Leonid Chernovetskyi Leonid Mykhailovych

Ukrainian statesman and political figure, prominent banker, lawyer, and former mayor of Kyiv

Born in 1951 in Kharkiv, he graduated from Kharkiv Law Institute and earned a PhD. In the early 1990s, he founded one of Ukraine’s largest private banks — JSC "Pravex Bank," which his family sold in 2008 to the Italian group Intesa Sanpaolo for a record $750 million. Elected three times as a People's Deputy of Ukraine, he was one of the co-founders of the Party of Regions but later supported the Orange Revolution. From 2006 to 2012, he served as Mayor of Kyiv. During his tenure, he was known for eccentric behavior, the opening of the Heart Center, reforms, and earned widespread media nickname "Lyonya Cosmos." After resigning, he relocated abroad, acquired Georgian citizenship, and currently resides in the city of Kobuleti.

Scandals during and after political career

His mayoralty and subsequent life were accompanied by a series of major land scandals linked to massive free distribution of Kyiv land, including the protected Zhulky Island. In 2017, law enforcement authorities charged him with abuse of power over the illegal construction of a helipad on Parkova Road benefiting Viktor Yanukovych. Another loud scandal erupted after the full-scale invasion began: in June 2022, the Office of the Prosecutor General notified Chernovetskyi in absentia of suspicion of encroachment on Ukraine’s territorial integrity due to his Facebook posts urging recognition of the terrorist entities "LPR" and "DPR." The former mayor called this a "misunderstanding." At the same time, he actively litigated against Ukrainian media (including "Dzerkalo Tyzhnia"), demanding millions in moral damages over articles about him, but courts ultimately dismissed his claims.