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OLENA FRANCHUK STARTS A PUBLIC CAREER? [President Kuchma's Daughter and Wife of Oligarch Viktor Pinchuk] |
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By Leonid Amchuk, Ukrayinska Pravda Online
First, she was married to Ihor Franchuk, the son of the Crimean Prime-Minister. They have a son Roman. Then, there was a divorce. Later, a common law marriage of the president's daughter with the president of the Interpipe Corporation Viktor Pinchuk who is the biggest Ukrainian oligarch. They were married in 2002, and in one year they had a daughter. Besides, Olena Franchuk is the marketing director of the Kyivstar company. This is all. Now, she is establishing a foundation named after herself which will fight against the spread of AIDS. The first public event of The Olena Franchuk Foundation is raising money for the Berizka orphanage where parentless children with AIDS live. On December 12, there will be a charity concert by the American performer Jessie Norman, and the violin player Volodymyr Spivakov, an old friend and the best man at the Franchuk-Pinchuk wedding. The campaign's success is guaranteed by the double status of Franchuk, the president's daughter and wife of the person whose capital is estimated to be USD 1.3-1.5 bln. (12th richest person in Eastern Europe according to the Wprost magazine, and the 146th richest person in the Eurobusiness rating of European capitalists). She herself does not hide her intention to use family connections: the name of Kuchma stimulates the acute desire to help the project. Besides, Pinchuk himself has become the first donor of the Foundation. At the same time, Franchuk promises not to trade lobbying in the country's most important office for charity donations to the Foundation. In addition, a project's promotion, is the main area of Olena Franchuk's work. She is a professional in advertising , and the leadership of the Kyivstar among the mobile operators is proof of that. The real reasons for Olena Franchuk's start may be different, but at the same time existing together with one another: the noble motifs and also the desire for self-realization and to quit being just the "President's daughter". Possibly, there is the influence of Kuchma's unavoidably leaving his post. Nobody knows what will the country be like in one year, and how peaceful will the transfer of power be. Yet, public status is the best self-defense. Franchuk promises to refute all assumptions that the Foundation might become a player in political campaigns by the transparency of its operation. And it was a complete surprise to Ukrayinska Pravda that Olena Franchuk was ready to answer questions about her new project. [Ukrayinska Pravda] - Why have you decided to make this step - to establish the foundation dealing with the problems of curing AIDS? As it is known, your previous work was related to mobile communications. Therefore, your new project is in no way related to your previous experience... [Olena Franchuk] - I just saw the statistics. It just happened, some newspaper articles, meeting with people who work on this problem. I saw the statistics of the epidemic's growth in Ukraine. When I saw the statistics and realized that this is actually happening, I got scared. Because nobody knows about it, nobody takes it as one's own problem. Actually, I hadn't taken it is my own problem as well, until I saw the figures. And it was by a pure accident that I saw them. Then, I had the desire to help. I was scared of what might happen. If nothing is done, by 2010 there will be 1.5 million people with AIDS. And at that point the growth would be unstoppable, similar to what is happening in Africa. The European countries were at the same stage as we are now about 10 years ago. They started all this, they had big informational campaigns, propaganda. And they were able to stop the growth of the disease. So, we do have a chance of doing this. Or, of failing to do this. I realized that for certain I can put myself into this. That is because, as you said correctly, I worked at Kyivstar, but my sphere was marketing. Therefore, advertising and communications is what I can do. And what is catastrophically lacking in the situation with AIDS is a public information policy. I realized that I can do an AIDS-focused advertising campaign. This is, first of all, to attract the society's attention to this problem and then give a detailed explanation of what, how, and why. Because until there is some interest, people will not start asking the question "Why should I be careful?" In general, people have to understand the cost of the risk, when they act in this or that way. Such were the primary reasons. Then I simply started getting into this, discovering some previously unknown things for myself. For instance, if infected people take the medicines... For example, I found out there are AIDS medicines. And if people with this disease take them, it reduces that risk of infecting a healthy person. And so on. I started getting myself into it. My desire first was to start a big, powerful information campaign. I knew that I had my personal resources of knowing marketing and being able to launch a good campaign. I knew that I had my media-resource, so I knew who I could count on. In other words, I would be able to place this advertising in the media. [Ukrayinska Pravda]- What resources are you mentioning here that you can count on? [Olena Franchuk] - I have good friendly relationships - up to the matrimonial ones - with the stock-holders of various media assets. First thing that will be done is the advertising campaign on television, which will be continued in the press, and through outdoor advertising. Not on the big billboards yet, just a small advertising campaign. Now the primary target group is young people. Young people from 14 to 22 years old. This advertising campaign will be primarily targeting them. We will be putting outdoor advertising in dormitories and schools of all levels. In December we are organizing a concert to attract the attention of the society and of it's elite to this problem. All the revenues from the concert will go to the Kyiv orphanage "Berizka". This is the only orphanage in Kyiv where HIV-infected children live. There are not many of them, since Kyiv is a relatively stable city compared to the other cities of Ukraine. The worst situation is in Donetsk, then in Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Mykolayiv, the Crimea. Kyiv is far behind them, even though it is the largest city in Ukraine. Many international organizations work here, that is why the situation here is better. Obviously the level of the quality of life is higher, this is also important. But we are giving the funds to the Kyiv orphanage, one child there already has AIDS, 8 children are HIV-infected, 30 children are from HIV-infected parents. The signs are still very young, so it is not possible yet to give a final diagnosis if they have the disease or not. But since the concert is organized in Kyiv, we decided it would be more logical to give the funds to a Kyiv orphanage. [Ukrayinska Pravda]- As I have understood, it will be a foundation that would redistribute funds for such purposes: orphanages, and AIDS fighting campaigns? [Olena Franchuk] - Yes. Look, the Foundation is my personal. I am the founder. My husband Viktor is the co-founder. I will redistribute the funds personally. So far, the funds that the foundation has are not ones that were raised. The foundation was established with Viktor's support, and so far it all has been private funds. The funds from the concert will be the first funds raised. By the way, we already started receiving them. They will be given to this orphanage. But we won't be transferring them the money. To avoid misunderstandings, we will be giving them whatever they order, some specific things. They told us that currently they don't need any medicines - the government is supplying them. The need other things, and so we will be supplying them according to the list. [Ukrayinska Pravda] - Do you have the feeling that many people will be making donations out of consideration that you are the President's daughter? [Olena Franchuk] - There is such a feeling. That is why I am doing this. I understand that this is an additional resource. Yes, they will be making donations because I am the President's daughter. But is that bad? I think it is good to use your social status for noble purposes. [Ukrayinska Pravda] - Is there the fear that many of them would expect something from the President in return? [Olena Franchuk] - You know I am not going to... Charity is a voluntary thing. If you want to help children and feel that you have the ability, you can do that, and I will give you such an opportunity. But I will not be solving one's problems. [Ukrayinska Pravda]- The first reaction to the news that you are starting this project was that perhaps you are doing this having in mind some public, or maybe even political career........ [Olena Franchuk] - Who said so? [Ukrayinska Pravda] - Well, people thought about it. [Olena Franchuk] And I will also become the single candidate from the current government in the presidential elections? (Laughing) No, to be honest, I am not going to be a public figure at all, not to mention a political one. Everything is fine in my family, thank God. I am endlessly grateful to God for everything that I have got: the wonderful children, husband. I appreciate my family a lot. My youngest daughter is 5 months old. That is why I want to and I will spend the maximum possible time with them. So, becoming a public figure is not on my plans for the nearest future. You know, I don't even feel very comfortable, when at the presentations, some people come up to get acquainted with me and invite me to some AIDS-related events, such as conferences, or round tables. I apologize and refuse. I explain that I have two children and both are sick. Such a coincidence. On one hand, I do not want to insult anybody and have people think that I am just ignoring their event. On the other hand, I am willing to make a contribution to fighting AIDS, but not at the expense of my family. [Ukrayinska Pravda] - Have you consulted about this with your father, the President? [Olena Franchuk] - I made an independent decision that I will be doing this. I just informed mom and dad about this, at the moment I began working on it. Of course, I knew there should not be any negative response. In general, I am trying not to do anything that would be wrong or bad. [Ukrayinska Pravda] - What did they say to you in response? [Olena Franchuk] - What did they say... Mom said, "Good girl, you will be doing a nice thing" So did dad. [Ukrayinska Pravda] - In the press release, distributed on your behalf, it says that your husband Viktor Pinchuk is helping and supporting this project. In what does it show? [Olena Franchuk] - It shows in money. [Ukrayinska Pravda] - If it is not a secret, what was the first donation? [Olena Franchuk] - No, not a secret. We already put into it over 200 thousand hryvnias at the beginning stage, during a month and a half. We will continue doing that until the end of the year. For the next year, we are planning the budget of... approximately one million hryvnias. But the project is just starting, so at the moment it is difficult to give an appropriate estimate of its scale. But the approximate numbers are as such. At the end of the year, I will probably publish a report, how much we put into it, how much we raised, how did we spent. [Ukrayinska Pravda] - You, see, already starting public work. [Olena Franchuk] - This is not public work, this is transparent work. The first and utmost thing that I want to avoid is rumors around the Foundation. The Foundation and funds are very subtle matters, and I value my reputation and name a lot. So, I just do not want people to say something. I want to work in an open and transparent manner. This is not a public activity this is just some information for reference. If there are questions, "What did she do with the money?" Here is the document. "Where were you from Thursday till Friday? - Here is the document, " as Zhvanetsky [a popular satirist] says. [Ukrayinska Pravda] - Are you quitting work at the Kyivstar because of this project? [Olena Franchuk] - At the moment I am on a maternity leave at Kyivstar. And actually, I have the right to be on a leave for three years. I am in touch with them on the phone. I am not actually sitting at the office, but I communicate with my top-managers on the phone. I haven't thought about quitting Kyivstar yet. I mean, maybe, I do not discard this possibility, because it is true that the Foundation is taking up a lot of time. I realized that when I started this project. We will see. [Ukrayinska Pravda] - You mentioned that you established the Foundation together with your husband, Does this mean that you were putting in your money, and is it true that you own some shares in Kyivstar? [Olena Franchuk] - No, we were putting in the money that my husband earns as a legal businessman. I do not own any shares in Kyivstar, and there is no Kyivstar money here. And the Kyivstar is not yet participating in this project in any way. I am not sure it would be right to involve the company in this project in any way. I am even afraid of being accused of some abuse. [Ukrayinska Pravda] - You will see yourself, after this interview, the Kyivstar will come and make you an offer themselves. [Olena Franchuk] - Not a fact. A large number of shares of Kyivstar are owned by the Norwegian company, and so the top-manager is a Norwegian. So, it is not a fact. EDITOR'S NOTE: The article, "Olena Franchuk Starts a Public Career?" was translated from Ukrainian into English for the "UKRAINE REPORT-2004" by the www.ArtUkraine.com Information Service (ARTUIS) in Kyiv, Ukraine. The article in English can be republished but only with proper credits to Ukrayinska Pravda, "UKRAINE REPORT-2004, Number 8" and the www.ArtUkraine.com Information Service (ARTUIS). Link to the article in Ukrainian: http://pravda.com.ua/archive/?3121-2-new |
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