The answer to this question lies in the materials of a corruption case. It was there that bigus.info discovered the connection between the former official and the companies and individuals officially behind the construction of massive estates on 8 hectares with a private lake on the banks of the Kozynka River.
How Chernyshov and his wife “exited” a multimillion-dollar project, and why this exit appears to be fictitious — all this is revealed in a new investigation by Mariya Zemlyanska, now available to everyone.
Hi, I’m Mariya. You’re watching “Bihus.Info”.
And yes, friends, we’ve been completely played — played by the people sitting on Bankova Street, who are busy protecting their inner circle from even a hint of suspicion from NABU and SAPO. These people couldn’t come up with anything better than to blatantly try to destroy everything that has been built over the past 11 years. Yes — with problems, yes — with criticism, but at least with some degree of political independence. Last Tuesday we went straight back to 2013, when if you were “one of us,” you could plunder, lie, and steal, because your own never come after you — they don’t touch you and don’t move against you.
I’m recording this video on Saturday, and God knows what will happen next. The news is coming in so fast you can’t even step out for a coffee. But today I’ll be talking about the man from whom this entire marathon likely began — Oleksiy Chernyshov, until recently a minister and deputy prime minister, who has just received a notice of suspicion from NABU and SAPO for corruption, after which, at least chronologically, everything started to spiral.
Of course, I’ll briefly go over Chernyshov’s biography and the reasons for his suspicion, but the main thing is the millions of dollars. Millions essentially buried in construction projects of staggering scale. For this episode, we spent hours digging through court registries, trudged for miles under the scorching sun, and literally sailed…
What I’m about to show you is a treasure. Ta-da! Meet 8 hectares on the banks of the Kozynka River. This estate — or rather, complex of estates — is something new. But the pace of construction matches the political career of Mr. Minister (technically now former) so precisely that it’s curious: why did everything suddenly stop? Some problems? Anyway — be patient, and you’ll see something spectacular. But only if everyone subscribes to our channel.
On June 27, the High Anti-Corruption Court chose a preventive measure for the then-serving Deputy Prime Minister in a corruption case. A truly historic day. And although hearing this directly from Chernyshov was preceded by a full-blown detective story starring the country’s top officials, I won’t go into the details of the criminal proceedings themselves.
I had already doubted that Chernyshov’s suspicion would end with a fair verdict, and with the tightening of the screws on NABU and SAPO, in my opinion, the chances are approaching zero. So — very briefly. The investigation accuses Chernyshov of helping one developer in a scheme to illegally obtain land for a new residential complex. At the time, Chernyshov was heading the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development. And, according to investigators, he got involved in this story not for nothing, but in exchange for a bribe in the form of a discount on several apartments from that same developer.
And here’s the complete collected works of Skovoroda, volume one:
“I do not control these apartments or contract objects and have no means of controlling them. This is very important because when the prosecution claims that the minister received certain discounts for third parties and controls these properties — this does not correspond to reality in any way. Moreover, I don’t even know where these properties are located, and I have never in my life been there. And, frankly, I do not plan to go there. The accusation is, you know, about discounts and books.”
In this case, the investigation handed out six notices of suspicion — including Chernyshov, who was the last to be reached. And let’s be honest here — the suspicion against Chernyshov was significantly delayed. This case had been discussed for a long time and publicly. And even when searches were carried out at the homes of key figures, Chernyshov was left untouched. There are several possible explanations for this.
First: Chernyshov is close to the president’s team. His career in public service — in the chair of the head of the Kyiv Regional State Administration — began after Volodymyr Zelenskyy came to Bankova Street.
“I entered public service consciously, because I not only know how to change the Kyiv region, but I will make it happen.”
It was Chernyshov’s Ministry for Communities and Territories Development that was entrusted to present the president’s ambitious “Big Construction” program, which at the same time became a feeding trough for the inner circle of the President’s Office.
“This program, first and foremost, changes the quality of people’s lives”
Certain people’s lives. That’s for sure. And let’s be real — write in the comments if you can recall anyone who, during all six years of Zelenskyy’s presidency, not only kept their position but also climbed several rungs up the career ladder? Not everyone in this country has an entire ministry created for them — and here I’m hinting at the Ministry of National Unity, whose purpose is still unclear to me, just to seat someone in a deputy prime minister’s chair.
Second: thanks here to Mykhailo Tkach, who first documented how Chernyshov was secretly visiting NABU and later revealed that detectives did not carry out searches at Chernyshov’s premises, even though there was a corresponding court order. In short — everyone who could was working to shield Chernyshov from suspicion. And I’m not reminding you of all this for nothing. This is to show: Chernyshov is not just some ordinary government official (technically now former) but an important member of Zelenskyy’s team.
There’s another point. Again, thanks to our colleague Mykhailo Tkach, we know that Chernyshov may have been among the guests at Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s birthday party. This was the story when there was a quarantine, and the president was surprised with a party at the apartment of his longtime friend and business partner Timur Mindich. According to Ukrainska Pravda, Chernyshov was also invited to the state residence “Syniogora” in the Carpathians, when a close circle gathered there for Andriy Yermak’s birthday.
So, considering all this influence and scale, I personally find it a bit puzzling.
“For carrying out his part of the plan, for approving and signing the relevant orders on behalf of the ministry, Chernyshov was to receive, for himself and for individuals connected to him, an undue advantage in the form of a discount on the purchase of a property.”
To get involved in a shady deal for a couple of apartments with a profit of 14.5 million and a book — but come on, that feels like small change given the scale of the scheme and the level of the figure involved.
So I don’t know about you, but to me there are only two possible options: either the classic Ukrainian “every penny counts,” or the undue advantage might not have been limited to apartments. For example, there could have been some cash which, I would guess, could have been “invested” somewhere. And where do Ukrainian officials most often bury cash? These days it’s trendy: Bukovel, Zakarpattia, or more traditionally — good old Kozyn.
And that’s exactly where we’re heading with you — to the last location.
Expensive, lavish. That describes both the location itself and the prices. Within easy reach of Kyiv, Kozyn is truly top-tier. There’s a handy map on LUNA, so if you’re curious, you can check for yourself how much estates there are going for right now.
Stop! That’s a normal introduction if we were talking about an ordinary house on 1,000 square meters, but in our case — the scale and scope are completely, absolutely different.
Just look at this fence. Seriously — it’s massive. Behind the enclosed area lies a private lake and several houses. One by the water, the rest scattered across the property.
From above, it may look rather modest — don’t be fooled. In reality, if you peek from the ground, this is what’s being built. And that’s just one of the houses we managed to see. But who are we to not try all the options?
So here’s the plan: we’ll have to paddle about a kilometer. Well, not “we” — Max will. He’s clearly not too thrilled about it, but what can you do? There’s no other way to show what’s behind this tall fence — at least for now.
Looks like we’re heading into open water. Into territorial waters… and the views are much better here — meaning, the houses around us. Anyway, if my navigation skills aren’t failing me, we’re almost right up against the property we’re interested in. It should start just beyond that tree over there.
So, friends — what I’m about to show you is a treasure. Right there, by the fence along the water, is where our plot begins. Well, not ours — 8 hectares. And the end of the property is somewhere over there, past that house, where the trees begin — that’s where the lake should be.
This here is the house by the lake. It seems the biggest to me. At least for now — two floors, or maybe even three. Two and an attic, terraces, panoramic windows — everything just as it should be. What’s missing? That’s right, a proper dock — solid and reliable. And it looks like it’s planned here.
Thank you, our trusty little boat, for getting us here. But now please get us back, because it seems no one around here will be offering us a helping hand.
Friends, this is a great moment to ask you to like and share this video, because we really put a lot of effort into it. Right, Max? We hustle and work hard. Have you been waiting?
Okay, deep breath? And let’s continue. Actually, no — before we continue, I want to say that we worked really hard to release this video with early access for our community. And I hope we made it. So if you still haven’t subscribed to support “BihusInfo,” I warmly invite you: you’ll be able to write to us directly, see the videos first, and get our merch. We’ve already launched the MonoBase. By the way, we have a really nice design there. In short — join us. All the links are under the video.
Now, speaking of money, it’s actually quite difficult to measure, let alone assess. Land of this scale is nearly impossible to find for sale now. Plus, in Kozyn, prices vary widely. Location plays a huge role: in our case — bonus — the land stretches along the Kozynka River. That’s the most expensive category here. Okay, for reference: the closest available offer in this sector of Kozyn is $12,500 per 100 m². And note — that’s without direct water access. But I’m telling you about a plot nearly 8 hectares in size, with its own waterfront.
For comparison, a bit further from us, on the dam… plots with access to the Dnipro River are going for $17,000 and even $23,000 per 100 m². Like I said: water drives the price up many times over, and here it seems there’s simply no ceiling.
Now, about the houses. As we saw, there are currently four huge ones. What exactly this is — I can’t tell you just yet. And this building here also stands out from the local style. According to the permitting documents, each estate is approximately 1,000 m², and each also comes with utility buildings. And just so you understand: these utility buildings are another 300–500 m² each, big enough to be a mansion on their own.
The same documents show that construction of all this was declared at around $300–400 per square meter. And that’s without counting all the additional utility structures, summer houses, and gazebos. And frankly, that amount doesn’t seem credible. Let me remind you: we’re talking about mansions in Kozyn, not mid-range apartment blocks.
You rarely come across estates like these on real estate websites. Most listings these days are already renovated. Let’s take this one as a reference: 1,200 square meters, a 1.2-hectare plot, designer renovation, landscaped grounds, a pool, a spa, a home theater. Like it? Get ready to shell out $12.5 million. Here’s another one: not just a house, but a full-fledged residence that embodies the highest standards of luxury and comfort. Designed for those who appreciate an exclusive lifestyle. Also over 1,000 square meters, plus a 2.7-hectare plot. Price — $17.5 million.
Okay, in our case the renovations and furniture are still on the way, but even now these houses clearly already command several million dollars.
Now — specifically about Chernyshov. All the land under this Kozyn development is controlled by a company called Bloom Development. Most of it is owned outright — including the lake. Only a small strip along the shore is leased. This place used to be the site of a recreational complex called Sonyachna. If you rewind the history, here’s what it looked like: in 2012, LLC Bloom Development bought the resort, and for several years nothing happened with it. Until Oleksiy Chernyshov entered the picture as a co-owner of Bloom.
“I joined public service in 2019. I came from business. It was a conscious decision. I wanted — and still want — to reform and change this country.”
And apparently, before getting into public service, Chernyshov decided to start small — he wanted to change Kozyn. Because in 2019, after he joined the project, that’s when real activity began. This is clear from both the paperwork and the satellite map. But with his first public position on the horizon, Chernyshov’s stake in the business was transferred to his wife.
From there, Chernyshov’s career took off, and in parallel, construction in Kozyn under his wife’s name kicked into high gear. By 2021, you could already make out the frames of future mansions on the site. Summer 2022 — the houses already had roofs. Construction in Kozyn was “full steam ahead,” and not even the full-scale war slowed it down.
But the name of Chernyshov’s wife among the founders of Bloom somehow starts to bother. In 2023, the wife — who at that time was already the head of Naftogaz — leaves the company. So when Chernyshov formally takes the position of Vice Prime Minister, neither he nor his wife has any official connection to this large-scale local construction project. But I have a theory that this official exit of the Chernyshovs from the LLC is purely a paper story. Because it’s strange to bother with paperwork, develop the site, invest tons of money, launch large-scale construction, and then just walk away.
At first, these were just assumptions. But then a suspicion appeared — more precisely, a suspicion against Chernyshov — which significantly reinforced these assumptions with facts, and the idea that the project was simply left in reliable hands — trusted ones. So now Bloom officially belongs to Liliya Lysenko.
— Hello?
— Hello, good afternoon, Liliya Viktorivna?
— Listening.
— My name is Maria Zemlyanska, I’m a journalist from BigusInfo. I’m preparing a piece about construction in Kozyn, specifically on your plot, your company’s and your housing cooperative’s plot. I wanted to clarify what’s currently planned there? Because I see the project is almost finished? Hello?… Hello? Well, at least not busy.
— Subscriber does not respond.
Lysenko has long been acquainted with the Chernyshovs. Well, “acquainted” is too general a word. At first, she worked in the Chernyshovs’ Austrian company, and then for several years co-owned Bloom together with the official’s wife. Eventually, the housing cooperative “Sunny Shore,” which became the official developer of the construction in Kozyn, was registered in her name.
Life is turbulent, business partners sometimes part ways. And this version could theoretically exist, but there’s always a “but.” And in our case — that “but.” Here is a ruling from Chernyshov’s corruption case: according to the search protocol dated August 1, 2024, files named “person 12” were found on Liliya Viktorivna Lysenko’s laptop, which may indicate the presence of information relevant to the criminal proceedings.
To explain: a year ago, law enforcement conducted a search — a search in the same case in which Chernyshov would later be charged with bribery. But the searches targeted not Chernyshov himself, but Lysenko. During the examination of the mobile phone of “person 13,” correspondence with Liliya Viktorivna Lysenko was found, including a conversation in November 2023 where they discussed terms for selling an apartment. According to the investigation, the apartment was allegedly given as a bribe.
Moving on. I already mentioned the “Sunny Shore” cooperative responsible for the construction of the Kozyn estates. So, the Chernyshov family basically never officially appeared there — why would they? But, firstly, from the beginning of its creation, it was Lysenko who was involved there. Secondly, in 2019 Chernyshov lent “Sunny Shore” 3.6 million hryvnias — 2019 being the period when the old base was being prepared for demolition, i.e., effectively the start of construction work. Thirdly, here’s this lady — Inna Yatsyk. In 2022 she became a co-founder of the “Sunny Shore” cooperative.
“In 2022, the enterprise Yatsyk Inna joined the list of founders of this cooperative. At the same time, it was established that Sviatoslav Malashko is married to Nina Yatsyk, and Nina Yatsyk is the sister of Ihor Yatsyk. And Ihor Yatsyk is married to Inna Yatsyk, who is a founder of this cooperative ‘Sunny Shore.’”
Wait — what kind of Santa Barbara soap opera is this, and why the heck do we need this here? Let me explain in reverse order.
The estates in Kozyn are being built by the cooperative “Sunny Shore,” whose co-founder is Inna. She has a husband, and her husband has a sister, whose husband, in turn, plays a significant role in Chernyshov’s criminal case. According to the investigation, Chernyshov made this distant relative of his business partner one of his “fronts”— he decided to register part of the apartments at a discount in this relative’s name, which investigators identify as an illicit benefit received by the official.
That’s how people who seemed completely unrelated yesterday turned out to be connected. Moreover, they have now linked Chernyshov not only to the old story about bribes involving apartments but also to a much larger-scale project that had previously been undeservedly ignored.
An important point to add at the end: Chernyshov came to public service from business and was therefore a very wealthy man. From the start, he declared millions in income, savings, cars, and, ultimately, a large private house. Not in Kozyn, admittedly, but in Romankiv. Still, that’s an expensive location near Kyiv. In the first years of working for the state, he had to eat up his savings and even sell that house in Romankiv and move to a rented place. But later, with a position in Naftogaz, multimillion-dollar incomes returned.
Currently, the Chernyshov family has a large financial portfolio of savings and investments, which also bring in good dividends every year. But the scale of construction in Kozyn is something else entirely.
That’s all I have for now, I think. However, these attempts to put an end to the independence of the anti-corruption bodies make me want to add a few more words. There are plenty of NABU and SAPO cases that clearly displease the people from Bankova. And when suspicions fall on those who are untouchable, it obviously creates a desire to quickly “turn off” all this independence. But it seems someone has forgotten that we are not Russia. And precisely because of this, we have now been at war for 12 years.
Now that’s definitely everything. Thank you for being with us. See you.
