Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
Restoration of the 'Bermuda Triangle': Department Head Shamrai awarded a 280 million contract for the Wedding Palace to a company with a scandalous history
The Kyiv Wedding Palace, it seems, has begun to live up to its unofficial name 'the Bermuda Triangle.' The Kyiv City State Administration (KSCA) commissioned work to renovate it for almost 280 million hryvnias, but soon stated that during the large-scale war they would limit work to the minimally necessary measures to preserve the building and cut this year’s funding. At the same time, the wartime argument looks ambiguous, because the city began preparing for the restoration in the spring of 2025. According to the project, the Palace is intended not only to be restored but also to host the city’s Center for Administrative Services (CNAP), while retaining space for wedding ceremonies. There is also an interesting detail in the contractor’s history: it previously shared an owner with a firm that was once entrusted with building the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred memorial, but after scandals and lengthy court disputes failed to complete the work.
As KV learned from an announcement in the Prozorro electronic public procurement system, on 14 October 2026 the Department (Center) for the Provision of Administrative Services of the KSCA and LLC “Restoration-Architectural-Reconstruction Construction Association 'Ukraine-Restoration' (*)” revised the financing schedule for the previously ordered restoration of the Wedding Palace on Beresteiskyi Avenue, 11.
The parties signed an additional agreement redistributing funds across years without changing the total contract cost: it remained at 279,57 million hryvnias, while funding for 2026 was reduced from 48,9 million to 37,94 million hryvnias, for 2027 was increased from 147 million to 157,96 million hryvnias, and for 2028 remained unchanged at 83,68 million hryvnias.
The document states that the reason for these changes was a reduction in budget allocations for 2026.
What this is about
Recall that on 24 September 2026 the Department (Center) for the Provision of Administrative Services of the KSCA ordered, for 279,57 million hryvnias, the “restoration and adaptation for modern use of a newly identified cultural heritage object – the Wedding Palace (Palace of Ceremonial Events)” on Beresteiskyi Avenue, 11 in Kyiv. The contractor chosen was LLC “Restoration-Architectural-Reconstruction Construction Association 'Ukraine-Restoration',” which was the sole participant in the open tender.
Under the terms of the agreement, the renovation of the Wedding Palace was to begin from the moment the contract was signed and continue until August 2028. The contractor was to carry out, among other things, demolition and general construction work, renew engineering networks and elevators, restore the façade, glass partitions and stained glass, and also carry out landscaping and greening of the territory.
The work was to be financed from the city budget.
KSCA denied its plans
A week after signing that agreement, on 30 September 2026, the KSCA denied information that the city was already directing 280 million hryvnias toward a large-scale restoration of the Wedding Palace.
The administration explained that 280 million hryvnias is only the total contractual value of a multi-year project to restore and adapt the building for modern use. However, given the current security situation, implementation of the entire project during the full-scale war allegedly is not being considered.
Natalia Shamrai, director of the Department (Center) for the Provision of Administrative Services of the KSCA (in the collage), said that at the current stage it is only about the minimally necessary work that will stabilize the building’s condition and prevent its further deterioration. The rest of the funds earmarked for restoration are planned to be redirected to the city’s urgent needs.
“Our task is to conserve the Palace and preserve it so that after the victory, when there are appropriate security and financial opportunities, we can return to the project and create the Central Wedding Palace that Kyiv deserves,” Natalia Shamrai assured.
Preparation for the restoration began during the large-scale war
Recall that in 2024 the Wedding Palace was returned from state ownership to the ownership of the territorial community of Kyiv. According to the KSCA, the building came to the city in a neglected condition. After that, preparation for the future restoration was launched – that is, already during the full-scale invasion. In April 2025 the KSCA CNAP commissioned, for 1,37 million hryvnias, a study of the building and the development of a concept for its transformation for modern use, including for the needs of the city CNAP. In May 2025 a separate inspection of the Wedding Palace’s structures and engineering networks was ordered for 1,17 million hryvnias.
The next stage began in August 2025 when the KSCA CNAP commissioned the development of scientific-design documentation for the restoration. A contract worth 4,62 million hryvnias was signed with LLC “Conservation-Restoration Center.” The design brief recorded the building’s future use: the Palace was to be not only restored but adapted to accommodate employees of the city CNAP. The plans included, among other things, replanning premises, updating all main engineering networks, providing space for a server room and psychological assistance, and considering the possibility of holding wedding ceremonies on the roof. All documentation was to be coordinated with the heritage protection authority.
At the end of November 2025, the KSCA CNAP stated that members of the Advisory Council on Cultural Heritage Protection had unanimously supported the developed scientific-design documentation. The project envisages arranging on the first floor a main vestibule with an electronic queue area and premises for the CNAP staff, on the second floor a ceremonial hall for marriage registration, operating and auxiliary CNAP premises, as well as a conference hall. The building’s refurbishment, it was noted, is intended to be made inclusive, and they additionally calculated using the basement premises as a basic shelter during martial law.
Visualization of the Wedding Palace renovation project
Contractor with an interesting track record
According to the YouControl analytical system, LLC “Restoration-Architectural-Reconstruction Construction Association 'Ukraine-Restoration'” was registered in 2023 in Boryspil, Kyiv region. The company’s founder and head is Vasyl Haidei.
According to Clarity Project, prior to this the firm signed 2 contracts through Prozorro in February and September of the current year with a total value of 55,5 million hryvnias – with the National 'Chernobyl' Museum for restoration of its building and installation of a tent. As of 19 October, payment under these contracts had not been made (data from the open public finance platform Ye-data).
To obtain its first budget contract for repair work at the Chernobyl museum, the company provided a certificate of experience performing similar work, citing three contracts from 2024 with LLC “Special Scientific-Restoration Design-Construction-Production Workshop 'Ukraine-Restoration' (**)” for restoration of: the Refectory on Volodymyrska Street, 24 in Kyiv, the 'Ivan Kushnyk Tower' in the National Kyiv-Pechersk Historic Reserve, and the town hall building in Berezhany in Ternopil region.
These were subcontract agreements where 'Workshop 'Ukraine-Restoration'' acted as the general contractor and the clients were the reserves 'Saint Sophia of Kyiv' and 'Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra', as well as the State Historical-Architectural Reserve in the city of Berezhany.
Note that LLC “Special Scientific-Restoration Design-Production Workshop 'Ukraine-Restoration'” (renamed LLC “Vivo Bud 15”, – KV) and LLC “Restoration-Architectural-Reconstruction Construction Association 'Ukraine-Restoration'” are linked not only by a similar name. Until September 2025 they had a common owner – the aforementioned Vasyl Haidei. Today the 'Workshop 'Ukraine-Restoration'' belongs to Georgian citizen Vakhtangi Kapanadze.
LLC “Special Scientific-Restoration Design-Production Workshop 'Ukraine-Restoration'” is known for being entrusted with construction of the National Memorial Complex of the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred – the Museum of the Revolution of Dignity, which was surrounded by scandals and courts. Thus, as early as 2018 the Museum of the Revolution of Dignity signed a contract with LLC 'Ukraine-Restoration' for 148,8 million hryvnias and transferred 111,58 million hryvnias in advance to the contractor. However, construction did not begin because land plots on the Alley of the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred were seized and work there was prohibited. Later a lengthy court dispute arose over the advance, purchased materials and additional expenses. As a result, the state completely refused the contractor’s services, with legal relations finally terminated in the courts in 2024.
Reference
The Wedding Palace building in Kyiv was built in a neo-modernist style. Its grand opening took place in 1982 during the celebration of the 1500-anniversary of Kyiv’s founding. The structure has a triangular shape, which earned it the popular name 'the Bermuda Triangle.' Such a layout was dictated by the need to direct flows of ceremony participants to different entrances and exits.
For a long time the Wedding Palace was under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine. It was returned to the territorial community of Kyiv in 2024, and according to the KSCA arrived in a neglected condition. The administration states that no comprehensive repairs had been carried out in the building since 1986, and some engineering networks and structures require serious restoration.
The Palace building has the status of a newly identified cultural heritage object.
It should be noted that today, against the backdrop of chaotic development in the capital, the Wedding Palace has largely lost its ceremonial appearance and grandeur: it is now surrounded on all sides by monstrous skyscrapers.
The Department (Center) for the Provision of Administrative Services of the KSCA has been headed by Natalia Shamrai since 2015. The department’s activities are overseen by KSCA Deputy Head Volodymyr Prokopiv.
* LLC “Restoration-Architectural-Reconstruction Construction Association 'Ukraine-Restoration'” (EDRPOU code: 45294553)
** LLC “Vivo Bud 15” (former name – 'Special Scientific-Restoration Design-Construction-Production Workshop 'Ukraine-Restoration'') (EDRPOU code: 35962266)
Authors: Yelyzaveta Kovalenko, Alyona Momot
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Реставрація «Бермудського трикутника»: департамент Шамрай віддав 280 мільйонний підряд на Палац одружень фірмі зі скандальною історією". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: ANTIKOR.