New Kiev show reveals kitsch treasures from Yanukovych palace

Giant crocodile skins, kitsch ornaments and a huge portrait of the owner dressed as a racing driver are just some of the items from deposed Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych's opulent palace that went on display in a new show in Kiev today.
When Yanukovych fled in panic in February amid deadly protests against his rule, thousands of Ukrainian demonstrators overran his luxury private estate some 15 kilometres from Kiev and were shocked by what they saw.
Mansions dripping with gold and marble, a private golf course and a zoo boasting a collection of rare pheasants were among the sights that sparked awe and anger from the protesters in a country where the average monthly salary is around USD 250.

Now several hundred of the items, ranging from tasteless bling to the downright bizarre, have gone on show at the National Art Museum of Ukraine in central Kiev.
Yanukovych's image is everywhere: on plates, busts and scores of portraits in every possible setting and pose.
There is even a framed certificate stating that Yanukovych went to the trouble of having a star named after him.

In one of the more bizarre portraits, Yanukovych is mocked up as a rally driver in blue and yellow overalls -- the national Ukrainian colours -- casually leaning on a red rally car.
Aside from the homages to himself, the display reveals Yanukovych as a prolific collector of kitsch.

The museum displays scores of religious icons, brightly coloured Asian style vases, a huge collection of gilded clocks in all shapes and sizes and enormous ornate candlesticks.
Other collections include Greek and Roman-style bronzes of classical athletes and antique rifles.
Journalists scouring Yanukovych's residence after his hasty exit found half-charred documents apparently showing astonishingly free-spending habits.
The local English-language paper the Kyiv Post published a bill Yanukovych had for gold chandeliers worth some USD 41 million.
Another showed nearly USD 1,000 spent on a medical bill for an obviously much-loved fish.