How did Volodymyr Zelensky manage to transform from a television comedian into the head of state? The answer to this question can be found in the history of his patron − one of the most ruthless and greedy oligarchs in Ukraine. Ihor Kolomoisky not only provided the media resource for Zelensky’s victory. Without a doubt, it was he who initiated this foray into politics. Zelensky was merely a tool in the conflict between Kolomoisky and President Poroshenko. It must be acknowledged, a very effective one.
For many years, Ihor Kolomoisky did not have a significant influence on the media. Under Kuchma, he did not need it. Despite some conflicts that occurred from time to time with other major Ukrainian businessmen (Hryhoryshyn, Pinchuk, Surkis), his business was doing well. Kolomoisky demonstrated complete loyalty to President Kuchma, backed up by generous bribes. In Ukraine, this was enough for a peaceful life and the absence of claims from law enforcement agencies.
As Ihor Valeriyovych Kolomoisky later recounted, he paid Kuchma $5 million every month. This was the fee for “using” the state company “Ukrnafta”. The majority share of this largest oil refining company in Ukraine belonged to the state. Kolomoisky, through companies affiliated with him, was a minority shareholder. For $5 million a month, he was allowed to put his management in “Ukrnafta”. As a result of this agreement, the company’s balance showed losses or minimal profit year after year. The main dividends were received by Kolomoisky’s companies. “Ukrnafta’s” management signed unfavorable contracts with them, and the government, the Accounting Chamber, and the State Property Fund turned a blind eye to this.
At the end of 2004, radical changes occurred in Ukraine. Kuchma’s plan to transfer power to his successor (leader of the Donetsk clan, Viktor Yanukovych) failed. After the election fraud, the “Orange Revolution” also known as “the first Maidan” began. Under pressure from massive protest actions, the Supreme Court canceled the results of the second round of elections. An additional third round was appointed, in which the leader of the democratic opposition, Viktor Yushchenko, won.
With Yushchenko’s rise to power, Ihor Kolomoisky felt the need for media protection. At first glance, he still had no conflicts with the new authority. Yushchenko proved to be a weak, initiative-less president who failed to implement any significant reforms during his term. Kolomoisky retained control over “Ukrnafta” and continued to successfully milk it. However, he felt the situation was quite unstable. Only owning a nationalwide TV channel could make Kolomoisky and his assets untouchable from any encroachments: both from other oligarchs and from Yushchenko’s team (Baloha, Tretiakov, Poroshenko).
In August 2005, Ihor Kolomoisky bought 40% of the shares of the TV channel “1+1” for 100 million dollars from its owners: Boris Fuksman and Olexandr Rodnyansky. Interestingly, before signing the contract for the sale of the channel, Rodnyansky significantly strengthened his security. Although Kolomoisky did not have a vivid criminal past like Yanukovych and Akhmetov, he had long been trailed by the reputation of a successful corporate raider. Therefore, the co-owner of the channel’s precautions were not superfluous.
After selling “1+1”, Rodnyansky moved to Moscow and after some time became a well-known Russian film producer. However, after the start of the full-scale war in 2022, he left Russia, returned to Kyiv, and almost immediately became an advisor to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
In August 2005, after buying the channel, Kolomoisky told in an interview with “Dzerkalo Tyzhnia” that the president’s assistant, Olexandr Tretiakov, tried to dissuade him from this deal.
“There were no threats or harsh warnings in that conversation. There was just a phrase like: ‘Why do you need this, you are businessmen, you have never been involved in politics,'” the oligarch recalled. Kolomoisky then assured Tretiakov that buying shares in “1+1” was “business and there is no politics here.”
As it turned out, this formal answer had epochal significance for the history of modern Ukraine. The transition of the “1+1” channel under the control of the owner of “PrivatBank” completed the redistribution of the television market in favor of oligarchs. From this moment on, the formation of public opinion of Ukrainian voters was handled by four media holdings:
- Starlight Media (channels ICTV, “Novy”, STB) – owner Viktor Pinchuk (metallurgy, telecommunications business, Kuchma’s son-in-law).
- Inter Media Group (channel “Inter”) − nominal owner businessman and politician Valeriy Khoroshkovsky, later the media group came under the control of gas oligarch Dmytro Firtash.
- 1+1 Media (channel “1+1”) − owner Ihor Kolomoisky (financial-industrial group “Privat”).
- TRK “Ukraine” − owner Donetsk oligarch Rinat Akhmetov (metallurgy, coal mining, energy, telecommunications).
Also, several niche news channels with a small audience were broadcasting: “5 kanal”, “Pryamyi”, 24 kanal, and “NBM” (later “Espreso” appeared based on it). The first two channels were owned by Petro Poroshenko, future President of Ukraine. He could also be called an oligarch since he actively combined politics with business and influenced the media market.