A markup of 1000%: a scheme of budget embezzlement on monuments to fallen heroes was uncovered in Irpin

A markup of 1000%: a scheme of budget embezzlement on monuments to fallen heroes was uncovered in Irpin

The police have initiated criminal proceedings regarding abuses during the procurement of gravestones for the burial of military personnel in Irpin. The case involves former deputy mayor Lidiya Mykhalchenko and the contracting company «Stone Design Ukraine».

Officials of the city council colluded with the management of LLC «Stone Design Ukraine» and embezzled local budget funds. The case concerns the procurement of 75 gravestones intended for use during the reconstruction of the Alley of Memory of Ukraine’s Defenders memorial in Irpin. In May of this year, Deputy Mayor Lidiya Mykhalchenko signed an agreement with «Stone Design Ukraine», which offered 75 granite gravestones for a total amount of nearly 6 million UAH, including VAT.

During the investigation, it was revealed that the batch of granite slabs used to manufacture these gravestones was imported from China by the contracting company at a price ten times lower than what was charged to the Irpin City Council.

The company «Stone Design Ukraine» was registered in April 2023 by Kyiv resident Inna Komar, who, at the time of signing the contract with the Irpin City Council, also held the position of director. According to YouControl, in November 2025, the company was transferred to the ownership of Nataliya Medukha, who also owns several other stone processing enterprises, while Inna Komar currently works as the chief accountant at «Stone Design Ukraine».

The current owner of the company, Nataliya Medukha, claims that «Stone Design Ukraine» is not involved in the embezzlement of budget funds. It was not possible to obtain comments from the Irpin City Council or the former deputy mayor Lidiya Mykhalchenko.

The Alley of Memory of Ukraine’s Defenders is a burial site for Ukrainian military personnel at the local cemetery in Irpin. Plans for the reconstruction of this memorial were announced earlier. In the summer of 2025, the Irpin City Council signed a contract with LLC «Art Alliance Group» for the development of infrastructure at the memorial site, costing 42.7 million UAH.

The cost of gravestones in Ukraine depends on the type of granite, size, and design of the monument. On the retail market, a simple cross-shaped monument can be purchased for 30,000 UAH. At the end of 2025, the Talne City Council in Cherkasy Oblast ordered similar monuments, consisting of a granite stele, cross, base, and gravestone slab, at a price of 72,800 UAH per unit.