Trukhanov appoints acting chief architect of Odesa

Odesa Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov has appointed an acting director of the new Department of Architecture, Urban Planning and Land Relations of the Odesa City Council, who is also the city's chief architect.

The relevant order was published by the municipality' s press service.

The department is temporarily headed by Nadiya Novikova, who was transferred by the mayor in March from the position of director of the Department of Land Resources to head the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning.

On April 16, the departments were merged into a single body, which, according to the city council leadership, will speed up the decision-making process, reduce staff, and save more than UAH 23 million.

The initiative came shortly after the detention of Marat Kasimov, the acting director of the Department of Architecture, who is suspected of bribery. His duties were temporarily performed by Nadiia Novikova.

Some deputies criticized the idea, drawing attention to the absence of the chief architect of Odesa. The competition for this position was announced before the full-scale war, but has not yet been completed. The authorities assured that the new department would be headed by a manager, with the city's chief architect as his deputy, following the example of other Ukrainian cities.

In December 2023, Odesa Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov signed a number of orders dismissing and appointing heads of departments of the Odesa City Council. It was then that he ordered that Nadiya Novikova, the first deputy director of the Department of Land Resources, be appointed as the acting director of the Department. Temporarily for the period of suspension of its head.

As for the Department of Architecture, which has since been headed by Nadiia Novikova, the previous head, Marat Kasimov, was removed from office by Gennadiy Trukhanov through a ruling of the investigating judge.

Кирило Бойко