Former MP from Crimea plans to build up the coast of the reserve

The occupation authorities of Crimea have announced the construction of a resort complex at the foot of Kara Dag in Koktebel. The developer is the company of former Vice Prime Minister of Crimea and former member of the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea Eduard Hryvkovsky, who is suspected of treason in Ukraine.

This was reported by Krym. Realii.

The occupation authorities of Crimea have announced their intention to implement a large investment project in Koktebel near the Kara-Dag volcanic massif. The relevant memorandum was signed during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2026 between the Russian-controlled government of the peninsula and the company Forum-Chaika.

According to the developers' plans, hotels, villas, townhouses, guest houses, and resort residences are to appear on the territory of more than 76 thousand square meters. The project will take ten years to complete.

The developer is Forum-Chaika, a company registered in Sudak. Its founder is a Crimean businessman and former deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea Eduard Hryvkovsky. Prior to the occupation of the peninsula, he was associated with the pro-Russian Soyuz party and served as deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers of Crimea.

According to journalists, Hryvkovsky controls a number of other construction and development companies. In 2018, the Security Service of Ukraine put him on the wanted list on suspicion of treason.

The upcoming development has raised concerns among environmentalists and local activists. Kara Dag is part of the Karadazh Biosphere Reserve, a unique protected area of international importance that includes rare ecosystems and the Black Sea.

Activists emphasize that the boundaries of the reserve are almost close to Koktebel, so large-scale construction without affecting the protected area seems unlikely. An additional concern is the fact that a large part of the protected zone around the reserve still lacks proper legal documentation.

Local residents have previously protested against the multi-storey development of Koktebel. In their appeals, they claimed that the new residential and hotel complexes could irrevocably change the historical appearance of the resort village, damage natural landscapes and even affect the unique air flows in the area of Mount Klementiev, known as the center of gliding.

Despite previous protests and appeals to the Russian authorities, the development of Koktebel continues, and the new project could become one of the largest construction projects on the coast near Kara Dag in recent years.

Also in Sevastopol, the Russian authorities transferred land in the Chersonesos Tavriya reserve to a Russian bank under international sanctions for development. There are plans to build a hotel complex and a school for gifted children on the coast of Quarantine Bay.

Анна Бальчінос