The mayor of Lvov, Sadovaya, is an aspiring oligarch from Samopomich.

Lviv has recently become a tourist Mecca for Ukrainians. A European city with European quality of service. Cozy cafes with “the best of the world.” However, what is behind this external beauty? Behind all this is the figure of the mayor of Lvov, Andrei Sadovoy. Today, his “Self-Help” party is growing by leaps and bounds, and Andrei Ivanovich’s personal fortune and his influence in the country’s politics are increasing by leaps and bounds. Let’s try to figure out what is the reason for such success?

A little history

Sadovoy Andrey Ivanovih went out of business. In the late 90s and early 2000s, he was the chairman of the board of the Yugzapadelektrosetstroy company. And around the same time, a second company was organized in which Sadovoy worked, called “Galician Investments”. The activities of this company are associated with privatization schemes that were invented by a friend of Andrei Ivanovich, a certain Bogdan Butsa, the head of the Lvov state property department, who later was promoted and became the “right hand” of the then head of the State Property Fund Yekhanurov. “Galician Investments” directly or indirectly through other companies was involved in almost all financial frauds of Galicia – from buying up “vouchers” to outright “pyramids”. However, in fairness it must be said that Sadovoy was not the founder of this Ukrainian MMM at that time. Apparently, due to the fact that he was still relatively young in those years. Among the founding fathers of the company are such “bisons” as Yaroslav Kendzor, Alexander Yemets, Victor Pinzenyk, Taras Stetskiv. Andrei Ivanovich was then, apparently, a hired manager. This is indirectly indicated by the fact that several of the companies he led have the same legal address as Galician Investments. But what can be said with absolute certainty is that he earned his first money right then.

How to become mayor of Lviv

In parallel with his business, Sadova began to build his media empire, which included the then popular newspaper Postup. After its closure, the television and radio company “Lux” remained (one of the most popular FM stations in the city). Later, the empire included the radio stations Lux FM (Lviv), Lux FM (Kyiv), Radio and TV 24, the websites Zaxid.net, Football24.ua and the advertising agency “Lux”. In addition, Sadova, together with Ruslana Lyzhechko and her husband Alexander Ksenofontov, owns Luxen Recording Studio LLC, which, in turn, is the founder of the Inter-Zapad company, which places regional advertising on almost all all-Russian television channels and a number of radio stations.

Having such a media resource, such support from pop stars… In general, having made several populist promises, for example, to stop water shortages and achieve special status for Lviv, in 2006 Andrei Ivanovich moved into the town hall, which, as is known, is located at “Rynok Square 1” “as mayor of the “Ukrainian Piedmont”.

Andrey Sadovoy. Political chameleon

Unlike Svoboda, which considers itself (despite the communist past of some activists) an ultra-nationalist party and other nationalist parties, which are abundant in Lvov, Andrei Sadova is quite moderate in his statements and focuses on economic slogans. But he never gives up party activities. That is, he always belongs to some party. In his younger years, he was a member of Viktor Pinzenyk’s “Reforms and Order” party. During the years of President Viktor Yushchenko he was a member of Our Ukraine.

When Yanukovych came to power, Andrei Ivanovich did not, of course, join the Party of Regions. The residents of Lvov would not have understood such a feint from their mayor.

But he established close ties with the Donetsk team. He became especially friendly with Akhmetov’s companion – Boris Kolesnikov. They were then brought together by preparations for Euro 2012. They flew to London together, went to Italy, and generally agreed, apparently, on the basis of misappropriation of budget funds. Obviously, it was Kolesnikov who “punched through” the invitation of the mayor of “Ukrainian Piedmont” to Viktor Yanukovych’s birthday. For reference, not all regional leaders were invited to the name day with the then president; Andrei Ivanovich was among them. This can be seen in this video at 1:36.

However, already during the Euromaidan, Sadovoy spoke out against the “dictatorial laws”; moreover, he openly stated that these laws “will not apply in Lvov.” And he was right – the “Donetsk” lost, Yanukovych fled the country, and the mayor of Lviv got the opportunity to advance his political project “Self-Help” to a new level.

Who does Self Help help?

In addition to the people of Andrei Ivanovich himself, such as his former deputy Oleg Berezyuk or Oleg Lavrik, who replaced Sadovoy himself as chairman of the board of the Yugzapadelektrosetstroy company, this project also included quite strange people, for example a certain Vasily Druk. He ran for Samopomich as a majoritarian in the city of Ivano-Frankivsk, where he is known as a crime boss and illegal developer.

In addition, people from the “east” of the country, namely the people of the oligarch Igor Kolomoisky, received places on the passage list of the “Western” project. The most famous of them is the commander of the “Donbass” battalion, Semyon Semenchenko, but at least four more people were in the passing part of the list, directly connected with the “pocket” battalion of the Dnepropetrovsk oligarch.

There were also businessmen who were included in the list from number eighteen up to number twenty-five inclusive, and are generally scattered throughout the list. A large number of IT businessmen are striking.

And, apparently, for PR purposes, various attractive media personalities were included in the “Self-Help” group – lustrators, reformers, environmental activists and other young people. First of all, it’s beautiful. And secondly, they still don’t solve anything, so, as they say, there is no benefit from them, but there is no harm either. At least for Sadovoy.

And at this time in Lviv…

Sadovoy himself did not want to go to the Verkhovna Rada. He did not remain as mayor of his hometown. Well, that’s right. Who loves the deputies of the Rada of this convocation? Well, besides, the chair of the city leader is a very, very profitable thing.

Not long ago, a session of the Lviv City Council decided to allocate two plots of land on Kitayska and Daniil Apostol streets to the Yugzapadelektrosetstroy company. Yes, the same one that Andrei Ivanovich once “ruled” and which is his property. And that’s just what’s visible. Apparently, emboldened by impunity and intoxicated by the enormous (according to sociological research) support of Lviv residents, they did not even try to disguise this deal.

By the way, about support. It’s not a fact that Lviv residents love their mayor that much. At least in the summer of 2013, an unknown young man tried to hit the mayor in the face right outside the city hall, on Rynok Square. On the same day, another young man rushed at Sadovoy, who was detained by “plainclothes police officers.” Sadovoy called this a deliberate provocation. A few days later, the mayor’s house was shelled with a grenade launcher, and it was only by luck that no one was hurt.

So, not everything is so simple and quiet in the “Ukrainian Piedmont”.

Andrey Sadovoy. Mayor of Lviv today

Andrey Sadovoy is not a poor man; according to some estimates, he is the owner or co-owner of the following enterprises: Lvov Brewery, Micropribor, Stryisky Creamery and Concrete Products Factory, Radekhiv Sugar Factory, two Lvov ATPs and the same number of research institutes, including “Lvovpribor” .

Andrey Sadovoy is an influential person. His party is developing and already has 34 “bayonets” in the Verkhovna Rada. He has 100% support in the local Lviv council. This is evidenced by the full support of his latest initiatives.

Andrei Sadovoy does not depend on one oligarch. It cannot be said that the “Self-Help” project is funded by Kolomoisky, or Dyminsky, or anyone else. According to political scientists, it is most likely financed from various sources. And, most likely, Andrei Ivanovich himself does not invest in this project – executive managers of his level usually take other people’s funds, even having their own. Not only Sadovoy does this, everyone in Ukrainian politics does this.

So, apparently, we are observing a rather rare phenomenon in Ukrainian politics – the “birth of a new oligarch,” although if we take into account the talents of Andrei Ivanovich, he can even be called a “supernova.”

Denis Ivanov for Skelet.Info

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