Davyd Heorhiyovych Arakhamia[a] (born 23 May 1979),[2] also known by the pseudonym David Braun,[3][4] is a Ukrainian politician and entrepreneur. He is a member of the Servant of the People political party.[5] Arakhamia was elected to the Verkhovna Rada in 2019.[6] In parliament, he was elected as his party's faction leader on 29 August 2019.[7]
He is a co-founder of several IT companies including TemplateMonster and Weblium.[10]
In March 2014, after the outbreak of the Donbas War, Arakhamia, along with friends, started a website to raise funds for the equipment of the paratroopers of the 79th Air Assault Brigade.[8]
In 2021, Arakhamia proclaimed that Servant of the People shared principles with the Chinese Communist Party, also stating that Ukraine "sees China as an example and considers it a strategic partner".[13]
During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Arakhamia was part of a close circle of advisors who remained in the capital of Kyiv with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.[14] On 28 February 2022, Arakhamia was named a member of the negotiating team sent to Pripyat on the Ukraine-Belarus border for talks on a potential ceasefire.[15] On 28 March 2022, Arakhamia said agreement was close on security guarantees and Ukraine's EU bid, but prospective guarantor countries had yet to agree to security guarantees.[16] In April, he said Russia had agreed to almost all Ukraine's peace proposals. He added that he had the "feeling that the US and the UK will be the last to join when they see that others agree".[17]
Recognition
In 2019, 2020, and 2021, Arakhamia was rated as one of the top 100 influential people of Ukraine according to the Novoye Vremya magazine, ranking 36th,[18] 43rd[19] and 37th place, respectively. In 2020, he took 21st place in the top 100 most influential Ukrainians according to the Focus magazine.[20] In 2021, he took 6th place.[21]
Controversy
Reopening North Crimean Canal
On 11 February 2020, Arakhamia announced on Priamyi the possibility of restarting the supply of Russian-controlled Crimea through the North Crimean Canal.[22][23] In response, he was widely condemned by other politicians and the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, with the latter accusing him of "surrender". Arakhamia later apologised for his comments.
Sexism
In late June 2020, Arakhamia and deputy leader of Servant of the People Oleksandr Kornienko were widely accused of sexism after a hot mic recording showed them describing female People's Deputy Iryna Allakhverdiyeva [Аллахвердієва Ірина Валеріївна] in terms such as "working woman [...] like a ship pine", and, "bring someone like her to the President and you'll see... his jaw will fucking drop." Arakhamia claimed that the recording had been doctored, but Kornienko contradicted him, not only admitting that the remarks were true but stating that they had been about Tetiana Dombrovska, Servant of the People's candidate for mayor of Mykolaiv. Kornienko apologised both for himself and on behalf of Arakhamia.[24][25]
Personal life
Arakhamia has remarried after his first marriage.[8] He has six children.[8]
