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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
If you thought it was impossible to privatize a piece of the state forest fund without the Cabinet’s blessing, Volyn land-karate masters will gladly give you a master class. All it takes is taking an old Soviet pavilion selling chebureks 1969 year of manufacture, declaring it real estate, tacking on 49 years of lease under the guise of “developing campgrounds,” and then buying the land itself for a laughable 146 thousand hryvnias with a generous five-year installment plan. The finale of this ecological fairy tale is entirely predictable for our latitudes: the cozy restaurant is torn down, the state pines are surrounded by an impenetrable metal fence, and random passersby and journalists are set upon by a specially trained dog with the guard’s sincere parting advice: “Forget the forest, very serious people are in charge here now.”
About 15 kilometers from Lutsk, before entering the city, the roadside cafe “Dubok” operated in Kivertsi for many years. In the winter of 2025 the establishment was closed, and the forest plot was surrounded by a fence with a warning that the territory is now private property and that entry or passage is prohibited. At the same time, the plot of 24 sotky is still shown in current forest inventory materials as a compartment of the Kivertsi forestry.
Who and how privatized the forest plot was investigated by the Center for Journalistic Investigations “Syla pravdy” (The Power of Truth).
Forest into “good hands”
For decades in Ukraine there has been a scheme for obtaining forest plots for recreational use. Because by law land of the state forest fund could not be alienated without Cabinet approval, local administrations granted it to businesses for use without the right of withdrawal. In practice, however, after commercial facilities were built, picturesque plots de facto became private.
It appears that the same thing happened near Kivertsi, along the state highway, where the trade-union cafe “Dubok” operated since 1969.
Trade-union cafe “Dubok,” photo from the Volynpost archive
Journalists from “Syla pravdy” had previously reported about the forest around this food service establishment. They pointed out that the consumer cooperative “Typhoon,” which acquired ownership of the trade-union cafe, was actively settling into the forest. At that time the co-owners of the cooperative were Lutsk lawyer Oleg Antonyuk, as well as his brother and father, Ihor and Stepan Antonyuks.
By order of the head of the Volyn Regional State Administration, Volodymyr Hunchyk, “Typhoon” in 2016 received for use for 25 years the three-hectare forest plot around “Dubok,” which had been in permanent use by the state enterprise “Kivertsi Forestry Enterprise.”
The story of “Dubok”: pavilion became restaurant
Since 1969 the “Dubok” pavilion-cafe had been on the balance sheet of the Kivertsi District Consumer Union. In 2003 the union registered ownership rights to it. The pavilion became a real estate object of 123 square meters. In 2015, when the golden days of the trade unions were over, the cafe was sold for 220 thousand hryvnias to the consumer cooperative “Typhoon,” which belonged to the Antonyuk family. The sale agreement also stipulated that along with the real estate object the right to lease the land plot beneath it, sized 0,24 ha, was transferred.
The new owners rented the cafe for a time to the restaurant “Chevermeto,” and in recent years decided to develop the business themselves.
Restaurant “Dubok,” photo: instagram/dubok.restaurant
“There are very ambitious plans for the further development of ‘Dubok’ and the surrounding infrastructure. In particular, the plans include gazebos, a children’s playground, places to relax,” Oleg Antonyuk shared his plans with the media.
“At ‘Dubok’ they plan to organize campings, festivals, master classes and parties. The restaurant owners have already received permission to develop recreation on this territory,” Liliya Antonyuk told journalists.
At the end of 2025 the Antonyuks closed their restaurant. They fenced off the area around the cafe and posted a warning that entering the forest is now prohibited. A guard said the object was sold and the building began to be dismantled.
Forest fenced off at the entrance to the town of Kivertsi
“There must be something planned here that we ourselves don’t know about. You see, this building was new. They’re going to build something,” says the guard Petro, who stands watch on the plot.
In a comment to “Syla pravdy,” Oleg Antonyuk said his family exited the list of co-owners of the consumer cooperative “Typhoon” and no longer owns either the restaurant or the plot, and that he does not know what plans the new owners have.
The lawyer cannot recall how the cooperative “Typhoon” earlier acquired ownership rights to the forest land, if its privatization is prohibited without Cabinet approval.
“All of this was processed since 1969. I no longer remember how it happened, what led to what. When we sold shares in the authorized capital, we handed over all the documents that existed to those who entered the list of co-founders of the consumer cooperative,” says the former manager and co-owner of the restaurant “Dubok.”
Oleg Antonyuk, photo: pershyj.lutsk
“We couldn’t just take it and give it away”
The 24 sotky that are now in private ownership had been in use by the Kivertsi District Consumer Union since May 2009. In 2015, when the restaurant was sold, the right to use the plot passed to ST “Typhoon.”
In December 2015, “Typhoon” decided to renew contractual relations for land use. The head of the Kivertsi District State Administration, Valeriy Tkachuk, signed an order to transfer the plot for use for 49 years. The annual fee was set at a little more than 20 thousand hryvnias.
But three years later, in October 2018, the terms of use were revised at the initiative of ST “Typhoon.” The restaurant owners asked to buy the land, including in installments. And the then head of the district administration, Valeriy Tkachuk, obliged by signing a new order.
“Sell to the consumer cooperative ‘Typhoon’ the land plot for the price of 146 thousand hryvnias, determined on the basis of an expert monetary valuation, with the buyer paying 50 percent of the payment and an installment plan for 5 years,” reads the order of the head of the Kivertsi District State Administration dated 26 October 2018.
At the same time, before signing the order, the legal department of the Kivertsi district administration assessed it as illegal, arguing that such state lands can be transferred for privatization only for water management, construction of social infrastructure, or for individual country-style (dacha) building.
Now the former head Valeriy Tkachuk cannot explain the motives for signing such an order.
“As far as I remember, it was agreed into ownership without withdrawal from the forest fund. But to be honest, I no longer remember. Well, we couldn’t just take and give it away. Although considering the capabilities of some people and so on…,” says Valeriy Tkachuk.
Valeriy Tkachuk, photo: Kivertsi City Council
What do foresters and conservationists say?
Conservationist Petro Testov is convinced that the indicated land was privatized illegally, and therefore in current forest inventory materials it is still shown as a compartment of the Kivertsi forestry.
“It’s clear that this compartment was not lawfully excluded from the forest fund. And therefore it’s quite logical that the Kivertsi super-forestry included it in their forest inventory materials, because they have full ownership rights to this plot. And no authority can, except the Cabinet of Ministers, decide to develop a detailed territory plan, change the land’s designated use, and so on. So all actions that occur without the Cabinet of Ministers are illegal,” says the head of the NGO “Teren,” Petro Testov.
Forest inventory materials of the Kivertsi forestry, the 18 compartment that passed into private ownership is highlighted in red
Foresters should have reacted to the fact that an entire forest compartment passed into private ownership. But at the Kivertsi super-forestry they say they are hearing about it for the first time.
“We work according to current legislation, we will inquire and according to current legislation give you a response. Better contact the Polissia Forest Office. They have a legal service that will provide everything,” journalists were told by the head of the Kivertsi super-forestry, Oleg Oleksiyovets.
Oleg Oleksiyovets
Oleg Oleksiyovets has headed the Kivertsi super-forestry since December last year. Earlier, as director of the Bereznivka forestry enterprise in Rivne region, he was tried for a corruption offense. While managing the state enterprise he concluded a contract for timber supply with a private firm owned by his mother.
The Polissia Forest Office also reported that it considers the plot under the “Dubok” restaurant part of the Kivertsi forestry.
“We inform you that according to current forest inventory materials, the forest plot 18 of compartment 135 of the Kivertsi forestry is reflected in the planning-cartographic materials of the Kivertsi forestry. No decisions or approvals regarding the exclusion of the forest plot by the branch ‘Polissia Forest Office’ of the state enterprise ‘Lisy Ukrainy’ were made,” reads the Polissia Forest Office’s response to “Syla pravdy.”
In addition, foresters recall a decision of the regional labor council executive committee from 1969, by which the Kivertsi district consumer union, as an exception, was allocated the plot for permanent use for construction of a pavilion-cafe with exclusion from the state forest fund.
One of the buildings of the former “Dubok” restaurant
Whether the union then used that decision and properly formalized the documents is not precisely known, because as early as 2008 the Kivertsi district council ordered an evaluation of the plot in order to lease it.
According to Viktor Kobyliansky, head of the committee of the National Association of Lawyers of Ukraine on agrarian, land and environmental law, this is a typical scheme for withdrawing a forest plot from the state forest fund. However, it seems they pulled it off long ago, and the current owners are formally bona fide purchasers.
“The land plot was granted in 1969. Then the Land Code and the fundamentals of land legislation did not provide for issuance of state acts or registration of contracts. There was simply a decision and that was it. But that’s not enough. First the land plot had to be formed, i.e., registered in the cadastre, then obtain the right to that land plot, either permanent use or lease. And that was a complicated procedure, in my view. Whether it was followed — that’s the question,” says Viktor Kobyliansky.
New owners and their plans for the forest
Before the sale of the restaurant, Lutsk resident Mykhailo Kravchuk joined the list of co-founders of the consumer cooperative “Typhoon,” which had previously been owned by the Antonyuks. He is also the head of the consortium “Liubart and Ribas.” The same consortium to which Lutsk City Council in 2023, as part of a public-private partnership, gave the architectural monument “Pryazler’s Guest Court” in the Old Lutsk reserve for a restaurant and hotel.
Also the firm “Ribas Hotels Group,” which is part of that consortium, owns a large network of hotels located on the Bukovel ski resort. One of the hotels in that network is also in downtown Lutsk, on Sviatohirska Street.
On 11 December 2025 ST “Typhoon,” now led by Mykhailo Kravchuk, by a purchase-sale agreement transferred the “Dubok” restaurant and the land under it to the limited liability company “Dubky Bud.” That firm was registered just before the transaction — on 5 December.
The company’s co-owners, with a charter capital of half a million hryvnias, are two Lutsk residents — Maksym Holubiev and Serhiy Kyrychenko. Holubiev was once director of the online publication “Volynski novyny,” which is linked to MP and businessman Ihor Palytsia. Also, during the 2020 elections, Holubiev served as manager of the campaign fund for the candidate from the party “For the Future,” Ihor Polishchuk, who later became mayor of Lutsk.
Fenced-off forest
“I once worked with Ihor Polishchuk and at Ihor Petrovych’s fund. I’m not ashamed that we worked together, but we are no longer in close relations. If in life you worked with someone, then they begin to pursue you for that. Regarding further plans for this object, we have not decided…,” says Maksym Holubiev.
It seems the man is being coy, because the firm “Dubky Bud” already at the beginning of summer applied to the Kivertsi City Council for permission to develop a detailed territory plan. That is, it ordered the documentation on the basis of which construction works will be carried out.
Reporters from “Syla pravdy” were unable to reach Serhiy Kyrychenko. We note that this businessman also joined the list of co-owners of the consumer cooperative “Typhoon” before the sale of the restaurant. Thus the cooperative effectively sold the object to itself.
On 5 October the Kivertsi City Council will hold public hearings to discuss the draft detailed territory plan.
Entry to the forest is forbidden!
Near the fence, the reporters from “Syla pravdy” were set upon by guard dogs. The object’s guard reported that in addition to the privatized plot, walking is now forbidden on the neighboring territory that the consumer cooperative “Typhoon” took into use.
Supposedly, 200 meters from the plot all trees were marked with special tags and anyone wishing to walk there will also be set upon by dogs.
The guard who threatened the journalists
“And this is a wolfhound, by the way. The police came here and they asked to remove this dog, they were frightened. And the dog even knocked a man off his feet when he jumped. Forget about this forest, forget about ‘Dubok.’ Very rich people, factory owners, are in charge here,” the guard said.
According to conservationist Petro Testov, foresters should have appealed to law enforcement and reported the illegal withdrawal of the land plot.
“Kivertsi super-forestry and the Polissia Forest Office should also take the initiative, because if there are problems on their territory they must go to court. And the prosecutor’s office enters the process when the body that was supposed to ensure enforcement of its functions does not perform them. Judicial practice in such cases is now formed in favor of the state. There are many Supreme Court rulings; prosecutors in various regions of Ukraine regularly sue to return such plots,” Testov noted.
The Volyn Regional Prosecutor’s Office told “Syla pravdy” that no one has contacted them regarding the privatization of 24 sotky of forest near Kivertsi. Currently law enforcement is checking the legality of the withdrawal of the land from state ownership.
“At present prosecutors are establishing whether there are grounds to represent the state’s interests in court regarding the legality of registering ownership rights to this land plot. If such grounds are established, representative powers will be applied,” commented Volyn Regional Prosecutor’s Office spokeswoman Nataliya Murakhevych.
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