Vladimir Viktorovich Buriak
Official biography
Volodymyr Viktorovych Buriak was born on July 20, 1965 in the village of Kurylivka, Tsarychansky district, Dnipro region. He is a citizen of Ukraine.
He has a higher education. After graduating from high school in 1982, he entered the Dniprodzerzhynsk Industrial Institute, where he studied metal forming, graduating in 1987. In 1987, Mr. Buriak started his career as a metallurgical engineer at Zaporizhzhia Iron and Steel Works.
During his 28 years of work at the large industrial enterprise in Zaporizhzhia, Volodymyr Buriak rose through the ranks from a switchgear processing shift foreman to the plant’s chief engineer. In particular, in 1989-1990, he worked as a senior foreman of the coil processing section of the hot strip mill at Zaporizhstal, in 1990-1992, he was a senior mill foreman, and in 1992-1999, he was deputy head of the hot rolling shop of switchgear and chief engineer of the plant. In 2005-2012, Vladimir Buriak worked as Deputy Director for Production — Head of the Production Department of Zaporizhstal Steel Works, in 2005-2012 — Director for Production, and since 2012 — Director for Engineering, Chief Engineer of Zaporizhstal Steel Works.
In November 2015, Volodymyr Buriak resigned from his position in connection with his election as the Mayor of Zaporizhzhia. On November 25, 2015, he took the oath of office as mayor.
On October 25, 2020, Volodymyr Buriak was elected Mayor of Zaporizhzhia for a second term. On December 1, 2020, he took the oath of office as Mayor.
He was awarded the Certificate of Honor of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (2008), the Badge “For Inspirational Work” III degree (2010) and the Diploma of the Ministry of Industrial Policy of Ukraine (2013).
Family.
His wife is Maya Volodymyrivna. We have a daughter and a granddaughter.
Compromising information
In 2016, Volodymyr Buriak was ranked last in the publicity rating of mayors of regional centers of Ukraine, according to a study by the OPORA civic network.
The media reported that in 2016, Buriak was involved in a criminal case regarding the non-payment of equity participation funds to the Zaporizhzhia budget by Zaporizhstal. He was also a defendant in a criminal case regarding the illegal dismissal of Valeriy Bezlepkin, director of the city council’s housing and communal services department.
Since 2016, there have been scandals related to Mayor Buryak and Zaporizhzhia City Airport.
In March 2016, Zaporizhzhia International Airport announced a procurement titled: “Construction of the object “Fence and system of technical supervision and access control along the perimeter of the security zone of limited access of the Zaporizhzhia International Airport” for UAH 39 million, which was conducted in violation of the tender procedure in accordance with the requirements of the Law of Ukraine “On Public Procurement”.
The bidding documentation must contain a draft contract or basic terms and conditions to be included in the procurement agreement. In this case, the procuring entity listed a list of conditions but did not provide their content. In addition, the bidding documents specified the names of specific trademarks to be used in construction. At the same time, there was no provision for the use of equivalents. In other words, the list of companies that could participate in the bidding was artificially narrowed.
On July 20, 2016, the airport accepted the offer of cooperation from Sino-Fort, LTD. According to “Nashi Hroshi. Zaporizhzhia”, the airport has previously ordered this company to reconstruct the terminal worth UAH 5.32 million, as well as to reconstruct the storage pavilion worth UAH 4.15 million.
“Seno-Fort, Ltd. was founded by the Jiangsu China International Economic and Technical Cooperation Corporation and UPS Fort LLC. The director of both Ukrainian companies is Yevhen Pershin. He was a member of the Zaporizhzhia City Council (2006-2010). As a member of the land commission, he was caught taking a $1,500 bribe.
At the same time, the AMCU considered a complaint from one of the bidders whose offer was rejected. In its decision, the AMCU ordered the airport to cancel the procurement due to a number of violations. The Zaporizhzhia Oblast Prosecutor’s Office opened a criminal investigation into the matter.
In May 2020, a scandal erupted between Buriak, SACI and RSA officials because the RSA and SACI did not want to sign the title of the Zaporizhzhia airport terminal, which was ready for commissioning, because the city’s air gates were actually idle. In the end, the regional state administration signed the document, but the red tape with the SACI continues to this day.
In April 2018, the Zaporizhzhia City Council changed the purpose of the land plot, and Mayor Buryak changed the charter of the municipal enterprise, despite the lack of authority to do so, to legalize the construction, according to the Zaporizhzhia Investigations Center.
As it became known to journalists, the Zaporizhzhia City Council allowed a change of purpose for the construction of a multi-storey building instead of a municipal parking lot behind the Aurora shopping center. The City Council approved the development of technical documentation for a 0.67-hectare plot between Poshtova Street and the Oleksandrivskyi residential complex of Azimuth Trading Group LLC.
In addition, the charter of Parkovka was changed. By his order, Zaporizhzhia Mayor Volodymyr Buryak allowed the amendments to be made. Namely, to add the following columns: specialized construction works, construction of high-rise buildings, construction of residential and non-residential buildings, site preparation, etc. It should be noted that Zaporizhzhia City Council did not delegate such powers to the mayor.
Also, in September, the executive committee decided to re-register the construction to another company. It turned out to be Azimuth Trading Zaporizhzhia, a subsidiary of the previous developer, who is now facing criminal proceedings. The prosecutor’s office opened a case regarding the allocation of a land plot for construction.
On September 3, 2019, journalists from local electronic media picketed Zaporizhzhia City Council. The event was attended by about a dozen media professionals who brought posters with the words “Freedom of speech to the mayor!”, “We do not bite”, “The attitude of journalists to = attitude to society. By avoiding talking to us, you are avoiding talking to the citizens of the city.”
The protesters opposed the selective communication of Zaporizhzhia Mayor Volodymyr Buryak with the media — only municipal media and media owned by Zaporizhstal can record his comments and interviews without any problems. Another reason for the protest, according to the media, was that the mayor had held only one press conference during his entire term in office — on the day he took office.
The mayor did not come out to talk to the journalists picketing the city hall. According to representatives of the press service of the mayor’s office, Volodymyr Buriak was not in the administration at the time of the action, he was at an offsite meeting.
Bribing voters
Buryak rented a Toyota from Zaporizhstal at an inflated price.
On May 31, 2019, the Executive Committee of Zaporizhzhia City Council signed an agreement with Zaporizhstal PJSC for passenger transport services worth UAH 183 thousand. This was published in the e-procurement system Prozoro, according to the online publication Nashi Hroshi.
We are talking about renting a 2008 Toyota Camry at a cost of UAH 400 per hour and a total of 450 man-hours. The rental price includes the driver’s salary, insurance, fuel, routine maintenance and depreciation. According to journalists, open sources offer ads for renting the same car for 200 UAH/hour.
“Passions of the Mayor’s Yard” and an apartment for Zayka
Only the lazy have not discussed the affairs of Zaporizhzhia Mayor Volodymyr Buriak in the regional center. The media attributed the mayor’s romantic relationship to Natalia Zaichenko, who had previously served as the mayor’s advisor. Rumor has it that Buryak’s advisor had an intimacy with him that was not typical of all his subordinates. Some journalists even claimed that Zaichenko received an apartment from the mayor. Of course, at the expense of the budget.
The apartment was bought in 2016, on Shevchenko Boulevard, and since 2017, it has been undergoing a luxury renovation at an accelerated pace. And interestingly, the apartment is located 15 minutes on foot from Buryak’s house under construction in the private sector around the lower part of Shevchenko Boulevard, in Elektrolyzny Lane.
In 2015, Natalia was awarded the title of Honored Journalist by the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, a regalia usually given to experienced journalists in their fifth decade, not to girls in their 30s. This high-profile connection with Natalia Zaichenko almost killed Volodymyr Buryak — the Zaporizhzhia mayor suffered a heart attack because of the unrest, which was increasing over and over again.
Today, although Zaichenko has faded into the shadows, the scandals surrounding her name have not subsided. Rumor has it that she did not like the former head of the education department of the regional state administration, Yulia Pohrebnyak, who is now an intern at another position in the regional administration, not related to her former occupation.
According to Zanoza, Yulia Pohrebnyak lost her position due to a personal conflict with former mayoral advisor Natalia Zaichenko. The seriousness of the disagreement is also evidenced by the fact that the mayor’s office had never sent off dismissed employees in this way before.
How Zaporizhzhia residents “chipped in” for the mayor’s beloved’s salon
Unbeknownst to them, the citizens financed the opening of the fashion salon “Persona” by Natalia Zaichenko, the mayor’s beloved. And they continue to support it. Let’s talk about another of the schemes. Veltum-Zaporizhzhia’s approved tariff includes an item for washing and disinfecting containers. It should be carried out from May to September once every 10 days and in the rest of the year once a month.
In 2018, Zaporizhzhia residents paid UAH 2.3 million for this service, and in 2019 — almost UAH 4 million. Veltum-Zaporizhzhia has a head of a structural unit responsible for video surveillance of the territory and compliance with the traffic regime. The process of «fictitious» washing does not take place without his supervision, because no work is actually done. Have any of you seen a washed and disinfected container tank? Neither have we. By coincidence, the name of the head of this unit is Oleksandr Zaichenko — yes, he is the brother of Natalia Zaichenko, the owner of the Persona beauty salon on Peremohy Street. This is a good family contract that Mr. Mayor «turns a blind eye» to. The two million paid by Zaporizhzhia residents would have been enough not only for the opening, but also to invite a well-known TV presenter Masha Yefrosinina to the opening. Open sources show that she does not charge less than 5 thousand euros for participation in such events.
On the fact of misappropriation of funds, the Zaporizhzhia National Police opened a case under Article 190, part 1 against a group of officials of Veltum-Zaporizhzhia LLC and officials of the city council. But that’s not all.
According to the investment program for the development of the company in 2018, money was collected from Zaporizhzhia residents to buy containers. As a result, 200 units totaling UAH 1.6 million were never purchased, although the city council’s decisions identified those responsible. Once a quarter, employees of the relevant departments had to check the actual costs of the company for compliance with the approved tariffs.
Declaration
MP Ihor Artyushenko sent Volodymyr Buriak a parliamentary appeal demanding that he submit his income declaration. The appeal states how much money was spent on various projects of Buriak. For example, as part of the Medical Program, UAH 272 thousand was allocated for the purchase of equipment, repair of premises, and improvement of working conditions for employees. A grant of UAH 50 thousand was allocated to repair the premises and modernize equipment at City Hospital No. 9. In addition to medical projects, 27 We Are the City projects totaling UAH 1.7 million were implemented with the support of Volodymyr Buriak, and furniture and building materials were purchased for Zaporizhzhia Secondary School No. 42. In addition, a number of other events were held at the initiative of Volodymyr Buriak.
According to the MP, he has recently been approached by many Zaporizhzhia residents who are interested in ways to finance Volodymyr Buriak’s information campaign. A large number of outdoor advertisements have been installed around the city, and the local media have published a lot of promotional materials about the activities of the chief engineer of Zaporizhstal. In this regard, MP Ihor Artyushenko suggests that the hero of numerous publications publish his income declaration.
Volodymyr Buriak’s declaration for 2020 states that he owns two houses: a 119.4 m² house in Zaporizhzhia and an 87.8 m² house in Kurylivka, Dnipro region. He has four land plots — 467, 1000, 1500, 1217 square meters. The company’s construction in progress includes a huge 510.76 sq m building in Zaporizhzhia.
His wife Maya declared an apartment in Zaporizhzhia for UAH 118.8 thousand with an area of 85.45 m². The mayor moves around in a Toyota Land Cruiser SUV made in 2011 and a LUAZ passenger car model 967M, made in 1987. This is indicated by two car trailers and a BRIG B 350 watercraft.
At his main job, the mayor received over UAH 852 thousand in salary, which is UAH 166 thousand less than a year earlier. In addition, he declared receiving interest on a bank deposit in the amount of UAH 5,487.
Volodymyr Buriak has UAH 80 thousand in cash and UAH 1 thousand in bank accounts.
A gloomy election campaign
Buriak’s election campaign was conducted in the gloomy traditions of using administrative resources from the Yanukovych era.
The Zaporizhstal-controlled newspaper “Industrial Zaporizhzhia” and TV channel TV-5 served as information resources. “By the standards of Zaporizhzhia, it seems to be not much. If we ignore the fact that the average city newspaper “Opposition Bloc” does not provide 100-120 thousand worth of materials every week,” Lustrator writes.
One of the most notable scandals was the situation around billboards advertising Buryak. In order to please them, social advertising posters depicting Zaporizhzhia residents who fought in the ATO were removed.
There was intimidation of activists who campaigned for Buriak’s opponents.
Also, during the campaign, Buriak was distinguished by his inability to explain his program and how it would be implemented to voters and journalists.
«The last straw was Buriak’s public escape from a journalist from one of Zaporizhzhia’s websites, who in a few seconds brought the man who claims that «the strength of Zaporizhzhia is people» to comical verbal paralysis. And all because the questions were «off the cuff». It turns out that Buryak was not even explained how to answer a banal question: «Are you a candidate for mayor?». The chief engineer could not figure out on his own that the registration process would begin only in a month and a half. As a result, he was stupefied and found nothing better than to run away from the journalist, which became a fresh anecdote in the journalistic community just a few hours later.»
PGO suspects Zaporizhzhia mayor and Akhmetov’s plant in a deal worth 150 million
Volodymyr Buriak is considered a protege of Rinat Akhmetov, who owns Zaporizhstal. He allegedly invested at least $10,000 in Buriak’s election campaign.
In 2016, the Prosecutor General’s Office conducted a criminal investigation involving the newly elected mayor of Zaporizhzhia, Volodymyr Buriak, and the management of Zaporizhstal, where he previously worked as chief engineer.
A source in the PGO told Ukrainska Pravda.
For his part, Prosecutor General Vladyslav Kutsenko confirmed that an investigation is indeed underway against Zaporizhstal’s management. According to him, the plant’s officials failed to pay to the Zaporizhzhia budget the funds for equity participation in the development of the city’s engineering, transport and social infrastructure in the amount of about UAH 150 million.
Criminal proceedings have been initiated under Article 367 (2) of the Criminal Code (negligence that caused grave consequences).
Possible imprisonment under this article is from 2 to 5 years.
Non-partisan mayor from the Opposition Platform
Buriak ran for mayor as a self-nominated candidate, although he was repeatedly accused of having ties to the Opposition Bloc. One of Buriak’s rivals in the election, the then mayor of Zaporizhzhia, Oleksandr Sin, stated on his Facebook page that at the beginning of the campaign, Buriak’s campaigning was allegedly accompanied by the logo of the Opposition Bloc party, but later the candidate turned out to be a self-nominee.
The Zaporizhzhia media also say that the mayor’s “shadow office” is located behind the Villa Oliva restaurant, where heads of utilities, contractors building various facilities in the city, and deputies go to work.
Buryak spared money for an eco-laboratory
Poor quality food in kindergartens
January 2020.
Another theft from children by Deputy Mayor Anatolii Pustovarov. This time, the kindergartens purchased Super Kontiki and pasta at a price that is almost twice the wholesale price. “Super Kontiki were purchased at a price of UAH 9.25, although even in retail they can be purchased for UAH 6.09, and in wholesale for UAH 5. The same order of figures is used for pasta for children. Sweets for children will be supplied by a company that was caught supplying kindergartens with spread instead of butter. This situation has been repeated many times.
February 2020.
Another scheme on food for children. This time, officials purchased 12.5 tons of bananas at 36 and 40 UAH, while the price in the supermarket is 28 UAH.
In addition, according to Nashi Hroshi. Zaporizhzhia”, the Department of Education purchased 49 tons of butter from the Vilnyansky dairy plant, at a price of 222 and 223 UAH per kilogram. At the same time, the Berdiansk Department of Education bought the same butter at a price of UAH 156 per kilogram. The total amount of overpayment amounted to UAH 3.24 million.
Prosecutor General’s Office opens case against Zaporizhzhia mayor
The Prosecutor General’s Office has opened a criminal investigation against Zaporizhzhia Mayor Volodymyr Buryak under Article 172 of the Criminal Code, a gross violation of labor laws.
The spokeswoman for the Zaporizhzhia mayor, Olga Mishok, explained that Bezlepkin was fired due to the reorganization and elimination of the position of director of the housing and communal services department. “Officially, Mr. Bezlepkin was informed about this, and, as required by law, he was offered another position that was vacant at the time. There is a letter to that effect, and Mr. Bezlepkin has read this order dated May 25, 2015,” Mishok said.
For his part, Bezlepkin says he has not been offered a new position, and therefore appealed to the PGO. “According to the current legislation, the Zaporizhzhia mayor is obliged to provide me with a vacant position that was in the city council. These are the positions of department directors and directors of municipal enterprises, but, abusing his power, he did not provide me with a position but fired me during my sick leave,” he said.
In the near future, the mayor of Zaporizhzhia will be summoned for questioning in the case of the dismissal of the director of the housing and communal services department.
Unfulfilled promises
— Despite Buryak’s promise, all separatist teachers have not been fired
- Buriak did not open kindergarten #186 as promised
- Failed to repair a sewer in Zaporizhzhia on time
- Failed to fulfill the plan to create groups in kindergartens and nurseries
- Failed to fulfill the promise to reconstruct heating networks on Finalna Street in 2017
- The promised fight against kiosks has not been properly carried out
Volodymyr Buriak “leads the media by the nose”
Volodymyr Buriak is so afraid of journalists that, despite the criminal case against them for not being allowed to enter the city hall, he has invented a new quest for them. Now journalists are brought in through the back door and driven like cattle up the fire escape to the balcony of the session hall. At the same time, all spans and entrances to the floors are blocked off and strictly guarded. Video: 061.
Zaporizhzhia Olympians will be left without promised apartments
Mayor decided to give money to state employees
On November 30, members of the executive committee headed by Mayor Volodymyr Buriak canceled the allocation of almost 4 million hryvnias for the purchase of apartments for the Olympians.
Officials deemed it necessary to use the money to pay off wage arrears at utility companies. Whether this decision will come into force depends on the city council members. The decision will be made at the next session.
According to Eduard Brutman, deputy director of the Housing and Utilities Department, the Olympians will be included in the general housing waiting list.
Summary
The odious mayor and his team are clearly living happily, unlike the citizens. Children in kindergartens are eating spread and cheap pasta, while Buriak and his mistress are buying real estate and eating black caviar. The city hasn’t changed much, and Buryak’s minor achievements, such as the ostentatious demolition of a kiosk, the reconstruction of a park, and treats for the elderly, are just the most common, but familiar, bribery of voters.