18 August 2025
(Preschool educational institution No. 87 "Vyshenka". PHOTO: Mykolaiv City Council)
Mykolaiv has selected a contractor for the overhaul of kindergarten No. 87. The company is known in the region for criminal proceedings regarding possible embezzlement and overpricing of construction materials.
As the Center for Public Investigations found out using data from the Prozorro procurement system, the procurement was for the overhaul of kindergarten No. 87 with the introduction of energy-efficient solutions. The purchase for UAH 15.75 million was announced in late June. The auction took place on July 14, with two companies competing - ITC Mykolaivbud LLC and Pivdenbud Mykolaiv LTD.
The first company was initially declared the winner, but on July 25, the customer unexpectedly rejected both proposals, citing non-compliance with the requirements. On July 28, the Department of Energy of Mykolaiv City Council re-announced the tender, in which the same contractors competed again. This time, the contract was signed with Pivdenbud Mykolaiv LTD.
According to Prozorro, the reconstruction of kindergarten No. 87 in Mykolaiv began in 2018. At that time, more than UAH 10 million was allocated for the thermal sanitation of the building, and this company was awarded the contract.
The history of this company raises many questions. According to YouControl, Pivdenbud Mykolaiv LTD was registered in 2006 and is owned by Iryna Horbul. Between 2010 and 2025, the company received government contracts worth more than UAH 1 billion, and in 2024 alone - more than UAH 300 million. Interestingly, in 2022, the company did not participate in public procurement at all. The company returned to the market only in May 2023, again with contracts from a well-known department.
But we are interested not so much in earnings as in whether the company has any so-called red flags. Corruption scandals have repeatedly emerged around the company. In 2019, the Central District Court of Mykolaiv considered proceedings on the possible misappropriation of budget funds during the restoration of a children's and youth sports school. In 2021, the investigation was extended twice, but the case remained stalled.
The most recent episode is related to the reconstruction of the Bashtanka Multidisciplinary Hospital. In January 2025, the High Anti-Corruption Court received a complaint from the head of the NGO Platform Public Control.
In 2023, the Department of Urban Development of Mykolaiv Regional State Administration announced two tenders worth over UAH 190 million. The only bidder and winner was Pivdenbud Mykolaiv LTD. The complaint is based on suspicion that budget funds may have been misappropriated during the reconstruction of the Bashtanka hospital.
Анна Бальчінос