Anatoly Khostikoev explained how a meeting with Tymoshenko led him into politics
Anatoliy Khostikoev, People's Artist of Ukraine, recalled the story of how he met Yulia Tymoshenko, an encounter that unexpectedly changed his life. According to the actor, after he supported the then-prime minister during a political crisis, that meeting ultimately led to his election to the Kyiv City Council.
The story began, he said, after the dissolution of Yulia Tymoshenko’s government in 2005. Together with Bohdan Beniuk, they bought a large bouquet of white roses and showed up unannounced at the Cabinet of Ministers building.
“We sat there, drinking tea. Tymoshenko was moved; she said she never imagined that people would come to her not to ask for favors, but to show their support,” recalls Khostikoyev.
At that time, the artists invited the politician to the premiere of the play *The White Crow*, in which both were cast. According to Khostikoev, Tymoshenko did indeed attend the third premiere performance.
Hostikoev humorously recalled the play’s comical finale: during the final scene, a horse left a “surprise” right on stage, and Bohdan Beniuk came out with a shovel and a broom to clean up the mess to the applause of the audience. After the performance, the cast invited the distinguished guests to the premiere celebration.
“We talked about all sorts of things until morning. Yulia, in her sky-high heels and without sitting down even once, told various stories and shared her impressions. Everyone roared with laughter, recalling the story with the horse,” the actor said.
According to Khostikoev, it was after that evening that he received an offer to join the BYuT team. “Some time passed, and Bogdan and I received an offer from Tymoshenko to run for office. Bogdan ran for office with “Svoboda,” and I became a member of the Kyiv City Council representing the BYuT,” he said.
However, the actor’s political career turned out to be short-lived. Khostikoyev explained that for nearly two years he was busy filming the series *You Can’t Command the Heart*, in which he played the lead role, so he decided to voluntarily resign his seat. “At that time, my acting fee was many times greater than my salary as a council member,” he admitted in an interview with “Glavkom.”
Earlier, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) concluded their investigation into the case involving an alleged bribe offer to members of parliament by Yulia Tymoshenko, leader of the Batkivshchyna party, and made the case files available to the defense prior to the trial. The lawmaker herself never appeared for the review.
As a reminder, the court lifted the seizure of some of Yulia Tymoshenko’s and her husband’s property.
