The newly appointed acting governor of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Vitaliy Reznychenko, has yet to prove himself and has virtually no track record in Zaporizhya, where he served as governor since Feb. 21.
Reznychenko’s appointment came after President Petro Poroshenko fired billionaire Igor Kolomoisky as Dnipropetrovsk Oblast governor on March 25. Kolomoisky had drawn the public’s wrath when he eployed armed guards in a failed attempt assert control two state-owned energy companies where he had a minority stakes.
A former top manager of a media company with more than two decades of experience, Reznychenko only recently entered government service.
The 42-year-old worked for Ukrainian Media Holding between 1996 and 2014, a company set up by Poroshenko’s chief of staff, Borys Lozhkin. Poroshenko also owned a minority share in that company. His debut in government was at the Ukrainian State Center of Radio Frequencies, an agency that distributes air frequencies.
Residents of Zaporizhya Oblast struggle to name any of his achievements in the past month.
“You see, if he failed or made some fatal mistakes, I would be able to comment. And likewise, if he started a renaissance in Zaporizhya after his arrival,” says Roman Pyatigorets, the chairman of Ukrainian Voters Committee in Zaporizhyzhya. “There is nothing to evaluate.”
Reznychenko was not available for comment for this story.
Others were also unimpressed with his work.
“Everyone was waiting for a strong and bright personality, but instead some clerk arrived,” says political analyst from Zaporizhzhya Ihor Hromov. “The local elite took him as a temporary worker. He came – okay, he came, he’ll leave – okay, he’ll leave.”
One complaint, according to Hromov, was that the former governor broke a longstanding tradition. Newly appointed governors of Zaporizhya usually gather local regional government council members to discuss the oblast’s problems.
Pyatigorets says even his news conferences were given to a select few and behind closed doors.
Some think that Reznychenko’s low profile is a good thing. Volodymyr Fesenko of the Penta think tank says that high-profile appointments are typically followed by scandals later.
“He isn’t a famous person,” Fesenko told the Kyiv Post. “But there is a huge shortage of leaders because of the ongoing renewal (of power). Only time and real actions will show how effective he will be as a governor.”
Fesenko described Reznychenko as an honest person who knows Dnipropetrovsk because he was born there, and a representative of the president’s team. If Poroshenko’s introduction is anything to go by, it certainly seems to be the case.
“I can say that I have known this man for 15 years. A strong-willed, effective leader, who understands the problems of the economy,” said Poroshenko after appointing Reznychenko as governor in February.
Reznychenko’s 2014 income declaration showed that he made more than Hr 5.7 million that year. He also owns four properties and five cars, including a luxurious Land Rover Ranger Rover purchased last year.
Reznychenko for now will serve as a caretaker for Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. The legal procedure for his official appointment first requires a Cabinet nomination, which is then sealed by the president’s decree.
Reznychenko’s former colleagues from the radio frequency distributor describe him differently.
Volodymyr Korsun, who heads the center now, says Reznychenko made the agency more transparent. He was brave and decisive, as well. “He always managed to push the matter through,” Korsun said.
Former vice president of UMH Grigoriy Shverk, who worked with Reznychenko for over 15 years, describes him similarly.
“Everything that he has dealt with was effective, in terms of both profit and management,” says Shverk, who now serves as the deputy chairman of the National Council of Ukraine on Television and Radio Broadcasting. “He was also effective as a crisis manager.”
Kyiv Post staff writer Alyona Zhuk can be reached at [email protected]
