Dombrovska warns that the former music school in Varvarivka is set to be turned into a market, with tiles to be laid at the expense of the budget

Tetyana Dombrovska, a member of the Mykolaiv City Council, warns that the former building of the children’s music school in the Varvarivka neighbourhood will be converted into a market, and tiles will be laid in the surrounding area at the city’s expense.

She made these remarks during a session of the Mykolaiv City Council held on 27 March, NikVesti reports.

The councillor asked Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych why the Central District Administration had decided to carry out major improvements to the area near one of the apartment blocks located close to the ATB supermarket in the Varvarivka neighbourhood.

«Mr Sienkevych, you said that you had visited the Ministry of Finance due to a lack of funds. In view of this, I would like to ask: please explain why the Central District Administration commissioned a project for the major refurbishment of the area opposite the building at 86 Odeske Shose in Varvarivka. Do you really want to build another large pavement there?

Please explain who exactly requested this, and why you wish to urgently and comprehensively redevelop this particular area, which is currently completely cluttered with kiosks. And how does this fit in with the fact that you, Oleksandr, are currently travelling around asking for money, whilst major pavement construction is taking place in the city. Why?» asked Tetiana Dombrovska.

The Central District Administration commissioned the development of a project to improve this area for 113,600 hryvnias, according to data from the Prozorro public procurement system. The contractor was required to develop the project documentation by 30 October 2025.

Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych explained that a large-scale dismantling of temporary structures, which had been recommended for demolition, is currently taking place near this building. Because of this, there is a need to carry out improvements to this area once the dismantling work is complete, he added.

«I recommend you go there and see what is happening. It is a public place, a public transport stop. There are a great many structures there that have been handed over for demolition. This is not a private house, but a public area. Once everything has been dismantled there, we plan to create a proper pedestrian zone so that there are no potholes or remains of foundations from these temporary structures left behind, and people can move about freely. You could say this is the heart of Varvarivka,» said the mayor.

In turn, Tetiana Dombrovska noted that the former building of the children’s music school is located next to the site and suggested that a market might be built there instead. That is why, the councillor believes, they intend to carry out improvements on the adjacent site using funds from the city budget.

«Listen, let me explain a little. I see that the music school next to this site was sold at auction. And here, perhaps I am wrong, but the new owner wants to rebuild a music school for the city in Varvarivka,» said Tetiana Dombrovska.

Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych, commenting on the councillor’s remarks, said he could not answer «who is trying to build something there».

«I have told you what is happening now, what the Department of Architecture is doing, and what our municipal enterprise ‘Parks’ is currently doing in terms of demolition. But what is happening there with the music school? I do not know. Moreover, as far as I am aware, nothing is happening there at the moment. There is a fence there now,» said the mayor.

Tetiana Dombrovska then voiced her suspicion that funds from the city budget were being used to build a site for a future market.

«Let’s hope they don’t want to build yet another market there at the expense of the budget,» she said.

It is worth noting that the former building of the children’s music school is located at 88-B Odeske Shose. In 2024, it was sold at auction for 1.7 million hryvnias (around 40,000 dollars) to the company «Nik-Estate», according to data from the ZakupivliPro e-platform.

The company has been operating since May 2024 and is registered in Mykolaiv, according to data from the YouControl analytical system. Its director is Oleh Anatoliiovych Sereda. «Nik-Estate» is engaged in property letting and non-specialised wholesale trade. The company’s founder is Oleksandr Volodymyrovych Hlubochenko. In 2018, it was Oleksandr Hlubochenko who built a four-storey building in the historic centre of Mykolaiv at 7 Liahin Street, opposite the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, a project opposed at the time by councillor Olena Kiseliova.

And his probable relative, Ivan Volodymyrovych Hlubochenko, with whom he shares not only a patronymic but also a home address according to public registers, is a co-owner of the company «San-Nikolas» alongside Oleh Sereda. This company is known for having become the owner of the ‘Oberehova’ market , which was built around nine years ago in Fedir Panchenko’s constituency in the Solyani neighbourhood. Read more about how the market was effectively legalised at the time in the article. At the time, Fedir Panchenko, in a comment to NikVesti, expressed genuine delight at the construction of what was effectively a permanent market on Oberegova Street, despite the permit being only for temporary structures.

When asked by a journalist from «Prestupnosti.NET» about the fact that the market had been built through his mediation at the expense of entrepreneurs Oleksii Pelipas and Mykhailo Titov, deputy Fedir Panchenko replied: «I have never in my life spoken to Oleksii Pelipas, greeted him, or shaken his hand. I don’t know his phone number, nothing. I only know what he looks like. I’ve seen him a few times near the Council. That’s the extent of my connection with him. (As for Titov, — note) — I’ve never greeted him, never spoken to him, no contact whatsoever».

Responding to the remarks made by Tetiana Dombrovska at last week’s session, Fedir Panchenko, a city councillor and chair of the budget committee, took the floor.

He said that the project to improve the area in Varvarivka was commissioned not because of the dismantling of temporary structures, but because of the need to repair the water supply network that runs through this section.

«Let me remind you, last year there were mass complaints from Varvarivka residents that when water was supplied to them from the city via a culvert, it was such a colour that you could have posted it on a Telegram channel. When the water utility began investigating what was actually happening, it turned out that there was a 500-metre section of the water main that had fallen into complete disrepair; it was overgrown with rust. And because of this, people cannot get water properly. You (the councillor addressed Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych, — note) instructed the water utility a year ago to replace this section. The water utility kept dragging its feet on this project, trying to explain that it wasn’t 500 metres that needed replacing, but 3 kilometres straight away. And this pipe happens to run right under this bus stop, under these kiosks. After the replacement, of course, the area will need to be restored, as there will simply be trenches there,» said Fedir Panchenko.

Tetiana Dombrovska asked whether he was aware of the new owner’s plans for the former music school building.

«Colleague, perhaps you know whether the new owner of the music school intends to rebuild the new music school? If so, I support the redevelopment, but if there is to be a market there,» noted the councillor.

Fedir Panchenko did not answer this question, instead asking: «How do the issues regarding the restoration of the water supply relate to the owners of something?»

«Colleague, you know, I can give examples where my parliamentary inquiries are sitting in numerous departments. People also make enquiries, but for some reason these are ignored. Why, then, is the priority specifically on this site?» replied Tetiana Dombrovska.

After which the chair of the city council’s budget committee, Fedir Panchenko, said that the questions Tetiana Dombrovska was asking him regarding his constituency were not within his remit.

«It seems to me you’re changing the subject — from one issue that’s not my concern to another issue that’s not my concern. I’ve explained what’s happening in my constituency in Varvarivka,» said Fedir Panchenko.