Vadym Novynskyi

Novynskyi was born 3 June 1963 in Staraya Russa (then USSR, now Russia).[1] In 1985, he graduated from the Leningrad Academy of Civil Aviation in engineering management systems.[1]

From 1985 until 1986 he worked for various companies in Russia.[1] Novynskyi worked in Ukraine since 1996 starting with Lukoil North West and then buying Ukrainian metallurgy companies.[1][6]

On 29 May 2012 Novynskyi obtained Ukrainian citizenship "for distinguished services to the country" under the order of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.[2] Novynskyi lives in Kyiv.[2] He also has a residence in Saint Petersburg (Russia).[1]

The general public better known him as a Russian oligarch, who made his major fortune in the "dashing 90-e" on privatization of many Ukrainian enterprises.

As an independent Novynskyi won the 7 July 2013 by-election in constituency 224 in Sevastopol (located in the southwestern region of the Crimean Peninsula) with 53.41% with a turnout of 23.91%.[2][9] Before the election Novynskyi had stated he would join the Party of Regions if he won.[10] He did so on 5 September 2013.[11] After the March 2014 annexation of Crimea by Russia Novynskyi was banned from entering the peninsula by the Russian-appointed Crimean authorities.[12][13]

In the October 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election Novynskyi was again re-elected into parliament; this time after placing 11th on the electoral list of Opposition Bloc.[14][15]

Since May 2014 Novynskyi is under criminal investigation for "unlawful imprisonment or kidnapping by a conspiracy" and "abuse of power or authority" for allegedly helping President Yanukovych. On 8 December 2016 parliament deprived Novynskyi of his parliamentary immunity.[16]

In the 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election Novynskyi was reelected in parliament as an Opposition Bloc candidate in single-seat constituency 57 (Donetsk Oblast).[17]

On April 23, 2020, it became known that Metropolitan Onufriy (Berezovsky), Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, ordained Novinsky as a deacon. This was not officially reported; unofficially, the date of the ordination was April 7.[18] Novynskyi served as a deacon for the first time in public at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra on June 7, the Feast of Pentecost.[19]

During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Novynskyi declared that he would remain in Ukraine and stated that there are no excuses for the Russian attack.[20] In April 2023, Ukrainian domestic intelligence and prosecutors searched his group's offices in Kyiv on the suspicion of tax fraud and supporting Russian interests, and blocked assets worth almost 100 million US$.[8] By 23 April 2023, Novynskyi was reported to work as an Orthodox priest at the Russian Orthodox Church of the Holy Resurrection in Zürich, Switzerland.[8]

With partner and fellow billionaire, Andrei Klyamko Novynskyi owns Ukraine's Smart Holding Group.[6] In 2006 they united their Ukrainian metallurgy companies into Smart Holding Group.[6] In 2007 they exchanged them for a 23.75% stake in Metinvest,[6][2] in which they are junior partners with Rinat Akhmetov.

As of 2011 Smart Holding also owned large assets in the oil and gas sector, shipbuilding, development, agriculture and its controlling Unex Bank and BM Bank.[2] Its revenues in 2011 stood at $14.2 billion.[2]

As of 2013 Novynskyi had stakes in oil and gas company Regal Petroleum and supermarket chain Amstor.[6]

Novynskyi is married and has four children.[1]

• Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem: Golden Cross of the High Taxiarch of the Knights of the Most Holy Sepulcher (January 2019)[21]

• The Kremlin's point man in Kyiv
• Official website of Smart Holding Group