Recently appointed to the post of Deputy Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, Serhii Belyaev, according to the data specified in his declaration, he owns a significant collection of antiques.
As indicated in declaration , he is the owner of 55 icons, twenty of which are in the state of their own restoration. Also, the official has graphic, pictorial, sculptural works and reliefs of his own authorship in heraldry, numismatics, portraits of the princely, Scythian and Cossack era in the amount of 650 units.
In addition, Serhiy Belyaev owns 420 units of numismatic products, created according to the author's sketches, and six hand-printed books. According to our sources, in the declaration, Belyaev did not list all the antiques, and individual specimens have significant artistic and cultural value.
According to the source, "they belong in a museum, not in a private collection, and the appointment of a person who, through murky schemes, has already acquired a significant amount of antiques to the position of deputy head of the Ministry of Culture opens the way to new abuses. This issue should be dealt with by law enforcement officers."
It is worth noting that the appointment of Belyaev as the deputy head of the Ministry of Culture also caused outrage in social networks. In particular, Volodymyr Tsibulko wonders on his Facebook : "for what merits, Serhii Belyaev suddenly found himself in the position of Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Policy, who, having a salary at his previous place of work of less than 10 thousand hryvnias, managed to collect a collection of hundreds of coins , icons and works of art?”
Regarding the question "for what merits" Serhiy Belyaev took the position of deputy head of the Ministry of Culture, we can assume that Belyaev could have crossed paths with the current Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine Mykola Tochytsky or his close circle during his work in the administration of the fugitive President Viktor Yanukovych.
Thus, in 2013, Serhiy Belyaev held the position of deputy head of the Main Department of State Protocol and Ceremonial — head of the State Heraldry and Ceremonial Department of the Administration of the President of Ukraine. It is worth noting that this position involves frequent contacts with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, from which Mykola Tochytskyi is a native.
In any case, the appointment of Belyaev to the post of Mykola Tochytskyi's deputy was not immediately delayed. According to our source in the Cabinet of Ministers, "Belyaev could not be appointed deputy minister for more than a month, because the declaration is "steep" and his passion for numismatics, painting and antiques is dark."
It is planned that in the Ministry of Culture, Serhiy Belyaev, as an "architect and honored artist" will control permits for construction and repairs in historical places and buildings. That is, Belyaev is appointed for certain tasks, and his future activities carry high risks of corruption abuses. According to the source, "Belyaev's corruption income will increase tenfold."
