Hennadiy Kernes

Hennadiy Adolfovych Kernes (27 June 1959 – 16 December 2020) was a Ukrainian politician who was the 5th mayor of Kharkiv from 24 November 2010 until his death in 17 December 2020.

Kernes started his career in 1977 at the Kharkiv plant "Miner's Light".

Between 1977 and 1979 Kernes studied in CTC-14 in Kharkiv and specialised in draftsman-designer on mechanics.

According to his official biography, his career began in 1977.

From 1979 to 1990, Kernes worked for a number of enterprises.

Kernes managed the production and trading company Acceptor from 1992 to 1994.

In 1998, Kernes was first elected into the Kharkiv City Council, and served three terms there.

He then became the chairman at CJSC NPK-Holding until 1999.

Kernes was then first deputy director of the Kharkiv branch of the Trading House Gas of Ukraine until 2001.

Previously, Kernes served as secretary of the Kharkiv City Council (2002, 2006 – 2010).

Kernes was born into a Jewish family, to Adolf Lazarevych Kernes and Anna Abramovna in Kharkiv.

He graduated from the National University "Yaroslav the Wise Law Academy of Ukraine" with a degree in law and from Kharkiv National University of Economics with a degree in public administration.

Between April and May 2002, Kernes was the secretary of Kharkiv City Council.

In the City Council, he founded and led the nonpartisan deputy group "New Kharkiv - New Opportunities".

In November 2004, he supported the Orange Revolution.

He came out to condemn the actions taken by the regional governor Yevhen Kushnaryov.

He then became CEO at NPK-Holding until 2006.

Kernes had a criminal record for theft and fraud; according to him, the accusations were "partly fabricated" by "his enemies".

In 2006, he was elected to the Kharkiv City Council on the list of the Party of Regions, as a member of the party.

In April 2006 Kernes became the secretary of Kharkiv City Council.

Prior to Mykhailo Dobkin's 2010 appointment to the post of the head of the Kharkiv regional state administration, Kernes had been the secretary of city council, the acting mayor of Kharkiv (March 2010 – 24 November 2010).

In 2010, he had his candidacy nominated for the Party of Regions in the 2010 Ukrainian local elections as mayor of Kharkiv.

In October, Kernes was elected as the mayor of Kharkiv by a small, controversial margin.

On 24 November 2010, he took the oath and entered the post in early December 2010.

During the anti-Yanukovych Euromaidan protests in late 2013 and early 2014, he was accused of organizing anti-Maidan demonstrations, as well as hiring titushky (thugs that allegedly provoked and attacked Euromaidan supporters).

Following the Revolution of Dignity, after he and the governor of Kharkiv Oblast, Mykhailo Dobkin, had briefly found refuge in Russia, Kernes was accused of alleged connections to death threats, kidnapping and torturing of participants of Euromaidan in Kharkiv and was subsequently placed under night-time house arrest.

In January 2014, Kernes awarded himself a 25% pay raise.

Kernes was noted for holding a strongly 'pro-Russian' stance and for being a supporter of then-President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych.

This criminal case against him was dropped on 30 July 2014 "due to the serious illness of the suspect".

He was accused, in February 2014, by the post-revolutionary leadership of promoting separatism.

However, since then he was believed to have softened this position, pivoting to support an undivided Ukraine in line with Kyiv.

In March 2014 he stated that he had been a "prisoner of Yanukovych's system" and that he expected "good things to come" from the new Yatsenyuk Government.

On 28 April 2014, Kernes was shot once in the back while hiking by an unknown assailant using a sniper rifle.

Although the wound was life-threatening, doctors performed emergency surgery and were able to stabilize him.

The following day Kernes was flown to Israel for further treatment.

According to a report by Televiziyna Sluzhba Novyn on 10 May 2014, he was "making a quick recovery"; in the accompanying interview he stated, "I'm in favor of Kharkiv remaining part of Ukraine, and therefore in favor of seeing her flourish".

While recovering in Israel, Kernes stated on 11 June 2014 his willingness to cooperate with newly inaugurated Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

On 12 August 2014, he stated "Please remember these people -Kharkiv was, is, and will be part of a single and indivisible Ukraine".

Kernes commented on the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea on 23 August 2014, saying "Crimea will return to Ukraine, I believe in it".

Kernes returned to Kharkiv on 17 June 2014.