

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych attends the signing of an agreement to end the crisis in Kiev on Friday. Andrei Mosienko, AP/Presidential Press Service/Pool)

Ukraine's ongoing crisis is about many things: geopolitics, economics, linguistics, ethnicity, to name a few.

But for many people, the problem is much simpler. It's all about President Viktor Yanukovych, who is widely believed to have used his position as the country's leader to enrich himself and his inner circle, collectively known in Ukraine as "the family."

To get an idea of why Yanukovych is so loathed by many in Ukraine, take a quick tour of his mansion in Mezhyhirya, some 12 miles outside Kiev. Now that Yanukovych has fled the capital, thousands of people, including reporters and curious bystanders, have made their way to the residence.

Here's some of what they found:



Shot of the main building in the area. Kind of tasteful if not for the kitsch all around it pic.twitter.com/ZbBKFZHIj2 — Olaf Koens (@obk) February 22, 2014

Yanukovych's purported car collection. MT @Andriyak: А Віктор Федорович - нехилий любитель авто і мото екзотики!!! pic.twitter.com/ffK70U8LOz — Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) February 22, 2014

The private zoo. Peacocks of course pic.twitter.com/pLNQ91w6rF — Matt Frei (@mattfrei) February 22, 2014

Every President needs one of these pic.twitter.com/IpDyROISD8 — Matt Frei (@mattfrei) February 22, 2014

More happy Ukrainians having a Saturday walk in the park at Yanukovich residence. #whereisyanu #euromaidan pic.twitter.com/FQr3rEk0EI — federico escher (@fedescher) February 22, 2014

This is the house the president never wanted his people to see pic.twitter.com/PiAQjVNumU — Matt Frei (@mattfrei) February 22, 2014

Presidential pigs in their element pic.twitter.com/vwxGSZx883 — Matt Frei (@mattfrei) February 22, 2014

Yanukovych's residence in Mezhyhirya had long been held up as an example of the Ukrainian elite's corruption and waste: It has been estimated to have cost $100 million to build. For most Ukrainians, however, this is the first time they've been able to see it up close.

In any country, a president who owned a zoo or a galleon might be viewed cynically. In a country with a per capita GDP of $7,300, such indulgences might be unforgivable.