The court refused to place an architectural landmark in downtown Odesa under preservation order

The story of the renovation of one of Odessa’s most famous landmarks, which began as emergency repairs, has escalated into a criminal investigation and a legal dispute. 

The Center for Public Investigationshas uncovered the details of the case.

According toa rulingby the Primorsky District Court of Odessa, the case involves a historic building at 11 Gogol Street, where criminal proceedings regarding the possible destruction of a cultural heritage site have been ongoing for over two years.

This is the Troshchynsky House and Wing—an architectural monument of local significance owned by the Odesa territorial community. The building was constructed between 1836 and 1849 based on a design by architects Dallaklav and Shashin. 

The building is better known as “Gogol’s House,” since the writerNikolai Gogol lived and worked there from 1850 to 1851. The street on which the monument is located was named after him for this reason. The writer stayed here with his uncle, GeneralAndriy Troshchynskyi, during his time in Odesa. Within these walls, he worked on the second volume of *Dead Souls*. 

In April 2018, the situation reached a critical point—the roof and floors inside the building completely collapsed. The building was officially declared unsafe and uninhabitable. In 2020, a petition was launched in Odesa calling on city authorities to immediately begin work to save the “Gogol House.” 

Law enforcement opened an investigation in February 2024 under the article on the intentional damage or destruction of cultural heritage sites. The case was based on materials from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), according to which unidentified individuals allegedly carried out construction work without the proper permits. Investigators believed that, under the guise of emergency repair work on the historic site, an attic floor had been illegally added, resulting in the loss of its authentic appearance.

As the court established, in 2021, the Department of Culture approved the scientific and design documentation for emergency repair work. The client was Hills Invest LLC, registered in Odesa in 2020, and the contractor was SMU No. 533 LLC. Based on the issued permit, work continued from June 2021 until the end of 2022.

According toa reportby the Odesa City Council, under the guise of emergency repair work, illegal construction began on the building in 2023 to adapt it for a new use (presumably a hotel). A third floor was added on the courtyard side, and construction of new balconies began. 

During the proceedings, the court took into account the results of a judicial construction and technical expert examination conducted in March 2026. The experts concluded that the emergency repair work carried out complied with the approved design and building codes and did not result in the destruction or damage of the historic monument or its authentic elements. On the contrary, the building’s technical condition improved after the work was completed: its level of deterioration decreased from 66.8% to 56.6%.

Despite this, the investigator requested that the building be seized, prohibiting any construction work, use of the property, or registration procedures. According to law enforcement officials, there were risks of damage to or misappropriation of the property, which is recognized as material evidence in the criminal proceedings. However, a representative of Hills Invest LLC objected to this motion and asked the court to deny it.

After reviewing the case materials, the court noted that since the proceedings were initiated in 2024, no individual had been formally notified of suspicion. Furthermore, the investigation failed to provide sufficient evidence that the building could be destroyed, damaged, or disposed of. In the court’s view, such claims contradict the findings of the expert assessment, which did not confirm that the monument’s destruction was caused specifically by the work carried out.

Accordingtodata from OpenDataBot, the sole owner of Hills Invest LLC was previouslyLeonid Cheftelevich, an Israeli citizen residing in Odesa. He is also the beneficial owner of Yurafira-Bud LLC, the “Comfort Hall” Housing Construction Cooperative, the “Smart Hall” Housing Construction Cooperative, and BUD. Komp-Invest LLC. Accordingto theYouControl analytical system,Yuriy Sergeyev has been the owner of the company since 2022. Previously, he was the owner of Stroy Imperiya LLC. 

Анна Бальчінос