A farm worker from the Mykolaiv region was punished for damaging an archaeological site

In the Mykolaiv region, a court sentenced an agronomist whose actions led to heavy machinery destroying a burial mound—an archaeological site under state protection. As a result, valuable information about the ancient inhabitants of the steppe was lost.

This is evidenced by the ruling of the Kryvoozerskyi District Court.

The site in question is burial mound No. 921 near the village of Mykolaivka, which was designated as a cultural heritage site of local significance. The archaeological site dates from the 3rd millennium BCE to the 1st millennium CE. It was added to the state register in 2000 by order of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration. 

According to the case file, in August 2025, Stanislav Voloshin, an agronomist at a farming enterprise, was tasked with clearing the plot of land of soil residue and construction debris. He was aware that a burial mound was located on the site and had been warned of a strict prohibition against any actions that could damage the monument or alter its boundaries.

However, the man decided to act in defiance of these requirements. As the court established, he instructed the operator of a CAT 950H loader to completely level the burial mound. As stated in the verdict, the agronomist misled the operator regarding the legality of the work and the alleged existence of the necessary approvals. As a result, heavy machinery completely leveled the mound, after which the surface of the burial mound was also plowed up. Thus, the archaeological site was effectively destroyed.

A forensic historical and archaeological examination confirmed the extent of the damage. According to its findings, the burial mound was completely destroyed, causing it to lose its essential characteristics as well as its historical, scientific, and cultural value. The monument’s particular significance lay in its potential for further research. The burial mound could have provided insights into the burial rites of the ancient steppe population; however, following the work carried out, these opportunities were lost.

As a result, the court fined Voloshin 68,000 hryvnias. In addition to the fine, the agronomist will be required to pay 44,100 hryvnias in costs for the expert assessments. 

During the full-scale invasion, the number of illegal excavations of archaeological sites in the Mykolaiv region has increased. In particular, “black archaeologists” were discovered at the Olbia National Historical and Archaeological Reserve. 

Анна Бальчінос