Brotherhood in Power: the “Quiet One” and the “Kushnaryov Killer” Dmytro Shentsev

Brotherhood in Power: the “Quiet One” and the “Kushnaryov Killer” Dmytro Shentsev

Not very noticeable for legislative activity, not speaking from the deputy’s tribune – that’s a brief way to characterize this Kharkiv politician, member of the Party of Regions Dmytro Shentsev, nicknamed Dimon.

But this parliamentary “quiet one” has a rather stormy past, full of attacks on journalists, racketeering, extortion, raiding, and murders. So for what merits did Shentsev become a deputy and why is he reckoned with in parliament? According to sources, Shentsev’s deputy seat was a gift from Yanukovych for the elimination of the President’s rival, Shentsev’s friend Yevheniy Kushnaryov. Rumor has it Shentsev earned the seat in the Rada thanks to the accurate shot of his aide that hit Kushnaryov. Dmytro Shentsev is a deputy who grew up from a thug of the notable 90-s. Among the interests of him and the so-called “Shentsev group” is the usual “gentlemanly” standard set of a “brother.” Dmytro Shentsev’s acquaintance with Yevheniy Kushnaryov proved fatal in the latter’s life. Deputy Dmytro Shentsev became known in Kharkiv criminal circles since the late 80-s. His business style – first he gains trust, then gets access to finances, and later a tragic accident happens to the asset owner. Shentsev then becomes the rightful owner of the deceased’s property.

Path to power: coming from raspberry jackets

In the 1990-s in his native Kharkiv, Dmytro Shentsev belonged to the Novodomivska group (the gang’s record includes more than 200 robberies, assaults, thefts, scams, frauds and 5 contract killings). The gang leaders were Nits (Volodymyr Nits) and Kabatya (Viktor Dovhykh). Brigade activists included Dement, Baton and the now well-known Hepa. By agreement with the “novodomivtsi,” Russian businessman Mykhailo Alekseyev brought many gaming machines to Kharkiv. Alekseyev filled central hotels and restaurants with slot machines.

The “overseer” of this part of Alekseyev’s business was appointed to be Dmytro Shentsev. And here was the trick №1 – Shentsev put retired KGB officer Yuriy Vasylyev into Alekseyev’s structure as head of security. It was Vasylyev who handled financial matters with the prosecutor’s office, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and other bodies. And those bodies then “covered” Alekseyev-Shentsev’s gambling business.

Profits from the “one-armed bandits” were more than enough to “warm up” the local “brotherhood.” The combat detachments of the “Spetsiky” group, with which Shentsev was involved, were under the control of the current deputy. “Spetsiky” at that time was headed by criminal authority Vyacheslav Arutyunov, nicknamed Ara.

With his first millions, Shentsev bought a house in Budapest. But not for profit – only for conducting business. Housing in Hungary allowed Shentsev to start a joint business with Mykhailo Hyriyn, a close associate of the well-known authority Seva Mohylevych. With such connections, the need for Alekseyev as curator of the gambling business disappeared. Ara and his thugs were sent to settle matters with Alekseyev’s brotherhood. Disputes were resolved by guns – Ara himself was wounded, but thanks to his bandit blood Dmytro Shentsev gained financial independence.

Alekseyev received nothing for delivering the gaming machines themselves, and Shentsev became the sole leader of the one-armed mafia. In the turbulent 90-ties Shentsev engaged in such popular trades as debt collection, racketeering, and “covering” criminal and semi-criminal businesses. For this, back in 1995, the police opened criminal case No. 185024 on extortion under the signs of Art. 144 part 3 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Shentsev was detained for three days, after which he was released. That is how Shentsev disappeared from the investigation. In August of the same year he was declared wanted – wanted case No. 675304. His protectors in uniform intervened on his behalf. The first deputy prosecutor of Kharkiv achieved the termination of Shentsev’s search and the closure of the criminal case. In that distant 1995 year the next stage in Dmytro Shentsev’s life began: the path from “brother” to politician.

Kushnaryov: meeting Shentsev

Shentsev’s acquaintance with the most influential Kharkiv resident of that time, Yevheniy Kushnaryov, proved fatal for Kushnaryov himself (it was at the hands of Shentsev’s aide — Dmytro Zavalny — that Kushnaryov died during the tragic “Izium hunt” for the Kharkiv leader). But the acquaintance became a turning point in Shentsev’s biography – the path from “brother” to politician began.

At first Shentsev met Serhiy Kushnaryov, and then, thanks to Serhiy, met Kharkiv’s mayor and leader of the Nova Ukrayina party, Yevheniy Kushnaryov. When in 2000 Yevheniy Kushnaryov received the post of governor of Kharkiv region, Shentsev was appointed aide on special assignments.

Initially Kushnaryov entrusted Shentsev with solving personal “household matters” and organizing security service. Later he pulled him into politics, giving him a place in his party “New Democracy.” Kushnaryov also got Shentsev into the Party of Regions list in 2006. Shentsev became Kushnaryov’s informal authorized figure in resolving economic matters at various levels.

At that time all issues regarding land, property and budgetary flows in the region were resolved exclusively through Kushnaryov. And only after the tragic death of the “master of the region” did the real economic power in Kharkiv split among Mykhailo Dobkin (“Dopa”), Hennadiy Kernes (“Hepa”) and Vasyl Salyhin. Kushnaryov, who was meticulous about “clean hands,” made Shentsev one of the largest landowners in Kharkiv region.

For example, a decision of the Kharkiv Regional Council dated 3 March 2007 allowed LLC “Environmental Enterprise ‘Izbytske’” to receive 8 554 hectares of land in the region leased until 2052. In fact, TMR “Lisovyk,” which belongs to Shentsev, owns land of 23 613 hectares (in Balakliya district of Kharkiv region); Shentsev is the owner of LLC “Hai” with holdings of 17 457 hectares in Izium district, DP “Biryuk” with 18 121 hectares in Dvorichansky district. In the interests of LLC “Fortuna-Service,” registered to Shentsev, on 23 December 2003 the Kharkiv Regional Council transferred 197 hectares of the territory of the “Children and Youth Sports School ‘Brihantyna’” to Shentsev in lease for 49 years. By estimates, Shentsev owns 50 000 hectares of land in Kharkiv region. And that is only officially.

Shortly before the hunting death, Kushnaryov ordered LLC “Trypillia” to allocate two hectares of land in the very prestigious Kozyn settlement near Kyiv to the firm “Proletarska Pravda.” One hectare was to go to Shentsev, and the other (the same size) to Lyudmyla Davydova, who represented Kushnaryov’s interests. But the foundation of Shentsev’s “empire” was laid back in the 90-s and still remains LLC “Fortuna Ltd” (gambling and games for money; Shentsev’s share in the statutory fund – 1 170 000 hryvnias) and the firm LLC “Novo” (gambling and games for money; Shentsev’s share in the statutory fund 1 571 127 hryvnias). These enterprises control 99% of the gambling business in Kharkiv and its environs.

Mysterious hunt and the killing of Kushnaryov

Kushnaryov fully trusted Shentsev. Until the very moment of his death. During the “Orange Revolution” in 2004–2005 Shentsev personally organized Kushnaryov’s personal security and selected the guards.

Recall that for personal merits in 2006 Kushnaryov made Shentsev a people’s deputy, in addition giving him authority to resolve economic issues at the Kharkiv and republican levels. Kushnaryov’s murder occurred shortly after the Kharkiv resident made a difficult but unpublished decision to revive his own party “New Democracy.”

Kushnaryov would have led it and separated from the Party of Regions. By then Kushnaryov’s relations with Viktor Yanukovych had greatly deteriorated. Rumor has it that in the parliamentary hall in the last month before Kushnaryov’s death the two in white-and-blue didn’t even greet each other. The beginning of the conflict dates to events in 2004.

The matter was during the opening of a new metro station in Kharkiv. President Leonid Kuchma and Prime Minister Yanukovych came to open it. The latter arrived significantly later than the others. Yanukovych was not delighted by the reception given to him by Governor Kushnaryov. Rumor has it Yanukovych beat him for that. And then the hunting incident occurred. It was the year 2007. Shentsev was already Kushnaryov’s right hand.

After the tragic hunting incident in the Izium forest, Shentsev categorically refused to testify. An interesting detail – this step by Shentsev did not provoke protests from prosecutor Vasyl Synchuk, who, by the way, is connected to Hepa. The blame and media focus on the possible culprit were shifted by law enforcement to other participants of that ill-fated hunt.

For example, to Dmytro Zavalny, who is an avid hunter; for some reason he reportedly fired the same negligent shot. Reconstructing the picture of what happened then in the Izium forest is beyond even very active and persistent lawyers and investigators. And for several reasons. Hence the culpable phrase in the court decision, which we will quote a little lower.

But most importantly – the ill-fated “hunt” site burned down completely, allegedly due to a cigarette butt accidentally dropped by some scoundrel. Zavalny’s trial will apparently become part of Ukrainian forensic history. It should be studied at universities. Worth noting is at least the clause in the final judge’s decision: “Destroy physical evidence. Amnesty Zavalny.”

Amnestied Zavalny, who took the blame, after the trial received as a reward from Shentsev a three-room apartment. It was purchased, by the way, through the “Zoloti Vorota” bank. Shentsev himself, having avoided investigation, took up Kushnaryov’s assets. He remembered well where and how the former boss’s reserves were stored. Acting jointly with the deputy’s lover, or as Kushnaryov himself called her, his common-law wife, Lyudmyla Davydova, Shentsev gained full access to Kushnaryov’s assets.

The deceased’s family talks about this a lot, since they were virtually left without any means of subsistence. After Kushnaryov’s death, the key participant in the hunt, Dmytro Shentsev, received the post of head of the regional organization of the Regions and the promise of the Kharkiv governorship. But only a promise – the post was not given. And from that moment Viktor Yanukovych had no real competitor for party leadership. And he showed what would happen to those who would encroach on that leadership.

“Before that very ill-fated hunt we were driving from Kyiv, I told Yevheniy Petrovych about my wife’s pregnancy and asked him to be the godfather. 21 August my son was born; he will have his name, I called him Zhenya. The godfather will be Mykhailo Dobkin, and the mother Davydova Lyudmyla Ivanivna — the closest associate and common-law wife of Yevheniy Kushnaryov,” — with such a godfather the child has a bright future.

Lord of the holdings

We already wrote above about the land schemes. And about how Shentsev became the owner of a number of hunting grounds in Kharkiv region. He himself denies this information.

But he denies it somewhat awkwardly: “I am related to several public organizations engaged in hunting activities. Just as I, any member of the Ukrainian Society of Hunters and Fishermen could be accused. That is, any hunter in Kharkiv region can be accused of owning hundreds of thousands of hectares of land. Because hunting grounds are assigned to everyone in UTMF. But this has nothing to do with ownership form; it only allows UTMF to conduct hunting activities in that territory. And the owner of that land is either the forestry or the village councils. The hunters’ society has only one right — to carry out nature conservation and hunting actions. So I am related only to two enterprises, but have no legal relation to property rights on the land,” Shentsev said.

Recall that only thanks to Kushnaryov Dimon became a major landowner in Kharkiv region. LLC “Nova,” founded by Shentsev, leases a number of non-residential premises totaling 169,5 sq.m located at: Kharkiv, Lenina Ave., 21. Another open joint-stock company with foreign investments “NPK-Holding” (code 22624304), its Chairman of the Board is I.V. Yaldin (previously it was H.A. Kernes). So, these premises are now actively used to place gaming machines.

ORD Reference 02:

Dmytro Shentsev is founder of a number of commercial enterprises: Kharkiv regional hunting enterprise “Lesomyr.” LLC “Fortuna LTD” (gambling and games for money; share in the statutory fund 1 mln 170 ths UAH). Borys hunting and fishing enterprise “Hunter,” LLC “Production and Construction Enterprise ‘Hali’” (leasing of own and state real estate; share in the statutory fund 750 ths UAH). LLC “Novo” (gambling and games for money; share in the statutory fund 1 mln 571 ths 127 UAH). LLC “Biryuk” (hunting, catching and breeding game; share in the statutory fund 99 ths UAH). Kharkiv regional public organization “Kharkiv Wild Animals Fund.” LLC “Kharkiv Horse Plant” (breeding goats, sheep, horses; share in the statutory fund 1 mln 121 ths 383 UAH) and others. He has an estate in Staryi Saltiv with access to open water where he keeps expensive horses. It is worth noting: a significant part of D. Shentsev’s property is registered to his wife – Nona Anatoliivna (date of birth: 23.06.1969; registered: Kharkiv, Faninsky Lane, 4-12; place of work: LLC “Fortuna LTD”, position – merchandiser).

Accents Reference: Nona Shentsev is founder of the following enterprises: 1. JSC “International Taekwondo Center ‘Ukrsib Profi’” (share in the statutory fund 20 ths UAH). 2. LLC “Passazh-Exclusive”. 3. LLC Production and Construction Enterprise “Gali” (share in the statutory fund 750 ths UAH). 4. LLC “Fortuna-Service” (share in the statutory fund 144 ths UAH). 5. LLC “Novo” (share in the statutory fund 316 ths 623 UAH). 6. LLC “Fortuna LTD”. 7. LLC “International Insurance Company” and others.

Not so long ago a scandal erupted over a house on the protected Trukhaniv Island in Kyiv. The island itself became… the constituency office of the Party of Regions deputy Dmytro Shentsev. According to Kyiv old-timers, the house used to be the radio workshop of the Kyiv river port. Now the house is up for sale, and it is considered one of the most expensive in Kyiv. A realtor reported that a people’s deputy now lives in the house, and the house costs 13 million dollars. Rich buyers were shown around through staircases of natural marble into every room.

For the beach house they even ran a gas pipe specially from the other bank of the Dnipro. The house also has an elevator, four bedrooms, a billiard room, gym and gymnastics halls. The house is fenced with barbed wire. Legalizing a five-story residential building in the middle of the beach is impossible. So on paper the radio room was turned into a yacht club.

Anton Holovnyi for ORD 02 and Accents