From state land grabber to "financial expert": The dark history of Vadim Gordievskiy and his sanctioned LEO payment system
The new NSDC sanctions package targeting 287 legal entities and 120 individuals, enacted by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on March 10, has reportedly dealt a significant blow to Ukraine’s illegal gambling sector.
Among the designated entities is the Financial Company “Leo,” which is associated with payment processing schemes for online gaming services. A key mechanism described in reports is so-called “miscoding,” a type of banking fraud involving the alteration of payment purposes, resulting in transactions being recorded as purchases of goods or services rather than gambling activity.
In turn, the National Bank of Ukraine canceled the registration of the LEO international payment system and excluded information about this payment system from the Register of Payment Infrastructure. This decision was made on March 20, 2023, in connection with the application of personal special economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions) against LLC "FC LEO," which is the operator of this payment system. As a result of the criminal activity of this company, the state budget of Ukraine lost out on tens of millions of hryvnias every month.
Upon a careful review of this decision, our attention was drawn to a very interesting character who is a co-founder of "Financial Company Leo." Meet Vadim Ivanovich Gordievskiy, who proudly styles himself as an investment banker and financial expert. We decided to find out whether this is actually the case. As it turned out, Vadim Ivanovich is an ex-official with considerable corrupt tenure and experience, which came in handy for his "scheming" at LEO.
From state land grabber to "financial expert": The dark history of Vadim Gordievskiy and his sanctioned LEO payment system
Under Viktor Yushchenko in 2008, Gordievskiy held the position of deputy head of the Boryspil District State Administration and oversaw land issues. He had a direct connection to Viktor Baloha, who at that time headed the administration of President Yushchenko. It was under Gordievskiy that Boryspil lands underwent the most large-scale carve-up and subsequent sell-off. In that same year of 2008, he was dismissed from his post amid scandal, but the matter never escalated to a criminal investigation. Big money and connections in high offices helped, and our hero became a dollar millionaire.
Vadim Ivanovich was always considered a man who kept his nose to the wind, and after Yanukovych came to power, he joined his team without hesitation. By 2012, Gordievskiy already occupied the chair of the head of the regional road service in the Odesa Oblast. Given the fact that he arrived at the regional road department strictly as a "landing party" from the capital, connections with local law enforcement and officials were established extremely rapidly. He remains on friendly terms with some of them to this day. He held the position of head of the road service precisely for as long as there was an opportunity to siphon off money allocated for road repair and maintenance. And these were multi-million cash flows. He left this position on his own accord after funding for the department was completely cut, and the cash cow, as he liked to put it, was milked to the very last drop.
As knowledgeable people from Gordievskiy’s inner circle say, his dizzying career as a civil servant, impunity, and the millions of dollars that fell into his lap completely turned his head. The abuse of not only alcohol but also other mind-altering substances only exacerbated the situation. Vadim Ivanovich, in the most literal sense of the word, began to completely lose his grip on reality. He remains in this state to this day.
From state land grabber to "financial expert": The dark history of Vadim Gordievskiy and his sanctioned LEO payment system
From state land grabber to "financial expert": The dark history of Vadim Gordievskiy and his sanctioned LEO payment system
From state land grabber to "financial expert": The dark history of Vadim Gordievskiy and his sanctioned LEO payment system
From state land grabber to "financial expert": The dark history of Vadim Gordievskiy and his sanctioned LEO payment system
In addition to the "Leo" company, which fell under NSDC sanctions, our hero is a co-founder of the little-known, but no less dubious, "Financial Company Alta Capital." Another financial company, as we can see. A financial genius, nothing less. One of the company’s main lines of business is issuing loans for bail, allowing a suspect in a criminal offense to be released from custody. Very interesting, wouldn’t you agree?
Something tells us that this financial company of Gordievskiy also has every chance of falling under NSDC sanctions, in the best-case scenario for him. And given his track record, a more serious reaction from law enforcement and the current authorities is quite likely. We are confident in only one thing: Vadim Ivanovich certainly knows how to post bail when there is no money, but there is elite and expensive real estate. The only question is whether it will suddenly end up under seizure.
And now we would like to remind Vadim Ivanovich Gordievskiy of his "happy" Boryspil times. But were they truly happy? Time will tell.
The Boryspil Mafia
Thieves in Ukraine are not only as inextinguishable as a Colorado potato beetle, but they also have an amazing ability to multiply furiously, not just in calm times, but also during periods of crisis. And it seems impossible to deal with this filth without an automatic weapon, simply because thieves do not understand any other law.
A great deal has been written about land scams in Ukraine, and in the Kyiv region in particular, and countless orders have been issued to combat these schemes. The Boryspil District of the Kyiv region has been a leader in the number of scandals. This includes the activities of the raider and drug dealer Godunok, the murder of Oleh Sheremet, a number of attempted murders, and the scandal involving a local judge who, in February 2007, deprived about 500 peasants of their land plots totaling over 1,000 hectares. Back then, the President himself was forced to intervene in the situation. And what happened? Nothing. The Boryspil District continues to lead in the number of crimes related to land sales. However, these crimes are now being committed using a new scheme, but with all the same participants. The damage caused to the state in the Boryspil District in just the last year is estimated at millions of dollars. The number of residents in the district robbed by the local authorities is in the thousands. Therefore, one should not be surprised if shots are heard again in the Boryspil District in the near future.
Key Figures
The Boryspil District Administration was led by Yosyp Hlavati, a friend and fellow countryman of Viktor Baloha. Back in July 2008, deputies from the Verkhovna Rada, representing both the "Party of Regions" and "Our Ukraine," submitted a joint deputy inquiry to the President of Ukraine regarding land scams orchestrated by Baloha’s appointees in the Boryspil District of the Kyiv region.
The deputies commented on the situation at the time as follows:
"In early July of this year, a series of deputy inquiries were sent to the President, including several directed at Baloha. No responses were received. We were ignored—and we understand why. It is because the inquiries named individuals who are ’protected’ by Baloha. Primarily, this refers to the head of the Boryspil District Administration and his deputy, whom we accuse of corruption and abuse of office—essentially facilitating land theft in the Boryspil District. We provided concrete facts and mentioned criminal cases.
Furthermore, we submitted inquiries regarding the fact that one of the deputies of the Boryspil District head was appointed using forged documents. Prior to that, he had been appointed Director of the Capital Construction Management Department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. At that time, Baloha was the Minister there. These individuals are being fully covered up by Baloha.
The inquiry also states that about 400 hectares of land were illegally privatized in the name of an alleged Secretariat employee (it is currently being verified whether they are actually an employee or not). Baloha is covering this up as well. Both the SBU and the Prosecutor General’s Office are intervening to cover up these crimes. Why do we need such a Chief of the Presidential Secretariat who deceives the President, fails to report these matters to him, and facilitates crimes in the country?
The fact is that this inquiry was signed not only by representatives of the Party of Regions but also by representatives of ’Our Ukraine.’ Now let the President think for himself what to do. Either he will take responsibility for Baloha’s actions and also become a person who encourages the land mafia in the country—or he will deal with Baloha."
However, the residents of the Boryspil District themselves believe that the lead role in the land scams was played not by Hlavati, but by one of his deputies—a certain Vadim Gordievskiy (also known as Lazarev), who headed an organized criminal group that included the well-known Korzh family in the district, as well as a number of criminal figures.
Vadim Gordievskiy is a highly curious figure. It is surprising not only why he is not yet behind bars, but also how he managed to hold responsible government positions for several years.
Gordievskiy’s official biography is rather sparse:
Vadim Ivanovich Gordievskiy – born on March 14, 1974, in Pervomaisk, Mykolaiv region. Citizen of Ukraine. Higher education: in 2007, he graduated from the Gorlovka Institute of the Interregional Academy of Personnel Management (MAUP). From December 2005 to January 2006 – Senior Manager at LLC "Ukraine Agro-Trade-N," Cherkasy. From February 2006 to September 2006 – Deputy General Director of LLC "Ukragro-N," Cherkasy. From September 2006 to March 2007 – Director of the State Enterprise "Capital Construction Management under the Ministry of Ukraine for Emergencies and Affairs of Protection of the Population from the Consequences of the Chornobyl Catastrophe," Kyiv. From October 2007 to the present – Deputy Head of the Boryspil District State Administration for the implementation of state policy in the agro-industrial complex and land relations.
He diligently hides his unofficial biography. According to the official version, Gordievskiy was born in the city of Pervomaisk, Mykolaiv region, on March 14, 1974. However, as documents from the Tax Administration testify, he was actually born on March 14, 1974, in Gorlovka, Donetsk region, and bore the surname Lazarev until 2000. In the same apartment on Lenin Street where Vadim Lazarev was registered in Gorlovka, his mother, Tatyana Valentinovna Gordievskaya, resides; she is the one whose surname Vadim Lazarev took at a quite mature age. Why and for what reason Vadim Lazarev (Gordievskiy) "covered his tracks" is unknown to us. Perhaps he was simply wanted by the authorities. But his passion for a double life manifested not only in false data about his place of birth and his change of surname, but also in other aspects of our hero’s biography.
Quoting the newspaper Zerkalo Nedeli:
The story of one of the deputy heads of the Boryspil District State Administration has every chance of opening a new page in the biographies of government officials with dubious education.
Although the level of figures involved in previous revelations was significantly higher, the situation with Vadim Gordievskiy, who oversees land issues in Boryspil, is of national importance. After all, this official is suspected of nothing less than deceiving President Viktor Yushchenko. In any case, this is how the events are presented in the deputy appeal of Hennadiy Moskal, which recently arrived at the head of state’s secretariat.
The document claims that V. Gordievskiy "deliberately misled" the President by submitting "fabricated documents regarding his higher education." This allowed him, in accordance with the relevant decree, to take his current position in October 2007.
Moreover, the official used a fake higher education document for the third time. He first presented it to the Interregional Academy of Personnel Management (MAUP) in 2005. As a result, in two years instead of five, he received a second higher education degree in "Economist – Financial Manager" by correspondence. And in 2006, on the basis of a purchased diploma, V. Gordievskiy obtained the position of Director of the state enterprise "Capital Construction Management" under the Ministry of Emergency Situations, which he held until September 2007.
The Student’s Failure
The "fake student" was caught due to his own inattentiveness. In one of his biographical statements for a government agency, he indicated that in 1992 he enrolled in, and in 1996 graduated from, the "Ukrainian State Pedagogical University named after Drahomanov." However, this university was never called by that name. Instead of "Ukrainian," it should have been "Kyiv."
While this typo could perhaps be explained away as a simple lapse in memory, the fact that the diploma was issued under the name "Gordievskiy" completely dispelled any doubts regarding the document’s authenticity. The point is that until 2004, Vadim Gordievskiy carried the surname "Lazarev," under which the diploma should have been issued. Moreover, the pedagogical university has no records of a student named Gordievskiy graduating in 1996.
These seemingly harmless manipulations of higher education documents clearly fall under Part 3 of Article 358 of the Criminal Code—"Use of knowingly forged documents"—which provides for punishment in the form of a fine of up to 50 minimum untaxed incomes, arrest for up to six months, or restriction of liberty for up to two years.
Therefore, in his appeal to the President, the Member of Parliament requested an official investigation and the suspension of V. Gordievskiy from his duties for the duration of that investigation. Furthermore, in his opinion, the Prosecutor General’s Office should initiate a criminal case based on these facts.
A parliamentary appeal on the same subject was also sent to the government. In it, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was requested to instruct the Main Department of the Civil Service to look into the situation. Nothing is yet known about any reaction to this signal. However, V. Gordievskiy continues to work. It is difficult to judge how successful his activities are, but it is clear that the diploma scandal is not the only one in which a character with this surname appears.
The Case of the Tokens
It is hard not to think of the theater lover Ruchechnik from the TV series The Meeting Place Cannot Be Changed, known for his ability to snatch a cloakroom token without his victim noticing. A story involving tokens—47 of them, to be exact—is also associated with Vadim Gordievskiy. It became public knowledge following an appeal from the residents of the village of Dudarkiv.
In April of this year, a lottery was held in that village to allocate land plots. The deputy head of the Boryspil District State Administration allegedly brought 620 tokens for the draw, even though, according to the compiled lists, only 573 people were supposed to participate. According to eyewitnesses, Mr. Gordievskiy dropped 573 tokens into the box as required, but placed the remaining 47 into his own pocket in front of everyone. The villagers suspect that the best land plots were hidden behind these "extra" tokens.
If this is true, it is a clear case of abuse of office, which also requires a reaction from the prosecutor’s office. Deputies sent a corresponding appeal in May, but received no response. They submitted a follow-up request in June. However, the reaction was most likely the same. The request was forwarded to the regional prosecutor’s office, where it seems to have been forgotten.
Such a reaction is, to put it mildly, alarming. After all, it is the Boryspil District that is linked to the most high-profile and long-running land scandal, when a local judge in February 2007 deprived about 500 peasants of their land shares totaling over 1,000 hectares. The President himself was forced to intervene in the situation.
It seemed that after that, people would forget about new land scams. But public organizations continue to seek the truth and appeal to the country’s leadership with requests to help investigate the facts regarding the theft of land in the villages of Velyka Oleksandrivka, Shchaslyve, Hora, and others.
This is not surprising. After all, the country still has not heard what punishment was meted out to those responsible for the land share scandal in the Boryspil District. In other words, there was effectively no punishment.
Under these conditions, the demand for "one of our own" in the civil service is growing. They are not frightened by an article from the Criminal Code. They possess something more than education, work experience, or knowledge—they are accustomed to solving any problem without asking themselves whether their methods of achieving their goal are legal.
Gordievskiy-Lazarev, the Korzh Family, and Others
Despite being in the civil service, our hero, Vadim Gordievskiy, is the founder of several firms:
Charitable Organization "Ukrainian Ecological Fund 3000" – co-founded with his wife, Anna Sergeyevna Gordievskaya, and a certain Aleksandr Eduardovich Yegorov. This confidant of Gordievskiy owns a number of firms in Kyiv and Cherkasy, including "TECHNICS-95," "EVROBUDYNOK-3000," "UKRAINAAGROTRADE-N," the farm enterprise "DANAT," and "SLUZHBASPETSBUD-N."
All these firms are, in one way or another, involved in Gordievskiy’s land scams in the Boryspil District. Gordievskiy’s "know-how" is a specific method of land resale: data on an already sold land plot is simply deleted from the district cadastre, and new owners are entered into it; they then receive technical documentation for the land and obtain state deeds. When the previous owners, shocked by such lawlessness, try to get their land back, they are advised not to go to law enforcement or the court—unless they want to end up with a cracked skull.
In the preparation of technical documentation and the "coercive component" of the scams, Gordievskiy is assisted by the Korzh family, well-known in the Boryspil district. The main enterprise of the Korzhs is the firm "Shirota," which changed its name in 2004 to LLC "Agati-5." It is this firm that handles the primary land scams. Its founders include Ivan and Mikhail Korzh, Irina Kosyanchuk, Tatyana Pechatnova, Vasiliy Kushnirenko, and a certain Bakirov Tumbat Samed Ogly. Mr. Bakirov plays a responsible role in the organized criminal group, acting as a liaison with criminal communities of the Azerbaijani diaspora, which provide "physical cover" for the fraudsters. The founders also include the wife of Samed Ogly—Ekaterina Sergeyevna Bakirova.
Another firm of the Korzhs is LLC "Kroki-5," which specializes in the falsification of land surveying, geodetic, and hydrographic work. Its founders include Ivan Korzh, Aleksandr Pechatnov, Nikolay Kiyashko, and Vasiliy Kushnirenko. The Korzhs also lead the "Association of Investors of the Boryspil District," which would be more accurately called an association for deceiving investors. The founders of the Association, in addition to the Korzhs, include Vladimir Sytnik, Dmitriy Kutakh, Petr Klyuchka, Vladislav Chervinskiy, Anatoliy Bidyuk, Aleksandr Kondrashov, Mikhail Gerus, and Dmitriy Krishtal.
The next Korzh enterprise is the service cooperative "Sakura," located in Hnidyn, Kyiv region, which allegedly deals with real estate management. Its founders, in addition to the Korzhs, include a certain Mariya Bodnar (residing in the Vinnytsia region), Aleksandr Lesnichuk (residing in Brovary), Igor Makarenko (residing in Kyiv), and Pelageya Kuzmenko (a Kyiv resident). There is reason to believe that the firm is fictitious and is used for money laundering.
The most interesting firm of the Korzhs is the company "Altlands Overseas Corp.," located in the country of Belize at 5756 Princess Margaret Drive. Asking why "modest" Boryspil land fraudsters would need an immodest offshore company in Belize is a foolish question: it is for withdrawing money. After all, sooner or later, they will have to run, and the Korzhs understand this perfectly well. In addition to the Korzhs, the founders of the offshore company include a certain Natalya Yevgenyevna Kulikova, residing in Kyiv at 23 Vozduhoflotskyi Prospect, apt. 61. It seems someone has already gone to pay her a visit.