Personal

n this book I share my secrets of success. I have made my trip: from an investigator in the public prosecutor’s office to a pro-rector of Kyiv National University, from a start-up businessman to a director of a big enterprise called Praveks, from a people’s deputy to a Kyiv Mayor. This book will be useful [...]

I think it will be interesting for you to read my new book Story of Success. On its pages I tried to tell not only my life story, but also to show with concrete examples from my past what challenges life can pose to us and how we should deal with them. I don’t want [...]

I am a person in the public eye: I was a member of parliament and a presidential candidate. Today I am mayor of the most wonderful city in the world. This city, Kiev, which I love so much, has become dear to me, even though I was born in Kharkov. It happened on the 25th [...]

The closest and dearest person in everyone’s life is their mother. Mothers’ love is sincere and pure. Mothers never forget about their child, all their thoughts are with it.

How much we need our mothers sometimes!

Stepan is my elder son – my pride and support. He is a successful man, as well as a kind and decent guy. He always considers opinions of people around him. Stepan has always distinguished himself from his peers by his sincerity. Since his childhood I taught him to be just and fair. When growing up my children saw only love and harmony in our family and that is why they have grown up kind and sincere people.

Christine is one year younger then Stephan is. However, she gave birth to my three grandchildren – Leonid, Alina and Ivan.

Christina is a gifted, very capable woman, very responsible. She is a good lawyer with a good education since she graduated Taras Shevchenko Kiev National University. She is a loving mother to her children and a loving daughter.

I have three grandchildren: the elder, Leonid, has the same name as I do. Junior and middle ones’ names are Leonid and Ivan, and my granddaughter’s name is Alina.

I love so much when we all get together. I love to make presents to my grandchildren. However, I love even more, when I receive presents from them.

“I grew up without father, only with my mother, whom I loved and still love very much (she died one year ago and I miss her a lot), but coming back in my memories of childhood I remember her being always busy, not being at home, but at work. This is why, after coming back home from the kindergarten, I grew up among good people – my neighbors. They were all different, each with their own joy and sorrow, but they all invariably loved me.”

At present a lot of people are lacking harmony, but I am sure that animals can bring it into people’s lives. I have a cat in my country house, his name is Yasha, he is wild, but he is “a cool guy”.

15 years ago I could not even imagine that I would have a posh collection of Mercedes cars. There are lots of miracles in life … I got my first car quite unexpectedly. My father-in-law presented it to me on the day of my wedding. That happened in November, 1977. To be honest, I did not even think I would ever have a car, because at that time it was some kind of an unrealizable dream.