“You’re a public a*hole”: Mayor of Frankivsk Markinkiv did not hold back his words
6 August 2025 16:30
VIDEO
In Ivano-Frankivsk, there was a conflict between the mayor Ruslan Martsinkiv and a local resident during a reception of citizens. The incident ended with mutual insults and the visitor being escorted out of the building by security guards.
A participant in the conflict , Bohdan Kozak, posted a video of the incident on social media. According to him, he came to the meeting together with the head of the Mlynarska condominium association, Tetyana Kulpa, who had questions about land use for house maintenance.
When Kozak joined the conversation, introducing himself as a civic activist, the mayor refused to talk to him, citing previous conflicts.
“I don’t want to talk to you because you have personally offended me. You are holding posters, you broke the door, so I don’t want to talk to you,”
– Martsinkiv explained.
After re-introducing himself as an activist, Martsinkiv responded sharply:
“You are not a civic activist. You’re a public asshole.”
Kozak did not remain in debt:
“Yes, you are a fucking asshole.”
After that, the municipal guard escorted the man out of the building.
Later, Martsinkiv commented on the situation, admitting that he had lost his temper.
“Anything happens at the reception of citizens: old grievances, barging in, accusations, police and lies, provocateurs with experience… Because sometimes everyone’s patience runs out. Yesterday, I succumbed to emotion. But with rude people – in a rude way!”
– Martsinkiv wrote.
Читайте нас у Telegram: головні новини коротко
Ruslan Martsinkiv and his scandals
Ruslan Martsinkiv, who has been the mayor of Ivano-Frankivsk since 2015 and is a member of the Svoboda party, has repeatedly been at the center of high-profile scandals, mostly related to his public statements and management decisions.
The most notorious incident occurred in the spring of 2020, when, during a meeting, the mayor ordered the police to “pack up and take” Roma outside the city, in particular to Zakarpattia region. Following complaints from human rights activists, the police opened a criminal investigation under the article on violation of the equality of citizens. In January 2025, the case was closed due to the absence of a crime, but the incident forever cemented Martsinkiv’s reputation as a politician prone to discriminatory statements.
The mayor has repeatedly been criticized for homophobic and sexist comments. Back in 2016, he said that “a gay man cannot be a patriot,” and during a city council session in 2024, he made a disparaging remark about a female deputy, comparing her to another female deputy and remarking: “We are not lucky with Maryanka.”
His statements about physical punishment of children and offenders also caused some outrage. In April 2025, Martsinkiv publicly stated that he considered “spanking” in the family to be a normal method of education, and in 2024 he proposed punishing vandals with “20 beeches on the bare ass” in the presence of the community.
In addition, the mayor’s activities were accompanied by scandals with public procurement. In 2023, journalists exposed substantial overpayments in the purchase of medical furniture for municipal institutions. At a meeting, Martsinkiv criticized his deputies, but at the same time advised them to “break large tenders into smaller ones,” which his opponents saw as an attempt to avoid publicity.
Taken together, these episodes formed a lasting image of a politician known for his straightforwardness, harsh language, and willingness to engage in conflict, even if it means reputational losses.
Читайте нас у Telegram: головні новини коротко
