Owners of the “Nemo” dolphinariums shrink their business in Ukraine while expanding in occupied Crimea and the Russian Federation

Owners of the “Nemo” dolphinariums shrink their business in Ukraine while expanding in occupied Crimea and the Russian Federation

It recently became known that the Kyiv dolphinarium “Nemo,” which operated in the capital for about eight years, is ceasing operations. At the same time, other dolphinariums in this chain are successfully operating on the occupied and annexed Crimean Peninsula, as well as in neighboring the Russian Federation, despite that country’s military aggression against Ukraine.

The situation is further inflamed by the fact that one of the owners of the dolphinarium chain is Andriy Kyslovskyi, deputy military commissar of the Prymorskyi district of Odesa. Details are in the investigation by “No Corruption.”

ILLEGAL DOLPHINARIUM

In July of this year, the Pecherskyi District Court of Kyiv imposed an arrest on the land plot where the “Nemo” dolphinarium is located.

It turned out that the dolphinarium building was constructed illegally in Kyiv. Moreover, as far back as 2013 year, the Commercial Court of Kyiv ordered the demolition of the illegal construction.

A year later, the Higher Commercial Court of Ukraine upheld that decision. However, the owners of the “Nemo” dolphinarium chain did not comply with the court ruling, and the illegally built establishment continued to operate in the capital for another three years.

Currently the Kyiv dolphinarium’s website displays a notice that the establishment is not operating, and the last performance at Kyiv’s “Nemo” took place on 22 October. So why was the dolphinarium ultimately decided to be closed?

It turned out that the land plot under the dolphinarium was sold in the spring of 2017. According to Ukraine’s cadastral map data, almost two thousand square meters in the Holosiivskyi district of Kyiv were purchased by someone named Maksym Shadura on 22 May of this year. The designated purpose of the plot is other commercial activity.

At the same time, the question remains open: how was it possible to sell this land, since prior to that it apparently belonged to the state enterprise “Central Training and Practice Base for Speed Skating ‘Ice Stadium’.”

Previously, influential businessmen who own the “Nemo” chain managed to bypass court decisions without much trouble. Now times are not the best for the dolphinariums in Ukraine, but the “Nemo” chain has no intention of winding down in Crimea and the Russian Federation.

WAR DOESN’T STOP BUSINESS?

That “Nemo” dolphinariums operate in annexed Crimea can be seen by visiting the official websites of the establishments — for example, the Alushta dolphinarium happily announces that it operates year-round, and “Nemo” in Feodosia offers the standard dolphinarium package: shows, swimming with animals, and photos. But perhaps the establishments were simply seized by the peninsula’s “new” authorities?

As it turned out, no — immediately after the annexation and occupation, two new limited liability companies named “Dolphinarium Nemo” were registered in Crimea under Russian law. One of them ceased activity this year. The other, LLC “Dolphinarium Nemo,” successfully operates in occupied Crimea, paying taxes to the aggressor country.

Moreover, the founders of the Crimean LLC “Dolphinarium Nemo” include the company “Nerum,” which is legally registered in Odesa.

Extracts from the Russian Companies Register

Among the NACE (KVED) codes of the Crimean firm are real estate management, retail trade, and hotel activities…

Evidently, the business is thriving, and the Ukrainian company currently feels at ease in occupied Crimea. It should be noted that in 2014 and 2015 years the dolphinariums on the peninsula did not operate, and the Sudak dolphinarium still has not opened. At that time, Anatoliy Solontsov told local media that the establishments’ operations were suspended by law enforcement due to noncompliance with Russian legal standards.

How did the owners manage to resolve the conflict and achieve the opening of two dolphinariums in Crimea?

THE MILITARY COMMISSAR AND A FORMER TOP OFFICIAL

According to the YouControl analytical system, it is LLC “Nerum” that is among the founders of the company “Odesa Dolphinarium.” The company “Nerum” was registered in Odesa in 2003 year.

Currently the ultimate beneficiaries of the firm are Serhiy Kelyushok, Raisa Kyslovska, and Mykhailo Kuchuk. But until 2007 year, Andriy Kyslovskyi himself was listed among the founders of LLC “Nerum” — a multiple-term deputy of the Odesa City Council (he currently represents the mayoral faction “Doveriai Delam,” previously in the last convocation he was with the Communists), and concurrently deputy military commissar — head of the recruitment department of the Prymorskyi District Military Commissariat of Odesa.

Screenshot from the YouControl system

Andriy Kyslovskyi (right). Photo from open sources

Andriy Kyslovskyi filed an e-declaration in Russian

Kyslovskyi now controls the business through his mother — on social media one can easily find photos of Raisa Kyslovska with Andriy Kyslovskyi.

Serhiy Kelyushok is a long-time friend of Andriy Kyslovskyi from their student years, as he himself admitted in an interview with the publication “Odeska zhittia.”

It appears that the resolution of complex business development issues is overseen by Mykhailo Kuchuk, who long held high positions in the city and region, was repeatedly a deputy of the Odesa Regional Council, and from 2011 year served as deputy head of the Kyiv City State Administration. Perhaps Kuchuk controlled the dolphin business through his brother, who joined LLC “Nerum” in 2008 year.

Mykhailo Kuchuk. Photo from open sources

After ending his political career, Kuchuk, who fell under the lustration law and was dismissed from the post of deputy head of the Odesa Regional State Administration in 2014 year (although he worked for several more months as advisor to the head of the Odesa RSA Ihor Palytsia in 2015 year), began to run the company officially.

By the way, the arrested land plot in Kyiv where the “Nemo” dolphinarium was built “appeared” in an investigation of land deals by officials of the Department of Land Resources of the KMDA during 2012–2014 years, an investigation conducted by the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine since the end of 2014 year.

It was during that time that Mykhailo Kuchuk served as deputy head of the KSDA. Moreover, in the court register there are seven rulings in this case issued two years ago that were prohibited from publication.

Perhaps the former top official himself is also involved in the pretrial investigation?

But returning to the “Nemo” dolphinarium chain. As we wrote above, the Donetsk dolphinarium was also closed due to hostilities in Donbas. At the same time there are no obstacles for Kyslovskyi–Kuchuk’s business in the Russian Federation itself: “Nemo” dolphinariums operate in Anapa, Dzhubga, Vityazeve, Holubitska, and Nizhny Novgorod.

How the Ukrainian military commissar managed to arrange business with the aggressor country and preserve his company on the annexed territory, and most importantly — what he provides to the Russian Federation in return, remains an open question.

After the arrest of the “Nemo” dolphinarium in Kyiv and analysis of documents confirming that it is indeed the Odesa company operating on the occupied peninsula, we called LLC “Nerum.” They refused to explain anything — they suggested submitting a written request. But no response to the request has been received for several months.

Throughout its history the company “Nemo” has been accompanied by a trail of scandals — for violating construction norms, failing to comply with court rulings, and cruel treatment of animals. Odesa businessmen are not averse to opening dolphinariums even in countries without a sea and where such establishments are not provided for by law, and animals’ lives are turned into hell without proper conditions — in Moldova (the dolphinarium there recently closed after operating for several months), Belarus, Kazakhstan.

Dolphinarium in Chișinău

But worst of all is that Andriy Kyslovskyi placed the expansion of his business empire above even state interests, because the success of the “Nemo” chain in the very country that unleashed a hybrid war against Ukraine raises many doubts.

Olena Zyhulska, for “No Corruption!”