“Digital Kyiv” is a popular application that simplifies the lives of millions of residents of the Ukrainian capital. Since its launch, it has achieved impressive results: over 3 million users, an updated interface, three dozen new services, and a billion-dollar budget for development and implementation. However, behind these successes lies an important question: who manages these large expenses?
The Role of Petro Olenych in the Digitalization of Kyiv
Petro Olenych is the Deputy Head of the Kyiv City State Administration (KCSA) for Digital Development. He has held this position since April 2021, but his ties to the Kyiv City Administration go back much further. Olenych has worked for the KCSA for over eight years, including as Director of the Land Resources Department, where his activities have attracted mixed attention.
Olenych actively promotes initiatives to digitize the capital and publicly presents new features of “Digital Kyiv”, such as the latest update to version 3.0. His information activity in the media may look like an attempt to attract positive attention and distract from the numerous corruption scandals in which he has been involved.
Olenich has been at the center of several high-profile corruption cases. At the end of 2023, the NABU suspected him of illegally allocating a land plot of the nature reserve fund for development. The investigation found that as a result of this operation, the Kyiv community lost about 6.4 million hryvnias. Further investigations showed that the documents intentionally contained false information about the status of the plot, which allowed part of the Nyvky Park to be transferred for development.
But this is not the only accusation. Previously, Olenych also got into scandals due to receiving land plots as gifts. Journalists found out that in 2016 he became the owner of four land plots in the village of Bohdanivka, Brovary district. These plots were donated by individuals who received them into private ownership just two months before they were transferred to Olenych.
Another incident occurred in October 2019, when the Department of Land Resources under Olenych’s leadership extended the lease of a land plot for the construction of a residential complex on Zvirynetska Street, despite the fact that the plot had a status without the right to capital development. This case also caused a great deal of media coverage.
Budget and Funding Allocation
The “Digital Kyiv” program, approved at the end of 2023, envisages spending 7.1 billion hryvnias on the digitalization of the capital in 2024-2025. Of this, 6.2 billion should be allocated directly from the capital’s budget. These funds are directed to the development of “Digital Kyiv”, including new services and improvements to existing functions.
The costs of digitalization are undoubtedly significant, and it is important that the process of spending these funds is transparent and controlled. The presence of corruption scandals related to Petro Olenych calls into question the effectiveness and legality of spending in this direction.
Petro Olenich actively promotes achievements in the field of digitalization and regularly appears in the media with news about “Digital Kyiv”. His public speeches and presentations may be an attempt to create a positive image and divert attention from corruption scandals. Olenich was also seen during Vitali Klitschko’s speech at the Kyiv City Council session when he fell asleep during the meeting, which caused a negative reaction.
The digitalization of Kyiv is undoubtedly an important step in the development of the capital, and “Digital Kyiv” brings significant improvements for residents. However, corruption scandals and suspicions surrounding Petro Olenych call into question the effectiveness of spending and management of this important area. Society should monitor how budget funds are used and how transparency and accountability are ensured in the digitalization process.
