Why is there silence about Vlada Molchanova in the case of Kyiv’s "watcher" Denys Komarnytskyi?

The scandal involving Denys Komarnytskyi is accumulating more and more details, yet almost no one mentions Vlada Molchanova, who is an active participant in the schemes of the fugitive "watcher" over Kyiv’s constructions.

This seems even stranger since five years ago, when Geo Leros leaked the contents of Denys Komarnytskyi’s computer, the name of the owner of the Stolitsa Group company was already emerging. In the context of the so-called "understandings," where high-profile parties like Denys Komarnytskyi and Vladyslava Molchanova were negotiating schemes for the appropriation of Kyiv lands and principles for profit distribution.

The flash drive with the relevant information was allegedly handed to Geo Leros by someone from the SSU, and it contained those very "understandings" involving Komarnytskyi and major Kyiv developers, including Vlada Molchanova. In reality, the "Leros flash drive" was a result of the struggle between then-chief of the OPU, Andriy Bohdan, and Andriy Yermak’s group for control over the Kyiv City Council and the capital’s construction market. It was from the latter that Geo Leros received his compromising material, leading to a criminal case being opened against Denys Komarnytskyi.

Vlada Molchanova was also involved in this case, but it ended up with nothing, or more accurately, a complete failure. This is because Andriy Bohdan lost his battle, Vadym Stolar was removed from the unofficial post of the "watcher" over Kyiv’s construction and land market, and Denys Komarnytskyi took his place. The head of the OPU also changed. What happened now and why Denys Komarnytskyi decided to flee is an open question, but among the investigation materials regarding his activities as a "watcher" of the capital’s development market, Molchanova’s name has not appeared yet.

However, it is during these years that Vlada Molchanova has significantly strengthened her positions in business generally and in the construction business in particular. On the "Leros flash drive," her name was mentioned in the context of the construction of the "Komash" factory area in central Kyiv, on Vasylkivska Street. Later, instead of Komarnytskyi’s surname in this "document," Stepan Chernovetskyi’s surname appeared, but the essence remained unchanged.

As mentioned earlier, as a result of the behind-the-scenes struggle on Bankova Street, the criminal case against Denys Komarnytskyi collapsed. He continued to "resolve" issues around the capital’s lands and establish cooperation among Kyiv businessmen. As a result of his activities, Vlada Molchanova entered the top five capital developers. As one Kyiv City Council deputy once anonymously stated, "Denys resolves issues, Vlada builds. They are now the main ’gray cardinals’ in Kyiv. Komarnytskyi has good relations with Klychko and active interaction with his team."

Although Stolitsa Group is considered Vlada Molchanova’s primary asset, she also owns a share in bUd Development, which constructs residential complexes in Kyiv as close as possible to metro stations and transport hubs. The information about the developer’s owners is concealed, but it is known that Vlada Molchanova’s partners in bUd Development are Vadym Stolar. bUd Development’s projects include Residential Complex Symbol, Residential Complex "Zarichnyi," Residential Complex "French Quarter 2," Residential Complex Salut, Residential Complex Oasis, Residential Complex Arsenal House, among others. It is worth mentioning that in 2020, the SSU conducted searches in bUd Development offices in connection with an open criminal investigation, but this case ended the same as Komarnytskyi’s case.

Stolitsa Group constructed the Residential Complex "Vidradnyi," "Warsaw Microdistrict," and "Warsaw Plus," with a total company portfolio of nearly 150 projects. And this is where Denys Komarnytskyi’s name emerges again. This is because most of the projects that Stolitsa Group constructed were built on lands acquired by the developer in rather dubious ways, accompanied by loud scandals.

Among the most notorious schemes carried out by Komarnytskyi in Molchanova’s interest was the adoption in 2021 of the so-called DPT (Detailed Territory Plan) of the Minsk array, according to which Vlada Molchanova received the right to develop the former greenhouse farm "Pushcha-Vodytsia." The official investor in the development of the DPT Minsk array is LLC "Datolit," affiliated with the developer "Stolitsa Group" and its beneficiary, Vladyslava Molchanova. Molchanova received the right to build 19 buildings of 26 stories each.

Although a criminal case No. 12019000000001057 was opened on the fact of illegal alienation of the lands of "Pushcha-Vodytsia," which also involved Vlada Molchanova, this did not prevent the construction. How shares and profits were distributed between Molchanova and Komarnytskyi in this project is not known, but Komarnytskyi successfully resolved the issue of getting a construction permit.

Connected with the alienation of the lands of "Research, Production Agro-complex ’Pushcha-Vodytsia,’" a criminal case was investigated regarding the construction on Pravdy Avenue of the Residential Complex "Warsaw Microdistrict." The developer was Stolitsa Group. The criminal case in this respect also collapsed. But surnames of Denys Komarnytskyi and Vlada Molchanova emerged again.

The next scandal in which the surnames Komarnytskyi and Molchanova emerged again were the unfinished objects of the bankrupt bank "Arkada," which Stolitsa Group undertook to complete. One of these objects was an eco-park in the capital’s Osokorky, which Stolitsa Group also undertook to build.

Initially, armed "titushky" came into play here, and then Denys Komarnytskyi joined, who pushed through the DPT in the Kyiv City Council. That is, the same "Detailed Territory Plan," according to which developers, exploiting a loophole in the legislation, obtained the right to build on favored lands.

The thing is that there must be a General Construction Plan in every city, where a comprehensive city development plan is worked out. It concerns not only housing: the General Plan includes everything—roads, schools, commercial sites, etc. All of this is tied to infrastructure and elaborated in detail. A General Plan exists in Kyiv as well. But it is many years old, so a new one is being developed. And until it is approved, those same DPTs are used to make corrections to the old General Plan. These DPTs are adopted in an entirely manual mode but grant the legal right to alienate lands and erect various objects on them.

This scheme was successfully used by Leonid Chernovetskyi, then Vadym Stolar "took it over," and after him, Denys Komarnytskyi picked up the baton. Vladyslava Molchanova was not the only one Komarnytskyi "assisted." But thanks to his fruitful cooperation with him, Vlada Molchanova’s construction companies ranked second in the top of capital developers in 2021.

After Denys Komarnytskyi’s escape and the new criminal case against him, the scheme is on pause. No, it’s not broken. There will simply be a new "watcher" over the construction-lands market in Kyiv. The scheme will be transferred to his supervision. How Vlada Molchanova will fit into it is too early to say. But, judging by the fact that her name has not appeared in any official reports regarding the investigation into Denys Komarnytskyi, it can be assumed that she does not fall out of the scheme. At least.