Mikhail Markovich Dobkin
Mikhailo Markovich Dobkin
Chairman of the Kharkov Regional State Administration
March 18, 2010 - March 2, 2014
Predecessor: Arsen Borisovich Avakov
Successor: Igor Mironovich Baluta
Mayor of Kharkov
March 26, 2006 - March 18, 2010
Predecessor: Vladimir Andreevich Shumilkin
Successor: Gennady Adolfovich Kernes
People's Deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine
March 30, 2002 - March 26, 2006
Birth: January 26, 1970 Kharkov, USSR
Party: Party of Regions
Education: Kharkov National Economic University
Academic degree: Doctor of Law
Profession: lawyer, economist
Mikhail Markovich Dobkin(Ukrainian Mikhailo Markovich Dobkin; January 26, 1970, Kharkov) - Ukrainian statesman and political figure. Chairman of the Kharkov Regional State Administration (March 18, 2010 - March 2, 2014), Chairman of the Kharkov regional organization of the Party of Regions.
Head of the Kharkov administration (2006-2010), member of the Party of Regions, people's deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the IV convocation in 2002-2006.
On February 24, 2014, he announced that he would run for the post of President of Ukraine in the next elections.
Was born Mikhail Dobkin January 26, 1970 in Kharkov in the family of Mark Moiseevich Dobkina(born 1947) and Alla Nikolaevna Dobkina (born 1947). From 1978 to 1985 he studied at secondary school No. 97 in the city of Kharkov. In 1987, after receiving secondary education, he began working in production. Mikhail Dobkin served in the army during 1988-1990 in the air defense forces of the Kyiv Military District. Younger brother - Dmitry Markovich Dobkin.
Mikhail Dobkin's career in the 1990s
From 1993 to 2002 Mikhail Dobkin was engaged in private entrepreneurship, led business structures: PA Progress-90, PE Investtorgtsentr (1998-2000) and East Oil Group (2001-2002). In 1998, he was elected as a deputy to the Kharkov City Council. Since 1999, he has been vice-president of the Kharkov Futsal Association. He received his first higher education, graduating from the National University of Internal Affairs with a degree in jurisprudence in 2002.
People's Deputy Mikhail Dobkin of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in 2002-2006
Mikhail Dobkin enters the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, participating as a non-party candidate in the 2002 parliamentary elections of people’s deputies from single-mandate electoral district No. 174. Having entered parliament as a non-party member, he visited five factions and parliamentary groups: “United Ukraine”, the “Democratic Initiatives” group, the “Center”, factions of the Social Democratic Party of Ukraine (SDPU(o)) and factions of the Party of Regions. He was a member of the budget committee, was a member of four temporary investigative commissions and five groups on interparliamentary relations with the parliaments of other states. Mikhail Dobkin 73 parliamentary requests were made, 78 bills and 34 amendments to adopted laws were submitted to parliament.
In 2004 Dobkin began his studies at the Kharkov National Economic University, majoring in international economics. Since 2005, he has been a member of the Political Council of the Party of Regions and deputy chairman of the Kharkov city organization of the Party of Regions.
City mayor of Mikhail Dobkin of Kharkov in 2006-2010
2006-2007
On March 26, 2006, he became the mayor of Kharkov, defeating the current mayor Vladimir Shumilkin in the elections. The election headquarters was headed by Gennady Kernes, who later became secretary of the Kharkov City Council. According to press reports, soon after the election a large-scale confrontation began with political opponents accusing Dobkin and Kernes of “criminal abuse of power causing multimillion-dollar damage.” The main opponents included Governor Arsen Avakov and large Kharkov businessmen Alexander Feldman and Alexander Protas. In 2007, information appeared about the preparation by the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc party for early re-elections of the Kyiv and Kharkov city councils, as well as the mayors of these cities.
Scandal with Mikhail Dobkin's election video
September 27, 2007 video recording how a campaign speech was prepared in December 2005 Dobkina, was posted on YouTube. A video containing profanity by Gennady Kernes was also shown on television. The authenticity of this recording is controversial. Myself Dobkin called this video “partially edited”[. On the first day, the video on YouTube was viewed by about 120 thousand people, and in total, as of June 2013, there were about 3 million views.
2008-2010
Mikhail Dobkin with actor Bogdan Stupka May 19, 2008.
The decision on re-elections in Kyiv was made by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in March 2008. Consideration of the issue of re-elections in Kharkov was postponed until the conclusion of the parliamentary committee was published. At the beginning of 2008, the Security Service of Ukraine brought to court a criminal case regarding embezzlement of public funds in the Kharkov City Council. On March 31, 2008, the court of the Kievsky district of Kharkov refused to initiate this criminal case, to which the SBU and the prosecutor's office filed an appeal. By the end of 2008, the confrontation came to naught, all previously opened criminal cases were closed, and cooperation with Governor Arsen Avakov began.
In the fall of 2008, the largest Ukrainian TV channel “Inter” launched a new television project “Freedom on Inter”, in which 12 well-known Ukrainian politicians were to take turns hosting the Friday socio-political show. The program was broadcast on November 21 by Mikhail Dobkin. Spring 2009 Mikhail Dobkin announced that he was going to run for a second term as mayor of Kharkov. However, he has no plans to run for a third term.
In August 2008 Mikhail Dobkin becomes chairman of the Kharkov city organization of the Party of Regions. In September 2009, he headed the Kharkov city election headquarters of the Party of Regions to conduct the presidential election campaign of Viktor Yanukovych. At the same time, a regional election headquarters was also formed, headed by Dmitry Shentsev. The press reported the existence of friction between Dobkin and Shentsov and the latter’s possible resignation. At the end of September, reports appeared that no changes would be made until the end of the election campaign and Dmitry Shentsov would remain in his position. A Mikhail Dobkin made a statement that there was no conflict.
In 2008 Dobkin proposed to “exchange” the Kharkov stone in honor of the UPA soldiers, installed in 1992, for the Lenin monument in Ivano-Frankivsk, but at the end of 2009 he decided to leave the monument in place for the sake of “preserving political calm in the region.”
In March 2010, he became the winner of the 14th national program “Person of the Year 2009” in the “City Mayor of the Year” nomination.
Chairman of the Kharkov Regional State Administration
By Decree of the President of Ukraine dated March 18, 2010 Mikhail Dobkin appointed Chairman of the Kharkov Regional State Administration.
During mass protests in Ukraine in 2013-2014, he sharply criticized Euromaidan. He called the oppositionists “freaks” and the protesters “cheerful clowns.” He was outraged by the demolition of the monument to V.I. Lenin in Kyiv and organized a fundraiser for its restoration. On December 19, 2013, he proposed moving the capital of Ukraine to Kharkov.
Mikhail Markovich actively uses Twitter: in January he congratulated Euromaidan participants on Bandera’s birthday, and during the seizure of administrative buildings by opposition militants in Ukraine, he posted on Twitter a photograph of himself in the uniform of an internal troops soldier with the caption “whoever comes to us with a sword, with a plowshare and will receive."
During the period of criticism of the special police unit "Berkut" by the opposition, Dobkin came to the session of the Kharkov Regional Council on January 30, 2014 in a black T-shirt with the inscription “Berkut” and organized a fundraiser for the treatment of police officers injured during the suppression of riots and for new uniforms for law enforcement officers.
After the events in Ukraine in February 2014 Mikhail Dobkin remained one of the few heads of regional administration who did not resign, did not withdraw from his duties and did not leave the country. Due to numerous threats, he was forced to take his wife and children to Russia.
He was the organizer of the congress of deputies of the south-eastern regions of Ukraine, AK Crimea and Sevastopol, held in Kharkov on February 22, 2014. The congress questioned the legitimacy of the decisions of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and stated that the south-eastern self-government bodies take responsibility for ensuring constitutional order on their territory.
At a rally in Kharkov on February 24, 2014 Mikhail Dobkin announced his participation in the upcoming presidential elections in Ukraine, scheduled for May 25, 2014.
“Based on the fact that there is a total assault on the rights of the Russian-speaking population, laws are being adopted that endanger everyone who does not accept fascism and Nazism, calls are being made to deal without trial with many people who have a point of view different from the incoming government, I decided to run for the post of President of Ukraine during the next election campaign. This decision is final. I have made my choice and, when necessary, I will register all the necessary documents." - Mikhail Dobkin.
February 26, 2014 Mikhail Dobkin wrote a letter of resignation from the post of Chairman of the Kharkov Regional State Administration in connection with the decision to run for the post of President of Ukraine.
On March 2, 2014, the acting President of Ukraine, Alexander Turchynov, dismissed Mikhail Dobkin from the post of head of the Kharkov Regional State Administration and appointed Igor Baluta instead.
Criminal prosecution of Mikhail Dobkin
On February 27, 2014, the Security Service of Ukraine began Mikhail Dobkin investigation under Part 2 of Article 110 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (“Encroachment on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine committed by a representative of the authorities”).
On March 10, he was summoned for questioning in Kyiv. After interrogation at the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine Mikhail Dobkin was arrested and placed in a pre-trial detention center.
Mikhail Dobkin Awards
Order of Merit, 1st class.
Order of Merit, 2nd class.
Order of Merit, III degree.
Order of Friendship (Russia, October 29, 2010) - for great contribution to the development and strengthening of relations of friendship and cooperation between the Russian Federation and Ukraine
Order of Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.
Certificate of honor from the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
Honorary citizen of Kharkov (since May 2013).
Family of Mikhail Dobkin
Mikhail Markovich Dobkin married for the second time. First wife - Lyudmila Vikentievna Dobkina (nee Molotokas), born in 1962. Children from his first marriage: son Nikolai (born in 2000) and daughter Alla (born in 1993). . The second wife, Alina (Alya) Vladimirovna Bozhenko (born in 1979), in 2011 acquired a 25% stake in the Kharkov TV channel Channel 7. This marriage was registered in 2007. The marriage produced daughters Eva (born in 2007) and Polina (born in 2010).
In the media
Comedian Vladimir Zelensky (95th Quarter studio) in 2008 made a parody of the then mayor of Kharkov, Mikhail Dobkin, and then of M. Dobkin’s use of the English language.
A. Molochny, A. Lirnik (Comedy Club Ukraine) released a parody of M. Dobkin in 2009.
Big difference In 2009, Ukraine released a parody of M. Dobkin’s New Year’s address to the people of Kharkov.
Dobkin Mikhail - many consider him a puppet in the hands of business partner Gennady Kernes. Find out why the election video, where both appear, blew up the Internet on the very first day. Read the whole truth about his family, fortune and land scams!
Biography
Education
At the age of eight I went to first grade. At fifteen, after finishing eight grades at secondary school No. 97, he began working.
He received his first higher education at the age of thirty-two. He studied at the Kharkov National University of Internal Affairs, majoring in jurisprudence.
He had no special talent for studying. That is why, probably, in his inner circle they called him “the second proFFesor.” After all, Dobkin even had difficulty reading the text from the screen during the filming of the sensational video for the candidate for the mayor of Kharkov.
He received his second degree after five years of study at the Kharkov National Economic University. He mastered the specialty “international economics” at the age of thirty-seven. People who knew him claim that both higher educations were purchased, and in fact he did not study.
Motherland
I spent my childhood and youth in Kharkov. This is where he was born and raised.
Dobkin's parents are the same age. Mother - Alla Nikolaevna (born 1947) is still alive. Father Mark Moiseevich (born 1947) died in 2016. Mikhail Markovich has a younger brother, Dmitry. Since 2012, Dima has been a member of the Verkhovna Rada.
The fact that both brothers had a successful business was due to their father. According to skelet-info, for the last ten years of his life, Mark Moiseevich lived with his mistress Maria. The woman gave birth to his son Tolik. The boy was four years old when Mark Moiseevich Dobkin died.
So that the child in the person of the mother could not claim the inheritance, Dobkin had a terrible idea - to declare Maria incompetent through the court, that is, an alcoholic. According to rumors, this idea was suggested to him by Gennady Kernes. In this case, Mikhail will become Tolik’s guardian. And he will be able to dispose of his share of the inheritance.
Family: first wife - Lyudmila Vikentievna. The second is Alina Vladimirovna. Dobkin's children: daughters Alla (born 1993), Eva (born 2007) and Polina (born 2010), son Nikolai (born 2000)
Daughter Alla and son Nikolai from his first marriage. Daughters Eva and Polina are from the second.
The first wife (maiden name - Molotokas, born in 1962) is eight years older than her husband. Misha met her while serving in the army. She is the daughter of a general who was then a high-ranking political official. From her first marriage she already had a child - a girl of eight years old. But this did not stop her from giving birth to two more children from Mikhail.
The second wife is Alina Vladimirovna (maiden name - Bozhenko, born in 1979) nine years younger than him. She is the owner of twenty-five percent of the shares of the Kharkov TV channel “Channel 7”.
The couple got married immediately after divorcing his first wife in 2007. And in the same year, daughter Eva was born. Most likely, Mikhail’s relationship with Alina began when he was still married to his first wife.
Dobkin observes a happy pattern for the number seven. It is noteworthy that all of his daughters were born on the seventh. Their birth months: October, December, May.
In July 2018, a photo of his twenty-five-year-old daughter Alla appeared on Instagram in a swimsuit, showing off her slightly rounded tummy. As you know, on July 7, 2017, she married Kharkov businessman Oleg Gurevich. The girl was vacationing on the Italian island of Sardinia.
By the way, the bride posed topless at the wedding. Posted the photo on social networks. Her girlfriends are also photographed in lingerie. The wedding was full of juicy details.
As for the successful life of the Ukrainian millionaire, he initially owes all this to his father. In Soviet times, he worked in the “1000 little things” store. Hid the necessary goods. And then resold them at a “margin”. Illegal commerce, accordingly, gave rise to crime led by Gepa (Gennady Kernes).
Nationality: in an interview with one author’s program, Mikhail Markovich Dobkin stated that he was half Jewish. My mother's blood is Ukrainian, Russian and Ossetian. My father has Jewish roots.
Hobbies, hobbies: football, fishing, traveling.
Career and social activities
He began his working career at the age of fifteen - immediately after receiving secondary education at school, he allegedly worked in production. However, there is no reliable information whether this fact actually took place in his life. As well as information regarding which company he worked at.
Most likely, he was only listed there. But in reality he helped his father run his business. Perhaps he was engaged in trade - at that time the Dobkin family opened the first cooperative. It was close, sewing fashionable pants.
1988-1990 - Military service.
For the next three years, it was again unclear whether he was working somewhere or simply living luxuriously on the money earned by his father, a businessman.
Since 1993 he has become a private entrepreneur. Dobkin’s first own enterprise was “Golden Autumn”. The second cooperative is “Progress-90”. His wife helped him with his trade. Managed several business structures.
Supervised several firms and companies for nine years. His business, like his father’s, was also protected by Gennady Kernes, the future mayor of Kharkov with a criminal past.
Then the area of enterprises expanded. Several “Chernobyl” companies were founded. Regions affected by the Chernobyl accident were not subject to taxes. Sixteen Dobkin firms participated in the shadow schemes. The state lost billions of hryvnia from this.
Mark Moiseevich’s numerous connections helped him enter the fuel wholesale business easily and without problems. In addition to petroleum products, a channel was organized to import “Bush legs” into Ukraine (as chicken legs were popularly called at that time).
1998 - deputy to the Kharkov City Council.
1999 - Vice-President of the Kharkov Mini-Football Association.
2002 - entered the Verkhovna Rada as a non-party member.
2004 - confidant of Viktor Fedorovich Yanukovych in Kharkov, member of the political council of the Party of Regions.
2006 - despite his tongue-tiedness, he becomes the mayor of Kharkov. Kernes had to be his guiding shadow. He could be mayor himself. But then I would have found myself under the “orange” gunpoint, so I decided to stay “behind the screen.”
2010 - Yanukovych appointed Dobkin as chairman of the Kharkov Regional State Administration. If we talk about Kernes during this period, he received the post of mayor of Kharkov.
The debate between Dobkin and Tymoshenko on the Shuster live show in 2014 caused laughter and condemnation. Then the presidential candidate from the Party of Regions, Dobkin, countered with the candidate from the Batkivshchyna, Yulia Tymoshenko.
By the way, Petro Poroshenko and Sergei Tigipko were also invited to the First National. However, both did not show up. The choice of Mikhail Markovich as an opponent for the ex-prime minister was considered frankly weak.
2014 - participates in early presidential elections. The result is 3.03%.
In early parliamentary elections he receives a deputy mandate. He is elected to the Verkhovna Rada on the list of the Opposition Bloc.
July 13, 2017 - deprived of parliamentary immunity, detained and arrested.
He escaped imprisonment and gave a bail of fifty million hryvnia. The first part was contributed by Vadim Novinsky, the second by Boris Kolesnikov.
When on April 18, Mikhail testified regarding Yanukovych’s flight from Ukraine, he said that this was preceded by Viktor Fedorovich’s visit to Kharkov. He arrived on 02/21/14 in two helicopters.
By the way, in the case of high treason, out of the fifteen witnesses that Yanukovych’s defense wants to call, ten people left for Russia.
Declaration
According to the declaration for 2014, the total amount of his income in hryvnia was two hundred eighty-seven thousand four hundred ninety-four hryvnia. Other types of income - two hundred sixty-eight thousand three hundred eighty-five.
As for real estate, there is only one apartment per forty-four square meters. The mother owns two: both are almost seventy-nine square meters each. m.
Dobkin's vehicle fleet is impressive. You may ask: why does he need so many cars, and three boats? The question is probably rhetorical. Mere mortals cannot understand.
Among the vehicles, he is the owner of the following vehicles:
. Toyota Land Cruiser, 2013
. Toyota Land Cruiser, 2012
. Toyota Land Cruiser, 2007
. Boat Bass Pro, 2008
. Boat Silver Hawk, 2003
. Trailer PA-2-1, 2003
Owned by family members:
. Porsche 911 Turbo, 2011
. Mercedes-Benz GL, 2012
. Volkswagen Multivan, 2012
. Water remedy "Teremok".
. Boat Tracker Tundra, 2008
. Trailer Tracker T-21, 2007
Since 2015, it has been declaring huge plots of land that belong to the Triumph Housing and Construction Cooperative. Their total area is almost eighteen thousand two hundred and eighty-three square meters. There is even a wine cellar - almost two hundred square meters.
"Dacha cooperative "Veresk" (Zarechnoye, Volchansky district, Kharkov region) - sixty-two and a half thousand square meters of land and forest land.
Lists several watches in the declaration: Rolex, IWC, Patek Philippe, Jaeger LeCoultre, A. Lange & Sohne, Audemars Piguet. Antiques - five bronze figurines, three icons. There is even a set of golf clubs, many books, and jewelry.
The declaration includes women's clothing, bags, furniture, weapons, dishes, vases, paintings, and a safe. And even a collection of red and white wines, cognacs, whiskey and other alcohol in the amount of one thousand seven hundred and eighty units.
His modest salary for the year is sixty-one thousand five hundred and ninety-four UAH. A cash gift from my father - ten million hryvnia. Stores cash in the safe:
. Twelve million hryvnia.
. Four hundred seventy thousand dollars.
. Three hundred thousand euros.
Assets in precious metals in a safe box:
. One hundred thousand dollars.
. Five hundred thousand dollars.
. Five hundred fifty thousand euros.
The last two amounts belong to the wife. It is interesting that his mother, Alla Nikolaevna, appears in the declarations under the name of his wife. After all, the name and patronymic of his second wife is Alina Vladimirovna. And in the declaration, Alla Nikolaevna is indicated everywhere in the “wife” column. A mansion of one thousand one hundred square meters is also registered to the mother.
Photo
Video
Dobkin's campaign video on YouTube made him a bona fide Internet star. The video appeared in September 2007. Later, Mikhail Markovich, justifying himself, will say that the video was allegedly simply edited by his opponents.
He argued that this step was taken by his political rivals, who published the video. The video instantly hit the top ten. In the first 24 hours, one hundred and forty-five thousand viewers watched it.
In Dobkin’s video message to the Kharkov residents, Kernes actively helped him with obscenities all the time. The video is replete with profanity. The speech of the candidate for mayor of Kharkov also contains enough cynical statements.
Dobkin read for the first time the election program written for him. And several times I was indignant because I was confused. Due to the fact that he could not read and correctly pronounce what was written on camera, he said: “this is a very long sentence,” “this must be said in one breath,” etc. He was indignant at who even wrote such a program for him.
News, compromising evidence
For Dobkin, it all started back in the dashing 90s. Of course, this is thanks to his father. At that time, everyone who believed in honest business in Kharkov mysteriously disappeared in the forests of the city. But not the Dobkin family. Mark Moiseevich (father) had enormous connections in the right areas, so they entered the fuel market without any problems. After all, at that time he was completely corrupt in our country.
The number of companies that were opened at that time is simply impossible to calculate, because fly-by-night companies were quite normal. Further - even more interesting. Mark Moiseevich’s companies purchased petroleum products and gas condensate through the “Chernobyl” enterprises Brig, Burtex and Bizon, created with the participation of Alexander Bandurka.
Alexander Bandurka
But the last one is a legendary Kharkov character. While Dobkin Sr. was selling food under the counter, Bandurka was in charge of the Kharkov Department of Internal Affairs. By the way, it seems that it was the latter’s connections that helped the “duet” establish all the necessary contacts.
In 1997, Dobkin entered the National University of Internal Affairs with a degree in jurisprudence. By the way, there are rumors that he did this only because he dreamed of it since childhood, and when he grew up, he didn’t need the toy in the form of a diploma at all. By the way, in addition to this, it is important to add that the university at that time was headed by the same Bandurka.
A year later, Dobkin becomes a deputy of the Kharkov Council. His old friend Gennady Kernes, who has now retrained as a businessman, also ends up there.
By the way, Mikhail Dobkin always claimed that he had no business with Kernes, but this is not entirely true. In fact, Mikhail’s father understood that this could be fraught, so their “companies” were always parallel, worked through the same people, and did not intersect. After all, then Kernes was one of the most famous swindlers.
But the younger Dobkin did not have enough intelligence for this. In 1995, the old cooperative of Mark Dobkin was turned into the company “Ukrtorginvest” (OKPO 25611259, legal address: Kharkov, Suzdal ryady, 12). This was done for Mikhail, but Kernes got there through old criminal connections.
Drug addict politician
The first scandal involving cocaine occurred between Dobkin and Kernes in 2007. They were already quite famous then, so the publicity was decent. But the most interesting thing happened a little later, it was reported that “Dopa and Gepa” organized the beating of another deputy who sold them a low-quality “product.”
First family problems
They began after the first Maidan in 2005. The new people who received power decided that they were not obliged to share with the old ones and the first criminal cases began. Then Dobkin Sr. lost his entire business, and the youngest, according to rumors, got hooked on a lot of drugs. But, despite all this, criminal cases were not opened against politicians, but only covered up, or “squeezed out” their business.
As mayor, Mikhail Markovich Dobkin, like Kernes, abused his power. For example, he “skillfully” managed communal property and city land. As a result, he was charged with land fraud. After all, he caused millions of losses to Kharkov.
It is known that he repeatedly helped the heads of construction companies obtain land plots. The damage is estimated by the state at more than two hundred million hryvnia.
Scandals
Perhaps one of the first most serious scandals was related to the sale of land in the Kharkov forest park. If in the early 90s the territory of the forest park was 2385 hectares, then in 2009 it was already 2060 hectares, and in 2010 less than 1900 hectares. The main initiator of the distribution (or rather, sale) of plots was the secretary of the city council, Kernes, but the mayor only followed his lead. Moreover, Mikhail Dobkin did not come up with anything smarter than to build himself a mansion there behind a five-meter fence.
Speaking about Dobkin during Euromaidan, his open statements come to mind. He spoke of the protesters as "merry clowns." He called the opposition “monsters.”
On January 30, 2014, deputies from the Party of Regions, including Dobkin, came to the next session of the Kharkov City Council wearing black T-shirts with the inscription “Berkut”. Thus, demonstrating that they support the actions of special forces during clashes with protesters in the capital.
On July 13, 2017, the Verkhovna Rada gave permission to deprive Mikhail Dobkin of parliamentary immunity and his subsequent arrest.
At the beginning of 2008, the SBU transferred a criminal case to court about embezzlement of public funds in the Kharkov City Council. But the Kyiv District Court of the city of Kharkov refused to initiate a criminal case against the former Kharkov mayor. There were also accusations of separatism. But over time they were removed.
Now Dobkin lives well on stolen Ukrainian millions. This can be seen from his photos on social networks, which he posts without a twinge of conscience. Behind him one can see either a luxurious mansion or a swimming pool. Or he appears at a table in a cafe, drinks wine, eats overseas dishes.
And he speaks negatively about the current Ukrainian government. The escapee repeatedly complains about political repression against him. The scandalous people's deputy, for whom the deposit is fifty million, as for Ukrainian pensioners - fifty kopecks, speaks unflatteringly about the “terry devils” who ended up in the Rada. His behavior and statements are repeatedly ridiculed by bloggers on social networks.
As you can see, while the materials of the pre-trial investigation have been provided to the defense for review, the former mayor of Kharkov has more interesting “things to do”: for example, a vacation at the prestigious Forte Village resort in Italy. His daughter posted more photos of their family vacation on Instagram. The cost of living here is from six hundred euros per night.
People's Deputy from the Opposition Bloc Dmitry Dobkin was again caught in strange behavior during a plenary session of the Verkhovna Rada. The corresponding video on your Facebook published journalist Yan Dobronosov.
The recording shows how the parliamentarian behaves restlessly during voting: he fidgets in his chair and wrinkles his forehead, looks first in one direction or the other, makes sudden movements with his hands. At one point, he freezes for a while, directing his gaze to one point and periodically moving his right hand.
Soon a colleague sits down next to Dobkin and begins to tell him something. He listens, nodding his head, and then speaks back.
In November 2016, Dobkin Jr. found himself at the center of a scandal when journalists recorded him allegedly during a meeting of the Rada. In a video that has become popular, the deputy behaves very strangely after he retreats behind a column and allegedly drinks something with water.
Dobkin himself then stated that he did not use anything, and his behavior was caused by “neurological problems.”
Dmitry Dobkin is the younger brother of the ex-head of the Kharkov regional state administration, and now also a people’s deputy from the Opposition Bloc Mikhail Dobkin.
“Firstly, he’s a truant, and secondly, he’s a scam.”
Original of this material© TSN.ua, 03.11.2016, Video: via Vasya Petrov , "Channel 5"
Dobkin Jr. turned off the phone, did not appear in the parliament and ignored the drug test
Tatiana Bokovnya, Yuri RozumnyukPeople's Deputy Dmitry Dobkin did not show up for work and ignored his promise (to pass a drug test), says the TSN 19:30 story.
The brother of the former head of the Kharkov region, Dmitry Dobkin, promised to prove that there are no drugs in his body. But he did not come to parliament, and turned off his mobile phone.
The opposition bloc member agreed to undergo the examination after they filmed a video where in the session hall of the Verkhovna Rada he takes a plastic bottle, goes behind a column and drinks something. When he returns to the workplace, his behavior changes greatly.
On the Verkhovna Rada website, Dmitry Dobkin is listed as present in the electronic registration list. However, Dobkin Jr. himself was not in parliament both yesterday and today, and his mobile phone was turned off.
How the people's deputy managed to register without being present at his workplace is unknown. Fellow deputies suggest that Dobkin could have forgotten his electronic card in the voting console, perhaps intentionally.
“Firstly, he’s a truant, and secondly, he’s a bummer,” Yegor Sobolev from Samopomich responded to Dobkin’s absence.
Let us remind you that a video was shot where Dobkin goes behind a column right in the session hall of parliament and spends half a minute there. Journalists filmed him drinking something with water and becoming agitated. He looks around, jerks his head, concentrates his gaze. This was two days ago. The very next day, a scandal erupts: both fellow deputies and doctors immediately assume that the brother of the ex-head of the Kharkov region uses drugs at work.
On the same day, Dmitry Dobkin himself refutes this - he says he simply drank water behind the column because he was sick. In a telephone conversation with “1+1” he promises that he is ready to take drug tests on Thursday, but not himself.
“In principle, I’m not against it. Only with those people who raise these issues will I agree to do this,” Dobkin said over the phone.
Alexey Goncharenko immediately volunteered to join the opposition bloc member. And the fact that Dobkin Jr. ignored both the TSN journalists and himself, Goncharenko says, was disappointing.
“It’s a pity that he didn’t come. It would have been interesting,” he noted.
Both deputies were expected here all day today - at the Kiev city forensic medical examination bureau. Experts say they could figure out whether an opposition bloc member was using drugs or not in just a few hours. The native faction does not comment on the reasons for Dmitry Dobkin’s absence. His brother also refused to explain.
Original of this material
© "Ukrainian Pravda", Ukraine, 02.11.2016, Photo: Marik Dobkin, Video: Vgolosnaroda
Dobkin Jr. ordered a tour in the Rada for 135 thousand euros and went to the astral plane
Tatiana KusokPeople's Deputy from the Opposition Bloc Dmitry Dobkin ordered a vacation for 135 thousand euros during a meeting of the Verkhovna Rada. [...]
Dobkin covered his correspondence with a subscriber named Irina with his hand; she is also indicated on the phone with the name of one of the famous tour operators.
After the correspondence, Dobkin took a bottle of water, hid behind a column in the session hall of the Rada, drank something and came out in an excited state.
On Wednesday, November 2, speaking in the Verkhovna Rada, people's deputy from Samopomichi Semyon Semenchenko from the rostrum of the Rada expressed indignation at Dobkin's behavior.
“I want to address the Opposition bloc. I insist that Dmitry Dobkin come out here and respond to this remark,” Semenchenko said.
“I don’t understand what’s happening behind that column? Someday, pills are thrown in, or something else, and the person behaves inappropriately,” Semenchenko said. He called on Dobkin Jr. to resign from his mandate.
["UNIAN", 02.11.2016, "Mikhail Dobkin commented on the scandal surrounding the strange behavior of his brother in the BP hall": Filmed on the sidelines of parliament video, published on the Youtube channel censor.online, Dobkin Sr. refused to talk about his brother’s health and his nervous behavior, which could probably be caused by the effects of narcotic drugs.
Regarding the tour for 135 thousand euros, Dobkin said that he asked his brother about it. According to Dobkin Sr., his brother did not order this tour, but only studied this proposal during the work of BP. Dobkin said that his brother and his family and friends go to a ski resort every year in winter, which is cheaper, and the offer for 135 thousand euros was for a tour to a “warm country.” - Insert K.ru]
Dmitry Dobkin entered the Rada in the 178th electoral district in the Kharkov region.
During his entire tenure as a deputy, he did not introduce a single bill of his to parliament and did not speak once.
According to the declaration, Dmitry Dobkin has 10 million hryvnia and half a million dollars in cash alone. He keeps more than 160 thousand hryvnia and 20 thousand dollars in bank accounts. [...]
["KP in Ukraine", 11/02/2016, "Dobkin, who bought a tour for four million, is teaching his sons a good life": Allowing tours of almost four million hryvnia, Dmitry Dobkin receives help from the state. He was given 168 thousand hryvnia to rent housing in Kyiv and 80 thousand to fulfill his parliamentary powers. In total, these figures amounted to more than the parliamentary salary of a deputy - 66 thousand hryvnia. This is probably why Dobkin’s wife received 17 thousand hryvnia from the state in the form of child care assistance - Dobkin has three children in total.
The deputy was also helped by his father, who, according to the declaration, donated 10 million hryvnia to the family.
So Dobkin Jr. has enough not only for tours, but also for an expensive car. The people's deputy amended the income statement, indicating the purchase of a Lexus LX 570 (G7) for almost four million. - Insert K.ru]
["Observer", Ukraine, 11/02/2016, "Dobkin, who bought a tour for four million, is teaching his sons a good life": The son of a people's deputy from the Opposition Bloc faction Dmitry Dobkin showed how he has fun in the winter.
In his photoblog Mark Dobkin published an Epiphany video, however, the politician’s son plunged not into an ice hole, but into the azure waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The young man vacationed in the Dominican Republic at an elite resort.
Friends of the politician’s son began to tease him, saying, did he not freeze during the dive? To which Mark Dobkin replied:
- I rolled it for courage and to keep warm.
Judging by the mark on the Internet, the people’s deputy’s son rested in the 5-star Tortuga Bay in Punta Cana. On one of the popular travel package selection resources, we found out how much a stay at this hotel costs.
It turned out that in the off-season, which in the Dominican Republic is April, for 11 nights of vacation at an elite resort you will have to pay at least 450 thousand UAH for two. The son of an opposition people's deputy was vacationing during the high season and, most likely, flew in on the only charter from Kyiv at that time (17.01-28.01.16), since he met Epiphany already in the waters of the Atlantic.
Vacation planning managers confirmed to us that Tortuga Bay is a very expensive resort; in high season, the price at this hotel does not fall below 500 thousand UAH for 11 nights. [...]
Mark travels quite often - he goes to football games in Spain with his father, and meets with friends in Britain, sometimes taking communist symbols with him for some reason. - Insert K.ru]
In life he was always second best. Until his gray hair, Mikhail Dobkin stood behind his father, who ruled the family business. Having become the mayor of the second Ukrainian capital, he received the nickname of the second Ukrainian “proFFesor”, and remained the second person in Kharkov, even rising to the position of governor - since he was only a puppet in the hands of his friend and business partner Gennady Kernes. And his only attempt to play his own solo in big politics instead of the runaway leader ended in complete failure. However, for now Dobkin remains one of the richest people in Ukraine. For now…
Mark Moiseevich and sons
Mikhail Dobkin was born on January 26, 1970 in Kharkov, in the family of Mark Moiseevich Dobkin (1947-2016) and Alla Nikolaevna Dobkina (1947), he has a younger brother Dmitry (1975) who has been a deputy of the Verkhovna Rada since 2012. It is to their father Mark Moiseevich that the brothers owe the successful life of typical Ukrainian millionaires - and it all began in the 80s.
Then Mark Moiseevich worked in the “1000 little things” store on the small shopping street Suzdalskie Rydy, located in the center of Kharkov, next to the House of Trade and the Central Market, and had close ties with the management of the wholesale consumer goods warehouse located there. In times of shortage, this was a real goldmine: all you had to do was hide popular goods, then sell them at a “margin.” So the Dobkins were engaged in commerce back in Soviet times - albeit illegally. And where there was illegal money, crime appeared. Near Dobkin’s store, he materialized in the person of a gop company of scammers and “scammed” from among the “Novodomovskys” (New Houses is a large residential area of Kharkov) under the leadership of a certain Gepa - in whom the future mayor of Kharkov Gennady Kernes was guessed, ( ) at that time “earned” his living by playing thimbles and “divorcing suckers.” Gepa had two nearby “points”: near the Start auto store (Lopansky Lane) and near the House of Trade, so Mark Dobkin’s store was within the boundaries of his territory. That's how they met.
Meanwhile, Misha, who graduated from high school in 1987, got a job in “production” - this is what many young men of that time did, who, instead of entering a university, were waiting for a summons from the military registration and enlistment office. However, they said that he was only listed in “production”, but in reality he helped his father engage in trade and open the first cooperative for sewing fashionable pants from the Soviet “raincoat”, obtained by Mark Moiseevich.
In 1988, Mikhail Dobkin left for the air defense forces to serve in units of the Kyiv Military District. And in 1990, he returned home not alone, but with... his young wife, holding the hand of an eight-year-old girl. It is clear that this was not Mikhail’s daughter, but a child from the first marriage of Lyudmila Vikentyeva Molotokas, who also turned out to be eight years older than her new husband. But her father, as they said, wore big stars and was a big boss in the political department of the military district. To seduce the general's daughter - what else could a young conscript soldier dream of! It seems that Mikhail Dobkin’s further army service was deprived of the necessary hardships and deprivations. And after Lyudmila actively became involved in the family’s business, Mark Moiseevich fully approved of the choice of his eldest son.
One of their first own enterprises was called “Golden Autumn”, was registered at Suzdal Rows 12, and was engaged in small-scale wholesale trade in the contents of warehouses, which had already officially migrated into the hands of efficient “cooperators”. Now Mark Moiseevich no longer needed to disguise his commercial activities, to which he involved Mikhail, who had returned from the army, with his wife Lyudmila, and his youngest son Dmitry, still in high school. He arranged for them to join his other cooperative, the Progress-90 production and trading association. Dmitry in 1990-92 was a senior salesman (to the detriment of his studies, which affected his future), Mikhail was engaged in commercial relations, and since 1993 his father gave him the post of director. By that time, Mark Moiseevich already had other enterprises, and he preferred a much more profitable business to trading pants and shoes.
The dashing 90s: oil, “Bush legs” and VAT
In the 90s, every “cool kid” dreamed of owning his own gas station or car service center (at least at the tire service level), but smarter people, standing a couple of steps higher on the social ladder, sought to get their hands on the wholesale trade of fuel: petroleum products, gas, coal . And this trade was entirely corrupt and even criminal; it was impossible to squeeze in “from the street”, especially in Kharkov, where the “lads” dismantled even vacant lots into zones of influence, where spontaneous trade arose. Desperate loners, naively believing in the free market, were then found in the city's forest parks - severely mutilated before death, since the Kharkov crime was distinguished by some abnormal sadistic tendencies. But the Dobkin family entered this business easily and without problems, thanks to Mark Moiseevich’s long-standing and numerous connections in all necessary areas: in business, in government, in law enforcement agencies, and, of course, in organized crime groups. At the same time, the number of enterprises he opened still cannot be accurately counted: sometimes Mark Dobkin registered a one-day company for one single transaction. At the same time, he had several main enterprises participating in all the schemes, through which he not only received profit from transactions, but also saved significantly on benefits.
What follows is even more interesting. Mark Moiseevich’s companies purchased petroleum products and gas condensate through the “Chernobyl” enterprises Brig, Burtex and Bizon, created with the participation of Alexander Bandurka. And the Bandurka family is a real legend of Kharkov! Back in Soviet times, when Mark Dobkin was trading in deficits under the counter, Alexander Bandurka headed the Kharkov Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. And judging by the fact that Mark Moiseevich was never brought to justice, and crime did not bother him either, they could well form a fruitful duet. Later, already in the 90s, Alexander Bandurka contributed greatly to the fact that the criminal “roof” in Kharkov was replaced by the “cop” one. He himself was involved in various businesses: from a yeast factory to arms supplies to Yugoslavia, and then became the rector of the National University of Internal Affairs. His eldest son, also Alexander, thanks to his father, received a leadership position in the Kharkov tax administration in 2003, and another son, Sergei, became the head of the regional tax police. As they say, no comments!
Let's return to the “Chernobyl” companies: they got their name because they were registered in the villages of the Kyiv and Zhytomyr regions that suffered from the Chernobyl accident, and therefore were exempt from paying VAT. Being enterprises with the participation of foreign capital (“joint ventures” in Soviet terminology), they had a number of benefits for import processing. In addition, created before 1993, they received the right to include their “judicial and administrative costs” in the cost of imported goods. The most interesting thing is that in addition to direct profits from the direct purchase and sale of goods, these enterprises made even more from cleverly devised schemes for compensation of their “costs” from the state, as well as from VAT refunds - which they did not even pay! There is information that the intricacies of this scheme were developed by Inna Bogoslovskaya, at that time known as the legal luminary of Kharkov.
According to experts, in the 90s the state annually lost up to 3 billion hryvnia from such schemes in the trade of petroleum products alone (at a dollar exchange rate of 1.75 hryvnia), which ended up in the pockets of their owners. Of course, not only the Dobkins, but also many other Ukrainian “businessmen of the first wave” were involved in this. In addition, a significant part of the profit had to be given in the form of kickbacks and bribes, but still a lot “stuck” to the hands of the Dobkins. And Mark Moiseevich was interested not only in oil products: using exactly the same schemes, since 1996, he organized a channel for importing chicken legs into Ukraine, popularly known as “Bush legs.” The essence of this business was still the same: after the Verkhovna Rada imposed duties on food imports in order to formally support domestic producers, it became profitable only for those who had the corresponding benefits. The Dobkins’ companies had them, and since 1998, goods were delivered through the ports of Feodosia and Mariupol with registration in the special economic zones “Azov” and “Donetsk” - this was done by V. Skorobogach, a close business partner of the Dobkins, who later became a deputy of the Kharkov City Council. But Lyudmila Dobkina, who enthusiastically got involved in the business, set up sales of legs through private stores in Kharkov.
It is interesting that the chief accountant of most of Dobkin’s companies was a certain Adam Lidia Petrovna (apparently another “family friend”), and they themselves were registered at the address: Kharkov region, Vysoky village, Oshchepkova street, 52. The camp site “Camping” was located at this address ”, later privatized by Ukrproftur CJSC - owned by the former head of the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine Alexander Stoyan. What connected him with the Dobkins, since they never seemed to cross paths? What other secret acquaintances did Mark Moiseevich have?
Shoulder straps for Misha
In 1997, Mikhail Dobkin entered the National University of Internal Affairs with a degree in jurisprudence. Thanks to the fact that the university was headed by “Uncle Sasha” Bandurka, he only had to register there and wait for the official issuance of his diploma. But why did he, having no special talent for learning, suddenly become interested in higher education, and even at a police university? There were various rumors about this. People close to the Dobkins said that back in the 80s, Mikhail was greatly impressed by Gepa’s gop company, which operated not far from his father’s store, and by his father’s police acquaintances who came to visit them. This gave him mixed feelings: from the desire to become a tough bandit to the dream of getting police stripes. But his character was only enough to become a manager in his father’s shop, so the diploma he later received and the title of police officer of the Ministry of Internal Affairs were completely useless for him, like a set of plastic Indians for a grown-up child.
And in 1998, Mikhail Dobkin was elected as a deputy of the Kharkov City Council - just like long-time family friend Gennady Kernes. The former “swindler” Gepa was no more: having married the daughter of prosecutor Yuri Gaisinsky, Kernes became a new man and a respectable businessman – albeit with old criminal habits. Essentially, Kernes “rose” first on his family ties with the prosecutor’s office, which allowed him to provide assistance to the “brothers,” and in turn, the “brothers” put him in charge of Kharkov. When, by the end of the 90s, the “brothers” were gradually shot down, Kernes, who had already retrained as a businessman and politician, took over its “common funds” and enterprises.
Later, Mikhail Dobkin repeatedly claimed that he never had a joint business with Gennady Kernes. However, this is not the case. Of course, his wise and far-sighted father would hardly have risked doing business with a man whom Mark Moiseevich had known since Soviet times as a professional swindler, who was also emotionally unstable and cruel. The business of the Dobkins and the business of Kernes, who also got involved in gas and gasoline in the 90s, was soon “parallel”; they bought or sold through the same companies, but Mark Moiseevich well understood the fraughtness of proposals to become Kernes’s partner. But he failed to convince his sons of this, and could not prevent them from falling under the influence of Gepa, who is excellent at manipulating weak-willed people. In many ways, this became possible thanks to Grigory Solomanin, Mark Dobkin’s long-time business partner. By the way, there is information that Solomanin has two passports in his hands: one with the surname Salomanin, the other with the surname Solomatin.
Back in 1995, the old cooperative of Mark Dobkin was turned into the company “Ukrtorginvest” (OKPO 25611259, legal address: Kharkov, Suzdal ryady, 12), co-founded by Solomanin. In fact, the company was created for the youngest son Dmitry (he became its director), just as later in 1998 the company East Oil Group LLC was created for Mikhail Dobkin (OKPO 30772695, legal address: Kharkov district, Vysoky village, Oshchepkova street, 52), which was also co-founded by Grigory Solomanin. But Solomanin himself has his wife’s brother Timur Tenishev, who is closely connected with the criminal world of Kharkov and is included in the circle of companions of the Dobkin family (he is the founder of Nika Plus LLC). Through him, a new rapprochement between the Dobkin brothers and Gennady Kernes began, and this was not only a business connection. Rumor has it that it was Tenishev who got Mikhail and Dmitry Dobkin hooked on cocaine, which Gennady Kernes was already using. However, the first drug scandal associated with the names of Dobkin and Kernes broke out only in 2007, and by that time Dopa and Gepa had already become well-known characters in Ukrainian political folklore. Then it was reported that Kernes and Dobkin were the organizers of the beating of Kharkov district council deputy Oleg Medvedev, who allegedly sold them low-quality cocaine. A criminal case was opened, which was soon closed “for lack of corpus delicti.”
The story of how Timur Tenishev became an “honest entrepreneur” without a criminal past, and the criminal cases against Dobkin and Kernes strangely “dissolved”, tells the following: the daughter of Lyudmila Dobkina (from her first marriage) was friends with the son of the head of the Kharkov Regional Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Sergei Denisyuk, and in 2001, young people riding around the city at night had an accident. Denisyuk Jr., who was to blame for the accident, survived, but the girl died. The story was diligently hushed up; the most trusted investigators of Denisyuk Sr. arrived at the scene, so it was leaked to the media only as a brief summary without mentioning names. However, Mikhail Dobkin, through Kernes’ criminal connections, received details about this tragedy, and a little later, his father Mark Moiseevich, using his personal acquaintance with the General of the Ministry of Internal Affairs A. Gapon and the head of the Internal Security Department of the regional Ministry of Internal Affairs V. Kolesnik, made a “capital presentation” to Denisyuk Sr. And he, being responsible for his son’s misconduct, had to fulfill numerous “requests” of the Dobkin family - including “cleaning up” the criminal past of their entourage in the archives...
Golden time
In the 2002 elections, Mikhail Dobkin, not without the help of Gennady Kernes, was elected to the Verkhovna Rada in single-mandate constituency No. 174. Gennady Adolfovich himself entered parliament on the list of the “For EdU” bloc, but then abandoned the mandate of the Ukrainian people’s deputy in favor of the post of secretary of the Kharkov City Council (he also won the local elections). Kernes was clearly in a hurry, since a month later he lost this place during a conflict with the new mayor of Kharkov, Vladimir Shumilkin.
But new prospects opened up for Mikhail Dobkin: he entered big politics, and immediately began looking for someone to join with. During his three years as a deputy (2002-2005), the formerly non-party Dobkin changed several factions: “United Ukraine”, “Democratic Initiatives”, “Center”, SDPU(o), Party of Regions. He became a member of the budget committee and several investigative commissions, and authored numerous bills and amendments - many of which lobbied for his family's business interests.
So, for example, when in December 2002, benefits for enterprises with “special regimes of investment activity in priority development territories” were eliminated in Ukraine, this hit the Dobkins’ “ham” business. And then bills No. 2569 dated 04/04/2003 “On introducing changes to the current laws of Ukraine to ensure the creation and functioning of special (free) economic zones” and No. 3375 dated 04/23/2003 “On introducing changes to of various legislative acts of Ukraine regulation of activities in special (free) economic zones and in the territories of priority development (for poultry meat),” which Mikhail Dobkin was helped to draw up and lobby by deputies Ekaterina Vashchuk and Evgeniy Sigal. Dobkin himself, in support of the bill, made the following speech from the rostrum of parliament: “I am one of those who positively assess the activities of zones where a special economical regime has been introduced, at least this applies to the Kharkov region, Donetsk region, where there are positive changes, where truly new jobs are being created.”
Work in the Verkhovna Rada and involvement in large economic processes inspired Mikhail Dobkin to obtain a second higher education: in 2004 he entered the Kharkov National Economic University, three years later receiving a master's degree in international economics. However, Dopa’s entourage laughed behind his back at his obviously purchased two higher educations, calling him “the second proFFesor.”
Meanwhile, the Dobkin companies continued to do a successful business on the “refund” of VAT, fortunately this became very easy after the Kharkov tax office was headed by Bandurka’s sons. According to data published later, for the period 2003-2004. only three Dobkin enterprises (Olimp LLC, Nika Plus LLC and Orbita Plus LLC), having transferred only 152,000 hryvnia to the state budget, then “repaid” 80.5 million hryvnia ($17 million) from the budget. At the same time, Nika Plus LLC managed to receive a VAT refund in the amount of 36.5 million hryvnia for a fictitious trade transaction (allegedly exporting heating oil), which it did not even carry out! In general, during the period 2003-2005, the companies of Dobkin and his sons defrauded the state of 139 million hryvnia in VAT refunds alone! However, they had to transfer a significant part of this income to the charitable foundations of the Bandurka family, which, in fact, was the main one in these schemes and worked not only with the Dobkins.
In addition, in 2002-2005, the Dobkin companies actively participated in a scheme to transfer money to foreign offshore companies through Ukrainian-Latvian insurance companies. On the Dobkitny side, operations were carried out through their IC Oberig and IC Hromada (the total amount of money passed through the accounts exceeded 3 billion hryvnia), the scheme also involved the Golden Gate JSCB, whose shareholders were close business partners of the Dobkin brothers and Gennady Kernes. By that time, Kernes, who had created his own parliamentary faction in the Kharkov City Council, was making full use of Mikhail Dobkin as his man in the Verkhovna Rada, and through him and his brother, he got as close as possible to the Dobkin family business - to the great displeasure of Mark Moiseevich. And yet the money itself floated into their hands, as the Dobkin family garage eloquently testified to:
However, the golden time of big and easy money ended after the first Maidan: the government changed, and new people who came into it themselves wanted to “mow the money”, pushing the representatives of the “old regime” away from the budget trough. In the spring of 2005, the first criminal case was opened against the Bandurok father and son, personnel changes took place in the leadership of the Kharkov police and tax authorities, and the Dobkins’ entire previous business collapsed. Mark Moiseevich fell into depression for the first time in his life, and his youngest son Dmitry became heavily addicted to all kinds of drugs. However, the Dobkins then only lost profit: despite the fact that high-ranking officials associated with their business lost their positions and even went on the run, they themselves were not subject to criminal prosecution.
Dopa and Gepa
The destruction of connections and schemes created over the years forced the Dobkins to become closer to Gennady Kernes, who very successfully survived the first Maidan and even appeared on its stage in the ranks of the “orange leaders”. The curious thing is that in fact Kernes was in charge of Yanukovych’s election campaign in 2004 in Kharkov, but the official confidant of the candidate was Mikhail Dobkin - to whom all the big shots later fell. And in 2005, on the advice of Kernes, Mikhail Dobkin bet on the future revenge of the Party of Regions, becoming a member of its political council and deputy regional organization - and after the murder of Kushnarev, the main Kharkov regional leader. But the main thing is only formal: even then it was noted that the cunning Gepa uses the “slow” Dopa as his puppet. Moreover, it was believed that Gepa did not take over the capital of the Dobkin family only thanks to the vigilance and connections of Mark Moiseevich. A striking example of the relationship between Gennady Kernes and Mikhail Dobkin was the recording of the election speech of the candidate for mayor of Kharkov (in December 2005), which later ended up on the Internet and became a hit of political satire.
Despite all the absurdity of the tongue-tied Mikhail Dobkin, who had difficulty reading the text on the screen, he perfectly played the role of the opposition candidate from the Party of Regions, and Kharkov residents elected him in the spring of 2006 as the new mayor of the city. This, too, was Kernes’s cunning: he himself had every opportunity to get this post, but did not want to take advantage of them in view of the fact that power in the country was in the hands of the “orange”, and the “blue” regional mayor could be the object of their persecution. Kernes himself became the secretary of the Kharkov City Council, in fact the “guiding shadow” of Mikhail Dobkin. This is how the duo of Dopa and Gepa, as they say, emerged in public politics.
Much less is known about their joint activities in the economy of Kharkov in the period 2006-2014, when Dobkin and Kernes actually crushed half of the city. However, not everyone surrendered to them without a fight. An attempt to squeeze the Barabashov market from the local oligarch Feldman ended in nothing: he was supported by Arsen Avakov ( Read more about it in the article), who, thanks to his closeness to Viktor Yushchenko’s brother, was appointed governor of the Kharkov region in 2005. Then there were interesting rumors that among the “titushki” used for raider seizures there were also members of the Kharkov right-wing radical organization “Patriot of Ukraine”, which was allegedly financed by Gennady Kernes (and he also provided it with expensive office space in the city center at 18 Rymarskaya Street ). However, then Kernes and the leader of “Patriot” Andrei Biletsky quarreled, after which the right-wing radicals came under the wing of Avakov (in 2014, he created the Azov battalion from them) and were inflamed with a desire to take care of the “health of the nation”, starting to fight the sales of smoking mixtures ( who themselves smoked heavily) and products of the pharmaceutical factory “Zdorovye”. It was stated that the smoking mixtures included cannabinol and ecstasy, and “Zdorovye” was engaged in the production of synthetic drugs. This business in Kharkov belonged to the Russian “authority” Shishkin (Kemerovo group), and its overseer was Igor Salo, Kernes’s “sidekick”, whom he assigned as an adviser to Mikhail Dobkin. This was the second drug scandal associated with Kernes and Mikhail Dobkin - and now it was not about drug use, but about the production and sale of drugs.
The construction of the Kharkov forest park, which actively developed under the mayor of Dobkin, caused no less scandal in its time. If in the early 90s the territory of the forest park was 2385 hectares, then in 2009 it was already 2060 hectares, and in 2010 less than 1900 hectares. The main initiator of the distribution (or rather, sale) of plots was the secretary of the city council, Kernes, but the mayor only followed his lead. Moreover, Mikhail Dobkin did not come up with anything smarter than to build himself a mansion there behind a five-meter fence. His neighbors also included: a relative of the director of the Department of Family, Youth and Sports of the Kharkov Regional State Administration Dmitry Perepilitsa, the head of the Kitaris Kharkov charitable foundation Sergei Koval, the owner of Kharkovyuvelirtorg LLC Alexander Saratov, as well as a dozen business partners and “sidekicks” of Gennady Kernes .
After a small fire broke out in this house in 2010, Mikhail Dobkin (who had already become governor) moved to live in his country mansion in the village of Artyukhovka, Zmievsky district. There he enjoyed the hospitality of the head of the district, Evgeniy Muraev ( Read more about it in the article), to whom Dobkin had such caring attention that rumors arose that Muraev was allegedly his relative. Actually Evgeniy Muraev is the son-in-law of Oleg Taranov, who was closely acquainted with Vadim Rabinovich back in the 80s (read more about him in the article) and Mark Dobkin. Thus, they are connected by a long-standing acquaintance of their “ancestors”, and, surprisingly, Gennady Kernes has nothing to do with this. Moreover, Evgeny Muraev is under the “roof” of Vadim Rabinovich, and is not afraid of attacks from Kernes’ semi-criminal cronies - so he is one of the few close people of Mikhail Dobkin who are not influenced by Gepa.
In 2009, Kharkov was decorated with huge blue “big muzzles” with the slogan “Ukraine for the people”: Mikhail Dobkin and Gennady Kernes, who became the main Kharkov regionals after the death of Kushnarev, diligently contributed to the second election campaign of Viktor Yankovic. These diligence were rewarded: in March 2010, Mikhail Dobkin was appointed head of the Kharkov regional administration, and in October 2010, Gennady Kernes won the election of the Kharkov mayor. Victory with a minimal margin over Arsen Avakov (30.09% versus 29.46%), in an atmosphere of numerous violations and scandals.
When everything falls apart
The law does not allow the governor, like the mayor, to personally engage in business, so since 2006 Mikhail Dobkin has not had his own companies - at least he did not mention them in his declarations. The family's business was registered in the name of his father and brother, but things were not always going well in the Dobkin family. In 2007, Mikhail divorced Lyudmila, who for many years actively participated in their common business (in 1993 she gave birth to a daughter, Alla, and in 2000, a son, Nikolai), and married Alina Bozhenko - who gave birth to daughters Eva (2007) and Polina (2010). At the gossip level, it was rumored that Kernes contributed to his divorce from Lyudmila and his marriage to Alina, thus depriving Mikhail Dobkin of reliance on his strong-willed wife.
And in January 2016, returning from the Dominican Republic, Mark Moiseevich Dobkin died right on board the plane. The death of his father, on whom the whole family had been supported since childhood, shocked Mikhail. But he was also the main obstacle protecting his sons from being completely absorbed by Gepa, and most importantly, the entire family business rested on Mark Moiseevich, and most of the enterprises and shares were also registered in his name. The once powerful business empire of the Dobkins had already begun to fall apart: in the summer of 2016, six months after the death of his father, his heirs came to blows. Mikhail Dobkin, having forgotten about politics, began the legal process of depriving the right to inheritance of his four-year-old half-brother Tolik - the son of Mark Moiseevich from his mistress Maria, with whom he actually lived for almost ten years. Since the laws allow Tolik to claim an inheritance, the question arose about his guardianship, and someone (allegedly Kernes) suggested to Mikhail Dobkin the monstrous idea through the court to recognize Maria as incompetent (an alcoholic) and to become Tolik’s guardian himself - and the administrator of his share of the inheritance.
They say that this is only the beginning: a fierce division of their father's inheritance between the brothers Mikhail and Dmitry is expected ahead, during which they may quarrel with their mother Alla Nikolaevna Dobkina - by the way, who is also the owner of some of the family's enterprises. For example, it was the mother who registered a house and a plot in the Kharkov forest park, as well as the Veresk Dacha Cooperative, the Kiparis housing cooperative and the Triumph housing cooperative.
Today this is the main problem of Mikhail Dobkin (for what is a person without capital in Ukraine?), but it is not the only one. For two and a half years now, he himself has been subjected to regular political pressure from the new government and pro-Maidan “activists.” It all started back in February 2014, when Mikhail Dobkin disregarded political prudence (like many of his comrades) and openly opposed the second Maidan. He supported the police and Berkut, initiated the holding of a congress of deputies of local councils of the South-Eastern regions in Kharkov (nicknamed “Severodonetsk-3” and declared separatist), called the coup in the capital “fascist”, announced his participation in early elections and chose one one of the main points of his program is the federalization of Ukraine.
The reaction of the new government was not long in coming: on March 2, 2014, he was removed from the post of governor, and on March 7, they tried to detain him on charges of separatism. On March 10, Mikhail Dobkin himself appeared for questioning, and subsequently the accusations against him were not confirmed. But his absence in Kharkov allowed him to avoid subsequent accusations of involvement in the seizure of the Regional State Administration by supporters of the “Kharkov Republic” - for which Gennady Kernes later had to take the rap.
However, this put Mikhail Dobkin between two fires of hatred on the part of the masses engulfed in turmoil. Those who supported the second Maidan saw only an enemy in Dobkin: a regionalist, a separatist, a pro-Russian politician, Yanukovych’s henchman, Gepa’s sidekick, etc. and so on. When in April 2014, as a presidential candidate, he went to the ICTV studio for a live broadcast on the “Freedom of Speech” program, a crowd of “activists” shouted obscenities and shouted “Glory to the heroes!” doused it with brilliant green and sprinkled it with flour. I wonder why flour and what does the “heroes” have to do with it? And just a few days before this incident, Mikhail Dobkin was sworn at, pelted with eggs and almost lynched in Lugansk. There, a crowd of pro-Russian supporters of the “Crimean option” (proclamation of a “republic” and joining Russia) greeted Dobkin as a “traitor to the South-East” for his calls to enter into a peaceful political dialogue with Kiev.
In the early presidential elections of 2014, Mikhail Dobkin was a candidate from the already crumbling Party of Regions - the Regions did not find other candidates, since all the potential “leaders” simply fled. With a result of 3.03%, Dobkin took sixth place, forever burying PR as a political project, after which he was elected to the Verkhovna Rada at number 3 on the list of the “Opposition Bloc” (having bought a passing seat for his brother Dmitry). However, this was already the end of the short career of politician Mikhail Dobkin. Since then, he has not even been able to normally perform his functions as a people’s deputy, perhaps fearing new arrests or aggression from “activists.” In the Rada you can only see his brother, sometimes staggering around high, while Mikhail himself disappears for two years in an unknown place and makes himself known through messages on Twitter. The fact that Mikhail Dobkin still remains a people’s deputy was only indicated by the news about his income decoration for 2015, in which he indicated income from “gifts” in the amount of 10 million hryvnia! He also declared: cars Toyota LS 2007, Toyota LS 200 2012 and Toyota LS 200 2013 (his own), Mercedes GL 350 2012, Volkswagen Multivan 2012 and Porsche 911 Turbo 2011 (family members), Silver boats Hawk 520 and Bass Prote 520 (own), Tracker Tundra boat (family), two houses, two apartments and a 1.6 hectare plot of land. And, of course, no business!
It seems that in light of recent events (the death of his father, the division of inheritance), Mikhail Dobkin will appear even less often. Well, since he is no longer an official, and is unlikely to ever become one, and his deputy “crust” is of little use even for himself, and he has lost all the main connections in business, then Mikhail Dobkin is unlikely to is of interest to his friend Gennady Kernes. But Gepa is of great interest to the capital of the Dobkin family!
Sergey Varis, for SKELET-info
Mikhail Dobkin: Gepa is on the hook for dopa updated: February 28, 2017 by: creator
People's Deputy of Ukraine of the VII and VIII convocations
Education
Born on January 8, 1975 in the city of Kharkov (Ukrainian SSR). In 2002, he received a diploma from the Kharkov National University of Internal Affairs (specialty: “Jurisprudence”, qualification: “Lawyer”).Family
The politician is married.Older brother - ex-head of the Kharkov regional state administration.
Career
Dmitry Dobkin’s career began in 1991 at the Progress-90 production cooperative, where until 1992 he was a salesperson.In 1995-2000, he served as director of Ukrtorginvest LLC.
From 2001 to 2002 he worked as commercial director of Nika LLC.
In 2002-2004 - commercial director of Orbita Plus LLC.
He is a shareholder (10.98%) of JSCB “Golden Gate” (Kharkov).
Political ambitions
Since March 2006, he was elected as a deputy of the Kharkov Regional Council of the 5th convocation, a member of the commission on budget issues.In the 2012 parliamentary elections, he was nominated by the Party of Regions in single-mandate constituency No. 178 (Kharkiv region) and for the first time became a people's deputy of Ukraine of the 7th convocation. Member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on State Construction and Local Self-Government.
He is a member of PR.
Elections 2014
In parliamentary electionsentered the Radaself-nominated in single-mandate constituency No. 178 ( Har kkov region), gaining 33.05% of the votes.Private bussiness
Regional deputy Dmitry Dobkin does not hide the fact that he entered parliament largely thanks to the name of his older brother. He is in no hurry to leave the shadow of a more authoritative relative, preferring to follow the beaten path. This is what allowed him to first try his hand at managing a large business, then become one of the most influential people in Kharkov, and now to start in big Kyiv politics. Public accusations of using administrative resources did not prevent him from gaining 65% of the votes in the most depressed district of the Kharkov region. And now his ally in the fight against unemployment in the region will be... the gas giant ShellDmitry Dobkin is an inexperienced politician and does not yet have a very good sense of the risks that could ruin the career of a regional deputy. He came to the Verkhovna Rada for the first time, and so far he clearly feels out of place. True, he already managed to make his debut in a parliamentary fight for the podium: “The feeling is not the most pleasant, but party discipline must be observed.”
Business dossier
A curious feature of the Dobkin family’s business empire is that almost all of the major assets in it were acquired sequentially, as if in a connected chain. At the beginning of this chain, back in the 1980s, there was... an ordinary vegetable store in Kharkov. Mark Dobkin was its director at the time. In the wake of perestroika, I decided to start a private business. And he began, naturally, with trading in vegetables, as well as butter and sugar.The sugar business prompted the need to start growing beets. And the supply of oil to Russia made it possible to find partners who paid in oil products. After this, Mark Dobkin’s eldest son, Mikhail, successfully made money by supplying toll oil to the Kremenchug Oil Refinery and Galychina Oil Refinery.
The cultivation of beets, meanwhile, was supplemented by grains, and they, in turn, prompted the acquisition of a poultry farm in Novograd-Volynsky, which now provides Dobkin with 5-7% of the Ukrainian chicken market. When it became clear that it was difficult to develop a business in different industries without cross-subsidization and lending, Golden Gate Bank appeared.
The post of head of the supervisory board of this bank was held by Mark Dobkin’s youngest son, Dmitry, before entering politics. "Golden Gate" actively lends to utility companies in Kharkov and the region. From a business point of view, this is quite convenient - after all, the repayment of loans is controlled by Mikhail Dobkin as governor, as well as Gennady Kernes, who is close to him, as mayor.
It is curious that 3-4 years ago such a financial institution was “Basis” of the then governor Arsen Avakov. But in 2012, this bank lost its license. According to Avakov, this was accompanied by the active purchase of bank debts at a discount, behind which the Dobkins stood.
And in the fall of 2012, information appeared in the press that the Dobkin family had acquired another bank, in Dnepropetrovsk. Part of the Golden Gate management transferred to the new Melior Bank. But Dmitry Dobkin categorically denies any connection with the bank in Dnepropetrovsk.
Compromising evidence
At the end of the 2000s, D. Dobkin found himself at the epicenter of a major drug scandal that erupted in Kharkov, in connection with which rumors were circulated about the politician’s addiction to drugs.In the summer of 2008, a number of media outlets published a photocopy of the presentation of the Main Investigation Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine to the Kharkov Regional Council “on taking measures to eliminate the causes and conditions that contributed to the commission of the crime.” As the document testified, Mikhail and Dmitry Dobkin, together with Gennady Kernes, use cocaine - a certain Igor Gavrilov, convicted of drug distribution, allegedly stated this in his testimony. At that time, the existence of the show was doubted, considering the charges to be falsified. Although the existence of the document was confirmed at a press conference in Kharkov by the then head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Yuriy Lutsenko.
Deputy of the Moscow District Council of Kharkov Oleg Medvedev was also interrogated in this case, who said that I. Gavrilov in 2004-2006 sold drugs in Kharkov and with him brought prohibited substances “to the apartment of D.M. Dobkin.” According to O. Medvedev, D. Dobkin used drugs with him.
However, Dobkin Jr., who was then on vacation, made a statement that he knew nothing about the performance.
The investigation brought the case of drug use and possession by Kharkov mayors to the court in early September, but on September 24, 2008 it was closed by the Dzerzhinsky Court of Kharkov.
Also, the name of Dmitry Dobkin surfaced during the 2014 election campaign. In October 2014, it became known that the department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Kharkov region (brother of Mikhail Dobin) and Vladimir Skorobagach for bribing voters by distributing food packages.
Hobby
Dobkin considers hunting to be his greatest hobby.- In contact with 0
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