"How can I not love you": What construction scandals defined Kyiv's authorities in 2024?

Recently, the author of this article received a call from the Kyiv City State Administration (KCSA). In a very polite manner, a person who introduced themselves as a representative of the mayor's press service inquired about an unclear detail from one of the publications of "Telegraph" that was released a month ago. The inquiry concerned a piece regarding plans for parking construction on Staro-Kyivska Hill in Kyiv. The KCSA wanted to clarify its stance regarding the attempts at this controversial construction. It turned out that the KCSA press service had responded twice to the editorial's request. However, neither the first nor the second response (which arrived after the publication and reiterated the first) contained answers to the questions posed by "Telegraph": who owns the land where the parking lot is to be built, what happens if the Ministry of Culture does not approve the construction, how much the parking construction will cost, and finally, is it true that the mentioned parking lot on Staro-Kyivska Hill is a personal initiative of Vitali Klitschko.

This situation probably wouldn’t have attracted much attention – just another routine detail. However, it suddenly reminded us of one extremely important and unchanging "information rule": any scandals are inevitably forgotten over time. This is a rule well-known to those involved in such scandals (in this case, those associated with dubious construction in Kyiv) who use it to continue their "dark business" once the information wave has subsided.

Therefore, we can only thank the representative of the KCSA press service, who, with their call, provided the editorial with a good idea: to remind about the loud construction scandals in Kyiv for 2024, involving Kyiv officials and deputies, so that these scandals linger in public memory a bit longer. And as a gesture of gratitude, it seems appropriate to start with the story about the plans for the construction of a parking lot near the Landscape Alley by Vitali Klitschko.

"Historical" Parking Lot of Klitschko

First, it should be noted that the "historical parking lot of Klitschko" is not just a play on words. The scandal gained momentum in October-November 2024, when some members of the Kyiv City Council, activists, and media drew attention to the approval of the detailed plan for the territory (DPT) by the Urban Planning Department, which proposed the construction of a massive parking lot for 320 cars on Staro-Kyivska Hill in Kyiv. That is, in a historical area with several protective statuses, where such construction is fundamentally unacceptable.

As for why this is the "Klitschko parking lot"... It turned out that one of the land plots allocated for the parking lot belongs to Angelina Osadcha, an associate of the Klitschko brothers. She heads the charitable "Klitschko Foundation" and the company "K-Capital," among whose owners is Vladimir Klitschko, the brother of the mayor of Kyiv.

Among the peculiarities of this scandal is the dubious approval of the DPT project allegedly by representatives of the local community (who, according to Kyiv City Council deputy Yevheniya Kuleba, were dressed-up municipal workers), the position of the Ministry of Culture, which pointed out the inadmissibility of construction in a historical area, and the absurd selection of the location (access to the parking lot is limited by a narrow alley where even pedestrians struggle to pass, and building on the hillside would require significant funds for reinforcement).

And most importantly: there might be a direct commercial interest in its construction for Mayor Vitali Klitschko. The thing is, the DPT for the parking lot "unexpectedly" includes the reconstruction (read – legitimization) of a suspiciously erected office building already present on the site. This building, according to Kyiv City Council deputy Yevheniya Kuleba, is located precisely on the land owned by Klitschko's associate (referring to the building at 12 Kyianivskyi Lane). Therefore, it is perhaps not surprising that in its response to our publication's inquiry, the KCSA shyly avoided this question.

It should be added that due to widespread publicity, the issue of approving the DPT for the construction of the parking lot on Staro-Kyivska Hill was never brought to the session of the Kyiv City Council on November 21. It was withdrawn by Vitali Klitschko himself, who complained about alleged speculation and manipulation, but did not mention his direct involvement and the obvious conflict of interest. However, this certainly does not exclude the possibility that the attempt to "push through" the construction of a historical area will not be repeated. Of course, only after the scandal has quieted down somewhat. By the way, the editorial team is still awaiting a response specifically regarding the questions raised in the inquiry about this construction.

Toilet Schemes: Pechersk and Holosiiv

In 2024, cunning Kyiv developers increasingly began using so-called "toilet" schemes for the "legitimization" of their illegal constructions. The essence of these schemes is that the developer acquires a small utility building (for example, a former garbage collection point or, conditionally, a "toilet") or the right to lease the land under such a building. They then attempt to push through a lease for a larger area surrounding it through the Kyiv authorities and obtain the right to construct on it.

The latest of such "toilet" scandals concerned the so-called Dobrovolskyi Quarter, located in Zverynets, a historical area in the Pechersk district of Kyiv. The architectural ensemble, which involved the well-known architect Anatoliy Dobrovolskyi, consists of a group of residential buildings, predominantly three stories tall, built from brick or cinder block with high roofs and decoratively adorned facades. This mentioned quarter is bounded by the streets of Boychuka, Bastionna, Yevhenii Bilokur, and Podvysotskoho.

There have been several attempts to "reconstruct" the quarter (read – destroy and build high-rises). According to local activists, the first attempt, in 2005-2007, involved the company "Avangard Stroy," affiliated with Kolomoyskyi. At that time, the quarter was saved from construction, and part of the houses was entered into the State Register of Immovable Monuments of Ukraine in the category of local significance of cultural heritage.

And here, in the summer of 2024, a draft resolution of the Kyiv City Council unexpectedly appeared regarding the lease of a land plot of 0.1479 hectares at 6-D Yevhenii Bilokur Street for the purpose of "construction and maintenance of a multi-apartment residential building with trade and entertainment infrastructure."

"In this case, LLC 'Apartbudgrup' privatized a garbage collection point in the yard of house No. 6 on Yevhenii Bilokur Street. Subsequently, they approached the city council with a request to lease the land under this object for its operation and maintenance. Allegedly, public hearings were held where residents of nearby houses expressed their intention to refuse the services of the management company. Instead, the mentioned LLC was to offer its services and further request the allocation of other plots in this area. Everything would be fine, but the authorized person at this meeting was a local resident who passed away several years ago," explains activist Dmytro Perov.

Activists have yet to determine who is really behind this latest construction scam. The formal beneficiary of the company "Apartbudgrup" is a certain Oleksandr Lukashenko from Uman, but he is likely just a nominal owner of the company.

Currently, the local community has united to oppose the unlawful construction of the quarter. A criminal case has been opened under part 4 of article 358 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, as there are suspicions that LLC "Apartbudgrup" used forged documents. It is also known that in November, Pechersk District Court imposed a seizure on the real estate owned by LLC "Apartbudgrup," specifically a non-residential building through which the developer attempted to "legitimize" the construction. This means a ban on its alienation, reconstruction, and any construction work. Additionally, in December, there is to be a hearing in the Economic Court of Kyiv regarding a lawsuit by the prosecutor's office, which will seek to annul the decision of the private notary who registered the company's ownership rights to the "garbage collection shed."

As of today, it is known that the decision to lease the "toilet plot" has not been brought to the Kyiv Council for consideration. However, it is not a given that such an attempt will not be made