Serhiy Kopystyra, a Kyiv-based property developer currently facing criminal charges in two National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) corruption probes, is attempting to secure construction rights for a 6-hectare plot of land belonging to the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU). Located on Antonovycha Street in the Holosiivskyi District, the land is designated for the E.O. Paton Electric Welding Institute. Despite ongoing criminal proceedings—including allegations of bribing high-ranking officials with real estate and previously attempting to build over Kyiv’s Botanical Garden—the developer continues efforts to advance commercial projects on state-owned land.
The disputed 6-hectare site on Antonovycha Street remains assigned to NASU’s Paton Electric Welding Institute. The attempts to secure rights to the plot fit a broader pattern involving the acquisition and re-designation of state-owned academic land for residential and commercial expansion.
Previous attempts to convert protected public areas into high-rise developments have sparked significant legal disputes, yet administrative preparations regarding the Antonovycha Street property are reportedly ongoing.
Kopystyra is currently a primary suspect in two separate criminal cases prosecuted by NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO). Investigators detail high-profile schemes involving kickbacks offered to former top officials, including discounted or re-registered apartments provided in exchange for favorable land transfers and favorable urban planning approvals.
Additionally, the developer was previously linked to controversial development attempts around the Kyiv Botanical Garden, where initial plans called for multi-story residential complexes on green-zone land.
«The developer is an accused party in two NABU cases involving the bribery of senior officials with real estate in exchange for illegal land allocations.»
The cases against Kopystyra remain under review at the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC). While the court has imposed preventive measures and bail conditions, the real estate group has continued working to finalize development plans for the Antonovycha Street location.
The protection of the 6-hectare academic property now depends on pending actions by NASU leadership, enforcement by anti-corruption authorities, and regulatory intervention by state municipal bodies.