“Meetings” at the Match: Kolomoisky Talked with Arakhamia and Officials, Jokes About the “De-Oligarchization” Law

Media report that Arakhamia negotiated votes for Dmitry Razumkov's dismissal at the football match.

Many officials attended the Champions League football match Dynamo Kyiv – Benfica, which took place in Kyiv on September 14. They held talks in the VIP box. This was reported by sources UP and ZN.ua. 

Influential people who came to the match were seen in the VIP box. For example, businessman Ihor Kolomoisky talked with Davyd Arakhamia, head of the “Servant of the People” faction in parliament. 

In addition, the box was occupied by former MP and president of FC Zorya Yevhen Geller, head of Naftogaz Yuriy Vitrenko, Minister of Development of Communities and Territories Oleksiy Chernyshov, Cabinet of Ministers Minister Oleh Nemchynov, Deputy Prime Minister Oleh Urusky, head of the Verkhovna Rada budget committee Yuriy Aristov, deputies Mykola Tyshchenko and Andriy Ivanchuk, first deputy head of the advisory-expert council of the Commission for Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries Borys Baum, owner of the ATB network Gennadiy Butkevych, football regulars the Surkis brothers, deputy Serhiy Levochkin, and others. 

UP sources report that Arakhamia negotiated votes for the dismissal of Verkhovna Rada Speaker Dmitry Razumkov at the football match. 

According to another source, Minister of Development of Communities and Territories Oleksiy Chernyshov held a conversation with Ihor Kolomoisky. ZN.ua reports that the closed conversation lasted 30 minutes. 

It is also known that Kolomoisky talked with Naftogaz chairman Yuriy Vitrenko. 

Davyd Arakhamia, head of the “Servant of the People” faction, told journalists in a comment that at the football match he “exchanged jokes” with Kolomoisky. He noted that he attended the match with his wife, son and a friend. 

Arakhamia claims that he “did not know that oligarchs or politicians would be at the game,” and that he sat next to the VIP box, not in it. 

Davyd Arakhamia
head of the “Servant of the People” faction

He (Kolomoisky — ed.) said: “Now I'll come over to you, and you'll have to declare yourself,” and I told him: “Don't hurry, there are still a couple of weeks — you don't have to declare yourself.” We exchanged jokes about the law on oligarchs. <...> I did not know that ministers, other deputies and businessmen would be at the match, because I did not go to that box, although I had a ticket there, by the way. But I never go to the box of honored guests, I go to the boxes where ordinary people are. I was not there (in the VIP box): here is box number 33 (where Arakhamia was), behind the barrier, and then the box of honored guests. 

It is worth noting that Kolomoisky previously stated that he does not take part in the management of “Dnipro-1” and is not interested in returning to football activities. 

Ihor Kolomoisky
businessman

Yaroslavsky sold the club at one time, but returned. He should not have sold it. So far I do not see any chance of my return to Ukrainian football. So far that chance is zero. Apart from football there is another life, and there are enough of my own issues. 

He attended the “Dnipro-1” match against “Shakhtar,” but stated that he came to the football as a fan, with friends: “I haven't missed football much. Of course I supported ‘Dnipro.’ I really liked Dnipro under Yovicevic. A team with potential, like Shakhtar. I do not take part in ‘Dnipro-1.’ Friends simply invited me along. I came to watch. There were no competitions for two years, COVID hit everyone. But I sometimes go to basketball.” 

According to Kolomoisky, “Shakhtar” under De Zerbi is a team with great potential, but it needs more time. The Champions League is a big test, and “next year there will be no direct qualification at all.” 

The businessman noted that he sometimes talks with the president of “Shakhtar,” but they “have things to talk about besides football,” and he has not spoken with the president of “Dnipro-1” Yuriy Bereza for “a year and a half or two.” 

Ihor Kolomoisky 
businessman

We sometimes talk with Pavelko. But also extremely rarely. We talk more about football topics, but there is not much to talk about. The last time was six months ago. COVID mixed all the cards. We don't congratulate each other on birthdays; at our age, birthdays are not congratulated. 

For a long time Ihor Kolomoisky was president of “Dnipro,” which was stripped of its professional status in 2018 due to multimillion-dollar debts.