Boryslav Yukhymovych Blacher-Bereza ( uk, Борислав Юхимович Бляхер-Береза; born 13 June 1974) is a former member of the
Ukrainian parliament
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ( uk, Верхо́вна Ра́да Украї́ни, translit=, Verkhovna Rada Ukrainy, translation=Supreme Council of Ukraine, Ukrainian abbreviation ''ВРУ''), often simply Verkhovna Rada or just Rada, is the ...
and a former spokesperson for
Right Sector
Right Sector ( uk, Пра́вий се́ктор, ''Pravyi sektor'') is a right-wing to far-right, Ukrainian nationalist organization. It originated in November 2013 as a right-wing, paramilitary confederation of several radical nationalist orga ...
(2014). In the
2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election
Snap elections to the Ukrainian parliament were held on 21 July 2019. Originally scheduled to be held at the end of October, these elections were brought forward after newly inaugurated President of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dissolv ...
he lost reelection as an independent candidate in a single-seat constituency.
Biography
Bereza was born on 13 June 1974 in Kyiv. He claims he is a graduate of the
Kyiv National Economic University
The Kyiv National Economic University ( uk, Київський національний економічний університет імені Вадима Гетьмана, lit=Vadym Hetman Kyiv National Economic University) is a self-govern ...
Ukrayinska Pravda
''Ukrainska Pravda'' ( uk, Українська правда, lit=Ukrainian Truth) is a Ukrainian online newspaper founded by Georgiy Gongadze on 16 April 2000 (the day of the Ukrainian constitutional referendum). Published mainly in Ukraini ...
(15 September 2020)
In 1991, after the
fall of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...
, he moved to
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
, where he lived until 1993. He identifies himself as a Jew and a Cohen but not an ethnic Ukrainian.
Upon his return to Ukraine, Bereza was a Russian book dealer and publisher and eventually created his own small literary society. At the same time he also worked as a television host for the First National Channel as well as a radio host at the Prosto Radio (''Simply Radio'').
On March 2, 2009, in
Troieshchyna
Troieshchyna (, uk, Троєщина, lit=Trinity, translit=Troyeshchyna) also known as Vyhurivschyna-Troieshchyna since 1997 (, uk, Вигурівщина-Троєщина) is a large neighborhood of Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, the biggest ...
, while driving a vehicle, Bereza hit two pedestrians, but escaped responsibility by changing his surname from Blyakher-Bereza to Bereza. Despite the fact that the legislation of Ukraine does not allow changing the data of those under investigation.
From February to December 2014, Bereza served as a spokesperson for the political party
Right Sector
Right Sector ( uk, Пра́вий се́ктор, ''Pravyi sektor'') is a right-wing to far-right, Ukrainian nationalist organization. It originated in November 2013 as a right-wing, paramilitary confederation of several radical nationalist orga ...
, while not officially being a member of it. He participated in some events of the
Euromaidan
Euromaidan (; uk, Євромайдан, translit=Yevromaidan, lit=Euro Square, ), or the Maidan Uprising, was a wave of Political demonstration, demonstrations and civil unrest in Ukraine, which began on 21 November 2013 with large protes ...
.
In the fall of 2014 Bereza participated in the Ukrainian parliamentary election running as an independent candidate and winning at the 213th electoral district in Kyiv's Desnianskyi District with 29.44% of the votes. Runner up in the district gained 22.51% of the votes. After the elections, already as a
People's Deputy of Ukraine
People's, branded as ''People's Viennaline'' until May 2018, and legally ''Altenrhein Luftfahrt Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung, GmbH'', is an Austrian airline headquartered in Vienna. It operates scheduled and charter passenger flights ma ...
he announced the creation of an inter-factional parliamentary group titled "Ukrop" (a portmanteau for the Ukrainian opposition). In parliament he joined the inter-factional group
Ukrop
UKROP ( uk, УКРОП, lit=dill in Russian), short for the Ukrainian Association of Patriots ( uk, Українське об'єднання патріотів, Ukrainske ob'ednannya patriotiv), was a political party in Ukraine.Ukrainian media reported on the scandal between Bereza and the deputy from the Radical PartyIhor Mosiychuk.
In the 2015 local elections Bereza was the candidate for
Mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
of
Kyiv
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
for Party of Decisive Citizens ( uk, Партія рішучих громадян). He made it through to the second round of Mayoral elections between him and incumbent Mayor
Vitali Klitschko
Vitali Volodymyrovych Klitschko (; uk, Віта́лій Володи́мирович Кличко́ ; born 19 July 1971) is a Ukrainian politician and former professional boxer who serves as mayor of KyivImmortal Regiment
The Immortal Regiment () is a massive civil event in major cities in Russia and around the world every 9 May during the Victory Day celebrations. It is also a public non-profit organization, created in Russia on a voluntary basis with the aim of ...
" in
Kyiv
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
(Beryoza was among those who tried to prevent it from being carried out).
On January 24, 2019 on the sidelines of the
PACE
Pace or paces may refer to:
Business
*Pace (transit), a bus operator in the suburbs of Chicago, US
* Pace Airlines, an American charter airline
*Pace Foods, a maker of a popular brand of salsa sold in North America, owned by Campbell Soup Compan ...
, during a briefing by the Deputy Speaker of the Rada, Iryna Herashchenko, he pushed the journalist of the
Russia-1
Russia-1 (russian: Россия-1) is a state-owned Russian television channel, first aired on 14 February 1956 as Programme Two in the Soviet Union. It was relaunched as RTR on 13 May 1991, and is known today as Russia-1. It is the flagship ch ...
TV channel Olga Skabeyeva, since she, in his opinion, interfered with Gerashchenko's speech. The head of
Chechnya
Chechnya ( rus, Чечня́, Chechnyá, p=tɕɪtɕˈnʲa; ce, Нохчийчоь, Noxçiyçö), officially the Chechen Republic,; ce, Нохчийн Республика, Noxçiyn Respublika is a republic of Russia. It is situated in the ...
,
Ramzan Kadyrov
Ramzan Akhmadovich Kadyrov ce, КъадаргӀеран Ахьмат-кӏант Рамзан, translit= (born 5 October 1976) is a Russian politician who currently serves as the Head of the Chechen Republic. He was formerly affiliated to the ...
, reacted to Bereza's act, demanding an apology from him to Skabeeva, threatening to slap him in the face.
In the July
2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election
Snap elections to the Ukrainian parliament were held on 21 July 2019. Originally scheduled to be held at the end of October, these elections were brought forward after newly inaugurated President of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dissolv ...
Bereza tried to win back his seat in the 213th electoral district. But he failed to achieve this goal. As an
independent politician
An independent or non-partisan politician is a politician not affiliated with any political party or bureaucratic association. There are numerous reasons why someone may stand for office as an independent.
Some politicians have political views th ...
he placed third with 17.96% of the votes. The district was won by of the
Servant of the People party
Servant of the People (SN; uk, Слуга народу, Sluha narodu, ) is a liberal, centrist, pro-European political party in Ukraine.
It was formed in late 2017 and was officially registered on 31 March 2018 on the basis of the previously ...
with 36.27% of the votes.
Bereza was the candidate of his own party, the Eco-party ( uk, Екопартія), for the post of
Mayor of Kyiv
The Head of Kyiv City ( uk, Київський міський голова, translit=Kyivskyi miskyi holova), unofficially and more commonly the Mayor of Kyiv ( uk, Мер Києва, translit=Mer Kyieva), is a city official elected by popular ...
in the 2020 Kyiv local election set for 25 October 2020 and did lead the local Kyiv Ekoparty election list in the same election. Incumbent Mayor Klitschko was re-elected in the first round of this election with 50.52% of the votes, Bereza finished in 10th place with 7.448 votes. Ekoparty won no Kyiv City Council seats and was with the 17th place in the election not even close to doing so.
On April 10, 2022, he ended up on the territory of the Truskavets Convent, where he refused to serve a summons to the military enlistment office.