What is Vitali Klitschko's nationality?
Father of the Klitschko brothers
The number is just like a number, everything is as always - about Jews and for Jews. But then I open page 46 and see: under the heading "Mark on history" placed material with an intriguing title "From bale to cap". For those who do not know the meaning of these two words, let me explain: a kippah is a small round cap worn on the top of the head by religious Jews; mouth guard is a special device that protects a boxer’s teeth from enemy blows. However, I might not explain the meaning of the above words; the subtitle to this publication speaks for itself, and at the same time about the content of the entire article - "Jews in Boxing History".
The general tone of the material is set by the first paragraph:
"Lechaim" (No. 12, December 2003),
“Among other myths and stereotypes associated with Jews, there is a common image of the “Jewish athlete.” He is almost always presented as a dead, bespectacled chess player. For all their monopoly on the chess championship, Jews, however, have something to boast about in other sports. And among them - in martial arts that require strength and fighting spirit. Let’s see how things are going with the solution to the “Jewish question” in the ring, and discuss the most popular of these martial arts - boxing...”
What follows is a “Jewish national” excursion into the history of boxing, from the end of the 18th century to the present day, as a result of which the author comes to a completely unoriginal conclusion: in boxing, as in everything else, “Jews, Jews, all around Jews." Although, regarding the “unoriginality” of this conclusion, it would be necessary to clarify - it is such for the most part for Jewish readers, but, for example, Ukrainians will probably find it super original, I would even say, original to the point of tears.
The fact is that in the final part of the article the author finds the final solution to the “Jewish question” in the ring. And it looks like this:
Reprint of the quoted paragraph from Lechaim.
«<…>Finally, about our fellow countrymen, modern world boxing stars. But first, a romantic story... The Ukrainian town was occupied by the Nazis, and the young lad hid in the underground for many months at the risk of his life young Jewish Tamara Etinzon, whose relatives died at the hands of the Nazis. They got married, and after the war they were exiled as former occupiers. After Stalinism, their son Vladimir became an officer. His sons, born in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, grew up in Kyiv and now live in Germany. In German they have a “speaking” surname: Klitsch—means “blow”, and the end of it, in boxing terminology, can be interpreted as a “knockout” - K.O. Many are convinced that the two-meter giant athletes brothers Vitali and Vladimir Klitschko have been and will be world champions more than once.
Do we need any more evidence of a Jewish presence in boxing?<…>"(Lechaim, No. 12, December 2003).
Thus, through the efforts of tireless researchers of the “Jewish question,” Ukraine lost its national pride: two Ukrainian boys with the distinctly Ukrainian surname Klitschko overnight turned into the grandchildren of a Jewish grandmother living in Germany and bearing a surname whose root is the word “Klitsch,” which sounds the same as in German , and in Yiddish. Two heroic brothers—almost the only national treasure remaining in the once rich and strong Ukraine—suddenly turned into "the pride of the Jewish people" and began to personify the “Jewish presence in boxing.”
If you remember, in Soviet times there was a very popular song, one of the verses of which sounded like this:
An old Jew in the Tretyakov Gallery
He says to the young man:
"You see three heroes
In the center of Muromets there is a Jew.”
Now this classic of Soviet folklore may well be replenished with another story “on the topic”:
Once the old Jew is at the ring
He says to the young man:
“Do you see two heroes?
Their grandmother is Jewish.”
Jews, Jews, there are only Jews all around...
It’s okay, the Ukrainians will say, we still have something to be proud of: for example, we created the Orange Revolution - the whole world gasped! Eh, my dears... I am sincerely sorry to disappoint you, but I am afraid that Independent Ukraine has the last “national treasure” left - Verka Serduchka. Yes, and she went on a Moscow spree.
As for the revolution, we will still have a reason to talk about it, and at the same time figure out whether it can be considered a subject of national Ukrainian pride.
Rabbi Khodos Eduard Davidovich - Head of the religious Jewish community of Kharkov, author of 20 books, on the basis of which a unique “people's library” was created. About 1000 of its branches operate throughout Ukraine. Each cell of 15 founder-agitators who filled out the questionnaire, based on the book fund formed by the author, conducts educational work in the region. Thus, a multi-million army of readers was created.
“If these materials were published by a Ukrainian, German, Russian or Lithuanian, there would certainly be a storm of international protests and accusations of Judeophobia. Any non-Jew who denounces Chabad will be branded an anti-Semite. My situation is unique. I am the chairman of the Jewish religious community.”
Read the attached file about Chabad first!
Books, Videos by the author
Vitaliy Klitschko was born on July 19, 1971 in the village of Belovodsk (Kyrgyzstan). Vladimir Klitschko - March 25, 1976 in Semipalatinsk (Kazakhstan). Father - Vladimir Rodionovich - is now an aviation colonel. Mother - Nadezhda Ulyanovna - an employee. Together with their parents, the brothers traveled throughout most of the Soviet Union. In 1985 they moved to Ukraine.
Children's classes in various types of martial arts gradually developed into a fairly serious passion for kickboxing for Vitaly and boxing for Vladimir. In a short period of time, Vitaly achieved significant sporting success - he became a six-time world champion in kickboxing (four times among professionals and two times among amateurs), as well as a three-time champion of Ukraine in boxing, champion of the 1st World Military Games in the heavyweight category (Italy, 1995 ), silver medalist at the World Championship. Vladimir was in no way inferior to his older brother. Already at the age of seventeen, he won the title of European champion among juniors, then became the champion of Ukraine in boxing five times, the champion of the 1st World Military Games in the heavy weight category (Italy, 1995), and the silver medalist of the European boxing championship (1996).
His greatest achievement in the amateur boxing ring was a gold medal and the title of boxing champion in the heavyweight category at the Olympic Games in Atlanta (1996). This victory was marked by the Order "For Courage", which was awarded to Vladimir by the President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma. Minister of Defense of Ukraine Alexander Kuzmuk, noting Vladimir’s sporting achievements, presented him with a personalized saber. Vitaly and Vladimir are strongly united by family ties, but at the same time, there is a constant fraternal competition between them, in which the victories of one of the brothers inspire the other to achieve even greater success. Perhaps this explains their meteoric rise.
The impressive victories of the Klitschko brothers in the amateur ring did not go unnoticed by famous sports figures around the world. After Vladimir's victory at the Olympic Games in Atlanta, the brothers received many invitations to various boxing clubs. However, after weighing all the pros and cons, we gave preference to the German professional boxing club "UNIVERSUM BOX-PROMOTION", with which we signed a contract in the fall of 1996.
Already in 1997, after six months of their professional career, Vitaly and Vladimir were talked about as possible contenders for the title of European champion and the most likely rivals of the world famous Mike Tyson. Their victories in the professional ring were so impressive that the most famous and beloved athletes (the “legend of German boxing” - Axel Schultz) refused to fight the Klitschko brothers for fear of losing. World-famous promoter Don King invited Vladimir and Vitaly to his team. "National hero of Germany" champion Henry Maske speaks of Ukrainian athletes as powerful and promising athletes capable of achieving the highest results.
Even an influential and respected person all over the world - Max Schmelling - World Boxing Champion in the 30s and 40s, and now the ex-president of the world famous Coca-Cola company in Germany, became interested in the successes of our athletes and found time to meet with Vitaly and Vladimir. Of course, the attention and support of such a person as Max Schmeling could not help but inspire the Klitschko brothers. “An hour of communication with Max Schlelling flew by in a flash,” recalls Vladimir, “I was struck by his clear mind and energy.” Max Schmeling, who was the last European to win the title of World Heavyweight Champion, passed the baton to the new future champions. The rise of Ukrainian athletes was so rapid that the world sports community started talking about their phenomenal boxing.
In Germany, Vitali Klitschko is called the “King of Knockouts”. And this is not surprising. Firstly, Vitaly had 27 fights and finished them all by knockout. Secondly, the brothers’ surname translated from German means “knockout blow” - “CRY” - blow, “K.O.” - designation of victory by knockout. The Klitschko brothers are extremely popular among German fans. The spectators greet Vitaly and Vladimir as they enter the ring with standing applause. According to the Klitschko brothers, such support from boxing fans gives them special strength and self-confidence. Since childhood, the parents of Vitaly and Vladimir tried to give their sons a diverse education. The brothers were involved not only in sports, but also in music.
Musical exercises on the accordion are a thing of the past, but the passion for music remains. And even now, in the close circle of his friends, Vitaly sometimes touches the strings of the guitar. Vladimir takes saxophone lessons in his free time. Recently, Vitaly and Vladimir have become interested in traveling on the Internet. Above all other pleasures, the Klitschko brothers value communication with friends and meeting new people. With great interest, Vladimir and Vitaly talk about their meetings with Boris Becker and Steffi Graff, Jon Bon Jovi, Dieter Bohlen and David Bowie, Giorgio Armani and John Casablancos - the president of the Elite model agency. The Klitschko brothers are endowed with not only sports talents.
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In 1996, they graduated from the Pereyaslav-Khmelnitsky Pedagogical Institute and entered graduate school at the Kyiv University of Physical Education and Sports. A year later they had to defend their candidate's dissertations, their first scientific “title,” so to speak. But now the Klitschko brothers are seriously thinking about continuing their studies and obtaining a doctorate degree.
In the fall of 1997, Vitaly and Vladimir founded the International Fund for the Promotion of Sports "Sport - 21st Century" and are its leaders. The purpose of this fund is to support talented athletes, experienced coaches and sports veterans who need help. Very often the Klitschko brothers meet with young athletes and school students, for whom, without exaggeration, they are idols and role models. Despite their great popularity in Europe, Vitali and Vladimir Klitschko proudly note that abroad they are perceived as citizens of Ukraine.
The Klitschko brothers represent Ukraine at various socio-political events, such as the presentation event “New Ukraine”, which took place in Bonn in May 1997 and was aimed at introducing Germany to young musicians, businessmen, athletes and politicians who personify Ukraine in the 21st century. The Klitschko brothers were part of the delegation that accompanied Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma to Bonn for an official meeting with German President Henry Herzog in May 1998. In the same 1998, the process of reviving St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral began. Vladimir and Vitaliy Klitschko, as leaders of the International Fund for the Promotion of Sports “Sport - XX? Century”, decided to finance the restoration of the high relief of Archangel Michael. Sports, as well as culture and politics, create the authority of the state. And the Klitschko brothers, along with many prominent Ukrainians, contribute to this. And then they were transferred to the Museum of the History of the City of Kyiv, where on August 24, 1999, the exhibition “The Path to Victory. The Klitschko Brothers” was opened, which displayed the sports trophies of Vitaly and Vladimir, won by them in amateur and professional sports. This exhibition lasted until November 1, 1999.
On October 12 of this year, Prime Minister of Ukraine Valery Pustovoitenko, at an official ceremony honoring the famous athletes of our country, awarded Vitaliy Klitschko the Order of Courage, third degree. Vitaly, having accepted the honorary award, said: “I am proud that my successes in sports help the whole world to know and love Ukraine. This award belongs not only to me, it rightfully belongs to all the fans, without whose support I would not have been able to achieve success.” .
On October 20, at the State University of Physical Culture and Sports, Vitaliy Klitschko brilliantly defended his candidate minimum. Those present at the report noted that Vitaly did not rely on his fame, but approached the preparation of his report professionally and showed a high level of knowledge. The defense of the dissertation, the topic of which is “Talentedness in Sports,” will take place in the spring of 2000.
On October 21, in the city of Boyarka, a stone was laid and the cross of the first church was consecrated, the parishioners of which will be students of the Kyiv Military Lyceum. I. Bogun. It will be built on the territory of this educational institution, opened a year ago, by the end of 2000. The noble mission - the revival of army churches - was also supported by Vitaliy Klitschko, who was present at this ceremony along with his father, an aviation colonel.
On December 15, 1999, a Ukrainian-German forum took place in Berlin. The topic of the discussion is “Ukraine after the elections: politics, economics, culture.” The forum was attended by Chairman of the National Bank of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Yevgeny Bersheda, Mayor of Kiev Alexander Omelchenko, Ambassador of Ukraine to Germany Anatoly Ponomarenko, as well as the first cosmonaut of Ukraine Leonid Kadenyuk and World Boxing Champion Vitaliy Klitschko.
On December 19, 1999, on St. Nicholas Day, on the holy land of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, Vitaly and Vladimir Klitschko met with young servicemen of the internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, who, on the eve of Police Day, took the oath of allegiance to the people of Ukraine. The Klitschko brothers wished the young soldiers of law and order: “health, happiness and success in their honorable service in law enforcement.” In turn, the command of the internal troops highly appreciated the outstanding achievements of the Ukrainian boxers, awarding them with the badge “For Excellent Service” of the second degree.
On February 29, 2000, at the National University of Physical Education and Sports, Vitaliy Klitschko brilliantly defended his thesis on the topic: “Determination of a boxer’s abilities in a multi-stage sports selection system.” The defense took place in the presence of representatives of the media from Ukraine, Russia and Germany. The Academic Council highly appreciated the work done by Vitaly. The head of the Kyiv city state administration, Alexander Omelchenko, and the president of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine, Ivan Fedorenko, came to congratulate Vitali Klitschko.
On March 10, 2000, the Echo music awards ceremony took place in Hamburg, which is one of the three most prestigious ceremonies, such as the American Grammy and the British Brit Award. Vitaliy and Vladimir Klitschko, as guests of honor, presented an award to the group "Die phantastischen Vier" in the category "Best Group in Germany". Guests of honor at the ceremony included Tina Turner, Ricky Martin and Tom Jones.
On March 18, 2000, in the Kiev Palace "Ukraine" the presentation of awards took place, perhaps the most prestigious award in Ukraine, the fourth national program "Person of the Year - 99". Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko were recognized as laureates in the Athlete of the Year category. Vitali Klitschko also won the “Man of the Year” nomination. The "Prometheus Prestige" prize was awarded to Vitaly and Vladimir in the special category "Pride of Ukraine".
On April 1, 200, Vitaly had to defend the WBO World Champion title for the third time in a fight against Chris Byrd, who replaced the suddenly ill Donovan Ruddock. Vitaly was the leader in this fight throughout all nine rounds, which, by the way, is confirmed by the score sheets of the judges outside the ring. However, due to an injury, Vitaly decides to refuse to continue the fight. In the ring, after the winner was announced, Vitaly took the microphone and said: “I apologize for the fact that an old injury did not allow me to win this fight
An athlete's greatest asset is health. I lost the fight. But my title went to Bird for a while. As soon as my rehabilitation is completed, I will be able to regain my Champion belt. This is just a break." Immediately after the fight, Vitaly was examined in one of the Berlin clinics. It turned out that the tendon that attaches the supraspinatus muscle to the bone, which is responsible for lifting and rotating the arm, could not withstand the load and broke.
Fritz Zdunek said at the post-match press conference: “Even before the fight for the World Championship title with Herbie Hyde, Vitaly had pain in his shoulder. Also, pain in the shoulder appeared later in training. But such pain as Vitaly experienced in this fight has never happened before.” . On April 2, Vitaly was examined at the Hamburg Fleetklinik, where on April 6, doctors Achim Hedtman and Peter Benckendorff performed an operation on him to implant a tendon into the bone.
On May 10, Vladimir and Vitaly were invited by Prince Albert of Monaco to the annual Monte-Carlo World Music Awards festival. Vladimir, as an honorary guest of the festival, presented the award “Best Artist of Russia” to the popular Russian singer Kristina Orbakaite. On the sidelines of the festival, he met Jeanne Claude Van Damme and Leonardo DiCaprio. Vladimir, among the guests of honor, was personally invited by Prince Albert to a gala dinner.
On May 16, 2000, a pleasant event occurred in the family of Vitali Klitschko and his wife Natalya: at nine in the morning, an heir was born - Egor Vitalievich Klitschko.
On October 24, 2000, a press conference was held in the conference hall of the Kyiv City Hall dedicated to Vladimir Klitschko winning the WBO World Champion title. At this press conference, the mayor of Kyiv, Alexander Omelchenko, awarded Vladimir Klitschko the highest award of the city of Kyiv, the Order of the Badge of Honor.
On November 25, Vitali Klitschko, after an eight-month break, entered the ring to challenge the European Champion title left by Vladimir in a duel with German boxer Timo Hoffman. The fight with “German Oak,” which is what Timo is called in Germany, was the first fight in which Vitaly spent all twelve rounds in the ring and won on points by unanimous decision.
On November 15, in the conference hall of the Kyiv State University of Physical Education and Sports, Vladimir Klitschko passed the candidate minimum, that is, he passed the so-called testing before defending his Ph.D. thesis. Vladimir’s scientific work was based on four years of research into the educational and training process of 76 boxers aged 14 to 17 years. All reviewers and opponents who spoke after Vladimir’s report noted that the research was carried out competently, the level of knowledge on this issue is high and the prospects for applying the research results are extremely broad. Some opponents drew the speaker's attention to minor inaccuracies.
The head of Vladimir’s scientific work, Professor Leonid Volkov, who spoke at the conclusion, noted the fairness of the comments made and promised to eliminate the inaccuracies before the defense of the dissertation. According to Professor Volkov, Vladimir, like Vitaly, is a talented graduate student with a great scientific future and a very efficient person. In January 2001, the specialized German magazine "Boxsport" conducted an annual survey of sports journalists, observers, as well as its readers, in order to find out the ranking of the best boxers in Germany. According to this poll, Sven Ottke, with 2005 votes, was recognized in Germany as the "Best Boxer of 2000". He is followed by Vladimir Klitschko, who received 1,765 votes, and Dariusz Michalczewski - 1,220. The list is completed by Timo Hoffman - 250 votes and Vitali Klitschko - 230. Based on the results of 1999, Vitali Klitschko was recognized as the "Best Boxer of the Year" with 1,995 votes. He was followed by Sven Ottke with 1,290 votes, Wladimir Klitschko with 1,100, Markus Bayer with 1,035 and the list was completed by Dariusz Michalczewski with 840 votes. On January 18, 2001, Vladimir successfully defended his dissertation in the conference hall of the Kyiv State University of Physical Education and Sports and became a candidate of sciences in the field of physical education and sports. The topic of his dissertation: “Pedagogical control in the system of training young athletes.” It is not difficult to guess that Vladimir Klitschko’s scientific work concerned boxers, more precisely 14-17 year old teenagers involved in amateur sports. The candidate for an academic degree himself said that doing scientific work gives him pleasure, and he was prompted to develop this particular topic by the process of his own preparation for the Olympic Games in Atlanta. Vladimir justified his scientific aspirations as well as the sporting hopes placed on him. Members of the academic council voted unanimously to award Vladimir Vladimirovich Klitschko the academic degree of Candidate of Sciences - even the “fatal” number of 13 people did not prevent it. Both official opponents found the dissertation topic useful. One of them, Professor Stanislav Kanishevsky, noted that the opponents’ search for obligatory shortcomings in this case seems archaic, because the work is very good (one of the disadvantages, according to the professor, was ... the excessive modesty of Vladimir Klitschko in assessing the relevance of his own dissertation). The freshly minted candidate of sciences “threatened” that soon he and his older brother Vitaly would appear before the clear eyes of the council in order to defend their doctoral dissertations. The younger Klitschko's next scientific work will be devoted to professional sports, in which, according to Vladimir, he has already gained some experience.
In mid-January 2001, a conflict arose between Vitali and Vladimir, as well as their promoter Klaus-Peter Kohl, regarding the date of completion of the contract between the Klitschko brothers and the Universum Box-Promotion club. According to Vitaly and Wladimir, their contract should end on March 31 of this year, and according to Klaus-Peter Kohl, his contract with the Klitschko brothers ends on April 30, 2004. On January 27 in Munich, Vitali Klitschko challenged the vacant WBA Intercontinental title in a fight against American veteran Orlin “Night Train” Norris. Vitaly took this fight very seriously. At the press conference that took place on the eve of the fight, Vitaly’s main words were: “My future is being decided in Munich. It’s my duty to win!” The fight itself was very short - 111 seconds. The first blow, which hit Orlin on the chin, knocked him to the floor of the ring. Orlin was scared and after the second fall he probably thought that health was more important and refused to continue the fight. At the post-match press conference, Vitali Klitschko noted with some sadness: “Norris, having received several blows, realized that I would not play with him. I did not have a New Year’s holiday or Christmas. For two months, twice a day, I trained for this fight. I wanted the fight and wanted to win it, proving that I was in great shape: But after the first blow, I saw fear in Norris's eyes. What else can I say: "
Two days later, Vitaly made a written appeal to his fans, it said: “After my first blow, Orlin Norris fell to the floor of the ring, despite the fact that he has an impressive list of fights and a name that is known all over the world. I know that you were upset, just like me. I can say one thing that in my next fight you will see a real fight with a real opponent! " On February 6, Vitali Klitschko, at the invitation of McLaren team leaders Mika Hakkinen and David Kulhart, attended the presentation of his team’s new car MP4-16, which took place in the Spanish city of Valencia. “The car is very beautiful, fast, and involuntarily respect arises for it. When you see how the pilots “fly low” on it, you really want to try and race like that, feeling like one of the winners of the most prestigious Formula 1 auto racing,” says Vitaly . - "Maybe someday I will succeed." On March 7, in one of the concert halls in the center of Hamburg, a literary evening dedicated to the memory of Mikhail Bulgakov took place. Fragments of perhaps the most mystical Mikhail Bulgakov's novel "The Master and Margarita". The literary readings were held in German. "To prepare for this evening, I did not use the services of a director or professional actor. I read the novel “The Master and Margarita” when I was still a teenager, and since then I have often re-read it, discovering something new in Mikhail Bulgakov’s work every time,” says Vitaly. “When Iris suggested to me the idea of these literary readings, yes another one of my favorite books, I agreed without hesitation. I am glad that a lot of my friends, admirers of the work of Mikhail Bulgakov, gathered in the hall." In addition to being creative, this event was also of a charitable nature. All funds received from the sale of tickets for this evening were donated to the restoration of the convent of the Archangel Michael, which is located in Odessa. On February 19, at the German University of the Bundeswehr, the only higher military educational institution in Germany, Vitaliy Klitschko presented his PhD thesis on the topic: “Methodology for determining the abilities of boxers in a multi-stage sports selection system.” The event took place in the largest conference hall of the University, designed for 300 people. But even this huge hall could not accommodate everyone who wanted to get acquainted with Vitaly's scientific work. Among the listeners were students representing all military specialties, as well as our compatriots who study at this university. The dissertation presentation lasted about an hour, and Vitaly answered questions for another hour. The most common among them were: “Where did Vitaly find the time to work on his dissertation? How did he manage to become a candidate of science without interrupting his boxing career?” Four years ago, Vitaly arrived in Germany without knowing a single word of German. And today he presented his dissertation to the German public for an hour, and the listeners were delighted. “If this continues,” said one of the listeners, “Vitaly will soon present his scientific work at Harvard. Well, after that he can quit boxing and lecture all over the world.”
Future servicemen appreciated the scientific work of the elder Klitschko and saw him off with applause. After such a successful report by Vitaly, the assumption naturally followed that Klitschko Jr. would introduce his scientific work to the German scientific community. To which Vladimir replied: “I will definitely prepare a report on my dissertation. I can’t wait to find out how it will be received in Germany. However, in the near future the number one task for me is to defend the World Champion title. I think that after March 24 I will have enough time to demonstrate not only your athletic, but also your scientific worth." At the beginning of March, Vladimir received an offer to star in the film "Ocean's 11". The main roles in this film star Julia Roberts, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Diamon. In addition, 9,000 extras will be involved in the film. The director of the film "Ocean"s 11" - Oscar winner Steven Soderbergh. Filming will take place in one of the most famous complexes, MGM Grand. This film will be a remake of the very popular comedy "Frankie and Peculiarities" in the sixties. At that distant time, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin shone in it. Vladimir, however, like Lennox Lewis, was offered a cameo role. According to the script of the film, Vladimir and Lennox must fight for the title of World Champion. Everything will be like in life. And a press conference, and a weigh-in, and a fight. Everything is here for you - life, tears, and love. Vladimir himself does not hide his pleasure: "Ocean's 11" should raise interest in my fight with Lennox Lewis in the United States. This film will be the first step towards a real fight, which I hope will take place at the end of this year." But still, the euphoria of Hollywood stardom did not overwhelm Vladimir. “This is certainly good,” says Klitschko Jr., “but first of all, I have to defend my title against Derrick Jefferson.” If everything goes well and there are no delays, we will be able to see the film in mid-December. The day before Vladimir's fight with Derrick Jefferson, the situation surrounding Vitaly and Vladimir's contract with the Universum Box-Promotion club reached its climax. At a press conference that took place in Kiev, Vitali Klitschko’s statement was announced: “Recently, Klaus-Peter Kohl in his interviews has been focusing on the financial side of the contract, presenting himself as virtue itself, and Vladimir and me as mercantile boxers who care only about your wallet. Although the subject of dispute was not only the ability of our promoter to organize fights with boxers whose names were repeated hundreds of times, but also financial issues. It is clear that each side defends its own views and interests. We continue negotiations on a possible extension of the contract on mutually beneficial terms for both parties. The contract has not yet been signed, and we can talk about signing the contract only after Volodya fights on March 24. But, despite the numerous offers from clubs and promoters coming to us, Vladimir and I are inclined to think about continuing to work with the "Universum Box-Promotion" club. On March 24 in Munich, Vladimir Klitschko defended the WBO World Champion title for the first time against, perhaps, the most serious opponent in his entire professional career, American boxer Derrick Jefferson. Already at the first press conference, Derrick Jefferson sharply declared that he would turn Vladimir’s birthday into a funeral. However, Vladimir calmly reacted to the incorrect statements of the American boxer, noting that he would say his words in the ring.
The nine thousand-seat Rudi-Sedlmeier Halle, where this fight took place, was filled to capacity. The fight between Vladimir and Derrick was supposed to be a kind of compensation to Munich boxing fans for the fleeting fight between Vitaly and Norris. Vladimir fully met the hopes of all boxing fans. Already in the first round, Derrick Jefferson was knocked down, and only the gong saved him from knockout. In the second round, Vladimir forced the American boxer to fall onto the ring platform twice more. After the second fall, the referee was forced to stop the fight due to Vladimir's clear advantage. On March 28, more than a three-month period of uncertainty ended as to whether Vitali and Vladimir Klitschko would renew their contract with the Universum Box-Promotion club. At the club's headquarters, a contract was signed between the Klitschko brothers and promoter Klaus-Peter Kohl, which expires on April 30, 2004. “We are glad that we were able to continue the contract with Vitaly and Vladimir,” said club promoter Klaus-Peter Kohl immediately after signing the contract. “Now I can calmly concentrate on organizing fights. I will devote the next week to negotiations with Lennox Lewis’s managers.” Herr Kohl confirmed his desire and ability to organize fights for his boxers both in Europe and America. Vitali Klitschko was brief: “Immediately after Wladimir’s fight, we sat down at the negotiating table. The contract with the club was signed on mutually beneficial terms. I can only say that this is a completely new contract. No more comments.” However, as we learned from various sources, Vitaly and Vladimir are planning to open “their own business” in the near future. The information has not yet been officially confirmed. But I think that soon the Klitschko brothers will be engaged not only in holding fights, but also in organizing them.
A fan in the exclusion zone.
Olga Tarnovskaya 27.02.2006 11:52:48
A fan in the exclusion zone.
When you find yourself in the exclusion zone, it seems that time has stopped, like in some science fiction film, and the further you go there, the fewer signs of life are visible around. Villages in the exclusion zone in winter seem like aliens from the other world - lonely houses that are devoured by the forest. Here nature takes revenge for what we did to it. It does not spare those who remained faithful to their land, the roots that they could not cut off, who left but could not settle in a new place, who returned to live and die on the land of their fathers and mothers.
The village of Parishev is located near the exclusion zone itself, a little away from Pripyat and Chernobyl; a year after the Chernobyl accident, 150 families returned there - mostly elderly couples who did not have minor children - returned and tried to live despite... The fate of the self-settlers turned out differently: some lived a little, thought and left again, some Some were taken in by persistent children, some ended up in a nursing home, and the rest continued to live and die.
Now there are 15 people left in the village, pensioners, lonely people who have health problems inherent to their age and aggravated by increased background radiation. They are all afraid of the day when they suddenly feel bad, and there will be no one nearby who can help. These people know that such a day will come one day and they will be left alone with death, but they humbly await this day and are in no hurry to become a burden to their children and grandchildren, if any.
Maria Shilan two years ago buried two sons, 46 and 51 years old, who worked in Chernobyl and left their health there. But if you imagine something cheerful and optimistic in this God-forsaken side, something that can bring a smile and tears at the same time, it is undoubtedly Grandma Maria. A small, nimble, hospitable and cordial woman, to whom they like to take reporters and rare (and in connection with the sad anniversary, already quite frequent visitors to the zone). She is also famous for being an inspired fan of Vitalka too. I like the stench even more. True Ukrainians, like the stench of these fucking foreigners, well, it’s a sport, they play like that, don’t give up.” Grandma Maria watches all the matches and, on occasion, comments on them with the males who “flew” into the zone; local friends do not share the granny’s hobbies. “And then they gave Volodka, but I felt so bad, I wanted to go to the door and take medicine, but I’m afraid to go back into the house, no matter what. Well, I go in, I’m amazed, no matter, there’s more to come...” This woman shone with joy and enthusiasm when she spoke about her favorite athletes and joked about her life in the exclusion zone: “We are such a nation that radiation does not take us away.” . With her lively eyes and her cheerful character, she seemed to disperse this feeling of hopelessness and doom that befell us in the zone and seemed to be an inevitable companion in such an environment.
And for some reason we all thought that if we could somehow brighten up the life of this wonderful woman, we should at least try to do it. And we all thought about one thing - about the day when her door would be knocked not by annoying journalists or random visitors to the zone, but by those whom Grandma Maria simply adores. You know who I'm talking about.
I understand that there are simply a lot of such requests: probably every day you receive letters of similar content, but in this life there are actions that, having done them, you can think that this life was not lived in vain. I understand perfectly well that even without this, your life is full of such actions, but if suddenly you find the time and opportunity to visit Grandma Maria, you will never forget this, and she will certainly never be able to forget this. And we, mere mortals, can only quietly and kindly envy you, because you are endowed with special power from God - to make people happy with your very presence...
Sincerely, Olga Tarnovskaya, Kyiv.
Tel. 8 066 9871285
Hello
Nurka 26.03.2006 07:42:13
I’ve been looking for your site for so long and kept wondering if there really isn’t any information about such great people. It turns out I just wrote one letter incorrectly. And now I’m not happy that there is an opportunity to get information about you. If you can miraculously read my message, then just let me know about it. I will be very glad.
Response to the fight between Vitali Klitschko and Kevin Johnson on December 12, 2009.
Butorina Elena (Enik2217) 14.12.2009 09:17:10
"CHAMPION!!!"
Well, what is it?! The light in everyone's windows is flickering...
It's almost midnight... Why aren't people sleeping?!
Today everyone is clinging... to the “blue screens”...
After all, there... Vitaliy Klitschko!!! He's fighting with someone...
With Kevin Johnson... Massively dynamic...
Those who don’t yet know in the ring... failures...
Holding defense skillfully... Excellent...
It's almost impossible... to break through...
The opponent is strong... His uppercut is heavy...
Agility and mobility are also good...
He’s so nimble... this “heavy” is round-headed!..
And he’s in no hurry to expose himself to blows...
Twelve rounds our “heavyweight” Vitaly
Conducts an active and technically difficult battle!..
And you can immediately feel that he is an experienced master!..
His direct blow is so thorough!..
And Johnson... Dodging, he runs around the ring...
Clinging tightly to the ropes... And to the corners...
He won’t be awarded points... for passivity!..
What is he thinking about?! It's time to come alive!..
Well, Johnson comes in for the final rounds.
Into a fiercely energetic struggle...
Shows off his boxing experience a little...
But... it’s not fate today... to win in battle!..
No one gets knocked out... or knocked down...
Now the judges will make a verdict based on the scores...
Who will win?! No doubt - Vitaly!!!
For the first time Johnson... will lose... This is the ring!!!
The stands are thundering and chanting... “KLI-CHKO! KLI-CHKO!”
The stadium explodes with jubilant delight!!!
And even if Vitaly... is not “photogenic”,
He is the winner again today!!! CHAMPION!!!
For many years, professional boxing in the heavyweight category was unconditionally dominated by boxers from the United States, not allowing anyone close to the championship belts. However, the Klitschko brothers broke this tradition, gradually and slowly rising to the top. At first, no one took them seriously, considering the fighters to be typical people from amateur European boxing - static and predictable. However, by working hard on their strengths, they gradually reigned in the world ring, and for the last ten years, Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko have methodically knocked out all their competitors.
Officers' children
The parents of the legendary boxers came from Ukraine, but the occupation of his father, Vladimir Rodionovich, forced him to travel a lot throughout the republics of the Soviet Union. He was a professional military man, and by the end of his career he had risen to the rank of major general in the Ukrainian Air Force and the position of military attaché at the Ukrainian embassy abroad. Mom, Nadezhda Ulyanovna, devoted her life to school, where she worked as a primary school teacher.
Many people are interested in the question of where the Klitschko brothers were born. Both of them were born in the Central Asian republics with a difference of five years. Vitaly was born in a small village in Kyrgyzstan in 1971, Vladimir - in the city of Semipalatinsk, in Kazakhstan.
Tall, textured guys couldn’t help but play sports. Vladimir immediately decided on his specialization and from the age of 14 he trained in the boxing section.
Vitaly was interested in different types of martial arts. Finally, he settled on kickboxing, where he achieved significant success.
He has 35 fights to his name, most of which he won, including 22 ahead of schedule. By the age of twenty-five, he became world champion six times, four times among professionals.
This is how the Klitschko brothers began their careers in different ways. The older of them later came to boxing after his brother. In 1995, Vitaly decided to “reboot” his career and chose the boxing ring.
Amateur career
Starting from juniors, Vladimir showed the highest results. His first international award was gold at the 1993 European Junior Championships, when he had not yet reached his impressive size and competed in the first heavy weight category. There were also disappointing defeats.
In 1994, he lost in the final of the Junior World Championship to Cuban Nunez. Moving to the adult level, Vladimir began by winning the World Military Championship. Then, at several major tournaments, he was left without the main award, losing in the quarterfinals of the world championship and losing to Alexei Lezin in the tense final of the continental championship. By that time he had already grown up, gained weight and competed in the heavyweight division.
By 1995, Vitali joined him, and the Klitschko brothers competed together in the same weight category. This, accordingly, deprived one of them of the opportunity to take part in major tournaments, since the country could only field one fighter in each weight category. The coaching staff faced a serious dilemma - who to send to the main tournament of the four-year cycle, the 1996 Olympics.
At that time, the Klitschko brothers were approximately at the same level. The boxing that Vitaly showed looked more convincing, and they began to prepare him for competitions. However, traces of anabolic steroids were found in the athlete’s doping test, and Vladimir had to replace his brother.
On the way to the final of the main tournament in his amateur career, Vladimir took revenge on his recent offender Alexei Lezin, defeating him in the semi-finals. In the decisive battle, the Tongan boxer Paea Wolfgram was defeated.
“Bag diet” in professional boxing
Having won the Olympic title, Vladimir Klitschko saw no point in continuing his amateur career. Vitaly also supported this decision. Soon the Klitschko brothers decided to test themselves in the tough world of professional boxing.
Like many other European boxers, Ukrainians chose Germany to develop their careers. One of the most reputable promotion companies at that time was Universum Box-Promotion, with which Vladimir and Vitali Klitschko signed a contract. The boys' coach was the authoritative German specialist Fritz Zdunek.
Both boxers made their debut in professional boxing at the same time in 1996. The brothers spent their first fights against frankly weak opponents, most of whom had more defeats than victories to their credit. Vitaly, for example, won all of his first ten fights by knockout, without even getting to the third round.
Only in the eleventh fight did his opponent Gilbert Williamson last until the 6th round, being knocked down several times.
The fights of Vladimir Klitschko looked about the same. The Ukrainian's more or less serious opponent was Carlos Monroe, who forced a dirty fight on Klitschko and cut him with his head in the sixth round.
In general, the Klitschko brothers did not make much of an impression on specialists at that time and were considered just another “European champions,” that is, boxers who would spend their careers against little-known opponents in fights that were of little interest to anyone.
Vladimir's first titles
A few years later, having accumulated a sufficient number of victories to their credit, Ukrainian boxers began fighting for various belts. Vladimir's first title fight took place in February 1998.
At stake was the not very honorable belt of the WBC Intercontinental World Champion. Marcus McIntyre did not resist for too long, and in the third round, without much effort, Klitschko, a boxer significantly superior to his opponent, knocked him out. After that, he carried out several successful defenses, also dispatching challengers without any problems.
In 1998, Vladimir’s first defeat took place. The most offensive thing for him is that this was the first fight that Klitschko fought in his homeland. Kyiv became the city where his fight with Ross Purity took place.
And this battle was affected by Vladimir’s reluctance to hold long fights. Having easily dealt with previous opponents in the first rounds, he also tried to solve everything against Purity with a quick knockout.
However, Ross survived and brought the matter to the last stages. The big and heavy Ukrainian boxer was very exhausted by the tenth round, it came to the point that he was knocked down twice. In the next round, everything was repeated, and Vladimir’s seconds stopped the beating of their boxer.
Subsequently, the Ukrainian learned lessons from his defeat, and Vladimir Klitschko’s next fights ended in victories. Among them were fights with Zoran Vudzhecic, the strong German Axel Schulz, and a longtime acquaintance of Paea Wolfgramm.
Vitaly's exploits
The eldest of the Klitschko brothers began the pursuit of belts with the title of WBO intercontinental world champion. In his first title fight, Vitaly had to meet his first serious opponent. However, American Dickie Ryan did not resist for too long and was knocked out in the fifth round.
Soon, in a fight against Mario Schiesser, he won the European champion title, subsequently making several successful defenses.
However, all these belts were not very prestigious and did not give Vitaly much fame. A real championship fight was supposed to change everything. In 1999, this fight took place. The future mayor of Kyiv entered the fight for the title of world champion. True, of the four leading boxing organizations, the WBO was not rated as highly as the others, but this was already a significant step forward. Vitaly also faced a serious opponent - Herbie Hyde, the current champion, a fast and agile fighter who has suffered only one defeat in his career.
In the first round of the fight, it seemed that the critics of the Klitschko brothers were right. The Englishman moved faster, delivered precise blows and acted more boldly and unconventionally than the huge and clumsy Ukrainian. However, in the second round he ran into a strong cross, after which Vitaly seized the initiative. Finishing off the discouraged opponent was already a matter of technique, and soon Klitschko knocked out Hyde with a right hook.
Thus, Klitschko also set a record for the fewest number of rounds on the way from beginner to champion, which has stood since the time of Tyson. After the victory, Vitaly carried out several successful defenses until he ran into his complete antagonist in the ring.
Criticism of the Klitschko brothers' style
In the first years, the promoters of the Klitschko brothers were in no hurry to force events and did not allow their players to fight against truly serious opponents. Even after a long series of convincing victories, the attitude towards the Ukrainians was quite skeptical. They seemed too slow and clumsy. Having left amateur sports, they continued to act in the ring according to learned patterns and cliches; there was no variety in their actions.
The tactical arsenal of both Vitaly and Vladimir was quite monotonous. Using their height and arm length, they kept opponents at bay with powerful jabs and tried to keep them away from them.
They boxed monotonously and predictably, but in fights against weak opponents it still worked.
The Klitschko brothers began to look completely different in the ring when they had to defend their titles and fight against real professionals capable of sharp explosive actions and non-standard attacks.
The first boxer from this series was Chris Byrd. After all, the American was one of the most interesting and unusual heavyweight boxers of those years. Coming from a light heavyweight class, he was very fast and sharp, it was very difficult to hit him, he, like no one else, knew how to dodge blows and make the enemy laugh. However, the other side of the coin was Byrd's lack of strength. His blows, as experts put it, were not capable of breaking an eggshell.
All this was evident in the fight between Vitaly and Chris Byrd. The Ukrainian acted in his usual manner, throwing long-range blows, but the deft American easily dodged them and delivered weak but accurate blows over and over again. So Vitaly lost for the first time in his career.
Revenge for brother and defeat of Vladimir
If a boxer beat one of the Klitschko brothers, he had to prepare to fight the second of them. Chris Bird didn't escape this either. Vladimir Klitschko met with the American in 2000 to take the WBO belt from him and avenge his older brother. This time there was no underestimation of the enemy. Vladimir relied on his advantage in strength and, not paying attention to Byrd’s weak blows, time after time tried to take his breath away and push him through.
This tactic achieved its goal; in the ninth and eleventh rounds, Vladimir knocked down Chris and achieved a victory on points.
Having become world champion, Klitschko Jr. carried out a number of successful defenses, acting in a familiar manner and avoiding truly stellar opponents. This continued until 2003. Corrie Sanders, a boxer from South Africa, was a real dark horse; many considered him another passing stage on Vladimir’s path. However, the South African was a real professional boxer, he acted aggressively, unconventionally and threw unexpected side punches with terrible force.
Vladimir, acting monotonously and straightforwardly, was not ready for such a style of battle. Moreover, he was not used to being knocked down. This is exactly what Sanders did at the end of the first round, and he put the Ukrainian down with a swing - a blow from the ancient boxing past, which is almost never used in modern sports.
In the second round, Corrie finally put Klitschko down, and after the fourth knockdown, the referee stopped the beating of Wladimir.
After the defeat, Vladimir had several successful fights. The next passing opponent was supposed to be Lymon Brewster. This heavyweight was nothing special, and Wladimir dominated the first four rounds. However, then, for inexplicable reasons, he suddenly began to lose strength, and the American boxer began simply beating Klitschko until the referee stopped the fight.
The revival of Ukrainian heavyweights
Defeats gradually hardened the brothers; they worked to be more diverse and stop acting schematically.
One of the decisive moments in Vitaly’s career was the fight with Lennox Lewis. Finally, he had the opportunity to meet with the real superstar of world boxing in a fight for the title of world champion in the prestigious version. Despite the defeat, Vitaly acted very well and was leading on points at the time the fight was stopped. Only due to the fact that Vitaly received a serious cut after a blow from Lewis, the fight was stopped and the victory was awarded to the current world champion.
After Lewis left the sport, the path to the belt was open, and Vitaly began to move up. The championship fight with Corrie Sanders in 2004 should be highlighted. The South African was just as aggressive as he was against Wladimir, and Vitaly was on the verge of disaster. However, he endured it, and after his opponent was exhausted, he, in turn, began to beat Sanders.
After this, the real era of the Klitschko brothers began in world boxing. In the absence of boxers equal in talent to Mike Tyson, no one was able to truly compete with Ukrainian fighters. Methodically and slowly, year after year, they collected championship belts in all prestigious weight categories. On the way to the top, they defeated the current champions - Ruslan Chagaev, Sultan Ibragimbekov.
After Vitaly left the sport, Vladimir remained the strongest heavyweight boxer. In 2013, Alexander Povetkin made an attempt to interrupt the decade of the Klitschko brothers, but Klitschko Jr. defeated the Russian with a serious advantage.
Only in 2015 did Tyson Fury manage to defeat Wladimir. After the scandalous departure of the Briton from the sport, world boxing crowns became free. The fight between Wladimir Klitschko and Anthony Joshua on April 29, 2017 should decide which of them is more worthy of the titles. All boxing fans are looking forward to it.
Personal life
Vladimir Klitschko was not constancy in his relationships. He met with Kyiv model Alexandra Avizova, Yvonne Katerfeld, and another model Alena Gerber.
He currently lives with Hayden Panettiere. In 2014, they had a daughter, who was named Kaya Evdokia.
Vitali Klitschko's wife is no less a charismatic figure than her husband. Natalia Klitschko (nee Egorova) is a formerly famous Ukrainian fashion model and athlete. During the marriage, the couple had three children - sons Egor-Daniel and Maxim, and daughter Elizaveta-Victoria. Vitali Klitschko's wife actively supports her husband in his political and social activities. Sometimes she even outshines him with her personality on this front.
Klitschko the politician
After retiring from sports, the eldest of the two brothers decided to take a risk and make a political career. Initially, he concentrated his efforts in the capital of the country - Kyiv, was elected to the city parliament, and participated in elections for the position of mayor. Soon he felt himself a politician on a national scale. Relying on his big name and good financial capabilities, the future mayor of Kyiv creates his own party “UDAR”. With her, he goes to the elections to the Verkhovna Rada in 2012 and receives a good percentage of the vote, winning 42 seats in the country’s parliament.
Vitali Klitschko was an active supporter and participant of Euromaidan. After the overthrow of Yanukovych, he announced his intention to run for president in 2014, but shortly before the elections he made an unexpected statement in which he abandoned the fight and expressed support for Petro Poroshenko.
In response to this courtesy, the former boxer was given the opportunity to act freely in the capital and, with the support of the president, to go to the election of the head of the city, which he did. What seemed like a joke ten years ago has come true: Vitali Klitschko is the mayor.
Twenty years have already passed since then unknown Ukrainian heavyweights took the path of professional boxing. Since then, they have won all conceivable and inconceivable titles and titles, acted in films, and the eldest of them even made a dizzying career in politics.
Recently, Ukraine, holding its breath, watched as the entire Ukrainian “elite” watched the championship match of Vladimir Klitschko in America in the front row. Ukrainians were again filled with pride in the Ukrainian flag, the boys wanted to be like the Klitschko brothers.
But what is known about the brother duo, other than the fact that they are outstanding boxers and that they supported Viktor Yushchenko on the Orange Maidan? Many people remember the orange rag on Vitali Klitschko’s shorts.
It was in Rivne. The year was 2002. The townspeople did not believe local journalists when they told them that on March 20, the city would be visited by the public's favorites - the Klitschko brothers... But on the appointed day, both boxers appeared in Rivne. They arrived from Kyiv together with candidate for people's deputies Igor Bakai, in a luxury jeep and accompanied by security. The Klitschko brothers said that they had come to present to voters the team that would certainly win the 2002 elections: the team of Igor Bakai, who was running at that time in the Rivne 153rd district. Chervoniy then stated that “oligarch Bakai bought the boxer brothers.”
Vitaliy then said: “Why hide? We came to Rivne to support our friend Igor Bakai,” Vitaliy Klitschko told media representatives during a press conference. “And not because he asked us or even paid us. Believe me, My brother and I earn enough money for ourselves and our families, and we wouldn’t tarnish our reputation by selling our name. There are completely different motives here. You can live in Germany, where there are good roads and cars, you can earn good money there. But you can’t be indifferent to what is happening in Ukraine, where our parents, relatives and friends live. We wish them and all citizens of our country a decent future, and for this we need those in parliament who care not about themselves, but about people. Igor - exactly one of those. My brother and I have known him for a long time, he sometimes supports us with advice, sometimes with connections throughout our development in professional sports. For example, in 1996, Vladimir did not want to be included in the Ukrainian Olympic team. The Boxing Federation doubted that he could achieve significant results after an injury. But Igor was able to resolve this issue, and for good reason. Vladimir went to the games and won gold there.
Now the Klitschko brothers do not remember anywhere about their friendship with Igor Bakai, the ex-chief of the Dusi. Still would! After all, they are now “orange heroes”, and Igor Mikhailovich, with the light hand of his fellow countryman from Rivne - Socialist Minister Yuri Lutsenko, is listed as a criminal and is wanted. Why do they need such a friend now?
Igor Bakai himself never hid his personal participation in the fate and sports career of the Klitschko brothers, especially, however, without talking about the extent and financial details of this participation. In a simplified presentation, Bakai’s stories on this topic to various interlocutors boil down to the following. “Someone” invited Igor Bakai to a tournament with the participation of promising kickboxers Klitschko. A couple of powerfully built guys made a proper impression on the emotional “Mikhalych”. Loving everything big and merchant scale, Igor “sponsored” the brothers, who had previously “been working their tails” with Bakaev’s friend, the Kyiv crime boss “Rybka”. The famous European promoter Klaus-Peter Kohl, who was found for them in Germany, agreed to skillfully “reforge” Klitschko’s giant kickboxers into classic boxers. Happened…
The brothers’ career began like that of many guys who were hit in the head by the criminal romance of the early 90s and are now lying in the Forest Cemetery. The Klitschko brothers began their career with one of the most famous Kyiv criminal authorities - Vitya “Rybka”.
The beginning of the career of the Klitschko brothers 
This photograph was taken by the “right hand” of “Rybka” - a militant of his group nicknamed “Borovik”. Filming location: New York, 1997. “Rybka”, implementing a joint plan with Igor Bakai, brought Ukrainian boxers to the USA to meet with Don King
Eight years later, “Rybka” was shot from a machine gun in the center of Kyiv. What connects this first trip to the USA for Klitschko and the shooting of “Rybka”?
“...In the mid-nineties, the nickname “Fish” thundered throughout Kyiv and was heard in many regions of Ukraine. An apartment thief, sick with kleptomania and previously convicted, 55-year-old Viktor Ivanovich Rybalko, after the death of Vova “Pulya”, headed his powerful criminal group. The sworn enemy of the murdered leader of the Kyiv organized crime group Valery Pryshchik (“Pimple”). After failed attempts on his life (the last one in August 2000), he emigrated to Holland out of harm's way. The Ukrainian media devoted many publications to the personality of this person.
On May 12, 2005, at about 6:40 pm, Vitya “Rybka” left the dry cleaners with a bag of laundry. But he managed to walk along the Kyiv street named after Ivan Franko not far. The gangsters, who were lying in wait for the criminal boss near house No. 19 (the building of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine), opened heavy fire on him from a Scorpion submachine gun. The fire was fired at speed from a dark-colored car passing by. In total, about twenty bullets were fired at the target. About ten of them hit the fence and concrete barrier of the construction site, past which “Rybka” was passing. Viktor Rybalko died on the spot from his injuries. The attackers managed to escape unhindered. The police put the Buran plan into effect, but failed to apprehend the criminals without delay.
(C) 
The photo shows the "Rybka" brigade. In the top row, second from the left - "Fish", in the bottom row from the left - his right hand - "Boletus"
Who is he, Klitschko's patron? The criminal biography of this authority of the criminal world was published by many Ukrainian media.
During the specified period of time, Viktor Rybalko and his organized crime group controlled the work and income of the following commercial structures: the mobile operator company UMC, the Pulsar and Polytech companies, the UFG corporation (Ukrainian Financial Group), the Respublika corporation "(headed by Igor Bakai), the first private funeral home in Ukraine "Skorbota". And also: cafes in Kyiv “Lviv” (Artema Street), “Vinnichanka” (Moskovsky district of the capital), “Bourbon” (Boryspilska Street); restaurants “Verkhovyna”, “Krakow” (Kyiv, Pobedy Avenue); sports club "Lokomotiv" and sports complex of the Pedagogical University. And a number of city cemeteries.
“In the early 90s, Rybalko established relations with the “authority” Sergei Leiko (“Leika”), who, in turn, had connections with the old generation criminal Vova Cherny. Later, Leiko had a conflict with Rybka, and he was preparing an assassination attempt on the latter. But Rybka was ahead of his opponent: Leiko was shot in 1995 in broad daylight on a crowded street. The killer turned out to be a mediocre bandit, whom Leiko had brutally beaten at one time. He took the murder upon himself. And after the death of Leiko there followed the disappearance of Cherny; presumably, he was also killed,” Ukrainian media wrote.
“In 2000, Rybka’s visit to Kyiv almost cost him his life. In August of that year, the Mercedes jeep in which Rybka was traveling was literally riddled with bullets. Despite the fact that the killers emptied two Kalashnikov magazines and killed two of Rybalko’s fellow travelers (including Andrei Borovik), the crime boss himself did not receive a scratch. “Rybka” again went into “emigration”.
"Ukrainian Credit and Trade Bank" was much better known under its old name "Geosantris". In the mid-90s, he was actively involved in transactions with military-industrial complex funds and was one of the leading Ukrainian banks. Later he could not withstand the competition in his field of activity and moved far beyond the top hundred of the banking rating. In addition, the bank managed to appear in a series of “showdowns” of a purely criminal nature. Thus, on July 15, 1998, the head of the Geosantris security service became a victim of a contract murder. Then, on August 22, 2000, a security guard was killed at the entrance to the bank's office. A few days later, a jeep belonging to Geosantris was shot in the center of Kyiv. In which, as the killers assumed, the crime boss “Rybka” was supposed to be located. The press actively wrote about all these incidents. In November 2000, shareholders decided to change the name of the bank. Now it is called “Ukrainian Credit and Trade Bank”.
(C)
Igor Bakai, ex-head of NJSC Neftegaz-Ukraine, now hiding from Ukrainian justice in Russia, entered into a business relationship with Viktor Rybalko in the mid-90s - when he headed the Respublika concern. “Rybka” provided “Republic” with a gangster “roof”. I. Bakai himself later recalled this friendship, denying the fact of “protection protection”:
“...I know Rybalko well and continue to maintain relations with him. He constantly sends me cards and gifts for my birthday. This year I sent a book about Amsterdam. And I send it in response. If he needs help - he has two children... When he was shot and he asked me to borrow a car, I gave him an armored car. We really had business relations with him, but they existed even earlier - before the Klitschko brothers. There was an unpleasant situation with Vitya Rybka when one citizen brought me to a showdown. He wanted to extort money from me. At this meeting we met, and then became friends. But “Rybka” never did anything wrong for me. And I never asked either the security forces or the bandits for him.”
Having “ridden” the oil and gas flows of the “Republic”, the “Rybka” gang entered the list of the five most powerful groups in Kyiv. The main source of “primary” income for this organized crime group is extortion from entrepreneurs. “Secondary” income ensured the investment of funds obtained from robbery and extortion in trade and real estate. Including in the West. Viktor Rybalko himself was arrested many times. He was convicted of theft of personal property, forgery of documents, and illegal possession of weapons. He was released under an amnesty. At the end of the 90s, the “cleansing” of criminals in Kyiv intensified, and “Rybka” moved to Holland. There he received citizenship and opened his own business, buying up entire blocks of real estate in Amsterdam. Rybalko managed the Kyiv “branch” of his business, occasionally visiting Ukraine.
“Rybka” did not hide from his circle the terms of the agreement reached, on the one hand, by this crime boss, the Klitschko brothers and Igor Bakai. According to this agreement, Bakai and “Rybka” invest their money in the brothers’ professional boxing career. They are also looking for a world-famous promoter for them. Vitali and Vladimir Klitschko, in turn, pay Bakai and “Rybka” half of all their income for life: fees received for fights, for advertising activities, book publishing, etc. “Rybka” and “Bakai” agreed to divide this 50% in the following proportion: 25% each. Thus, each person's share amounted to tens of millions of US dollars.
(C) Initially, it was decided to sell the Klitschko brothers to the American promoter Don King, an unsurpassed authority in the world of “big boxing”. The rise of the brothers’ careers was to be facilitated by Rybka’s criminal connections with the leaders of the criminal “diaspora” from post-Soviet states who settled in the United States. Why did Klitschko, in the company of “Rybka” and his closest henchman “Borovik”, visit America? 
A meeting with King took place, but ended without results. Most likely, “Rybka” did not like the percentages demanded by Don in the event of successful promotion of the Klitschko brothers in professional boxing. Don King could not be satisfied with little, and the “guides” of the Ukrainian boxers did not want to lose their share of future profits in favor of the eminent American. By that time, the Klitschko brothers Bakai and “Rybka” were already perceived as their property! The deal fell through. But there were still photographs to remember this trip.
Having suffered a fiasco in America, Rybka set its sights on Europe, where the appetites of promoters were more modest. As a result, Klitschko’s journey into professional boxing was led by Klaus-Peter Kohl, the Universum club...
The Klitschko world champions gave a regular and strict answer to “Rybka” about their sports fees. But in 2002, finding themselves at the zenith of international fame, the brothers decided: enough sharing!
Bakai, who by that time had been removed from the leadership of NJSC Neftegaz for theft, found himself out of work. And “Rybka” was hiding from the police and gangster competitors in Holland. The Klitschko brothers apparently decided it was time to part with their odious business partners. And at the same time save millions of dollars.
And the brothers stopped paying their “share” to “Rybka” and Bakai. Not only the entourage of “Rybka” and Bakai knew about this, but also the operatives of the Kyiv police - from their informants. In essence, the Klitschkas “dumped” their benefactors and partners!
... In the spring of 2005, “Rybka” flew to Kyiv to see his mother. At a meeting with friends from his youth, he stated that he intended to immediately demand “his share” of $40 million from Bakai and Klitschko. A few days later he was shot with a machine gun.
After the fact. “Service in favor of Ukraine and for the prestige of Ukraine for me and my children Vitaly and Vladimir, without unnecessary pathos, is an important factor in life activities. I hope that the example of my children is or can become a model for the youth of Ukraine in a positive and patriotic attitude towards their lives” (from a letter of gratitude from the father of the Klitschko brothers to the President of Ukraine L. Kuchma).
(C)
The father of the Klitschko brothers, a modest military pensioner, Vladimir Rodionovich Klitschko. Part-time - military attaché at the Ukrainian Embassy in Germany with the rank of general. The appointment took place under President L. Kuchma.
We know well what military attaches do on the territory of other states from books, films and news in the media. It turns out that Vladimir Rodionovich Klitschko has been a representative of Ukrainian military intelligence in Germany for about five years. That is, as part of his duty, he is obliged to work against the state, which demonstrates the warmest hospitality towards the children of the intelligence officer - Vitali and Vladimir Klitschko.
Apparently, Klitschko Sr. is a very successful and effective intelligence officer. How else can we explain the fact that he is the only employee of the Ukrainian embassy in Germany who escaped the last rotation in this embassy. Or the “survivability” of attache Klitschko is explained simply by the obsequious constant closeness of his sons to the presidents of Ukraine - L. Kuchma and V. Yushchenko.
There is a very interesting point in the above situation. As a representative of military intelligence, Klitschko the Father will not submit to either the Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany or the leadership of the Foreign Ministry. Who are in the dark about the activities carried out by this person. As a diplomat, Klitschko Sr. uses closed channels of special communication and diplomatic mail to communicate with his homeland. And this mail is not subject to customs inspection.
It is noteworthy that the appointment of Klitschko the father “to Germany” coincided with the rapid activity in the international arena of the Ukrainian crime boss and patron of the Klitschko boxers, Viktor Rybalko. “Rybka” settled in Holland, from where he coordinated international drug trafficking, human trafficking and arms trafficking. He also worked closely with the boxer brothers, with whom “Rybka” had common business projects. Viktor Rybalko, like no one else, needed a reliable communication channel with Ukraine. And the diplomatic mail channel was perfectly suited for these purposes. Viktor Ivanovich Rybalko was distinguished by his rare intelligence and ingenuity. He knew how to make people who depended on him work for him...
(C)
At one time, Igor Bakai gave, which he did not hide, an apartment on the street to Vitali Klitschko. Dimitrova. He registered it, however, in his father’s name. Or rather, I sold an apartment of 120 square meters. meters for... 500 hryvnia, which in 1988 was 200 dollars. So trust people after that!
Until recently, Vitaliy Klitschko owned another apartment in Kyiv, located at Bazhana Street, up to 24/1, apt. No. 105. Klitschko Sr. received this apartment by order of the Kyiv head - Alexander Omelchenko - for outstanding success in sports. In fact, the Kiev city community donated the apartment to Vitaly. Although the initiator of obtaining a free apartment in Kyiv was Vitaliy Klitschko himself. At that time, he was already a multimillionaire (officially) in Germany, but a “cross-country citizen” in terms of income in Ukraine.
The certificate of ownership of this apartment was issued to Vitaly on October 25, 2002 (Order of the State Housing Directorate No. 298). Registration with the BTI took place on October 31, 2000.
Twenty days after receiving this apartment from the people of Kiev, Vitaly undertakes, at first glance, a “feint” that is difficult to explain. He... gives a donated apartment to Hamas emissary Abu Faisal Ghassan and his wife Abu Faisal Natalia. In equal parts. Donation agreement No. 2632 was certified by private notary T.O. Moiseenko on November 21, 2002.
But the Faisal spouses did not stay in this apartment for long. The Arab and his wife “sold” Vitali Klitschko’s apartment to the family of Nakonechny citizens - Sergei Sergeevich and Victoria Viktorovna. The purchase and sale agreement No. 2855 was sealed again by private notary L.V. Glushko - August 4, 2003. And on August 7, this agreement was registered in the capital's BTI.
(C)
The sale price of this apartment was reduced by half compared to the market price.
Abu Faisal Hassan, a confidant of Vitali Klitschko, is known to Kyiv bandits and law enforcement officers as “the man of the “Fish”. Lebanese by origin, he arrived in Kyiv in the early 90s. He participated in the organization of almost all anti-Israeli actions in Kyiv since the early 90s, as well as in raising funds for the needs of the Arab resistance movement from business representatives of the Arab community in Ukraine.
At one time he ran the Monte Cristo restaurant on Shevchenko Boulevard in Kyiv. Which became a favorite vacation spot for Kyiv bandits of various organized crime groups and representatives of “ethnic” criminal communities. The landlords did not like this and the lease agreement with the Arab was terminated. The restaurant closed - even “Rybka”, who by that time had moved to Holland, could not help Abu Faisal.
Now Faisal Hassan is engaged in daily rental of apartments in Kyiv. For whom does he provide housing in the capital of Ukraine? Guess which countries he receives guests from in these apartments? Faisal Hassan, among his fellow countrymen, likes to flaunt his close, trusting relationship with the Hero of Ukraine Vitaliy Klitschko. What is the basis of the friendship between the “symbol of the nation” and a convinced anti-Semite? Friendship, for the sake of which Vitaly parted with the apartment given to him by the people of Kiev?
(C)
After the death of “Rybka” and the escape of Bakai, things are going well for the Klitschko brothers, supported by the orange regime. Quite little is known about their business empire. This includes the construction business, the gambling business, entertainment establishments such as Arenas, and the production of low-alcohol products for children and teenagers. Alcotrade, a company located in Zhashkiv, Cherkasy region, produces 10 types of low-alcohol and non-alcoholic cocktails under the Shake brand. Under license from the American company Red&Blue Beverages, which specializes in the formulation of so-called “bar cocktails”. The company is the general distributor of the “Stary Friend” trademark. Namely - the vodka of the same name and Koshtovna vodka. Carries out direct distribution in Kyiv and has an extensive dealer network in the country. Drink, young people, to the Klitschko brothers’ advertisements about a healthy lifestyle!
At the same time, Vitaliy Klitschko confidently put a dash in his election declaration in the column “dividends, interest, royalties...”. However, like the dash in the box “Ownership of water vehicles”. Declaration
Although Kyiv fishermen and motor boat owners are well aware of the location of Klitschko’s private yacht club. Located on the territory of a departmental tourist center, bought by the brothers through front commercial structures. The mooring for Klitschkov yachts is located within the city limits, on the left bank of Trukhanov Island, south of the Railway Bridge. Those who want to see this for themselves should take the exit from the Moscow Bridge of the capital to Trukhanov Island, and drive about two kilometers along an asphalt road stretching along the Desenka, the old riverbed of the Desna.
But the constant betrayals of their former patrons and friends, deception and lies do not prevent the brothers today from sleeping peacefully or declaring a fight for the interests of the people of Kiev. Just. For free!
Vitaliy Vladimirovich Klitschko— Mayor of Kyiv since 2014, People’s Deputy of Ukraine of the 7th convocation (2012−2014), was the head of the “Udar” faction in the Verkhovna Rada. Freelance advisor to the President of Ukraine (2005−2006). Leader of the political party “Udar” (Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reforms) (2010−2015) and Petro Poroshenko’s Bloc “Solidarity” (since 2015). Formerly a famous heavyweight boxer and world champion. He is famous for his absurd quotes, which are widely circulated on the Internet.
Childhood and early years of Vitali Klitschko
Vitaly Vladimirovich Klitschko was born on July 19, 1971 in the village of Belovodskoye (Kyrgyz SSR), in the family of a military man.
Vitaly's father is Vladimir Rodionovich Klitschko (April 24, 1947 - July 13, 2011), Major General of the Ukrainian Air Force, military attaché of the Ukrainian Embassy in Germany and NATO. Participant in the liquidation of the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster. He received a large dose of radioactive radiation, which led to his premature death.
Vitaly’s grandfather, Rodion Petrovich Klitschko, was a police officer, and his grandmother, Tamara Efimovna Klitschko (Etinzon), was a primary school and Ukrainian language teacher. Her family and firstborn died in the ghetto during the German occupation. Rodion Petrovich went to Kazakhstan after the war (he led the deportation of the Tatars). The father of the Klitschko brothers, Vladimir, and his sisters, Raisa and Anna, were born in Kazakhstan.
Vitali Klitschko’s mother, Nadezhda Ulyanovna Klitschko (née Bulino), is a primary school teacher. According to Vitaliy Klitschko, his grandmother, Evdokia Filippovna Bulino, survived the famine in the Cherkasy region, and her entire family died. Grandmother Klitschko was sheltered by neighbors.
Vitaly holds his brother Vladimir in his arms (photo on the left); Vladimir Klitschko with his wife and sons - Vitaliy and Vladimir (photo on the right) (Photo: polittech.org)
Education of Vitali Klitschko
As the son of a military man, Klitschko studied at several schools in the cities where his father served. In 1980-1985, Vitali Klitschko lived in the town of Mimon, Czechoslovakia. In 1985, the family moved to the Ukrainian SSR.
Vitaly graduated from a Kyiv high school and was going to become a military pilot, but he was not accepted into the school because of his height. Vitaly’s physical parameters (this athlete always resembled an epic hero in his physique) were impressive: his height was 202 cm. His usual weight during his sports career was 112-114 kg.
Vitaliy Klitschko went to work at the Kiev Radio Plant as an apprentice toolmaker.
Then it was time to join the army. Thanks to his passion for sports and sporting success, Vitaly was drafted into the Army Sports Club of the Kyiv Military District.
After the army, Vitaly Vladimirovich entered the Pereyaslav-Khmelnitsky Pedagogical Institute, from which he graduated in 1995, receiving the specialty “Teacher of Physical Education”. Then Klitschko entered graduate school at the National University of Physical Education and Sports, and in 2000, scientific activity was added to the biography of Vitaly, already a famous boxer whose fights were watched by the whole world - he defended his thesis on the topic “Methodology for determining the abilities of boxers in a multi-stage selection system.” Vitaliy Klitschko continued his studies and graduated from the National Academy of Public Administration under the President of Ukraine. Received a master's degree in the specialty “Management of Social Development”.
Vitali Klitschko: sports, victories, championship
Vitali Klitschko, like his younger brother Vladimir, have been fond of sports since childhood. First there was a love for karate. The father closely monitored the physical development of his sons. Under the guidance of Moscow instructor Viktor Chistov, Vitaly became interested in kickboxing, training in a section at the Elektromash plant. The young man became the world champion in kickboxing six times - four times among professionals and two times among amateurs. Later, Vitali Klitschko switched to boxing.
Due to steroids, Vitaly was unable to compete at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta; his younger brother Vladimir, who won gold, went instead. That same year, both brothers began their professional careers by signing a contract with the German Universum Box-Promotion.
Vitali Klitschko with his brother Wladimir, 1997 (Photo: Global Look Press)
In amateur boxing, Vitaly has 80 wins (72 by knockout) out of 95 fights. As professionals, Vitali and Vladimir Klitschko quickly attracted everyone's attention; Klitschko's fights aroused interest throughout the post-Soviet space, but especially in Ukraine. Although often these battles did not last long.
Vitali Klitschko with German coach Fritz Zdunek, 1997 (Photo: Imago/TASS)
Success accompanied the Ukrainian hero, news of his victories came regularly. It was a rare fight that Vitaly did not win by knockout or technical knockout. In 1998, Vitali Klitschko defeated American Dickie Ryan and won the WBO intercontinental world title.
The Ukrainian athlete knocked out German Mario Schiesser and won the vacant EBU European champion title. Klitschko knocked out Herbie Hyde in his 25th fight and became the WBO world champion.
Brothers Vitali and Vladimir Klitschko, 1998 (Photo: Imago/TASS)
However, in 2000, sports luck changed the famous boxer. In a fight with Chris Byrd, Vitali Klitschko injured his shoulder. The injury was painful, and Klitschko’s team refused to continue the fight; the first defeat appeared in his biography as a professional boxer.
In 2000-2002, Vitali Klitschko had interesting fights with strong boxers - Timo Hoffmann, Orlin Norris, Ross Purity. In June 2003, Vitali Klitschko replaced an injured Kirk Johnson for a fight with famous boxer Lennox Lewis. Vitaly did everything to take advantage of the good news and prove himself in a fight with the famous British champion. But he was not destined to win. In the third round, Lewis broke Vitali's brow ridge with a straight right blow, Klitschko's face was covered in blood. As a result of this severe cut, the fight was stopped between the 6th and 7th rounds. Lewis was awarded a victory by technical knockout; Klitschko did not agree with the referee’s decision and demanded the continuation of the fight or a subsequent rematch. On the judges' cards, based on the results of 6 rounds, Klitschko led 58-56. However, when commenting on that fight, Lewis suggested simply looking at Klitschko’s photo after the fight and drawing a conclusion about the winner.
After the fight with Lewis, Klitschko had three more fights, defeating Johnson, Corrie Sanders and Danny Williams. In the last fight, Vitaly showed himself with all his might as a future politician, using the fight to politically campaign for Viktor Yushchenko, who was then making his way to power in Ukraine. Photo of Vitali Klitschko in the ring against the background of the poster “So! Yushchenko! Seriously lost his fans.
In December 2005, after news of another injury, Vitali Klitschko announced his retirement from boxing. However, in 2008, Klitschko’s photos returned to the front pages of the sports media, and the veteran decided to return to sports. Vitaly spent the next period even more successfully than the previous one. In Germany, Vitali Klitschko fought with the Nigerian Samuel Peter, whom he defeated by technical knockout. And then victory after victory followed. Vitali Klitschko knocked out Juan Gomez, followed by victorious fights with Chris Arreola, Kevin Johnson, Albert Sosnowski, Shannon Briggs and many others. In 2012, Vitaly fought his last fight in Moscow against Manuel Charra. Vitaly and his brother Vladimir by that time owned all the major heavyweight belts. At the same time, their fights were often criticized for excessive caution and boredom, despite the fact that in terms of physical characteristics, Vitali and Vladimir Klitschko were often seriously superior to their opponents.
Vitali Klitschko with Juan Gomez, Chris Arreola, Shannon Briggs and Manuel Charra (photo from left to right) (Photo: TASS/Global Look Press)
Political career of Vitali Klitschko
After finishing his sports career, Vitali Klitschko decided to prove himself in the political field. Vitaly Vladimirovich tried to take the post of mayor of Kyiv back in 2006 and 2008, being a boxing champion, but lost to Leonid Chernovetsky.
Then the former champion Klitschko created a party with the appropriate name “Udar”, which played an important role in the opposition camp to the then-current President Viktor Yanukovych. At Euromaidan, Vitaliy Klitschko, along with Arseniy Yatsenyuk and Oleg Tyagnibok, was one of the leaders; many seriously believed that the ex-boxer would become the next president of Ukraine. Many photos of Vitali Klitschko were taken on the Maidan, including after being hit in the head with a fire extinguisher and in other unusual circumstances. In the news from the Maidan, Klitschko was one of the central characters.
Vitali Klitschko at Euromaidan (Photo: TASS)
But after the coup d’etat (Maidan) in Kyiv, Vitaliy Klitschko became only the mayor on June 5, 2014, providing his party to support President Petro Poroshenko.
The activities of the mayor of Kyiv Vitaliy Klitschko are disapprovingly perceived by the people of Kiev, although this negativity is fading against the background of general dissatisfaction with the current realities of life in Ukraine. Usually Vitali Klitschko gets into the news when he signs a decision on yet another renaming, such as turning Kyiv’s Moskovsky Avenue into Bandera Avenue. His last initiative was to rename Pobeda Avenue to Brest-Litovsky Avenue.
Vitaliy Klitschko took the oath of mayor of Kyiv, 2015 (Photo: Zuma Wire/TASS)
Quotes from Vitali Klitschko
However, most of all Vitali Klitschko in recent years is famous not for his successes in governing Kyiv, but for his quotes, which often end up in joke books and become memes. Even before Euromaidan, Vitaly Vladimirovich said the famous phrase “And today, not everyone can look at tomorrow. Or rather, not only can everyone watch, few people can do it.” This quote became a real hit.
Already as mayor, Vitaly Vladimirovich complained that he “has two deputies, four of whom have been in the cabinet for a month and who cannot be appointed.”
Klitschko also explained that travel on the Kiev metro has become more expensive, but has become cheaper. He called on the people of Kiev to understand the insufficient heat supply and prepare for the “land.” All these quotes are readily included in the news by journalists from Ukraine and other countries.
When the bridge on the Shuliavsky overpass partially collapsed in Kyiv in February 2017, Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said that the reason for this was that “the bridge was tired.”
So Vitaly Vladimirovich confused the street of Elena Teliga (Ukrainian poetess and fascist collaborator) with a cart, Klitschko disgraced himself by congratulating the Ukrainian musician, leader of the group “Okean Elzy” Svyatoslav Vakarchuk. Prior to this, the mayor was unable to give a single clear answer in an interview with Al Jazeera TV channel, commenting on Human Rights Watch data about the bombing of civilians by the Armed Forces of Ukraine and, apologizing, explained that he was “from Ukraine.”
At one time, the mayor of Kyiv, Vitaliy Klitschko, even decided to turn to his advantage the huge amount of ridicule over a number of his quotes and announced that he would publish a selection of his aphorisms. But Klitschko nevertheless intended to sue the journalists who criticized his work.
It is not yet known whether Klitschko successfully makes money with his quotes, but the former boxer regularly utters new stupid phrases.
Personal life of Vitali Klitschko
Vitaly is married to Natalia Klitschko (maiden name Egorova, born 1974), a former athlete and fashion model. Klitschko’s wife loves to sing, and often performs the Ukrainian anthem before fights, although she clearly does not shine with musical talents. Vitali Klitschko himself is also drawn to music and loves to play the guitar on television.
Vitaly Vladimirovich has two sons - Egor-Daniel (2000) and Maxim (2005), as well as a daughter Elizaveta-Victoria (2002).
Vitali Klitschko with his family (Photo: Zuma Wire/Global Look Press/TASS)
Brother - Vladimir Klitschko (1976), a famous boxer who has even achieved great success in the ring.
Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko, 2012 (Photo: Imago Sport/TASS)