Alexei Chalyi

Aleksei Mikhailovich Chaly (; born 13 June 1961) is a Russian political and public figure, and a businessman. He was the deputy of the Legislative Assembly of Sevastopol from 2014 to 2019.

He became Chairman of the coordinating Council for the organization of the Sevastopol City Administration for ensuring the city's vital activity in February 2014, amidst after the resignation of Volodymyr Yatsuba, the mayor appointed by Viktor Yanukovych. With Chaly as mayor, Sevastopol participated in the March 2014 referendum. On 1 April 2014, he was appointed as the acting governor of Sevastopol. On 14 April, he was replaced by Sergey Menyaylo.

Biography

Chaly was born on 13 June 1961 in Moscow to students of the Moscow Power Engineering Institute. Parents: inventor and scientist Michail Chaly, mother Alevtina Chalaya, Candidate of Engineering, university professor. Grandson to Soviet vice-admiral Vasily Chaly, hero of the Great Patriotic War, Commander-In-Chief of the Black Sea Squadron (1956–1961). The family moved to Sevastopol, Ukrainian SSR when he was one year old.

On 26 February, Chaly declared that Sevastopol would not submit to orders of the acting leader of the Ukrainian home office, Arsen Avakov. Simultaneously, he invited officers of the officially disbanded Berkut riot police unit to the city. He said that they could become a basis for future defence groups in the city.

Chaly visited the Kremlin in Moscow on 18 March 2014 to sign the Treaty on Accession of the Republic of Crimea to Russia together with Russian president Vladimir Putin and Crimean prime minister Sergey Aksyonov.

In March 2014, the Security Service of Ukraine announced an investigation into Chaly for allegedly steering some ₴23.9 million from his charitable organisation to bankroll anti-Ukraine activity.

On 1 April 2014, he was appointed as acting governor of Sevastopol City by Russia and occupied this position till 14 April 2014, when he resigned and was replaced by Sergey Menyaylo.

Sanctions

Chaly was sanctioned by the British government in 2014 as a result of the annexation of Crimea.