By Lesya Ivanova (Nashi Groshi), Kateryna Kapliuk (Slidstvo.info) and Denys Bigus (ZIK)

Part 1 – Residential property

A trove of documents saved from destruction at the former Ukrainian president’s house at Mezhyhirya includes important records on real estate transactions related to Victor Yanukovych.

They include luxury residences, a handful of offices in downtown Kyiv, a small palace for the mistress, and a mansion for a “forgetful” judge. All of these projects were undertaken by Tantalit, the company that is the official owner of Mezhyhirya, the park that served as Yanukovych’s private retreat.

Yanukovych’s staff tried to destroy these records by throwing them into a reservoir as they fled Kyiv for Moscow. They were rescued by divers, activists and journalists who entered the president’s residence soon after his departure.

Many of the documents were from the archive of Tantalit, which is owned by the brother of Yanukovych’s chief of staff, although many believe Yanukovych himself controls the company. Most of the company’s activities are closely related to Yanukovych and his family or close friends.  The records include real estate documents such as construction cost estimates, blueprints, contracts, receipts for utility bills and other paperwork associated with the compound which included everything from “Honka,” Yanukovych’s luxurious wooden mansion, to an ostrich farm.

However, the archive also includes documentation for the construction and maintenance of residential and commercial properties outside of Mezhyhirya. Some of these are properties are registered in the names of other First Family members. Many of these had never been publicly associated with either Mezhyhirya or Yanukovych.

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