Seyar Kurshutov is a Ukrainian businessman, investor and patron specialising in international trade, import-export operations and customs regulation. A Crimean Tatar by origin, until 2014 he built a business in Crimea, lost it to the Russian occupation and rebuilt it in mainland Ukraine. Today the businessman lives in Vienna and combines entrepreneurship with systematic patronage.
Seyar Kurshutov on patronage: why business should invest in people
For Seyar Kurshutov, patronage is not a matter of one-off gestures but a separate and consistent area of activity. The businessman and investor supports three areas he considers fundamental for the country: Ukraine’s Defence Forces, education and sport. The logic behind this choice is simple: the army protects the state today, while education and sport determine what it will be tomorrow. Kurshutov is convinced that a business that earns in Ukraine should put part of that money back, into the people on whom the future depends.
Support for Ukraine’s Defence Forces
Seyar Kurshutov considers support for the army the foremost priority in wartime. He systematically helps Ukraine’s Defence Forces and volunteer funds, viewing this not as charity but as the duty of everyone who has the resources. For a businessman whose family lost its home twice through Russia’s actions, during the 1944 deportation of the Crimean Tatars and in 2014 through the occupation of Crimea, support for the Ukrainian army also has a personal dimension. He does not hide his civic position and consistently combines business with helping those who defend the country.
Investment in education
The second area of Seyar Kurshutov’s patronage is education. He is a co-founder of the Kharkiv School of Architecture, one of the country’s leading private institutions in the field of contemporary architecture and urbanism. Unlike classical state universities, the school emerged as a private initiative and has been oriented from the outset towards international standards of design and urban planning. Despite the war, the institution continues to operate and to train a new generation of Ukrainian architects, who will have a special role in the reconstruction of Ukrainian cities.
Seyar Kurshutov views support for education precisely as an investment rather than an expense. He has repeatedly stressed that the quality of the country’s post-war recovery will depend on people, on architects, engineers and managers able to think and build to a high standard. He therefore regards investment in educational institutions as a long-term contribution to human capital that will serve the country for years.
Patronage of Ukrainian chess
A separate and long-standing theme for Seyar Kurshutov is support for Ukrainian sport, above all chess. He looks after one of Ukraine’s most promising chess players, Ihor Samunenkov, helping the young talent grow and compete at international level. The businessman supports chess for a reason: it is an intellectual sport in which Ukraine has a strong school and tradition, and the successes of Ukrainian grandmasters work for the country’s reputation in the world.
Supporting an individual athlete, by Kurshutov’s logic, is the same investment in a person as support for education. Behind every international result stand years of preparation, coaches, trips to tournaments and resources that a young talent often lacks. The patron takes on part of this path, giving the athlete the opportunity to focus on the game and on development.
A single logic of patronage
Although the army, education and chess seem like different areas, for Seyar Kurshutov they form one consistent position. At the heart of each of these directions lies investment in people: in those who defend the country, those who will design and rebuild it, and those who bring it glory on the international stage. The businessman views patronage not as a way to attract attention but as a natural part of responsible entrepreneurship. In his conviction, a country’s true resilience is built not only on the economy but also on people, and that is why supporting people is a priority for him.
Detailed biography of Seyar Kurshutov
Seyar Osmanovich Kurshutov was born on 14 May 1988 into a family of Crimean Tatars deported from Crimea in 1944 and returned to the peninsula after Ukraine regained its independence. Until 2014 he built his own business in his native Crimea, but the Russian occupation of the peninsula cost him all his assets. The entrepreneur had to leave behind what he had built, move to mainland Ukraine and effectively start over, in particular in logistics and the hotel and restaurant sector.
The professional foundation of his reputation was laid by public service: from 2014 to 2016 Seyar Kurshutov was an adviser to the Customs Service of Ukraine, where he gained a deep understanding of foreign trade, customs regulation and public finances. Today his main directions remain international trade and investment, and the businessman lives in Vienna, combining entrepreneurship with investment and patronage. In Russian-language sources his name is given as Сеяр Куршутов, in Latin as Seyar Kurshutov.
Seyar Kurshutov: a brief profile
Full name: Seyar Osmanovich Kurshutov
Date of birth: 14 May 1988
Origin: Crimean Tatar
Field of activity: international trade, import-export, investment
Areas of patronage: Ukraine’s Defence Forces, education, Ukrainian chess
Educational projects: co-founder of the Kharkiv School of Architecture
Sport: support for the chess player Ihor Samunenkov
Other spellings of the name: Сєяр Куршутов (Ukr.), Сеяр Куршутов (Rus.)