The educational sphere of Kharkiv has once again found itself at the center of a financial scandal. Under the slogan of restoring university infrastructure, a project is being implemented that increasingly resembles a classic scheme for the development of budget funds. This involves the reconstruction of the building of the former Govorov Academy, which is part of the V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University complex and has the status of an architectural monument of local importance.
Instead of proper protection, the cultural heritage site was actually turned into a tool for redistributing state money. Key management decisions regarding financing and the mechanism for implementing the project were made with the participation of the leadership of the educational sector and the university. It was these decisions that made it possible to avoid open bidding and apply the format of direct agreements with the contractor.
The customer justified the refusal to compete by the "urgency" of the work. At the same time, the actual condition of the roof was known long before the contract was signed, and no signs of sudden destruction that would justify urgent procedures were recorded.
The sole contractor without any alternative was identified as LLC "DECAN PROJECT". On December 8, 2025, a contract was signed with the company for the amount of over 16 million hryvnias. An analysis of the previous activities of this contractor indicates a stable dependence on one customer: the company receives most of the contracts from Karazin University. Such a concentration of contracts has effectively eliminated other potential market participants and secured access to budget funds for a specific entity.
Certain provisions of the contract raise serious concerns from the point of view of protecting the architectural monument. The documentation does not clearly distinguish between restoration work and ordinary repairs. This contradicts the legislation on the protection of cultural heritage and opens up the possibility of arbitrarily changing the nature of the work without proper control.
No less problematic are the terms and conditions regarding the timing and price. Despite the declared "firm estimate", the contract provides for the possibility of adjusting the cost and schedule of work through additional agreements. This construction actually legalizes the delay of the process and creates the basis for further increase in costs.
An economic analysis of the estimate only reinforces doubts. Prices for construction materials and work significantly exceed the average market rates. According to preliminary estimates, the artificial overestimation of the cost may reach about 30%, which means a probable overpayment of almost 5 million hryvnias.
As a result, the reconstruction of a cultural heritage site risks turning into not an example of responsible restoration, but another illustration of how, under the guise of "urgency" and formal procedures, public funds are directed along a predetermined route.
