Viktor Yanukovych confessed to our periodical that there were quite many cases in his life which cannot be explained by means of ordinary rationalism. However, the most amazing thing is that the boy who grew without parents and was brought up only by his grandmother has become a self-made man. In his early years he set himself a task to overcome everything in his life...

"My childhood was difficult, hungry. I grew up without my mother. I was two years old when she died. My father got a new family. I lived with my grandmother, who received a pension of 12 and a half roubles. Therefore, my childhood was barefoot, hungry. Street... And in this street I had to struggle for my place", Viktor Fedorovych shares his memories.

Viktor Yanukovych still remembers the day when he matured according to his grandmother's words. "In the morning of this day, my grandmother and I went to see my mother who was in hospital. And we had to go far, three hours on foot. A terrible wind arose, a downpour went. My grandmother and I hid under a tree and branches of a willow (as they are thin) lashed against our faces... We got drenched to the skin. And when the downpour abated we went further. But the sky was just black and the rain did not stop. We approached the hospital only to find out that the doors were locked on the inside.

My grandmother knew in which ward my mother was. There were six women in this ward. She helped me to climb up, I knocked at the window. A woman opened it and dragged me by my hands in the ward. Someone ran to open the door to my grandmother. My mother was in the bed, she called me. My mother smiled, said something. And died... When my grandmother came into the ward, my mother was already dead. But I was still in her arms...

Later, the women who were in the ward with my mother told me that when the rainfall began, my mother was worse... Doctors rushed about, tried to do something, but... My mother felt that she was dying and began to wail, pray. She asked God to help and protect me, her son. And at that time I knocked at the window... She said something to me... And faded away...".



There were moments in Viktor Yanukovych's biography, when he was, as they say, at death's door. For example, at seven years of age he nearly drowned. "Once I fell into a slime pit. I sank up to my waist. I attempted to get out – no success. I was sucked deeper: centimeter by centimeter. I got scared. I shouted but no one heard me. I cried, wept of despair, but only deeper plunged into the bog. When only shoulders and arms remained above the surface, I thought it was the end. And I began to utter my last words. I raised my head to the sky and began to beg my mother's pardon... I spoke aloud... I asked her not to feel offended due to that all I dreamt about, – for what she would be glad for me – I would not be able to do... Then a cloud flew upon absolutely clear sky. Wind arose. It just appeared from nowhere! And gusts began to bend willow branches down to me. I seized a branch, though it was very brittle. I carefully began to pull down a stronger branch. I coped to do it. Step by step I got out. And when I cleaned up, I went to the cemetery. There was a wooden tombstone on my mother's grave at that time... I sat down near this tombstone and hugged it. When I talked and thanked my mother, a breeze blew – and a branch of lilac, which grew nearby, touched me as if patted my face. I have remembered it for all my life. I was told that she is my guardian angel by father Zosima, my spiritual father, whom I met under difficult circumstances".

The circumstances were so grave that, as Viktor Yanukovych confessed, he was on a verge of despair. It happened during the period when he already managed a production association.

The local authorities decided to fire him. "I could not do anything about it, – Viktor Fedorovych told "Sobytiya". – I was just annihilated. I was put under the pressure: "Leave the city, there will be no life for you here..." Despair crept over me for a while. I got into the car and drove along highway "Donetsk – Mariupol" at full speed: I depressed the accelerator and did not take off my leg... There is a turn to Nikolskoe at the highway. I have never been there before. But for some reason I went just to Nikolskoe that afternoon. I drove up to the church, parked the car and began to walk up the stairs. Suddenly someone called me by my name. I turned around – there was a man in cassock, with beard, leaning on his staff, smiling... Father Zosima. But we have never met before! Then I confessed for the first time in my life... I have never cried so much neither before this confession nor after it... I asked father Zosima: why my life is so hard? And he answered: God gave you such a cross to bear. But you should overcome everything".



- Viktor Fedorovych, is it true that you knew that you will be an eminent leader?

- I did not know, father Zosima told me about it. There were elections to the regional council in Donetsk region in 1994. Then Volodymyr Scherban was elected its chairman (former governor of the Donetsk and Sumy regions, later – People's Deputy of Ukraine. – Auth.). And one day, soon after these elections I came to father Zosima. He tells me: "Volod'ka is too smart! He is a businessman! Zhen'ka – the second Scherban (he was killed in October, 1995, at Donetsk airport. – Auth.) – is more serious, like you. But be it you".

I remember that then I asked father Zosima: "What do you mean?". "I mean that you will replace Volod'ka, – he said, – you will recall my words. And Zhen'ka will make trouble". Father Zosima was sagacious. Later everything happened as he had said. When in 1996 I was appointed the administration vice-chairman, I came to Nikolskoe. Father Zosima said: "God blessed you. I did tell you – you will be a governor". – "Not a governor, – I specify, – just a vice-chairman!" – "You will be a governor – it is a reward, as well as your cross".

So everything happened: I worked as a vice-chairman, later as a senior vice-chairman of the Donetsk regional council altogether for about eight months. And in May, 1997, I became a governor. At that time terrible devastation was in the region, wages and pensions were not paid, miners were at a strike, the regional state administration building was picketed for months. I have even set up a special office, employees of which worked on strikers and picketers' claims.

- Have you begun to go to church more often after you got to know father Zosima?

- In 1997 father Zosima told me about Svyatogorsk Lavra for the first time. There was the Artem sanatorium then.
"I will give you something to read, – father Zosima said to me. – It is a speech of tsar Mykola II shortly before his death at the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church". I began to read the tsar's speech. I remember well its main point: "There is Pochaevsk Lavra in the West, Kyiv-Pechersk – in the center of Ukraine, and Svyatogorsk monastery – in the East, which has to be sanctified to Lavra. It is a very difficult region, people live in poverty and work heavily there, and the whole surface is mine-trenched. People suffer a lot, they die in mines. To help them, Svyatogorsk monastery should be sanctified. But before this, a religious procession with large cross, icons and church banners should be held from Pochaevsk Lavra, through Kyiv-Pechersk, and to Svyatogorsk monastery".

After I read the tsar's speech at the synod, father Zosima told me: "Viktor, it should be done. I bless you for restoring Svyatogorsk monastery and every attempt should be made so that there would be Lavra. And Slavyanogorsk should be renamed Svyatogorsk".

I took up reconstruction in 1997. During the whole period of my stay in Donetsk region my team and I renewed and built a lot of churches. For some time I even kept records. Including the Cathedral in the center of Donetsk.



- And Svyatogorsk monastery has been sanctified...

- Artem sanatorium was in the monastery for a long time. We built a new sanatorium. Then we reconstructed the monastery with God's help. And thereafter in 2002, I went to His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II to be blessed for the dedication of the monastery on the occasion of granting Lavra status. But I ran into difficulties. The trouble was the Patriarch refused to pronounce the benediction. Besides, the appropriate resolution of the Holy Synod was required to that end. Last time Lavra status was granted hundreds of years ago! Alexy told me: "Do you know how many such monasteries are there? And all wish they were lavras!". But I, certainly, held my ground!

I admit that I applied, as it is said (laughs), all possible and impossible methods of persuasion. When I paid a visit to the Patriarch for the umpteenth time, I said: "I collected all the necessary documents and I will not leave you without the approval". And then joked: "Do you want me to live here, in your residence?". And went on telling the Patriarch about father Zosima, about reconstruction of churches in Donetsk region, about Svyatogorsk monastery, I showed a book "Orthodox Donbass", which we had published. It seems to me as if I spent all that day long with the Patriarch. But not in vain. Alexy listened to me with SUCH interest! As it is said, from the beginning up to the end.

But approvals of the Patriarch and God were not enough. As I have already said the appropriate resolution was also required from the Synod. To ensure the affirmative decision, I got the Russian governors, at whose territories the Synod members lived, involved in implementation of the ideas of dedication of the monastery.

Eventually, in 2004 a historic event occurred, both for Ukraine and the whole Orthodox world – Svyatogorsk Lavra of the Dormition was blessed and consecrated.

But ironically, I did not attend this feast. I was in a hospital in Feofaniya that day and doctors did not let me go anywhere.

- Viktor Fedorovych, and did father Zosima predict you premiership, participation in the presidential race?

- He warned me that I would be faced with ordeals and I should be ready for this. Then in 2004 I met monks on mount Athon – just during the Olympic games in Greece. And the monks repeated me father Zosima's words.

I wish father Zosima was alive. He passed away in the Lord. God rest his soul. By the way, do you know what he told me before his death? That he will give me the high sign before a new test in my life... after his death.

- What does it mean?

- During a farewell with him I bent over the coffin to kiss father Zosima's hand. And it... moved a little bit. And I recalled his words. Later, I was told that there was heat, temperature drop, and so on...



"Father Zosima is my spiritual father. God ties us".
July 10, 2008. Viktor Yanukovych at father Zosima's grave in Nikolskoe.



- Viktor Fedorovych, your sons have your character, do not they?

- They are the boys who spiritually are very strong, robust. Reliable guys! Sasha and Viktor are my best friends! Since their early years I have built relations with them in such a way so that we can speak on any topic. We do not keep secrets from one another. And it is great – my sons trust me, I trust them. I have never emphasized that I am older, cleverer and stronger. But their respect towards me is apparent even in small things.



"Sasha and Viktor are my pride! My best friends! I do not worry about Sasha and Viktor at all – they settle all problems in their life themselves"

I have just recently met my youngest son, Viktor. Do you know how it occurred in our family? Sasha's birthday is on July 10 and Viktor's birthday is on 16th, a week after mine. Therefore, in early July we always discuss how, where we are going to celebrate.

And generally speaking, more frequently I would like to celebrate my birthday alone with my family and close friends. But it does happen very rarely. This year it will definitely not occur. At the moment my grandson Viktor with daughter-in-law are on holiday in Crimea and my eldest son Oleksandr plies between them and work. He is a busy person. He comes to them, stays for a while and returns to work again. Sasha has recently called and said: "I am in Crimea. What are we going to do with our birthdays? Where and how are we going to gather?" I answered my eldest son in such a way: "Let us do so. Do not disturb the grandson's and daughter-in-law's holiday, – it is a trip, moving. After all, I do not have an anniversary. I will certainly arrive in Crimea to communicate with my grandson and daughter-in-law. There we will celebrate".

- How old is your grandson?

- Eight years old. He is already a grown-up fellow! Child's language will not do to speak with him anymore.

- Do you see any of your features in him?

- Well, certainly. As my wife jokes, if Vitya junior has done something wrong: "It is the grandfather!" (Laughs). She says: "Your grandson imitates all your bad habits"

- Having experienced a lot of ordeals in your life, you might aspire to protect children, grandchild from any troubles.

- Yes, but at the same time I have understood that if I look after them too much, limit them, they will not be themselves. Therefore, I have never restricted their freedom. And now this spirit of freedom cannot be extirpated from them. I confess you honestly that I have offered Sasha and Vitya financial support more than once. Both renounced – the one and the other! But I understand them because I am the same: we wish to do everything ourselves. That is why my sons have earned independently practically everything what they have. And I do not worry about them at all – they settle all problems in their life themselves. The sons are my pride. True, my wife sometimes feels offended that they ask for my advice more frequent and that they are more close to me. But seriously speaking, my wife is pleased with that I have such a good contact with our sons. Unfortunately, we do not meet often, but we feel each other at a distance.



Viktor Fedorovych and Lyudmila Oleksandrivna with their son Oleksandr. 1985

- And how would you describe Viktor, whom journalists call one of the best catch in Ukraine?

- Viktor is a creative person, more delicate than Sasha: he loves music, photographing. And Sasha is a pragmatist, runs business, puts his heart and soul into it.



With the younger son Viktor on holiday in Crimea

- Viktor Fedorovych, what do you dream about? Not as the leader of a large party, but as a person, father, husband, grandfather...

- One word will not do here. Some people ask: what is happiness? Happiness is when a person is healthy. First and foremost. And the second point: when a person can let him be himself. And for this purpose a proper character is needed. There should be success; father and mother should pass on something with blood so that you could overcome everything in this life.

The reason is that, indeed, God exposes every person to a plenty of ordeals in the life. Someone can surmount them, someone breaks, for someone little problems become a serious test, and for someone everything what occurs around and with him is a trifle.

So I dream of my family, children being healthy. I always beg God about it. And, certainly, happy. Actually, I have never wished anyone ill! I wish those who are next to me the same what I wish myself.

You should live with good in your soul and then you will feel happy. Because it is also an ordeal – not to hurt the person who distressed you, to resist this temptation, not to revenge yourself for the harm inflicted on you. It is very difficult! Enormous force is required to overcome it. And these forces should be found, as it is said, at an early stage, when ideas about bad things have just appeared.

It is very important for a person always to have certainty in the life. It is very-very important! Because a person who rushes about, as it is said, "between there and between here", is unhappy. And those who are next to him suffer as well. If he has not understood himself how will he understand another people? Therefore, I believe that it is very important for everyone in life to have certainty, as well as to have a goal and moral principles. There is a proverb – to have God in heart. If you have it all – any complication could be overcome indeed. And a dream could come true.

Iryna KOTSINA, Oleksandr ARTAZEY, "SOBYTIYA", N18 (0018), July 14 – 21 2008