While sitting at a fashion cafe in Mandarin Plaza and sipping fresh carrot juice, Maurizio Aschero, an Italian well-known in the vogue circles of Kyiv, raises his arms in emotional gestures and gives thanks to God that Ukrainians are undeveloped in retail.
“This country gave me a great opportunity to raise money. You have such a poor understanding of the retail business compared to European Union countries,” – said Aschero, the 49-year-old owner of the retail company Maas Markets Ltd., who introduced Helen Marlen and other fashion companies to Ukraine.
But, at the same time, Aschero, also known as the international development director of Ukrainian Fashion Week, admits that Ukrainians are Europe’s future.
“Europe is dead. Italy is dead. It is just a bunch of degrading people clutching their mothers’ skirts. Ukrainians are not like that. They are fast and bright. You just need time to pass your Soviet transition period,” said Aschero, who has spent the last eight years in Kyiv.
Another Italian import to Kyiv is 37-year-old Cristiano Senesi, who has not only developed the fashion business, but came from Milan to the Ukrainian capital for love.
Three years ago Senesi, now a representative of the fashion company De Luca, which makes suits and shirts by custom order, visited a fashion exhibition in Kyiv.
There he got acquainted with 25-year-old Yana. They had a long-distance relationship for a year until Senesi got an offer to develop a fashion branch in Kyiv.
A month ago, the couple got married. They are now raising a 9-month-old son, Alexander.
“Business is developing. Now we have around 50 clients,” Senesi said, noting that buyers for his custom-made Italian clothes include politicians and businessmen of Kyiv and Donetsk.
He has trouble communicating with his clients, however, because he is not fluent in Russian.
Aschero, despite a flourishing fashion business, wants to leave.
“I am getting bored and I am planning to leave after Euro 2012 [soccer championship] is over,” said the tall, fashionable Italian.
Senesi’s friend, Alessandro Francesconi, is also thinking about leaving Kyiv after almost nine years.
“There is no money in Ukraine and this country has lost its perspectives for international investors,” said the Italian who speaks excellent Russian.
Francesconi came to Ukraine at the beginning of the 21st century as a representative of an Italian company that makes tiles.
Almost a decade later, he is still in the tile business but it has nothing to do with Italy anymore.
Now he is an export director of the Ukrainian company Inter Tile.
“Ukrainians have no money and banks are going to go broke soon. Maurizio Aschero
This year we are not down, but I don’t see any development. I will be pleased to leave,” said Francesconi.
However, Italy is no better and suffers from the same bureaucratic hurdles as Ukraine. But a young wife and his own apartment are keeping him here.
“I bought an expensive flat in a new elite building. I received the keys in 2009 and guess what? Hot water and electricity started operating only couple of months ago. Before that we had them only for a couple of hours a day. The whole house is not finished. I can’t imagine the same could be seen in Europe,” an indignant Francesconi said.
Aschero is not so hard on Ukraine. He thinks that the young Ukrainian generation is one of the most progressive in Europe. “Your government in power is still [part of the] old Soviet regime.
That’s your problem. Ukraine will change greatly when it is run by a new generation educated in Europe. Believe me, you’ll love your country, but a lot of years will pass before then,” Aschero predicted.
Ukraine is unlikely to run out of Italians, as many of them enjoy the post-Soviet adventure that Ukraine offers.
“It is very simple to be a loser in Italy and to come here as a last thrill on the way to the cemetery,” Aschero said, predicting waves of newcomers. “But for now, thank God I am here, in a country
undeveloped in retail.”
Kyiv Post staff writer Yuliya Raskevich can be reached at [email protected]
