Hey folks, here we are with another story of a die-hard car fanatic, who loves cars to the core of his heart.  It seems to be normal story in the beginning about a man and his love for metal. But not when you consider that at a place like Kiev, you can encounter such a car collector. That’s where it hits you. But you know how car collectors are.

So, the person in question here is the present Mayor of Kiev(Ukraine), Leonid Chernovetsky. To begin with, he is a businessman of great stature and it is not inherited. He made the whole business by himself. After working as a prosecutor, Chernovetsky, now 55, founded Pravex, now one of Ukraine's top 30 banks, at the height of the perestroika era in the late 1980s. Apparently, Chernovetsky has sat in parliament since 1996, earning a reputation for being an ostentatious moralist. He has drafted more than 120 bills, mostly on public morals and corruption. So, what do you do when you have lots of money? Most of the regular readers of this site will agree to spend on cars. Well, so do Mr. Chernovetsky.

Chernovetsky's lifestyle is unique. Unlike many other post-Soviet tycoons, he does not try to hide his wealth. His car collection starts from one of the biggest display of excess wealth on wheels ‘MAYBACH’. Mr. Chernovetsky was one of the first in his country, Ukraine, to buy a Maybach 57S costing in the region of around $500,000. It uses a 6.0 Litre version of the V12 engine manufactured by Mercedes-AMG. Power output is 604 hp (450 kW) and 738 ft-lb of (1000 Nm), providing a sub-5 second sprint to 60 mph (97 km/h). It also rides 0.5 in (13 mm) lower on 20 in (508 mm) wheels. It is an office on wheels and a lounge too especially with those business-class recliner seats.

The dynamic and elegant appearance puts the Maybach 57S in a league of its own when it comes to luxurious chauffeur-driven cars.  It seems like it is the most opulent way to travel to the office but not when you got the taste like Mr. Chernovetsky and money to go with it. Well being the car collector that he is; he is satisfied with nothing short of excellence. So, he has to have another car, something people call as ‘The Best car in the world’.  The Maybach, nowadays, has been collecting dust with the arrival of ‘Rolls Royce Phantom’ in the fleet and not one or two but four.

Yes,phantom you read it right. He has 3 Rolls Royce Phantom drophead coupes and one stately four door. He personally uses the Phantom sedan. Rolls-Royce Phantom's positioned as the pinnacle of the super luxury segment. A hallmark of Rolls-Royce, is the way in which the most advanced technology combines with traditional hand-craftsmanship to produce something extraordinary. Together with the use of the finest leather and wood veneers, it is this fusion of high technology and hand-craftsmanship that gives the interior its unique and luxurious feel. It has a 6.8 litre, V12 engine that produces 453 Hp and 720 N-m of torque. The Phantom has to be the default car in a car collector’s garage. That’s enough to keep the man of the house happy. But what about his family?

Apparently just being related to the man has its benefits. He loves his family a lot. So, he gifted his wife Alina Ayvazova, a Mc Merc SLR. Yes, the beautiful car is driven by his wife and was the first Merc SLR to be bought in Ukraine. The Mercedes McLaren SLR super car has a 5.4 litre supercharged V8 that pumps out 626 HP and will accelerate from 0 to 60 MPH in just 3.8 seconds and hit a top speed of 207 MPH.

And she is not the only woman in Chernovetsky’s life are who controls incredible amounts of power. He has a daughter named Kristina. She is a lawyer and graduated from Kiev state university. She enjoys her time behind the wheel of her Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder with its 5.0 Liter V10 that makes a screaming 520 HP and will go to 0 to 60 MPH in only 4.3 seconds on its way to hitting a top speed of 195 MPH. With such an amount of power under your right foot, she definitely might be scorching the streets of Kiev. But no, she enjoys driving subtly.

Chernovetsky’s male offsprings are no strangers to the finer things in life. They too have an acquired taste for fine automobiles. Both have some fine cars to drive and enjoy. Some of them include this Porsche 911 Turbo TechArt Street painted in a stunning matte gold finish. The 3.6 litre flat 6 engine has been tuned to produce 630 HP, goes from 0 to 60 MPH in 3.2 seconds and hits a top speed of 215 MPH. The design of the car body has sporting agility and a perfect exterior design. The aero-bonnet, headlight trims and mirror trims, striking sill panels and carbon fiber spoiler characterize the dynamic design of this sports car. Precise air ducts on the front spoiler and rear wing optimize the engine ventilation. The striking rear apron with its carbon fiber diffuser and air ducts to the intercooler are additional special features of the comprehensive aerodynamic program. TechArt interiors stand for exceptional quality and care worldwide and are produced by hand at the TechArt saddlers department.

Of the three Rolls Royce Drophead Coupe’s, the youngest son is most often found in the white version with a 6.75 Liter V12 that makes 453 HP and goes from 0 to 60 MPH in 5.9 seconds. The drophead has chrome alloy wheels which are 22 inches in diameter. The one in the pic is of older son Stepan. He too is a lawyer from Kiev National University and likes to spend lot of quality time with his cars. We can say he has nice traits inherited from his father. Kiev, including the whole of Ukraine, has some of the most fascinating landscapes of Europe. And with cars like these, they are more so. Life of Mr. Chernovetskiy seems to be a dream. Besides these beautiful machines, this car collector has few other machines resting in his garage, of which, he talks about in his own exclusive website:

http://www.chernovetskiy.com.ua/personal/personal/ob_avtomobiljah/

(Use google translator to translate Ukrainian to English)

But, recently his life has been turbulent. His working as a mayor has been questioned by many. Politics in Ukraine is already a bit of sideshow, what with the president and his rivals so estranged that the country still lacks a finance minister, which might be good to have in, say, a financial crisis. When Parliament members said he was acting bizarrely and needed a psychiatric exam, he went to a stadium where he jogged for the cameras before yanking off his shirt and doing pull-ups. He swam laps and flexed his muscles like Charles Atlas.

“They are judging me today and want me to spend the rest of my life behind the bars of a psychiatric hospital,” Mr. Chernovetsky said. “Look at my body, at how I express my thoughts. I am absolutely healthy. I think logically and philosophically.” True, he was in fine physical shape for a man of 57, though perhaps this was not the wisest strategy for proving one’s competence.

He spoke of what he said were his accomplishments in Kiev, a city of nearly three million people: nurturing development, combating corruption and helping the poor. He said he had carried out innovations like setting up an information hot line that has received millions of calls. He is given credit for improving the city’s greenery and restoring its historic sites. His backers say that as a result, Kiev, with its lovely cathedrals and old neighborhoods, has remained a charming city that continues to draw businesses and tourists, no matter the tough times.

“Everyone wants me to leave, except the people who elected me,” Mr. Chernovetsky says. “My voters are ordinary people, and I speak to them in one language, the language of ordinary people, even though, of course, I am not an ordinary person.” Mr. Chernovetsky acknowledges that such criticism is unpleasant, but he says that he relies on his faith to bolster him, reading the Bible daily. As a member of the Embassy of God, a Kiev-based charismatic church, he sent copies of the Bible to all members of parliament and, as he claimed in an interview on the church's website, "to all judges in Ukraine." But whatever be the case, we wish he comes out of political scuffle with victory.

We can’t say if he is a good mayor or not. That is for the people of Kiev to decide. But from the context of a car collector, he is an excellent connoisseur. He sure has a collection anybody can be jealous of. But what is important here is his spirit of displaying enormous love for his cars and continuing his legacy with his family. Hats off to Mr. Leonard Chernovetsky.

By Gurshan Gill

Gurshan is a freelance writer.