Ukraine’s politicians and other VIPs are at home in the world of exquisite watches, exclusive cars and designer clothes – and are getting more intimate with the top brands, a recent study showed.
UMG International, a marketing company, polled 400 VIPs over three months earlier this year to discover the luxury preferences of Ukrainians. Those polled had an annual income of at least $150,000 per family.
“This study shows that rich people in Ukraine are becoming more aware of world luxury trends,” said Artur Gerasymov, head of UMG International.
This particularly shows in the choice of watches, where rich Ukrainians said they love Rolex, Cartier, Patek-Philippe and Breguet.
Public appearances of politicians back up the study nicely. Tetyana Bakhteeva, head of the parliament’s healthcare committee, was recently photographed with a Breguet Classic worth $86,000 to $100,000 on her wrist.
Party of Regions member of parliament Vitaly Khomutynnik has been spotted wearing several expensive watches, including Breguet, A. Lange & Sohne and Franck Muller, together worth more than $100,000. Officially, deputies make around $4,000 per month.
Surprisingly, Omega, a middle-class brand, finished sixth in the watch ranking. “We were surprised to see Omega in sixth place in the list, because it is lower class than other brands listed.
But then we understood that Omega must be the wealthy Ukrainians’ ordinary everyday watch,” explains Gerasymov.
Serhiy Haidai, a political consultant, says the government is now “an expensive club with its own dress code and other rules,” hence the big brands.
“If an official appears who rides a bicycle or takes the metro to work in Ukraine, it will be very hard for him to fit in his circle, because his colleagues will be the first to laugh at him,” he says.
To avoid being the laughing stock, they start to compete in the display of expensive toys like cars.
Ecology Minister Mykola Zlochevsky, for example declared last year that he owns a Rolls-Royce Phantom, available in Ukraine for $558,000 or more. At the same time, he declared a salary of Hr 207,524.
In Germany, officials are middle class by level of income. They don’t show off their money, even if they have a lot. For politicians it is simply dangerous, because it may make them look distant from the people,
– Andreas Umland, a political scientist and Kyiv-Mohyla Academy professor
Ukrainska Pravda online newspaper recently found that Hanna Herman, adviser to the president, is using a Mercedes Gelandewagen that officially belongs to her driver. Herman did not comment on the issue, saying the truth “will come out” one day.
Herman seems to be behind the fashion as far as cars go. UMG International’s study showed that Ukrainians now prefer Maybach, Rolls-Royce and Bentley over all other cars.
Agriculture Minister Mykola Prysiazhniuk and Deputy Prime Minister Valery Khoroshkovsky both drive Maybachs, for example. Party of Regions deputies Vasyl Gorbal and Boris Kolesnikov drive Bentleys, while Leonid Chernovetsky, the elusive mayor of Kyiv, swapped his Maybach for a Rolls-Royce in 2009, according to media reports.
By the end of April officials are supposed to release their income declarations, which should give the public a glimpse at what’s new in the garages.
Andreas Umland, a political scientist and Kyiv-Mohyla Academy professor, said the display of wealth in Ukraine is very different to his native Germany.
“In Germany, officials are middle class by level of income,” he says. “They don’t show off their money, even if they have a lot. For politicians it is simply dangerous, because it may make them look distant from the people.”
In Ukraine, they don’t seem to be that worried.
In fact, they can easily be spotted shopping in the most expensive boutiques in broad daylight.
Health Minister Raisa Bohatyriova was caught on camera walking into a Louis Vuitton store in Kyiv on April 1 and walking out more than an hour later. Moreover, she used her official car to go shopping.
Her ministry confirmed that the car was official, but had no other comments about the minister’s expensive taste in clothes.
The high standards in clothes are set by no other than the nation’s highest officials.
Ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, now in jail, famously had a taste for designer clothers such as Louis Vuitton.
Back in 2007, then-Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych was spotted wearing $1,300 ostrich-skin shoes during his visit to Strasbourg, France, for example.
Although he has not made any fashion statements since, many officials in his own party and the opposition are still trying to match his deed. Tymoshenko’s faction leader Ivan Kyrylenko, for example, has been caught wearing ray-skin shoes, worth around $800.
UMG International’s study shows that neither ostrich skin nor ray skin is in fashion now.
Prada and Chanel are the brands of choice when it comes to shoes, while Brioni and Chanel lead the way when it comes to the selection of men’s and women’s clothes, respectively.
Haidai says the thirst for luxury and its public display are not going to go away any time soon.
“People who once survived famine overeat and care too much about food.
A man who once lived poorly and dreamed to become part of the jet set society is inclined to demonstrate his success too strongly by having these cars and houses and security guards,” he says.
Kyiv Post staff writer Olga Rudenko can be reached at [email protected]
