An inclusive beach was opened in Odesa

A renovated inclusive beach at the 11th station of the Big Fountain, which received a certificate confirming compliance with international standards of quality, safety and environmental sustainability, was opened in Odesa on July 1.

This was reported by the press service of the municipality.

The inclusive beach has special ramps, modern toilets, and showers to meet the needs of people with disabilities. There is also a medical center and a shelter.

In January 2025, during a meeting of the City Council's Standing Committee on Social Policy and Labor, deputies reported that more than UAH 21 million would be spent on equipping the beach, but noted that the final cost would be determined during the construction.

Eventually, in March, the Department of Engineering Protection of the City Territory and Coastal Development of the Odesa City Council conducted a procurement and selected a contractor for the construction. The procurement was conducted in the format of an open tender with special conditions, and the only participant was Yug-Kurort-Service Limited Liability Company. The company received UAH 18 million 158.3 thousand for the work. According to the YouControl service, the LLC was registered in Odesa in 2004. The owner is currently Andriy Naumenko, an Odesa resident. In March 2025, Pantelis Bumubras, who is better known in Odesa as the president of the GEFEST group, was also listed among the final beneficiaries.

At the end of May, Odesa established a special regime of access to the Dolphin beach due to martial law. The Regional State Administration called this step a response to numerous appeals from the military, veterans, trade unions and the media concerned about the city authorities' plans to terminate the contract with the tenants of the Caleton-Bezmezh beach and dismantle a socially important space created for people with disabilities, defenders of Ukraine and their families. The ban on construction work effectively deprives the mayor's office of grounds to terminate the contract.

Dolphin Beach was previously rented by Odesa businessman and developer Yuriy Degas. In 2021, he set up an inclusive recreation area on this territory and opened the Kaleton beach complex. As Degas himself noted, part of the income from Kaleton went to the maintenance of the inclusive beach.

At the same time, Oleh Kiper, the head of the Odesa Regional State Administration, said that the scandal over the inclusive beach negatively affects the investment climate in Odesa and creates a sense of instability. He emphasized that local authorities should not interfere with business so that the city does not lose the holiday season. In his opinion, the situation around the beach sends a bad signal to business and demonstrates that cooperation with the city hall is problematic.

Photo: Odesa City Hall

Кирило Бойко