Many people like to experiment by preparing different dishes at home. But at the same time...
Ukrainian millionaire Garik Korogodsky, whose fortune is estimated at $79 million, is known both in business circles and among the Kyiv elite. He is included in the TOP 100 “Forbes - Ukraine”, is a world champion in the game of preference and the author of an absolute masterpiece - the autobiographical book “How to spend a million that doesn’t exist, and other stories of a Jewish boy”, the first edition of which sold out in just a couple of months.
“I don’t like gold toilets or Swarovsky chandeliers. For me, the main thing is a beautiful view from the window, nature. I walk a lot and play tennis six times a week to keep in shape,” says Garik Korogodsky.
P The celebrity prefers noisy parties, extravagant outfits and exquisite accessories to luxury items.It can be found in elite nightclubs, at fashion shows and in expensive restaurants. Regarding the latter, Korogodsky is a real gourmet: he prefers to eat oysters or fish only where they are caught, but not in the capital. Mr. Korogodsky is also a gourmet when it comes to clothing: he does not buy things in his own boutiques(Korogodsky is a co-owner of the Dream Town shopping center and the elite fitness club Aquarium - approx. ), but orders according to his own design.
Garik Korogodsky is also known for his ten rules of doing business. They are imbued with his unusual outlook on life and reflect his attitude towards business. These rules may be puzzling, but there is undoubtedly reason and wisdom in them. If a rule doesn’t work the first time, re-read it. Amazing discoveries await you!
Rule #1
Never choose between two options offered. Remember, the second one was offered only for you to stop at the first one.Demand a third one. And then you will have a chance. Like a game of thimbles.
Rule #2
If you receive a clearly advantageous offer, and you are required to make a decision instantly or almost instantly, do not hesitate and do not bargain.Save time, don’t even take a minute to think or call a friend.Be decisive.Send it straight away to...
Rule #3
If you differ in price by no more than 10%, give in if you are a seller. And get out before they give in to you, if the buyer.
Rule #4
If the first thing you heard on the phone was: “Hello, this is Ivan Ivanovich?», hang up immediately if you are Ivan Ivanovich. This call will bring you neither profit nor joy. Yes, sex is possible, but you won’t like your role in it.
Rule #5
In work matters, you have the only friend who will not let you down. No matter who you negotiate with, no matter who or whom you give instructions to (manager, subordinate, fellow colleague), in the event of a showdown, everyone will make you guilty.Everyone will say that you remember incorrectly.Except your only friend - T hard copy inin the form of a letter, SMS, photo note. Works at all levels - from agreements between oligarchs to assignments to the secretary.Trust only the hard copy.
Rule #6
If you have a fight with your partner at work, especially if he is also a friend... Blame the manager and make peace.This manager could even be fired.After all, he created the conflict by deliberately aggravating the situation.Do this immediately before it's too late. If there is no manager, invent one. Even a concierge at the entrance is suitable.And “smoke” the whiskey of the world.
Rule #7
How to act if there is a crisis?You need to imagine that this is not a crisis yet, but flowers, and that the real crisis will begin in a month. With the fall of everything that can fall. Forty times out of forty you will be right.And only on the forty-first day will you be lucky and make a mistake. And thenif the crisis is not deep.
Rule #8
If you are hesitant, say no. This is almost always not an error, whereas “yes” has much worse statistics.
Rule #9
If you are a manager, prohibit employees from giving you bad news. until they turned from one hour with one subordinate and up to a week with a large team: ToThe amount of bad news will decrease significantly, and life will become better.
Rule #10
How to determine the attractiveness of an offer? You were offered something. New business, place of work, invest.The first emotion is very important here.If she says “no”, feel free to kill her, don’t waste time.If she says “yes”, and your eyes glow with an inner sparkle, - use the formula: IP=К1хК2хК3:З , Where IP– investment attractiveness of the proposal;K1, K2 And K3– some of your personal coefficients (for example, coefficients of loss of personal freedoms, changes in the incoming money supply and respect when looking at yourself in the mirror);Z- that's three. The most important thing in the formula is to remember to divide the sentence into three.
read in UkrainianOutrageous businessman Garik Korogodsky told our publication about his new projects
Photo 1 of 14: © Oleg Batrak, tochka.net
Garik Korogodsky is a businessman, philanthropist, blogger, and writer. Korogodsky is one of the hundred richest people in the country. Garik recently founded the Zhiznelub charity foundation, which provides leisure activities for the capital's pensioners. Also in the fall of this year, Kyiv saw a vibrant election campaign by a flamboyant businessman. The outdoor advertising was full of ironic slogans: “I’m your self-dealer”, “Korogodsky’s plan will cover the city”, “I’ll pay off Ukraine’s debts with soda”... As it turned out, Garik was not seriously planning to go into politics, but made the advertisement as a joke.
Our meeting with Garik started near the "Life Lover" club in Hydropark, continued with a short voyage in the party bus during which Korogodsky spoke about his election campaign and ended on Bessarbka, near the pedestal of the demolished Lenin monument, where the businessman plans to make a place for lovers.
Our “lovers of life” are very cheerful. I once interviewed Galina Arsentievna, who is 89 years old. She fled from the Germans twice. This girl still smokes Belomorkanal. He says that this is a habit that remained after the war.
She still works, and she has a regular clientele - Galina Arsentievna cuts people's hair, sews clothes and makes paintings from fish bones.
- About the sandbox for adults
All proceeds from our social projects will be used for the construction of an open-air cinema on the territory of the Kyiv Hydropark. We will let you in there upon presentation of a document so that your age is at least 70 years old. For the old people, this will, naturally, be free entertainment.
We also plan to make a sandbox, but for adults - entry with children will be prohibited. There we will also put a small slide and a bench with a wooden “prostitute”, which can be discussed on an ongoing basis, rather than waiting for someone to pass nearby...
- About the election campaign
At the moment I don’t see myself in politics. "For Athos this is too much, and for the Count de La Fère - too little." It’s not that I don’t want to be mayor, I don’t want to be a civil servant at all. My election campaign is fun and a lifelong memory. If I seriously want to become mayor, it will be a fundamentally different campaign.
I'm good at doing two things: hiring people and organizing the process. I didn’t want to troll the voter with my company - just political parties. They managed to accuse me of all mortal sins, but the goal of my election campaign was to make people smile.
- About citizenship
Now I have Israeli citizenship, and I actually renounced Russian citizenship (for which I have the appropriate document). I was born in Kyiv, lived here until I was 19, then left and returned 19 years ago. According to Ukrainian legislation, I do not have the right to vote, and I consider this normal.
To obtain Ukrainian citizenship, I must write that I undertake to renounce Israeli citizenship, which I do not intend to do.
- About yourself in three words
Don't give a fuck. Fucking. Beauty.
- About favorite places in Kyiv
I love Kyiv, and it reciprocates my feelings. I feel comfortable in any corner of the city and treat it like a living mechanism.
- About the demolished monument to Lenin
The monument to Lenin in Bessarabka was barbarically demolished. Of course, it had to be replaced, but in a civilized way. This place is dear to me because I had my first date there. Unfortunately, now there is no such person who would unite everyone, so together with the architects Konstantin Skretutsky and Fyodor Balaba we came up with an unusual project.
I proposed making a place there for lovers, designed in the style of Bessarabka with cast iron. There will be benches in a circle, and next to it there will be a clock on the tower. Along the boulevard there will be stands on which you can climb: read a poem to your beloved, perform with a guitar, or sing. It seems to me that such a decision will calm society, because the place is iconic and even sacred. What remains of the Lenin monument there looks ugly.
Reading time: 17 min.
In the first part, Korogodsky talked about how his Kiev childhood and Moscow student youth passed. What happened next? He started as a watchman in a bakery, later worked as an electrician in an animal theater, then earned his first million and... his second. Today Garik Korogodsky is the wealthiest rentier in Ukraine according to Forbes Ukraine, world champion in preference, co-owner of the Aquarium fitness center and the Dream Town shopping center, general director of the Vita Veritas company, author of the book “How to spend a million that doesn’t exist and other stories Jewish boy" etc.
Let's add facts to all the known data and ratings of this person: dyed and bright, but not gay; speaks strong words, but to the point; can afford everything, but is brought up to the extent that he will not allow himself too much; knows how to joke and is not afraid of the public; knows how to make money, but didn’t sell his soul for it...
The Almighty gives us the Potential and the Right to choose how to use this “bonus”. Perhaps this is what Garik has in abundance - potential and imagination on where to direct it.
At least that’s how he appeared in a conversation with the site.
When did you begin to engage in one of the traditional Jewish activities - commerce?
From the fifth grade, he probably started reselling chewing gum, bags...
During my student years, I obviously didn’t live on a scholarship...
Never! The scholarship then was 40 rubles, and I spent 500. I calculated that during my student years I visited the Hrazdan restaurant alone more than 1000 times, that’s about twice a week. This money was obtained in different ways: by playing cards, speculating on theater tickets, food...
“Where there are two Jews, there are three opinions.” How do you manage to maintain relationships with friends for so many years?
Relationships are generally a lot of work. When you speak with someone close to you, you need to carefully weigh your words, you must not hurt or offend... My closest friends are Shpilman and Melamud. We think very carefully about what to say to each other so as not to hurt each other’s feelings. [ Garik pronounces these names with special warmth. Let us note that we are not only talking about long-time friends; Alexander Melamud and Mikhail Shpilman have been business partners for a quarter of a century. They spent the first million, which was the title of Garik’s book, together, earned it together, and multiplied it together. Today, bosom friends are included in the ranking of the TOP 100 richest people in Ukraine - approx. L.L.]
Judaism has clearly defined Laws of Money: how to run a business, repay debts, to whom you can lend money and under what conditions... When managing your capital, did you take into account these religious norms of behavior for a businessman?
The fact is that we grew up Jewish, but at the same time we did not know a single Jewish law. My parents were atheists, like many then. I am very reserved about religion now. But I try not to break the laws that I know. For example, there are clear rules about who needs to be helped first... Speaking of laws, before I had to borrow and lend even at interest. In the last 10 years I wouldn't do that. Now I understand that this is not good according to Jewish law.
Kyiv was different in your youth. And you also changed it yourself. For example, Maidan Nezalezhnosti: at one time it was you who built an underground shopping center under it.
Time - it does not spare anyone. If it weren’t for me, then someone else—the city would change. I am now trying to bring back part of old Kyiv with some touches. Some things even work out, but to the best of my modest abilities. I recreated the dance floor in Hydropark [ district in Kyiv, located on the Left Bank of the Dnieper - approx. L.L.], where older people gather and dance in the summer. Today everything is as it should be. My parents danced there, and I will probably dance there in twenty years. I also took up the place where the monument to Lenin stood. I think that our project will win the competition for a number of reasons: firstly, it is good, and secondly, because I pay for it. [laughs]
Yes. And I keep my word and do everything to fulfill my promise. If our project wins, then right on Shevchenko Boulevard there will be a wonderful pedestrian zone with a suspension bridge, this will be a place for lovers.
Are you a romantic?
Nope! I'm a cynic.
How do you compliment your women?
Very often, varied, for no reason and spoiled with surprises. For example, on Valentine's Day. I don't celebrate it, but it's a great day for a surprise. I gave gifts to all the women around me with whom I crossed paths - candy and a huge teddy bear. And he said that the bear had a “joint” of grass sewn into his leg. Now they are thinking what to do about it? One needs to take him to Moscow. She asks: " Drive?“I say that I don’t think they will find it. [raises an eyebrow slyly] I wonder if someone will rip his leg open or not?
Wouldn't it be a pity to give the bear to be torn to pieces?
But he's plush!
Especially! Previously, plush toys were a rarity in the house, it was very difficult to get them, remember?
We had a teddy bear in the house. He was terribly hard, but everyone loved him. But they didn’t let me play with them, because it was my sister’s toy. The boys already had something to play with, but the girls needed a bear.
How did you make your first million?
The fact is that I had very large expenses, and they are still large. But at some point, income exceeded expenses. And so a million accumulated. It was a period of speculation, the year 1994.
How often did you manage to visit your parents as a student?
Less often than it should. I regret that I did not spoil them more often than I could have, and did not fulfill all their whims, especially in recent years. My mother left before... And after that, any of my father’s whims was fulfilled 100%. And he taught his children this. He said, look, when your dad becomes ill and weak, fulfill his whims.
A popular trend during the Soviet era was parcels. Did your parents give it to you?
There was a whole story with the parcels. When my mother already lived in Israel, she constantly gave me programs for “very necessary people,” as she said. IN reverse side I also sent them all the time. For example, he delivered valerian to Israel and carried it for the entire Soviet population of Raanan and Bat Yam! Then he refused my mother valerian. After all, according to my mother’s arguments, the Kiev one cost 4 shekels, and the Israeli one 30. Having learned about this, I said that I was ready to give a subsidy of 26 shekels to everyone who uses valerian for each bottle used, but I won’t carry it! Her things smell terrible.
Once I even restricted my mother, and then I said that the ban would be lifted again and that anything could be passed on.
“A very necessary person” - this was the receptionist at the hospital insurance office. She asked her mother to deliver the parcel. From Israel they always conveyed the same thing: coffee and chocolate. The most mysterious thing is that the same thing was transferred from Kyiv to Israel. I carried parcels of coffee and chocolate back and forth, but I did. [laughs]
And one day my mother once again handed over coffee and chocolate. She called and said that I just needed to receive the parcel, and they would take it from me. I picked it up and brought it to my secretary’s work. The secretary calls me back and says that she called me on the phone that I gave her, and they said: “ You need it, you bring it!“Naturally, I asked her to connect and heard on the phone: “ I won't go anywhere!“I replied that there was a trash can in front of me, and with a sense of accomplishment I would throw this program into it. The man tells me: “I don’t know who you are or what you are, but my mother asked me to deliver a parcel to “very necessary people” in Zhitomir. I'm sending a car there. But my mother told me that they had to bring her to the office for this. If they don't deliver it to my office, I won't send the car." I told him that my mother said that my package should be picked up at my office. But since you are sending the car to Zhitomir, I will honestly send this “necessary” parcel to your office. This is how coffee and chocolate were handed over to a “very necessary person.”
You are a father of many children. What values and life principles do you instill in your children?
Almost nothing has changed: the same thing that my father invested in me, sometimes my mother. I try to show them by my own example how to care for their elders, so that later they can be looked after in old age. We analyze life cases: when you need to behave this way, and when differently.
Are you a mentor father? And how do you punish children?
Yes, I really am a father-mentor. Not to be confused with the “mother hen”. Regarding punishment, what is “punishment”? I'm not punishing. I can’t forbid, for example, children to go outside. I can just stop doing things towards them. My daughter, in her early teens, “drew” that she fell in love. And the guy was “no good.” And not as a match for his daughter, he was unbalanced, bringing destruction with his actions. This is where we had to intervene very harshly.
Did your daughter listen to you?
It is impossible not to listen to me. I create such conditions that there is only one choice...
...Yours, is he correct?
Mine and correct, of course. [laughs]
What are the children doing now?
The eldest son is graduating from a university in England and is now writing his diploma. It works, he has a small candle factory. He makes hookahs for different establishments. Today it is displacing already established businesses.
Do you give him any advice in business?
I help a lot in business: both with money and advice. I lent both my son and daughter money with a clear repayment schedule. It’s like the joke when a dad sold his son a watch at a very profitable price before his death. So am I. [emphasizes the comical nature of the loan] So far everything has been done! After all, how do I give? Well, for example, I give 100 rubles and say that it needs to be returned at some time. If they don’t return it then, the line of credit is closed forever.
How can I help my son now? I said that he should provide the best service in Kyiv - and he will have clients. The son did it. Now I call the owners of the establishments, just ask them to listen and compare the conditions. So far so good. In addition, his son works as an adviser to the First Deputy Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine. He lived in Israel, Moscow and London. But he doesn’t see himself outside of Kyiv. This is the only city in which he wants to live.
Is this your influence or personal example?
I didn’t tell him directly where I wanted him to live. But through my actions I pushed him to this decision. By my own example. And none of my children wants to leave Ukraine.
What are the other three heirs doing?
The middle daughter graduates from Narkhoz Kyiv, and she also has her own business. She’s been working for a couple of years now and doesn’t take money from me. She runs an express manicure company. In particular, she pays me personally more rent than all other renters [ We are talking about a shopping center owned by Garik - approx. L.L.]. Isn’t it awkward to ask your own people for a discount? Everyone asks, but she doesn’t.
And the younger ones are still schoolchildren. The third daughter is interested in biology and wins Olympiads. He sees himself only as a biologist.
Do children know about their Jewish roots?
Halachically, my children are not Jews, because my wife’s mother is Ukrainian. But they feel completely Jewish. When I went to synagogue, we all went to synagogue together. They identify 100% as Jews. We didn’t want to go through Giyur, we resolved this issue together. For our inner feeling, it doesn’t matter whether we have undergone conversion or not - we don’t care who others think we are when we consider ourselves part of the people. This is more than enough for us!
Your eldest daughter has become a champion for ethical teaching of fascist topics at her school. What happened then?
This story happened because of the naivety of one of my daughter’s teachers. The school is really cool, expensive and good for that time. Plus, I had to give the children native-level English. Nobody gave this except international schools. And out of two possible ones in Kyiv, I chose this one. As part of a history lesson, the teacher showed the power of fascism propaganda. He is Irish and did not take into account when he gave the children an assignment that fascism in this country is a painful topic. In many families of students, someone died at the hands of the Nazis, I have relatives in Babi Yar, and for us it is generally not acceptable to even just see a swastika. He didn't think about it.
And after I politely asked to remove the topic from the subject, I was told words from which there was no turning back: “ Here we are the owners and we also set the conditions. Do you either study at this school or leave?" It's like a challenge, and I don't like such conversations. We had to intervene: the school was one step away from closing, there were rallies outside its walls, no greetings were given to Lisa, almost all the students were against us...
In today's Ukrainian school everyone would be on the side of the children, but there everyone was on the side of the school. Many people were in their senior year at the time, and I raised the issue of closing the school. Accordingly, children who studied for 11 years would not get into university. As a result, I was offered a compromise: we are not closing the school, but we are removing everything that is not needed from the program.
The topic of the Holocaust is truly painful, but in the last 15 years it has become the subject of PR and manipulation in our country...
Look, it’s very convenient to flaunt anti-Semitism, to find it in any action. Moreover, in Europe they are very afraid of this word.
When did you find out that Babi Yar is part of your family’s history?
They told me about this when I was already 16 years old, and then I started asking questions myself. As they explained to me later, they were taking care of me. Before that, we went and wore flowers. All stories associated with Babi Yar are sad. And my relatives were no exception. The whole family, including my dad, had to go for evacuation to Tashkent. Dad had a younger sister. She fell ill before leaving; her temperature was in the low forties. They decided that dad would leave (he was not quite twelve years old), and mom and sister would go in a week. We didn’t have time...
Did you tell your children about this before they told you?
I believe it's never too early. My daughter was about 8 years old at the time, and I took her to Yad Vashem. The wife was against it. Babi Yar taught us all a lot, and it seems to me that Israel did everything to make Babi Yar impossible today. Jews will no longer voluntarily go to be shot...
What does Garik, who grew up in Jewish cuisine, like to eat? Do you cook yourself?
I'm an omnivore. I really like to cook, but... lately I do this extremely rarely. I cook complex dishes made by my grandmother, I watched everything from her. For example, roast with chanterelles. Grandma taught that the longer it cooks, the tastier it will be. The carcass is cooked only in a cast iron cauldron, no light alloys or modern coatings. It must be old cast iron that is sold in the market. There, first the onions are stewed over low heat for more than an hour, then the chanterelles.
« If you want something quick, fry yourself an egg.", said my grandmother.
It takes me almost five hours to cook a roast. I don’t spend a long time laying out or cutting food - I do it all quickly, so my kitchen is in creative chaos. It’s the same with clothes: when I come home, my path can be traced by the things that I take off as I go.
And for dessert, what did the Jewish grandmother spoil her grandson with?
I made a fantastic strudel. The dough there was so thin that you could read through it. Definitely with thick cherry jam. The strudel turned out to be so hard that it was impossible to push it through. Or apple pie. There must be only sour apples in it. There are only two varieties from which she cooked: “Antonovka” and “Simirenko”. The fact that they make it now and call it strudel would upset grandma - it’s just apple pie.
I tried to set up a Jewish kitchen at the Brodsky synagogue. What was the task? Give jobs to Jewish women, give this business to my son, and give Jews the opportunity to eat delicious food. I invited Jewish women, most of them were quite old. The conditions were as follows: they buy all the products, they are paid $50 for preparing the first course, and then they will order from the winners in the nominations $50 for their dish. We had a number of people already wanting to have a “delicious meal”. And they earn money, and their son earns money, and people have food. Unfortunately, the idea failed: many participants came, but they prepared such things that it was a shame to sell it.
You read a lot, have a masterful command of written language... What is your favorite book?
Perhaps "Golden Calf". There is very dense humor, every word is perfected. When there is dense humor, the book turns out to be ponderous, and then you can’t read a lot of it. But this one is possible! I constantly find something new there. After about the tenth reading, I found how they played with surnames: with the help of one letter, Russian surnames turned into Jewish ones. Each name in this book is telling - Zalkind, Chalkind, Palkind, Malkind and Kukushkind.
Today you can afford a pompous life of abundance. But, as they once admitted, you prefer comfort to “golden toilets.” In many of your interviews you say that you are not picky in everyday life. But are there things that bring you pleasure? As they say, “it’s a small thing, but it’s nice”...
There are things that I love. There are favorite cups for morning coffee. They are disproportionately smooth, look like freaks, and the liquid in them cools slowly. I love hot, strong, delicious coffee.
I also love the smell of fresh bed linen. On average, bed linen is changed once a week. So I thought that if I work a lot and love this smell so much, then why can’t I afford to change my underwear every day? Now I have fresh laundry every day. And no matter how the day has gone, when I lie down, this little whim brings me joy.
Korogodsky Garik
Co-owner of the Aquarium fitness center and the Dream Town shopping center, general director of the Vita Veritas company, writer, blogger. Has Israeli citizenship.
Date and place of birth
Education
After graduating from school in 1975, he was enrolled in the Kiev Electromechanical College of Railway Transport named after. N. Ostrovsky; defended his diploma in the specialty “electrical technician”.
In 1985 he graduated from the Moscow Institute of Railway Transport Engineers; specialty "Electrification of railway transport".
Marital status
Married, four children - a son and three daughters.
State
In 2013, Focus estimated G. Korogodsky’s fortune at $92.5 million (121st place in the ranking of “200 richest people in Ukraine”).
In 2017, in the Focus ranking of “100 richest people in Ukraine,” Korogodsky took 87th position with a fortune of $50 million.
Business
Garik Korogodsky earned his first legal money at the age of 13, getting a job as a watchman in a bakery. Later he tried himself as an electrician at the Moscow Animal Theater.
In one of the interviews, when asked by a journalist what actually happened in the interval between the animal theater and the current owner of a million-dollar fortune, Korogodsky replied: “Grandfather did not die, he did not leave anything. Little by little. I didn't get rich quick. Speculation, speculation, then it was legally recognized as a business, now we are in business...” That is, he earned his first million in 1994 by resale - theater tickets, computers, clothes, perfumes, etc. All this happened in the dashing 90s, which were famous for both quick enrichment and tough racketeering and bloody showdowns. As a result of one of these “attacks,” Garik even had to leave the country and go with his family to Israel. He returned a few months later, and the family lived there for another 10 years.
In general, the career of an electrician by training, and now a millionaire, was extremely tortuous and unexpected, just like his position as chairman of the board of trustees of the Brodsky synagogue or the radio host of the erotic “Badman show” on Europa Plus.
Korogodsky’s business interests include real estate and retail trade (Dilight LLC, Dilight Plus LLC, Ural LLC), stock market, operations with securities (Alfa-Reestr LLC), restaurant business (Vasart LLC). G. Korogodsky is also the general director of the Vita Veritas company (a retail real estate agency).
In 2000, in Kyiv, Korogodsky opened with partners - Alexander Melamud and Mikhail Shpilman - the Aquarium fitness center (total area - 14 thousand sq. m), and in 2001 the opening of the Globus shopping center took place (later this asset was sold). However, the largest joint project of G. Korogodsky and his partners is the capital’s shopping and entertainment center “Dream Town” (the investment amount is estimated at $250 million). The Dream Town shopping center, located in the Obolonsky district of Kyiv, consists of two lines and combines shops, bars, restaurants, a cinema, bowling alley, water park, etc. On April 22, 2016, 4-year-old Elisey Artemchuk, who was there with his father, grandmother and sister, drowned in this water park on his birthday. Garik Korogodsky was the first to report the tragedy on social networks. The incident is classified as an accident.
In 2015, Garik Korogodsky opened the GARA concept store in Kyiv, where exclusive but very expensive accessories are sold. The founders of the project call it “a store of unnecessary things.” The store is located in the Vozdvizhenka area. There are no signs on it. The entrance is closed by a huge steel door, as if in a bunker. It’s not that easy to visit this store: you need to pre-register on the website, after which you receive a message confirming the time of your visit and a code word. Without this you will not be allowed into the store.
Interests
2009 - world champion in preference.
2011 - in honor of the 50th anniversary of his friend, oligarch Alexander Melamud, Garik and his comrades shot a video parody of the Lady GaGa video called Mood Romance and posted it online. Businessmen danced on video in very revealing outfits. At that time, Garik was the head of the Board of Trustees of the Brodsky Synagogue. For this prank, he and the other participants in the video were excommunicated from the synagogue for some time.
2013 - publishes an obscene flip calendar of aphorisms of his own authorship, illustrated by Radna Filippovich Sakhaltuev.
Charity
Patron of the arts, founder of the charitable foundation “Zhiznelub”, which deals with the leisure of Kyiv pensioners (in particular, the existing club of the same name, organized by veterans and pensioners of the city, geographically based on the dance floor in the Hydropark of Kyiv).
At the beginning of August 2017, as part of the “Life Lover” project, Korogodsky opened the “Kino-Sad” hub site in Hydropark, where older people gather and have an interesting time. The construction cost 9 million UAH, 6 of which were paid for by Garik himself, another three were collected by the charity organization “Zhiznelyub”, and part of the work construction company did it for free.
In literature
2014 - the author’s first work of fiction, known as “Garik’s book,” is published, entitled “How to spend a million that doesn’t exist and other stories of a Jewish boy.” The book becomes a bestseller in Ukraine.
Position
Although Garik Korogodsky was born in Ukraine and lives here now, he still lived in Moscow for a long time. Accordingly, the question of who he feels like now - Ukrainian or Russian - is asked by journalists quite often. To which Garik replies: “More like a Ukrainian Jew. But this does not mean that I stopped loving Russia and Russians. We just have different pictures of Russians. I love my friends, but I am told not to love someone else's friends. I don’t like anyone anyway. For some, Russia is Putin, and for others, Pushkin. For me – Pushkin. And power – I never loved it: neither in Russia, nor in Ukraine.”
In 2015, G. Korogodsky, as part of the election campaign to fill the post of mayor of Kyiv, launched a fictitious campaign “I am your self-dealer!” for $50 thousand with a provocative logo and slogans that desperately trolled the promises of other candidates (“Korogodsky’s plan will cover the city”, “I will pay off Ukraine’s debts with soda”...). It was clean water Hochma - he did not participate in the elections themselves, and he was not allowed due to the lack of Ukrainian citizenship. But this did not stop Garik.
At the end of 2016, G. Korogodsky again tried to run for the post of governor of Odessa, but his application was again rejected due to his citizenship.
Natalia Kravchuk
At the Speak Garik evening (on the right), the outrageous Kyiv businessman could be asked any question of interest
Natalia Kravchuk
A well-known metropolitan businessman who made his fortune in real estate explains when he started dressing strangely, what he considers the most important thing in women and how he feels about decommunization
Garik Korogodsky is perhaps the most unusual Ukrainian businessman. Together with his business partners, he launched a number of large projects in Kyiv: the Aquarium fitness center, the Globus shopping center (later Korogodsky sold his asset), the Vita Veritas company and the Dream Town shopping center. Among Korogodsky’s projects is the Zhiznelub charity foundation, whose main task is organizing leisure time for the elderly.
In addition, Korogodsky writes books. His debut edition How to spend a million that doesn't exist, and other stories of a Jewish boy in 2014 it became the best book in the Bestseller category.
However, in public Korogodsky is better known not as a millionaire with a serious business, but as a shocking personality who loves to surprise. First of all, by appearance, constantly appearing in public in colorful clothes and unusual glasses. But Korogodsky is creative not only in appearance, but also in actions. For example, at the last local elections in the fall of 2015, Korogodsky conducted a fictitious election campaign in Kyiv with the slogans “I am your self-inflicted person,” posting billboards with an obscene logo throughout the capital.
To answer all your questions, as well as give advice and his own forecasts for the future, the outrageous millionaire organized a meeting of Garik’s Conspiracy in one of the Kyiv restaurants. A ticket costs 500 UAH. included an unlimited amount of treats from the Grill do Brazill restaurant and a signature cherry compote. For more than two hours, Korogodsky’s guests ate and listened to stories from the businessman about childhood, work, business partners, money, women and children.
NV has collected the most interesting quotes that characterize the non-standard Kyiv millionaire from different angles.
- I have Jewish citizenship, I renounced Russian citizenship. There are about 300 thousand people in Israel who have Ukrainian and Jewish citizenship. I tried to live in Israel, but it didn’t work out. Here, in Ukraine, everything is native, every stone is native.
- I started dressing like this at 39 years old. It was the fall of 1999. I just took and threw away everything I had before and changed my clothes. Before that I wore a suit, shirt and tie. It was Milan. I accidentally walked into the store, the girl grabbed my hand and said: “We have a jacket that will suit you very well!” I didn’t resist for long - the girl was good. I put on this jacket, and the girl said to me: “There are some nice crimson pants to go with it.” Not those crimson ones, but beautiful ones. Well, it went further.
- My first date was at the left leg of the monument to Lenin, which stood on Bessarabka.
- As for decommunization, in Lenin’s place we, together with the young Kyiv sculptor Kostya Skritutsky ( author of the sculptures Hedgehog in the Fog, Landscape Alley and many other street art objects in Kyiv - NV) came up with the idea to create a space there for lovers. A bridge, benches where you could stroll and sit. Now they have begun to talk about the need to demolish the Arch of Friendship of Peoples, because it is also a symbol of friendship between Ukraine and Russia. My opinion is that there is no need to demolish it, because it is a memory. But if they already want to demolish it, then let them build in its place what was there before the Arch, namely, a Ferris wheel.
- 40% of people think I'm gay.
- My places of power in Kyiv are, for example, the park on Otradnoye. The place where I grew up. I still love walking there, I really recharge there. Another one is at my parents’ cemetery. I set up a beautiful workspace there. I’m sitting there with some water, with a computer, writing. Besides, I'm currently building a crypt there. It will be an interesting place. The crypt will be unusual. There will be telephones where you can call and talk to me on various topics - there will be recordings of conversations. There will be a table for eating something - not food, for example. I don't know if there is such a thing or not. But let it be. By the way, this is my only real estate in my entire life.
- I believe that a man should be the head of the family. For me this is a sign of success.
- My children - and there are four of them - live in rented apartments. They must be sure that I will spend my money during my lifetime. And I won’t leave them anything. I will help you with advice.
- I have been cooperating with one of my working partners for 37 years. First of all, we are friends, and only then we are partners. Our agreements with him have been developed over the years. We agreed along the way, already at a very mature age, that our mental state is more important than our financial one.
- The continuation of my Yellow Book will be released in September.
- My favorite musicians are the band GusGus and Roger Waters from Pink Floyd.
I don’t get any pleasure from earning money at all. I love to spend
- The most beautiful thing about a woman is her butt. I believe that the butt is generally the face of a woman.
- One of the greats once said that in the life of every man there should be at least one revolution. In my life, Maidan was the fourth revolution. I think I've had enough. But living in times of change is good.
- I don’t consider myself different from everyone else. I have a lot of friends, and each of them is different in their own way.
- Money is very necessary, without it it is impossible. But there are people who enjoy just making money. There are probably fewer of them. There are those who enjoy spending money. I don’t get any pleasure from earning money at all. I love to spend. But, unfortunately, they need to be taken somewhere. The bedside table is not oversized. Money has never come first for me.
- My hobbies are studying. I love learning what brings me pleasure. Now I'm learning to write books. I study acting and sports. Last week I tried golf for the first time in my life, and I liked it.
- A girl pushed me to write my first book. What they say about muses works.
