Ihor_Surkis

Ihor Surkis

Ihor Surkis

Ukrainian football executive

In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Mikhaylovich and the family name is Surkis.

Ihor Mikhaylovich Surkis (Ukrainian: Ігор Михайлович Суркіс; born 22 November 1958) is a Ukrainian oligarch best known for being an owner and President of Dynamo Kyiv since 2002. His brother, Hryhoriy Surkis, was the head of the Football Federation of Ukraine from August 2000 to September 2012.[1]

Quick Facts Born, Occupation ...

Early age

He was born into the family of military doctor Mykhailo (Rakhmil) Davidovych Surkis and Rima Yanivna (née Gorinshtein), a daughter of the Kyivan football commentator and fan Yan Petrovych Gorinshtein.[2] Surkis family settled in Kyiv after moving there from the Soviet Central Asia.

Kyivan "Wonderful Seven"

Along with his older brother Ihor is a member of so-called Kyivan Wonderful Seven (K7) or Surkis and Co. The group included a former Kyiv mayor Valentyn Zghursky, Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk, Yuriy Karpenko, Yuriy Lyakh, and Bohdan Hubsky.[3][4][5] After fall of the Soviet Union, the Surkis and Co was involved in a Ponzi scheme "Ometa 21st century" similar to the MMM in Russia. Later its members along with the former President of Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk participated in a political project the Social Democratic Party of Ukraine (united) that had its own faction in the parliament.

Within the K-7, Ihor Surkis was heading a Ukrainian-American joint venture "Dinamo-Atlantik" (Russian: Динамо-Атлантик) managing the import and sales of huge shipments of alcohol and tobacco in Ukraine that went through the company’s books, duty-free.[5] Although after the 1994 election, the newly-elected President Kuchma removed K7 from influence and power, it succeeded in returning closer to the country’s administration in 1996, luring in the new President with its services.[5] In 1998, K7 took the United Social Democratic Party of Ukraine under its control, thus guaranteeing its political protection.[5]

Awards

Family life

Together with his brother Hryhoriy he is one of the 50 richest Ukrainians.

Married, has two daughters.

Scandals

Mink coat for referee

In 1995 Ihor Surkis was involved in scandal when he personally was accused in bribing by a UEFA referee, Antonio López Nieto. At that time Ihor Surkis served as a general manager of the club. In the scandal was involved the club's general secretary Babiychuk.

Anti-Jewish taunts

During a cup match against Karpaty Lviv in 2006, opposing fans hurled anti-Jewish insults at Surkis. It resulted in a US$5,000 fine for their club.[1]

UEFA money for FFU

In September 2019, the German news outlet Der Spiegel published an article in which it was stated that UEFA made transfer of money intended for Football Federation of Ukraine (today Ukrainian Association of Football) yet ended up in the British Virgin Islands tax off-shore firm "Newport Management Limited" associated with Ihor Surkis.[9][10] The financial transactions were conducted in a timeframe between 2002 – 2016. In response Ihor Surkis accused Der Spiegel in defamation campaign against his football club and the "Newport"[11] on behalf of Ukrainian Association of Football.[11][12]

Cooperation with Ihor Kolomoysky

Ihor Surkis denied and denies his cooperation with another Ukrainian oligarch, Ihor Kolomoysky.[13][14][15]

Departure from Ukraine

On February 26, 2022, during the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, he and his brother Hryhoriy left Ukraine without customs clearance, which led to the launch of an investigation by the State Bureau of Investigation against customs officers.[16][17] When leaving, the Surkis did not declare any cash, and the Hungarian customs office cleared $17.5 million.[18][19][20] Later, Ihor Surkis called this information untrue.[21]

Notes

  1. [1]
    "Ukraine's Karpaty Lviv fined" (PDF). Reuters. 19 April 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 July 2008. Retrieved 5 May 2008.
  2. [2]
    Gorinshtein Yan: 22 and a football. fanat1k.ru. 26 January 2012
  3. [3]
    Bohdan Hubsky: brilliant scoundrel! Argumentua. 23 December 2011
  4. [4]
    Versiya. Empire of the Surkis and Co clan. Kompromat.ru. 6 June 2000
  5. [5]
    Ukrainian Oligarchs. The Ukrainian Week. 29 August 2011
  6. [6]
    Указ Президента України № 697/2006 «Про відзначення державними нагородами України»
  7. [7]
    Указ Президента України № 1214/2004 від 11.10.2004 року «Про відзначення державними нагородами України ветеранів та активістів українського футболу»
  8. [8]
    Указ Президента України № 1336/2003 від 22.11.2003 року «Про нагородження І. Суркіса орденом „За заслуги“»
  9. [9]
    Von Rafael Buschmann und Michael Wulzinger. How UEFA Payments Ended Up in the British Virgin Islands. Der Spiegel. 6 September 2019
  10. [10]
    УЕФА выделило почти 390 млн евро на счета Суркиса, а не ФФУ - Der Spiegel. Ukrayinska Pravda. 7 September 2019
  11. [11]
    Nikolay Avramchuk. УЕФА выделило почти 390 млн. евро на счета Суркиса, а не ФФУ. Cripo.com.ua. 9 September 2019
  12. [12]
    Маркевич: Суркис ставит ультиматум украинскому футболу. Cripo.com.ua. 12 September 2017
  13. [13]
    ПриватБанк має намір повернути 400 млн грн, стягнутих судом на користь Суркісів. RBC.ua. 25 May 2020
  14. [14]
    Brody Englebrecht. Kroll report, Ukraine: Kolomoiskiy and Surkis brothers withdrew money from Privatbank during the bail-in. chicagomorningstar.
  15. [15]
    NBU Welcomes the Decision of the Supreme Court on the Surkises Case. bank.gov.ua. 15 June 2020
  16. [16]
    "ДБР розслідує, як брати Суркіси виїхали з України без перевірки та декларування великої суми". slovoidilo.ua (in Ukrainian). 23 March 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  17. [17]
    Євгенія Луценко (23 March 2022). "ДБР почало розслідування проти митників, які без перевірки випустили Суркісів. Вони нібито вивезли понад $17 млн". hromadske.ua. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  18. [18]
    "Суркіси вивезли через Закарпаття з України на початку війни більше $17 млн @ Закарпаття онлайн". Закарпаття онлайн. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  19. [19]
    "ДБР розслідує, як брати Суркіси виїхали з України без перевірки та декларування великої суми". Слово і Діло (in Ukrainian). 22 December 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  20. [20]
    "УП стали відомі деталі виїзду Суркісів з України на початку війни: вивезли більше 17 млн доларів". Українська правда (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  21. [21]
    "Суркіс назвав "брехливим фейком" інформацію про вивезені незадекларовані мільйони доларів готівкою з України". football.ua. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
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