $2.2B
Members of the Party Regions control $35.42B worth of assets, while the Top 50 sit on some $112.7B, which equals two annual Ukrainian budgets.
Ukraine's GDP per capita runs below $10,000.
By comparison, in 2007 the net worth of America’s 400 wealthiest people amounted to $1.54T, or 55% of the country’s $2.8T budget for the year.
Sources:
http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2008/6/12/77446.htm
http://korrespondent.net/business/490831
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Akhmetov on Dniproenergo Divestment
After a public relations battle that spilled over onto the streets of Kyiv, the court has finally made a decision in a case that pitted Ukraine’s richest man against the Tymoshenko Cabinet. Rinat Akhmetov: We respect the court’s decision. The court has made this decision. We have two options: We can challenge the court’s decision, and option two…uh…that is, if the board meeting was illegitimate, we still paid more than one billion hryvnias [$200 m] to the government, which means that the government owes us more than one billion hryvnias. So, the option we are going to elect, I believe we’ll make it public shortly.
Video uploaded from: http://censor.net.ua/go/offer/ResourceID/81573.html
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Ukraine’s Richest Man Launches His Third Stage of Charity
I very much like these words: “Charity speaks with a quiet voice.” That’s why I would quietly reach for my pocket and help those in need. That was my credo. That was my first stage of charity. But, unfortunately, in our country, we have systemic problems. And no one can solve them with a quiet voice. So today, right at this moment, there starts my third stage of charity — a stage of my own personal responsibility. Why did I come to this decision? It’s because I will practice charity at all times.
— Rinat Akhmetov, net worth: $14.6 billion, according to Fokus magazine, the Ukrainian equivalent of Forbes
As long as Ukraine remains one of Europe's poorest countries — while generating multi-billion profits annually — the ball is in Mr. Akhmetov’s court to match words with deeds. Let’s see the color of his money.
Let’s see whether his commitment will pull the rug from under unfavorable reports like this one (Ukr).
When it comes to social responsibility and its voice in the court of public opinion, impressive bottom-line results win more admirers than redressive legal action.
Video uploaded from: http://censor.net.ua/go/offer/ResourceID/79562.html
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Former Naftogaz Chief on Stabilnist, Shyrka, Patriotism
Ukrayinska Pravda quotes from an RFE/RL interview with the former chief of Naftogaz, MP Yuriy Boiko, PRU, widely believed to be RosUkrEnergo’s agent of influence.
On the PRU's slipping approval ratings:
As of today, we’re not losing approval ratings. In any given society, if a party goes into the opposition, some people will stray. It’s normal practice. And we feel quite all right about this.
On Baloha’s plans to strike out on his own:
You know, nobody has spoken about this officially. In our turbulent political situation, rumors abound. I believe that the vast majority of them have no foundation. Well, perhaps some of our partners, our colleagues, are planning to launch a new political project. It’s the right of every person — to launch a new political project.
On Baloha-Akhmetov relations:
You know, big business has to cooperate with government. And the fact that it cooperates — if this benefits the country, benefits stabilnist — then it’s normal. If it benefits stabilnist, then it’s normal. And whatever political decisions out there are being made by Baloha, I believe that right now he’s realizing that the ruling coalition in its present format — it doesn’t work.
Is it normal? It’s normal because they live in the same country. They are all patriots because they’re not leaving the country. They work and live here.
On the speculation of having lobbied the idea of replacing Akhmetov with Firtash as the chief party financier:
I believe there’s no way a person can approach the party leader and make an offer like this, so it’s all rumors. I’ve already answered this question today for one of the reporters. The answer is short: It’s all rumors and hearsay. It didn’t happen.
Whew! Now we know who the real patriots are! They work and live this country. They can’t live without stabilnist. And nothing short of a shyrkanova works for them.
Sources:
http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2008/2/26/72151.htm
http://www.day.kiev.ua/img/156368/13-5-2.jpg
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Ukraine’s Richest Man Advocates Healthy Lifestyle, Recalls His Childhood
Rinat Akhmetov, speaking at the opening ceremony of the Zhovtneva Mine pool in Donetsk. (The pool reopened after renovation.)
Today, our youths and our kids will devote more time to sports and somehow will devote less time to alcohol and cigarettes. And that’s called a healthy lifestyle, a healthy generation, a healthy family.
I remember how one guy wanted to touch down the pool’s wall, and so he'd hit me in the face with all his might.
Quick facts:
SCM, a company owned by Akhmetov, controls Sarmat, one of the Big Four breweries in Ukraine. Lawyers for Mr. Akhmetov recently won a lawsuit against Obozrevatel, the Orange-leaning online news engine. The hearings, held in a London court, concerned a series of articles by Tetyana Chornovil, in which she portrayed Akhmetov’s youth based on several interviews.
An estimated 700,000 people are suffering from alcohol abuse in Ukraine. According to a WHO study, alcohol consumption among Ukrainian teenagers makes our country second to none.
Sources:
http://censor.net.ua/go/offer/ResourceID/73301.html
http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2008/1/15/69737.htm
http://www.kyivpost.com/nation/28110/
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3489902,00.html
