Mezhyhirya is a 140-hectare estate north of Kyiv where President Viktor Yanukovych lives, a luxury property acquired from the state in unexplained circumstances and with unclear sources of funding.
When the massive construction project is finished, the luxurious residence will reportedly have outdoor and indoor tennis courts, an artificial pond, several pools, an indoor shooting gallery, a golf course, a horse club and a yacht marina.
The president admits to owning only a 1.8 hectare plot and a two-story house there. But investigative reporters for Ukrainska Pravda and other news outlets, including the Kyiv Post, have exposed a trail of documents and individuals linking Yanukovych’s inner circle to millions of dollars being spent on the place.
The small black-roofed building surrounded by trees at the top of the picture is the place Ukraine’s president officially owns.
This is the same house that he showed to a few handpicked journalists during an interview last June. The 619-square meter house is estimated by real estate specialists to be worth $10 million. Yanukovych’s declared income in 2010 was $115,000.
On the left of the compound, a much more prominent building stands out, the mansion Yanukovych describes as being built with his friends.
Although a trail of documents reportedly show a connection of the territory the building was built on to the president’s inner circle, he denies having anything to do with that part of Mezhyhirya. According to the development plan, a yacht club will be built on the shore of the Kyiv Sea reservoir.
The sports centers at the compund look impressive: There is an outdoor tennis court, the white building on the left is a sports club, which includes indoor tennis court, bowling and a shooting gallery.
Photos by Dmytro Zabashtansky
