Vasily Petevka
Despite all the political changes in Kyiv, the Zakarpattia region remains the fiefdom of the corrupt and criminal Baloha-Petivka family clan. Their men control local government, local law enforcement agencies and courts, local customs and smugglers, local gangsters, and radicals. The brothers themselves have acquired a "family membership" for life in the Verkhovna Rada, where they have already spent several terms, evading the law and creating their own shady schemes. They are also participating in the current elections, running in the same single-member constituencies they long ago privatized. And if they are re-elected, it will mean that the infamous Zakarpattia "Tsymbor" mafia is truly immortal.
Viktor Ivanovych Baloha , his brothers Pavlo Ivanovych Baloha and Ivan Ivanovych Baloha, and his cousin Vasyl Petivka—this isn't a list of invitations to a family celebration, but a list of deputies of the 8th Verkhovna Rada. Their old accomplice and "family friend," Mykhailo Lanyo, is also there. Only one clan in all of Ukraine has been able to get their entire family into parliament! And that's because these five, though scattered across various parliamentary groups, effectively represent a single faction called "Tsymbora." This is the nickname for the local "Cosa Nostra" in Transcarpathia, headed by Viktor Baloha and his brothers, a highly influential family. His son, Andriy Viktorovych Baloha, has been the mayor of Mukachevo since 2015.
And now this family clan is back in the polls, again in single-member constituencies: No. 69 – Viktor Baloha, No. 70 – Ivan Baloha, No. 72 – Vasyl Petyovka, No. 73 – Pavlo Baloha. Mikhail Lanyo initially announced he would not participate in the 2019 elections and even ceded his 70th constituency to Ivan Baloha. But now his name has appeared on the Opposition Bloc electoral list.
According to Skelet.Org sources , the reason for Lanyo's vacillations stems from his long-standing tensions with the Balogh brothers, which sometimes escalated to gunfire (an incident in July 2015). This is unsurprising, as for twenty years they have been dividing the legacy of the 90s crime bosses who brought them to prominence.
"Comedian brothers"
Vasyl Vasyliovych Petyovka was born on January 30, 1967, in the village of Zavidovo, Mukachevo district, Zakarpattia region. His cousin, Viktor Baloha, was born in the same village four years earlier. The brothers, like most politicians from this region, are native Rusyns. This ethnic group was officially incorporated into the Ukrainian people in 1944, and today, self-identification as Rusyn can even lead to accusations of "separatism fomented by the Kremlin." According to acquaintances of Petyovka and Baloha, they spoke Rusyn in their youth, making it their native language—a rarity within the walls of the Verkhovna Rada and the Kyiv government. However, Baloha and Vasyl Petyovka are known to belong to the political camp of nationally conscious patriots of Ukraine, and they rarely mention their Rusyn identity. Baloha even once boasted that it was he who persuaded President Yushchenko not to recognize the Rusyns as a separate ethnic group, “in order to avoid separatism.”
However, in 2012, Arseniy Yatsenyuk voiced a completely opposite version of events, accusing Baloha of supporting Rusyn nationalism and separatism. And according to their acquaintances, if things had gone differently for Baloha in the 1990s and 2000s, and he had made a different political choice, he and his cousin Petyovka would now be no less ardent "patriots" of the Rusyn movement.
But their best is yet to come: after all, Baloha, through his protégé Vasyl Hubal, formed a private army under the pretext of defending Transcarpathia from an unknown aggressor! It was this very army that sparked the shooting in July 2015, when Baloha's Right Sector clashed with Lanyo's men. So, these young men donned the Right Sector patches, and who will they declare themselves to be next? Perhaps the "People's Liberation Army of Carpathia"? Baloha's clan could return to the topic of separatism at any moment...
Victor Baloga in the army
But let's return to Vasyl Petyovka's youth. Their relatives were "thrifty," involved in all sorts of "businesses" even before perestroika, so after eight years of rural school, Vasyl was sent to the Mukachevo Cooperative Technical School (now the Mukachevo Trade and Economics College) to study as a merchandiser. This was just below his cousin's qualifications: in 1984, Viktor Baloha also received a merchandising diploma, but from the Lviv Trade and Economics Institute (now a university), having first taken the trouble to complete his secondary education. A few years later, his younger brother, Ivan Baloha, graduated from the same institute. Such is the family of merchandisers! Only the youngest of them, Pavlo Baloha, graduated from Uzhhorod State University in 1999 with a degree in law and went to work in the prosecutor's office to cover up his relatives' dirty dealings (he is the only member of the family who has not served in the army). But he also became involved in smuggling, where he suffered serious consequences – and his career as a prosecutor was put to an end.
Victor Baloga, our days
Vasily Durdinets (80s)
After graduating from technical school, Petivka worked for several months at the Verkhnekoropetska consumer association of the district consumer union. Incidentally, Verkhnekoropets is the birthplace of Valeriy Heletey , another Transcarpathian who rose to prominence, and the son-in-law of Vasyl Durdynets. As is well known, the veteran Soviet general Durdynets, who served as deputy minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Ukrainian SSR and as deputy prime minister and head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations under Kuchma, is considered one of the progenitors of the Transcarpathian "tsymbora." His nephew, Tiberiy Durdynets, placed by his uncle in the leadership of the SBU, has been on the international wanted list for 10 years . The Durdynets played a significant role in the rise of Baloha and Petivka, and even more in ensuring that they did not suffer the punishment they deserved.
Tiberiy Durdinets (wanted since 2009)
Vasily Petyovka served in the army in 1986-87 (according to some sources, as a quartermaster like his cousin), after which he returned to his previous job. At the same time, Viktor Baloha became a senior merchandiser at the Mukachevo hardware and trade base, earning the nickname "komirnik" (commercial assistant) from his acquaintances. The nickname is somewhat ambiguous, as in the old days it was used for people who didn't own their own home and rented rooms.
The brothers immediately launched their business: scarce goods from warehouses were sold at bazaars for a hefty profit, part of which had to be given to their criminal "protection." But this was only the beginning, as the brothers soon realized that the main "deposits" of fast-moving goods were located abroad, just a stone's throw away. A time of big business and big business had arrived—so in the late 80s, Vasily Petevka quit his job at the Verkhnekoropetsky District Consumer Union, fictitiously found a job at the Mukachevo Cooperative Technical School (from which he had previously graduated), and became deeply involved in the family business—which had initially been shady and semi-criminal.
Bandit "Barva"
The history of the modern Mukachevo mafia arguably begins with the crime boss Viktor Kirch. His organized crime group began in Soviet times at a local car market, exacting tribute from sellers and buyers of Zhiguli cars, and later expanded its influence to other markets. Soon, Kirch's organized crime group was joined by a "brigade" from Kushtanovytsia (a suburb of Mukachevo, then a very crime-ridden area), led by the young "authority" Mykhailo Tokar, nicknamed Gesha. Unlike the "old convict" Kirch, Tokar never served time in prison, but quickly earned respect in the criminal underworld of Transcarpathia.
Mikhail Tokar (Gesha)
Another important figure in the Transcarpathian Tortuga was Ivan Yuryevich Dankanich, who always kept a low profile. The same age as Viktor Baloha, he was born in the village of Zagatya in the neighboring Irshava district, where Baloha attended school—and they studied together. Their childhood friendship played a crucial role in the future of the Baloha-Petivka family clan, as in the 80s, Dankanich became a member of the notorious Solntsevo organized crime group, led by Sergei Mikhailov (Mikhas) and Semyon Mogilevich (Seva). Dankanich can be found under number 74 on the Solntsevo organized crime group's roster .
Semyon Mogilevich and Sergei Mikhailov
So, Dankanich became the link between the Solntsevskaya and Mukachevo gangs. This connection became crucial for Mogilevich in the early 90s, when he moved to Hungary, which borders the Mukachevo district of Transcarpathia, to live and spin his web of criminal schemes. Significant changes occurred: Mogilevich took Kirch's organized crime group under his wing, offering them larger-scale operations beyond racketeering market traders and small-scale gasoline and alcohol smuggling. For Mogilevich, who planned continental-scale schemes, this region was a gateway between Europe and the CIS, and he relied on large-scale smuggling: cargo flows went all the way to Siberia, while timber, metals, fuel, and other fast-moving raw materials were shipped back across Europe. Since the late 90s, drugs were also included in these schemes. The Mukachevo gang was supposed to ensure the smooth operation of these gates, working in tandem with corrupt customs officials, police, and local authorities. Kirch's immediate task was to protect cargo from other organized crime groups—and thus he became the shadowy master of the region.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the dawn of a chaotic market, Viktor Baloha and his warehouse risked being left with next to nothing: they could only rent out the space and eke out a living through small-scale smuggling. But his childhood friend Dankanich came to his aid, putting in a good word for him with Kirch and Tokar. And so the "komirnik" was recruited into the gangster schemes, initially turning his warehouse into a transshipment point for contraband and stolen goods. Then, in 1992, Viktor Baloha created Rey-Promin LLC out of his warehouse, becoming its director and hiring Vasily Petyovka as his deputy. The brothers had a stable relationship: Viktor Baloha headed this semi-criminal family business, while Vasily Petyovka, according to Skelet.Org , served as its "black accountant" and manager.
Linked to other firms and joint ventures, Rey-Promin was part of the schemes through which Kirch's organized crime group smuggled goods and laundered dirty money. Viktor Baloha, having become part of this group (as a semi-criminal businessman), began to rise rapidly, dragging his relatives down with him: his brothers Ivan and Pavel, and his cousin Vasily.
In 1994, a new company, Barva LLC (EDRPOU 20445649), was established, which later became the main holding company of the Baloha-Petyovka family empire. An interesting detail: in Old Rusyn, "barva" meant the uniform a feudal lord issued to his servants and soldiers—and the Baloha family, we repeat, is Rusyn-speaking. Therefore, the company's name provoked caustic jokes among local residents. It's also curious that the LLC was registered twice: first in March 1994, then again in May 1998. The founders also changed over time. Initially, they were: Viktor Baloha, Ivan Baloha, Pavel Baloha, Oksana Baloha (Viktor Baloha's wife), Vasily Petyovka, and Ilya Tokar, Mikhail Tokar's brother. Its current founders are Marina Petevka (wife of Vasily Petevka), Miroslava Tokar (wife of Ilya Tokar), as well as Mukachevo entrepreneurs Alexander Goryachkun and Vasily Popp.
Following these registrations and re-registrations of Barva, high-profile murders occurred in Mukachevo. First, Viktor Kirch was killed by unknown assassins, after which leadership of the local criminal underworld was concentrated in the hands of Mikhail Tokar (Gesha). It's possible (though speculatively) that his "senior partner," Mogilevich, was interested in replacing Kirch, but rumor has it he merely approved Kirch's assassination, which was insisted upon by certain individuals from Mukachevo. After this, Kirch was quickly forgotten, leaving almost no mention of him in the media. After his death, Baloha and Petyovka closed up Rey-Promin and focused on developing Barva, which the Tokar brothers had invested in. The new Mukachevo "overseer," Gesha, ruled harshly but fairly, without any show-offs, and was therefore respected by all. And yet, in December 1998, he too was murdered, and this occurred after a series of events that provoked profound reflection...
In the second half of the 90s, a wave of showdowns swept through Transcarpathia, involving people close to Baloha and Petivka. For example, in 1996, Vasyl Chepa, nicknamed "Vasya Restaurant" (future cultural advisor to Governor Baloha), shot and killed crime boss Mykhailo Bryanyk (of the Andriykanych organized crime group in Uzhgorod) with a machine gun. And no criminal case was even opened against him! Incidentally, the head of the regional police department at the time was Gennady Moskal , whom some Skelet.Org sources have implicated in the assassination of Viktor Kirch and other crime bosses in the region. At the same time, media reported that Moskal had reached an understanding with Baloga at the time, and even sold goods confiscated from "foreign" smugglers (not affiliated with Gesha's organized crime group) through his "Barva," splitting the profits 50/50. It's worth noting that Gennady Moskal particularly enjoys operating in the border regions of Zakarpattia and Luhansk, which are renowned for their smuggling corridors. And he hasn't changed his methods since the 90s: stopping the trucks of "foreign" smugglers and giving the green light to "his own."
However, while focusing on the top brass, we mustn't forget the importance of the middle management – which at the time included the deputy head of the Mukachevo Organized Crime Department, Vladimir Heletey, who had a reputation as the most corrupt and most "stupid" police officer in all of Transcarpathia (he rivals his namesake, Valeriy Heletey, for sheer stupidity ). Vladimir Heletey's connections to the Kirch and Tokar organized crime group were obvious, yet they were carefully concealed: regular meetings were described as operational necessity, and no unnecessary witnesses to their business dealings remained alive. Despite his dimwittedness, Vladimir Heletey was adept at covering his tracks, and his brother, Valeriy, and the Durdintsov family provided excellent cover for him.
Vladimir Heletey
In 1997, Mikhail Tokar invested $625 in cash into Barva's development: he donated the money in Hungary, where he was on a business visit. However, both Baloha and, especially, Petevka later denied this, claiming they had borrowed from Prominvestbank to finance the business's development. Sources told Skelet.Org that Baloha and Petevka had simply "stealed" Geshin's share.
Journalists reported that by early 1998, Gesha had two main assistants: Viktor Baloha, the group's main "cashier," ran both legal and shady businesses through Barva, where Vasily Petyovka worked diligently. Mikhail Lanyo, nicknamed "Blyuk," was involved in the more shady dealings (his brother, Ivan Lanyo, is known as a minor crime boss nicknamed "Donkey"). Racketeering, showdowns, and drugs—this is just a partial list of how Lanyo earned his reputation. And in 1998, he was also accused of murder. Then, Mikhail Lanyo got into the car of crime boss Ivan Viner (nicknamed "Kozy"), who was soon found shot to death in that very car. Lanyo was dragged around by investigators for three months, but was eventually released. Since the mid-90s, Mikhail Lanyo was one of Viktor Baloha's closest associates (not relatives), but they didn't always get along, as during the events of 2015, when their men started shooting at each other.
Mikhail Lanyo
In the spring of 1998, Viktor Baloha, with the political support of Governor Ustych and the SDPU (o) and the criminal backing of Gesha's organized crime group (with Mogilevich looming behind him), was elected mayor of Mukachevo. However, for Gesha, he remained a crooked "commander," whom Tokar once beat up right in the mayor's office. Perhaps the cause of their conflict was the money Baloha was stealing from the "authority."
At the same time, a major flood occurred in the region (partly due to the massive logging carried out by Barva subsidiaries), and Leonid Kuchma himself arrived in Mukachevo. Pleased with the warm welcome, he hinted to Baloha about a possible governorship (and also allocated the money stolen by Barva structures). Many later claimed that it was then that Baloha finally decided to get rid of Gesha, who had become an obstacle—and allegedly, through Dankanich, he received Mogilevich's approval to do so.
And so, on December 25, 1998, right on Christmas Eve, Mikhail Tokar was shot dead at the gates of his own home, after which his empire was divided between Baloga and Lanyo—with some left over for Ilya Tokar (a man of no ambition and not much intelligence). Baloha grabbed Gesha's "cash," primarily the Barva structures, all the streams of shadow and semi-legal business, and all the connections with the cops and government agencies. Lanyo inherited Gesha's gangsters and the criminal half of the business. For twenty years, he controlled the smuggling corridor with the help of his "athletes," "titushki," and other thugs, sometimes collaborating with Baloga, sometimes feuding with him.
Evgeny Ignatkin in prison
Sergey Varis, for Skelet.Org
CONTINUED: Vasily Petyovka: The Tsymbory faction in the Verkhovna Rada. PART 2
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