The State Enterprise «National Military Memorial Cemetery» (NVMC) has sparked public outrage following a major procurement contract for headstones to honor fallen Ukrainian soldiers. The tender, valued at nearly 20 million UAH, was won by the Ukrainian representative office of an Italian company co-owned by Maria (Marika) Hryneuska, a Minsk-born individual. Investigative reports reveal that Hryneuska maintains active business operations in the Russian Federation and has publicly promoted anti-Ukrainian narratives on social media.
The NVMC launched the public procurement tender in late May for the manufacturing of light-colored Carrara marble headstones, complete with engraving and photo portraits of the deceased service members. «Exclusive s.r.l. Representative Office in Ukraine» emerged as the sole bidder and won the contract with an expected value of 19.96 million UAH.
According to commercial registry data, the Ukrainian branch was officially registered on May 18, 2026—just nine days before the state tender was announced. This marked the company’s debut in Ukrainian government procurement, resulting in an immediate victory.
The ultimate beneficial owners of the parent company are Italian citizen Ricci Stefano and his wife, Maria Hryneuska, born in Minsk in 1959. On her Facebook page, Hryneuska has repeatedly echoed Kremlin propaganda, expressed open hostility toward Ukraine, and completely ignored Russia’s war of aggression. Furthermore, she continues to generate revenue from active businesses registered in the Russian Federation.
In Ukraine, the winning entity is officially represented by 29-year-old Lina Yanyuk. Public records show no substantial history of her involvement in corporate management or industrial stone supply; her Instagram profile lists her profession as a freelance SMM and Instagram Reels specialist.
To meet the government procurement criteria, the firm submitted documentation claiming past experience in importing stone to Ukraine in 2024 for a local LLC and an individual entrepreneur (FOP). However, because the Ukrainian representative office was only established in May 2026, the legal framework under which those 2024 transactions were conducted remains highly ambiguous.
Context: The National Military Memorial Cemetery is Ukraine’s premier state project dedicated to honoring fallen defenders. Given the profound societal sensitivity surrounding the site, any corruption or reputational risks trigger immediate public backlash. The state enterprise is currently headed by Director Yaroslav Pronyutkin.
To fulfill the production requirements, the newly formed representative office relies entirely on the equipment, facilities, and labor of a subcontractor: Individual Entrepreneur (FOP) Nataliia Borysivna Artemieva.
Public records reveal a striking timeline: Artemieva, originally registered as a sole proprietor in Kodyma (Odesa Oblast), secured her first major contract with the National Military Cemetery just weeks prior, on May 4, 2026, to manufacture gravestones for columbarium niches. Shortly thereafter, the newly arrived «Italian» firm designated her as their primary subcontractor.
Simultaneously, Artemieva has expanded her footprint by registering a new corporate entity, «Sklokeramika» LLC, in Kyiv. Procurement watchdogs anticipate this newly formed company will also appear in upcoming defense-related cemetery tenders.
At the time of publication, the management of the NVMC has not released an official statement regarding the controversial tender results.