Over the decades of its work, the Ukrainian parliament has produced not only legislators and corrupt officials, but also a whole layer of characters whose words and deeds have become part of the people's political folklore. The outlet Styler (RBC-Ukraine) has put together a roundup of MPs who have left the most memorable mark on the history of so-called 'parliamentary cringe' — those who made onlookers simultaneously laugh and hide their faces in shame. The ranking includes both figures who have already passed away and sitting parliamentarians whose manner of behavior, in the authors' view, is mentally stuck in another era.
Ilya Kiva: the all-time champion of 'cringe'
According to Styler's assessment, Ilya Kiva, who left this world too soon, is Ukraine's record-holder in this category. His biography is full of contrasts: a 'Right Sector' activist, a police colonel, a fighter against drug crime, the leader of the Socialist Party, an MP from OPZZH and, as he is called in the publication, a 'traitor'. In parliamentary practice, Kiva is remembered for defending his PhD dissertation, for taking off his trousers right in the Verkhovna Rada chamber, for showing up to sessions in a Joker mask, for rapping in TV studios and even, according to the authors, 'cooking drugs' on live air.
One of the most famous legends about Kiva is linked to his departure from the 'Right Sector': allegedly, not wanting to leave empty-handed, he sawed off a radiator in the office and sold it for scrap metal. The publication explicitly notes, however, that this story is probably untrue. Quite in Kiva's spirit, though, was his attempt to head the Ukrainian domino federation in order to, in his own words, meet the Putin-linked functionary Borzov, kidnap him and exchange him for Nadiya Savchenko. The plan came to nothing, and soon it was Kiva himself who ended up in Moscow — though he did not stay there long.
Nikolai Tishchenko: twerk, a 'pump' and a trip to Thailand
Among sitting MPs, Styler singles out Nikolai Tishchenko as the 'cringe man No. 1'. A restaurateur and TV presenter already known in society chronicles before politics, after obtaining his mandate he, according to the outlet, 'showed himself to the full': he twerked on camera, wrestled at the rostrum and demonstratively ignored quarantine restrictions. His quotes have enriched the 'golden fund' of political folklore — he compared the Ukrainian state to a 'pump' and the 'Steinmeier formula' to an 'inflatable doll'.
Particular resonance was caused by Tishchenko's trip to Thailand in the midst of the full-scale war. The deputy's justification that he had gone to 'improve relations with Asian countries' found no support, and he was expelled from the 'Slaava Narod' (Servant of the People) faction. Becoming a non-factional member and appearing in parliament in pince-nez glasses, Tishchenko, according to the publication, found refuge in the 'Restoration of Ukraine' parliamentary group — a remnant of OPZZH, where he is seated alongside, in particular, Yevhen Shevchenko, accused of treason, and Roman Ivanisov, previously convicted of group rape.
Hennadii Vatsak: the 'wild 90s' and two Rolls-Royces
Another sitting parliamentarian from the 'Trust' group, Hennadii Vatsak, is, in Styler's assessment, mentally stuck in the era of the 'Ukrainian political Paleozoic'. His set of attributes — a 'Hummer', a 'Bentley', a 'Maserati', a 'Jaguar' and a massive gold chain — the authors call an unmistakable marker of a man stuck in the 'wild' 90s. At the same time, as the outlet notes, the confectioner-deputy from Vinnytsia region decided not to limit himself to the classics of provincial glamour: already during the war, his car park was supplemented by two 'Rolls-Royces' at once, one of which is electric and the first in the brand's lineup, in the Cullinan Black Badge version.
Vatsak, according to Styler, likes to pose 'for the camera' with top officials, striking the pose of a 'local Schwarzenegger' with a massive torso and spread shoulders. The deputy also brags about his charity work, among the beneficiaries of which are Vinnytsia priests of the Moscow Patriarchate, whose interests he, according to the outlet, passionately defends. Styler's roundup is concluded by the figure of the late MP Karmazin, whom the authors call the Rada's record-holder for the number of speeches.
Contradictory data
The Styler publication itself contains explicit caveats that are important to keep in mind. The story that Kiva, when leaving the 'Right Sector', sawed off a radiator in the office and sold it for scrap metal is directly called 'probably untrue' in the text — that is, it is an urban legend, not a confirmed fact. Similarly, Tishchenko's explanation of his trip to Thailand as 'improving relations with Asia' is presented by the outlet as the deputy's own version, in which 'no one believed', rather than as an established motive. Moreover, the entire ranking is built on the subjective editorial category of 'cringe', which reflects the authors' evaluative judgment rather than a legally or factually verifiable status. Therefore, the factual elements (Kiva's death, Tishchenko's expulsion from the faction, Vatsak's ownership of Rolls-Royce cars) rely on the publication, while the evaluative framework remains the editorial opinion.
