Prosecutor's Office opens case over demolition of historic building on Frantsuzsky Boulevard

Law enforcement officials have begun investigating scandalous construction work on Frantsuzsky Boulevard that damaged a cultural heritage site. Suspicion was raised by the night work involving special equipment that took place on March 24 without proper control.

This was reported to Intent by the Odesa Regional Prosecutor's Office.

The Odesa Regional Prosecutor's Office has opened criminal proceedings over possible unlawful interference with cultural heritage sites at 10 Frantsuzsky Boulevard. This refers to the high-profile construction work that, according to media reports, was carried out on the night of March 24 with the use of special equipment.

According to the regional prosecutor's office, the proceedings were opened under Part 2 of Article 298 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - illegal destruction or damage to cultural heritage sites. As part of the investigation, law enforcement officers are checking the circumstances of the work on the site, where, among other buildings, the object of historical value is located.

Prosecutors have already filed a motion with the court to inspect the site. After obtaining the appropriate permission, they plan to visit the site together with experts in the field of cultural heritage protection to record possible violations and assess the damage.

Intent asked Oleksandr Avdeev, the head of the Department of State Construction Control of the Odesa City Council, for a comment, and he confirmed the damage to the architectural monument.

As previously reported by MP Petro Obukhov, the complex of buildings was sold at auction to the State Property Fund in 2021. Subsequently, in 2025, the owner succeeded in removing the status of an architectural monument from one of the warehouses through the court. At the same time, the main building, which faces Frantsuzsky Boulevard, retained its protected status.

The next morning, employees of the State Architectural and Construction Control drew up a report on unauthorized work on Frantsuzsky Boulevard, and the departments of architecture and land resources issued an order to stop it immediately. Both bodies appealed to law enforcement agencies to investigate the crime.

Анна Бальчінос