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Oleg KinderUkrainian politician and businessman
Date of Birth: 10.12.1960
Country:  Ukraine |
Content:
- Biography of Oleg Kinder
- Early Life and Education
- Professional Career
- Mayoralty and Investments
- Controversies
- Allegations of Corruption
- Taxi Protest
- Public Outcry
- Military Service
- Political Affiliations
- New Jewish Cemetery Scandal
- Income and Family
Biography of Oleg Kinder
Oleg Kinder, a Ukrainian politician and businessman, has served as the Mayor of Kovel, Ukraine, since November 11, 2010. He is also the head of the Kovel city party organization of the Batkivshchyna All-Ukrainian Union since 2000 and a member of the organization's regional bureau.
Early Life and Education
Born on December 10, 1960, Kinder graduated from the Ukrainian Institute of Water Engineering in 1982.
Professional Career
After working as a foreman and then in a management position at the MP PMK No. 21 plant of the VolynAgroBud association, Kinder became the head of MP PMK from 1990 to 1997. He was elected to the Volyn Oblast Council in 2006 and served until 2010, specializing in ecology and natural resource management.
Kinder worked in the office of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine from 2007 to 2008. In 2009, he proposed leasing the Kovel reservoir, but his request was denied due to its importance for downstream water levels. He resigned from the state environmental inspection in 2010.
Mayoralty and Investments
Kinder became the head of the Kovel-Promopttorg production and trade enterprise in 2010 and was subsequently elected as the Mayor of Kovel. In a 2010 interview, he identified the launch of the "Helm-Kovel" train as a significant investment project, though it was never launched.
Controversies
House FireOn November 2, 2011, Kinder's newly built house burned down. He alleged that the fire was arson, an attempt to intimidate him prior to parliamentary elections. Deputy Anatoliy Hrytsyuk also suspected foul play. However, an investigation by the Volyn OGA concluded that the fire was caused by a heating stove violation.
Allegations of Corruption
On November 25, 2013, Boris Klimchuk criticized Kinder's sale of land, equating it to theft and nepotism. Klimchuk asserted that in a European Union country, Kinder would have faced imprisonment.
Taxi Protest
On June 26, 2014, taxi drivers protested outside the city hall over insufficient parking. They were ignored, prompting criticism from the director of a taxi company. Kinder left the meeting without comment.
Public Outcry
On December 14, 2014, public activists held a rally and urged residents to express their dissatisfaction with Kinder's actions. They demanded a public apology and his resignation.
Military Service
In 2015, Kinder was issued a summons to serve in the Anti-Terrorist Operation. He called the summons a "circus," and insisted on serving alongside the governor of Volyn Oblast, who declined.
Political Affiliations
Kinder has chaired the Volyn Oblast organization of Batkivshchyna since 2016.
New Jewish Cemetery Scandal
In August 2016, Kinder granted a permit for a circus and zoo to be set up on the site of a Jewish cemetery. This decision sparked international outrage, with the Ukrainian Jewish Committee highlighting the five-year struggle for a memorial on the site.
Income and Family
According to 2011 declarations, Kinder earned 93,465 hryvnia while his family income totaled 394,289 hryvnia. He owns a 5-hectare land plot in Kovel, while his family has a 14-hectare land plot, a 44.1 m2 apartment, and a 400 m2 garden house.
Kinder is married to Natalia Kinder and has two children, Yulia Kvasnikevich and Oleg Kinder Jr.
