Life Was Good For The Former President Of Ukraine

One visitor takes in the view of the house from across the artificial lake. Hundreds of people entered the grounds but not one has entered the building itself

House Fit For A Tyrant: Protestors Storm The Sprawling, Luxury Estate Of Ukraine's Fugitive President Which Has Its Own Private Zoo, Golf Course And Is Half The Size Of Monaco -- Daily Mail

* Protestors took full control of the residence after the security detail charged with protecting the compound fled
* Property is around an hour's drive from Kiev and stands as a symbol of the folly of the country's ousted president
* Visitors rubbed their eyes in disbelief as they entered the compound and saw the scale of opulence
* 140-hectare estate has a garage full of luxury sports cars below the house in Mezhyhirya, an hours drive from Kiev
* Anti-government demonstrators stormed the house on the day President Viktor Yanukovich fled the capital
* His arch-nemesis Yulia Tymoshenko was released from prison and made a speech at Independence Square
* Congratulated protestors for freeing the 'cancer' from Ukraine and called victims of the violence 'heroes'
* The root of the problems in Ukraine stem from a political divide between the east and west

A beautiful forested estate of graceful waterways, summer houses and exotic gardens.

This is the home of Ukraine's fugitive president, who was dramatically ousted from power after one of the worst periods of violence in the country's history.

Ukraniains streamed to see Viktor Yanukovich's luxury estate, which has been closed off to the world for nearly a decade, and rubbed their eyes in disbelief when they were confronted by the scale of the opulence he built around him.

The property in Mezhyhirya, an hours drive from Kiev, has a golf course, helicopter pad and is situated in a country where the average salary is less than £300 a month.

Below the house, a garage is filled with classic sports cars worth millions, while in the exotic gardens Australian and African ostriches stretch their legs.

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My Comment: Viktor Yanukovich sure knew how to stretch his salary to (cough cough) to afford all of this stuff. My grandparents home (and now my cousin's country home) is not far from this place. And while it is a very poor region .... it is also an incredibly beautiful area of the country.

Update: This is not a surprise .... Ukraine parliament strips Yanukovich of his luxury estate -- Reuters