Oleg Kuprienko: From the Life of a Boorish Hater of Dogs and Journalists. Part 1
Proportional elections to the Verkhovna Rada allow those who couldn't win a single-member constituency, even with vote-buying, to become members of parliament. Troublemaker Oleh Kupriyenko has a far from rosy reputation in his native Chernihiv, and so he had consistently had poor luck in elections until he secured a favorable spot on Lyashko's Radical Party list. But even among his odious allies, Kupriyenko stands out for his boorish attacks on those he considers inferior and his cowardly servility to the powerful.
However, those who consider Kuprienko their tamed ally don't realize that he can easily bite the hand that stops feeding him. For this man, who for some unknown reason hates our smaller brothers, himself resembles a dog—in the worst sense of the word. Perhaps that's why he hates them?
Oleg Kuprienko: teacher-businessman-lawyer
People's Deputy of Ukraine Oleg Vasilievich Kuprienko was born on August 18, 1964, in the village of Smyach in the Shchorsovsky (now Snovsky) district of the Chernihiv region. His mother, whose pension recalculation he so closely sought (more on that below), still lives on Komsomolskaya Street (if it hasn't been renamed yet), where he worked so hard to get his mother's pension recalculated. This is all that can be gleaned from his indecently brief biography, which is understandable: before his election to the Rada, Kuprienko was a relatively obscure provincial figure, rarely mentioned except in local Chernihiv media, and then only in the context of scandals.
After graduating from high school (with a gold medal, he claims), Oleg Kuprienko enrolled in the Physics and Mathematics Department. If you pictured Kuprienko standing next to Stephen Hawking's wheelchair, you're very much mistaken. This was simply the Physics and Mathematics Department of the Chernihiv Pedagogical Institute, which trained physics and mathematics teachers. After graduating, Oleg Kuprienko worked as a teacher for eight years before going into business.
His wife, Tatyana Aleksandrovna Kuprienko (born 1959), also worked as a teacher, and then as a vice principal at School No. 15 (according to information from Chernihiv residents). In 1985, their son, Sergei Kuprienko, was born—the current heir to the family business. It's worth noting that this joyous event occurred while the father, Oleg Vasilyevich, was still studying at the teacher training college, while his wife should have long since graduated. Which raises a curious question, from the perspective of the glossy magazines: how did they meet? The tabloid press, which specializes in juicy scandals, would certainly be interested in a story, also told by Chernihiv residents, about how, eight years ago, Mr. Kuprienko was walking around with a black eye, given to him by the husband of one of his young "favorites," whom he always had a penchant for.
After quitting his penniless teaching job in the 90s, Oleg Kuprienko went into business. He claims to have been involved in the petroleum product trade, but this business was heavily protected by the bureaucratic mafia and organized crime groups, and the only job a simple schoolteacher could hope for there would be as a gas station cashier. Kuprienko clearly concealed much about his business, both past and present. For example, it's quite interesting to know why RIF LLC (EDRPOU 05402329, founded in 1997, real estate) and Yurol CJSC (EDRPOU 22816895, founded in 1995, trucking), which, according to MP Kuprienko's declaration, had previously changed ownership. This raises the question: did the Kuprienko family buy a stake in these enterprises, or perhaps "squeeze" them out? Well, yes, if a simple Ukrainian math teacher could so easily enter the oil business, why wouldn't he later retrain as a corporate raider? Or maybe that's why Oleg Kuprienko earned (or bought) a law degree from the private Kyiv International University?
Information from sources who reported on Oleg Kuprienko's connections with a criminal businessman can shed light on a lot. Valery Dubil (He's now also a member of parliament). Dubil, the son of a military serviceman, grew up in Pryluky (Chernihiv Oblast), near the famous Soviet military airfield that Dubil and his comrades looted in the 90s, stripping it bare. Dubil is also known as one of the leaders of the "Europe" organized crime group (and the owner of a football club and charitable foundation of the same name), who had ties to the Russian "Solntsevskie" organized crime group. So, here are the sources. Skelet.Org It was reported that Kuprienko had previously been Dubil's lackey; they had even been members of the regional Batkivshchyna organization together, but for some reason Dubil kicked him out. Kuprienko initially tried to join UDAR, but was unsuccessful—and then he turned to the Lyashkivites, soon becoming the head of the Chernihiv branch of the Radical Party.
Valery Dubil
Also in Dubil's group, along with Kuprienko, was Alexey Korzh, also an active member of the opposition from 2010 to 2013 and an activist of the second Maidan, who in 2014 led the local Right Sector organization. Korzh became "famous" for rushing to demolish a bronze Lenin monument in the city after the victory of the "Revolution of Dignity," leaving the fate of 2,5 tons of non-ferrous metal (worth several thousand dollars) unknown.
Alexey Korzh
In May 2008, Oleg Kuprienko obtained a lawyer's license and immediately opened his own firm (not listed in his declaration), where he later employed his son, Sergei. Oleg Kuprienko immediately amassed accolades: first, he declared himself the best lawyer in Chernihiv, then a "legal expert," and after the second Maidan, he managed to become the chairman of the Chernihiv Bar Council. This despite the fact that in 2012, he was nearly stripped of his lawyer's license on charges of illegally obtaining one. But Kuprienko managed to capitalize on his affiliation with the opposition, hiding among whose ranks he became an active participant in protests, enthusiastically shouting "Get rid of the convict!"
By the way, the story of Kuprienko’s “election” as Chairman of the Chernigov Bar Council was described in a very comprehensive manner in local mediaEssentially, it was a corporate raid carried out by Oleg Kuprienko and Nikolai Torbeev—both of whom were called the "personal lawyers" of then-Chernihiv mayor Alexander Sokolov. Incidentally, Sokolov was a member of the Party of Regions from 2011 to 2014, but this didn't stop Kuprienko from feeding from his hands, while serving at the same time To Oleg Lyashko.
As for his professional qualities as a lawyer, Chernihiv residents have rather negative opinions about Kuprienko. According to numerous sources Skelet.OrgOleg Kuprienko's legal practice consisted of negotiating with judges. When he was able to reach an agreement, he "won" the case; when he couldn't, he shrugged his shoulders, never even thinking of returning his fees to his clients. This is confirmed by comments from Chernihiv residents regarding the case.one of Kuprienko's commissioned interviews in the local press (as part of self-promotion).
Oleg Kuprienko: From the Life of a Boorish Hater of Dogs and Journalists. Part 1
Oleg Kuprienko: From the Life of a Boorish Hater of Dogs and Journalists. Part 1
Kupriyenko far better defended his Radical Party comrade, Roman Zub, chairman of the Shchors (Snovsk) city council, from the law. This former aide to MP Lyashko was elected mayor in 2012, a move that saw the Radical Party throw all its efforts into. Before he could even be elected mayor, Zub immediately got caught taking a bribe of 18 thousand hryvnias for... permission to place a recycling center on the site of a children's playground. In August 2014, the court found Zub guilty, but thanks to Kuprienko's efforts, he was given a two-year prison sentence, suspended entirely. The prosecutor's office fought for a long time to have the case retried, and it wasn't until February 2016 that Zub received a new trial, which sentenced him to five years in prison. However, the sentence was never carried out: without waiting for it, Zub fled the courthouse during the lunch break, and his trail was lost.
Sergey Varis, for Skelet.Org
CONTINUED: Oleg Kuprienko: From the Life of a Boorish Hater of Dogs and Journalists. Part 2
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