Today's politicians are very successful in using the formula "if I don't remember, it didn't happen." More accurately, they all remember, but pretend that all past "exploits" and connections can be erased by silence. This isn't even about the repeated shifts between polarizing political forces, but rather about outright criminal episodes and connections in their biographies. But for the public, it's actually useful to remember where each representative of modern Ukrainian politics came from and how. This will provide answers to many questions.
This May marks 10 years since Viktor Ivanovich Rybalko, known in the criminal underworld as "Rybka," was shot dead in the very center of Kyiv. He emerged from the entrance to his apartment building at 15 Ivana Franka Street and was killed by a burst of machine gun fire. A total of 17 bullets were fired, three of which hit their target. Rybalko was struck in the head, abdomen, and thigh. He died at the scene.
54-year-old Viktor Rybalko was one of the most prolific apartment burglars. He was convicted six times for this crime, spending a total of 17 years behind bars. Rybalko adhered to the thieves' traditions and, at the time of his murder, had a very high profile in Kyiv's criminal underworld. In the early 90s, Rybalko was considered one of the most authoritative leaders of an organized crime group. He later legalized his activities in time, went into big business, and moved to the Netherlands, although he frequently visited his homeland and Kyiv. Viktor Rybalko was close to influential politicians and officials. Rybalko was smart and prudent enough not only to maintain his position in the criminal underworld but also to change his style and direction in time. Back in the early 90s, he became involved with Igor Bakai, with whom Rybalko had very serious business projects.
Bartia Klitschko and Viktor Rabalko. Photo: ua-pravda.com
An interesting fact prompted us to remember Mr. Rybalko on the eve of the 10th anniversary of his death. Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko lived in the same Zaliznychny district of Kyiv as Rybalko. Rybalko, along with his business partner Igor Bakai, provided extensive support to the future boxing legends, the Klitschko brothers, and it turns out this support wasn't without cost.
At Viktor Rybalko's instigation, the Klitschko brothers impressed Igor Bakai, and he agreed to share Rybka's investment in the brothers' boxing careers and find a world-renowned promoter for the boxers. The Klitschko brothers, in turn, were to pay Bakai and Rybalko 50% of all their income for life, including purses from fights, advertising, book publishing, and other sources.
From the few publications on the Internet you can find information and photographs where
photo ua-pravda.com
In 1997, Rybalko and Bakai brought Ukrainian boxers to the United States to meet and successfully sell the promising athletes to promoter Don King. King, as is well known, also had previous run-ins with the law and served two prison terms, but by 1997 he was an authority in the world of boxing. Rybalko hoped that his connections with the leaders of the criminal diaspora of Soviet immigrants who had settled in the United States would help him bring the Klitschko brothers into the boxing arena. However, the meeting with King ended in vain. The deal fell through because Rybalko considered King's demands unfavorable to him. However, photographs and videos remain as souvenirs of this trip.
After this, it was decided to market the Klitschko brothers' talent in Europe. As a result, Klaus-Peter Kohl and the Universum club took over the Klitschko brothers' professional boxing career. This granted the Klitschko brothers not only residency in Germany but also the right to apply to German authorities for citizenship within five years. According to some media reports, by this time Bakai and Rybalko considered the Klitschko brothers their property.
After Rybka's murder in May 2005, law enforcement repeatedly inquired about the Klitschko brothers' collaboration with the crime boss. However, when the subject of Rybalko arose, Klitschko would shift the blame and, at best, claim that the photos they took together were nothing more than mere souvenirs and that they had no business dealings together.
Truly, the statement of the former UBOP employee Valeriy Kura to the Ukrainian weekly “Gordon Boulevard" A former operative publicly confirmed the version that Rybka was killed because of money from "big boxing."
"That same big boxing match, in which Viktor Rybalko's investments were represented in a single instance—only by the Klitschko brothers." Kur, who headed the Klitschko brothers' security service, indicated that those most interested in Rybalko's premeditated murder were his business partner Bakai and his Klitschko brothers.
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