Director of dolphinarium arrested in Odesa for construction on Lanzheron

The head of the Odesa dolphinarium was notified of suspicion over unauthorized construction on Lanzheron Beach. The court imposed round-the-clock house arrest on him until January 26, 2026.

This was reported by the Center for Public Investigations.

The Primorsky District Prosecutor's Office has launched a pre-trial investigation into the illegal construction on the beach. Investigators are investigating criminal proceedings dated August 15, 2025 under Part 2 of Article 197-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

The investigation was initiated following a complaint from the director of the NGO Protecting Odesa Residents, who reported the installation of temporary and permanent structures on Lanzheron Beach without permits.

The pre-trial investigation established that from May 2018 to October 2025, a group of people, including the director of Nerum LLC, carried out unauthorized construction on an 823 m² land plot of the Odesa community in the coastal protection zone. A complex of buildings and structures, including swimming pools, bars, playgrounds and food courts, appeared on this territory, enclosed by stone flower beds and a metal fence.

Nerum LLC leased only 0.5 hectares of land for the dolphinarium and the Nemo hotel complex, but the facility was expanded beyond the leased area. In May 2018, the company applied to the Department of Architecture of the Odesa City Council for reconstruction, but the construction was carried out without the appropriate permits.

A forensic land valuation and appraisal expert estimated the damage to the Odesa community at over UAH 20.5 million. In 2025, the illegal construction continued: a 71-m² covered area around the swimming pool was installed on the site without permits.

The prosecutor requested round-the-clock house arrest of the suspect, and he is prohibited from leaving his residence from 22:00 to 06:00, except in cases of medical emergency or during an air raid. The Prymorskyi District Prosecutor's Office of Odesa is supervising compliance with the law, and the investigation is ongoing.

The company's director was served with a notice of suspicion of unauthorized construction on the Lanzheronbeachpromenadein late November. Since 2022, the hotel complex has been operating and making a profit, while part of the illegally occupied land plot has been used free of charge. According to law enforcement officials, such actions have caused more than UAH 20 million in losses to the community of Odesa.

According to YouControl, the head of Nerum LLC is Anatoliy Solontsov. This is not the first case against the company's head. Last year, the Prymorskyi District Court of Odesa approved a plea agreement for Solontsov to cooperate. He was accused of entertaining vacationers in the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea between 2022 and 2023.

Анна Бальчінос