Mykolaiv plans to separate school «Atlant» and private yacht parking

Mykolaiv is planning to separate the school «Atlant» and the parking lot for private yachts. Photo: NikVesti

It is proposed to separate the territory of the sports school «Atlant» in Mykolaiv: a separate area is planned to be allocated for private yacht parking, and a utility company specialising in parking services will regulate relations with their owners.

The issue was discussed on Tuesday, 19 November, during an open meeting at the city council with representatives of the executive branch, deputies, heads of departments, athletes and the public, NikVesti reports.

The mayor of Mykolaiv, Oleksandr Sienkevych, said that back in 2020, he was approached by representatives of the public council to bring the use of sports schools and parking bases in line with the law. It was only in 2024 that the legal department and the sports department carefully studied all the documents and data. As a result, a decision was proposed to divide the land plots: one of them was transferred to the municipal enterprise «Timeset», which specialises in the maintenance of parking lots and parking complexes.

Tetiana Dmytrova, head of the municipal property department of the city council. Photo: NikVesti

Tetiana Dmytrova, Head of the City Council's Communal Property Department, recalled that the sports school was taken over by the city council in 1998 and renamed the Children and Youth Sports School «Atlant» in 2019. Currently, the school has sailing, weightlifting and shooting departments, with 131 pupils. The school has almost 24,500 square metres of land, with boathouses, boxes, a gym, workshops, sheds, berths, technical buildings and cranes. The carrying value of this property is 2.5 million hryvnias.

In 2025, more than 5.7 million hryvnias will be allocated from the budget for the maintenance of the school.

The school receives part of its income from paid services: storage of boats and boats, placement of property and short-term use of sports grounds. Over the past five years, the amount of such income has totalled 1.4 million hryvnias.

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«All funds from the provision of paid services go to a special account and are used for the school's operation and the development of its material and technical base,» said Tetiana Dmytrova.

During a comprehensive inspection conducted by the working group at the request of the Expert Public Council, problems with contracts and payments were identified.

«The territory of «Atlant» includes 41 private boxes and 38 boats. As of 2025, 51 contracts totalling 327.6 thousand hryvnias have been concluded. However, 12 owners did not conclude contracts due to their absence from the city, and the total debt to the school is over 158 thousand hryvnias — some debts have been accumulating for more than three years. For example, with a charge of 840 hryvnias, the amount of debt is 38 thousand hryvnias. This is unacceptable from the point of view of financial calculations,» said Tetiana Dmytrova.

There were also cases of discrepancies between tariffs and actual payments, lack of contracts, application of outdated tariffs or incorrect calculations of the area.

«It was found that in two contracts, the cost of services was determined without taking into account the area occupied. There are also questions about the legality of the joint provision of paid services due to the ambiguous interpretation of the sports school's powers in the context of the Law of Ukraine on Inland Water Transport in relation to the small boat mooring base. This, in my opinion, is the main issue that everyone is facing today, as well as the risks associated with such use of property.

We are talking about financial risks, reputational risks, lack of legal protection and possible prosecution, i.e. corruption risks,» added Tetiana Dmytrova.

The commission that inspected the sports school made a number of recommendations: to calculate the cost of services, to develop a unified procedure for setting tariffs and a standard contract for the provision of paid services, and to equip the territory of sports schools to accommodate the property of individuals and legal entities.

Mykolaiv discusses dividing the territory of a children's and youth sports school «Atlant». Photo: NikVesti

If the Mykolaiv City Council makes a decision, the territories of sports schools will be divided, and the municipal enterprise «Timeset» will be empowered to charge fees for the placement and storage of boats and other property.

«Once again, I would like to emphasise that in any delimitation or division of the territory, the sports school will remain the municipal property of Mykolaiv City Council. I would also like to inform you that the sports department has prepared an up-to-date list of all debtors, and anyone interested can read it and pay off the debts under the contracts», added Tetiana Dmytrova .

The mayor of Mykolaiv added that during the inventory, property losses were discovered. A police report was filed against the previous head of the school. The school is now run by a new director, Konstantyn Maltsev.

«I would like to note that during the hostilities I appointed Volodymyr Farionov as acting headmaster, who conducted an initial assessment and inventory of the school. The results revealed losses, and we filed a police report against the previous director, Ivan Kulin, who refused to return the missing property,» said Sienkevych.

Head of the expert and public council Artem Vashchelenko and Valerii Vevtrov. Photo: NikVesti

Artem Vashchelenko, chairman of the expert and public council, recalled that it was the public council that initiated the inventory and study of the situation, as a concept for the development of rivers and small-scale navigation has been developed in Mykolaiv since 2017. Its main idea is to make access to the rivers open and orderly, develop sports and tourist destinations, remove chaotic or outdated structures on the coast and ensure clear rules for using the coastal zone.

As part of the implementation of the concept, we carried out an inventory of berthing facilities, identified illegal water discharges and pollution, and checked compliance with the law at the parking bases.

«We started with an inventory of mooring structures, which, as people who walk along the river know, are partially preserved from Soviet times and are gradually deteriorating. The commission found a number of serious violations, which required the creation of detailed working groups involving local government officials,» said Artem Vashchylenko.

According to Artem Vashchylenko, these groups carefully studied the documents, contracts and operating practices of the clubs managed by the sports schools and recorded the violations that are reflected in official acts.

«In particular, we are talking about different tariffs per square metre for owners of similar vessels: for example, the tariff for a tanker based at «Olympus» was 15 hryvnias, while the tariff for a yacht next door was 45 hryvnias. The school «Atlant» once had a bathhouse built, and the school «Olimp» carried out ship repairs using welding and sandblasting technologies on the territory of the children's sports school. This creates real safety issues for children. Also, a crane with a lifting capacity of 16 tonnes has been out of service for nine years, which is why 80% of the vessels cannot fully use the base,» he added.

It is now proposed to divide the school «Atlant» and the small vessel berth: the school will remain for children's sports training, and the berth maintenance will be transferred to a utility company.

«What can change for children if such decisions are made? Indeed, nothing. The parking area remains the property of the utility company, and all measures are aimed solely at their safety and transparency of the provision of paid services. The institution that ensures the storage of property and the provision of services will be responsible for the contracts, and tariffs will be set transparently,» added Artem Vashchylenko.

Valerii Vetrov, a representative of the expert and public council at the city executive committee, stressed that all water sports regulation issues are at the national level: neither local authorities nor local self-government bodies can change the rules on their own.

«The Law on Inland Water Transport clearly defines the powers of central authorities. The Ministry of Community and Territorial Development establishes the regulatory framework, while the Maritime Administration monitors compliance with the rules. Local administrations act within the framework approved by the central authorities. The law clearly distinguishes between small vessel mooring bases and sports vessel bases: the former provide services for various small vessels and crews, while the latter are exclusively for sports vessels and do not have any economic activity,» said Valerii Vetrov.

Mayor of Mykolaiv Oleksandr Sienkevych. Photo: NikVesti

Oleksandr Sienkevych assured that no private property would appear on the territory of the sports school — all the plots will remain communal. He explained that the municipal enterprise «Timeset», which will be entrusted with the maintenance of the parking base, will do so within the framework of its statutory activities.

He added that the territory of the base is jointly used for storing yachts, lockers, conducting classes for children, repairing sails and other works. At the same time, according to the Law of Ukraine on Water Transport, which came into force in 2022, the territory of the marina base must be divided.

«The funds for maintenance of mooring facilities, cleaning and strengthening of the base will be used jointly by the school and the marina, and there are no plans to allocate additional budget funds,» said Oleksandr Sienkevych.

Master of Sports Volodymyr Udotov, a member of the board of the Mykolaiv Regional Sailing Federation, explained that the children's sports school operates on the basis of its charter, which was developed in accordance with a resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. He stated that the group of so-called «experts» from the supervisory board of pleasure crafts has no right to express an opinion on behalf of the federation.

«The legality of the school's activities is determined by the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine №993 of 2008. The school operates on the basis of a charter developed in accordance with this resolution. The charter, approved in 2019 by Mykolaiv City Council Resolution №54/5, has passed all legal checks, including those of the prosecutor's office and the legal department of the city council. It clearly states that the school has the right to provide paid services and ensure the preservation of sports and tourism infrastructure, including sailing and motor vessels, boats and equipment. If this is written in the charter, it is the law for the institution,» said Udotov.

Master of Sports Volodymyr Udotov, member of the board of the Mykolaiv Regional Sailing Federation. Photo: NikVesti

Volodymyr Udotov explained that the school's funds are transferred to a special account through the central accounting department and kept in the treasury, with all transactions carried out by bank transfer. The debts that sometimes appear in the documents are related to wartime and the absence of captains and owners, but all funds will be returned.

«At the same time, the school is not engaged in water transport as a commercial activity — it is not physical education and sports, but a separate industry. The school has its own base for mooring sports vessels, which is used for the educational and training process. Many sailors who own their own boats and take part in competitions have sports certificates and, accordingly, have every right to stay at the base on a contractual basis,» he added.

Volodymyr Udotov said that before the full-scale invasion began in 2021, the base had hosted three national sailing competitions, which he called a business card of Mykolaiv as a sports city. He stressed that if the base is divided, the school will lose this opportunity, and the republican championship of Ukraine is already planned for 2026 on the school's territory.

Olena Kiseliova, a deputy of the Mykolaiv City Council, drew attention to the need to comply with the law in the activities of the children's and youth sports school «Atlant». She stressed that the issue concerns not only the organisation of sports, but also the safety of children.

According to her, not all processes on the territory of the institution meet the requirements of the law. Olena Kiseliova stressed that the school director cannot simultaneously manage the parking lot and be responsible for private vessels.

«Everyone often hides behind good intentions — protecting children, developing sports. However, a school is a municipal institution funded from the budget, and its activities must comply with the current legislation. A children's school is designed to educate and train children. Everything else is a third-party activity that should be regulated separately,» said Kiseliova.

Olena Kiseliova, a member of the Mykolaiv City Council. Photo: NikVesti

The deputy explained that in case of damage to property or injury to a child, the responsibility lies with the owner of the institution, the city council, and not with the director. She stressed that adult athletes using the base for other purposes have no relation to the school, and any commercial or private actions without appropriate regulation can be regarded as corrupt.

«The director should be concerned with the children and the organisation of the training process, not with the administration of the yacht park This is not a hobby club, but an institution that is subject to control and inspection. Manipulations that we want to take something away from children are not true. On the contrary, the school will be able to continue its core activities and at the same time comply with the law,» added Kiseliova.

Yevhen Yuzvak, Director of the Legal Department of the City Council, explained that historically, certain people who used to work at the «Kommunar» plant or bought yachts afterwards have been using the school's territory as a mooring base. At the same time, these people were not connected to the school, did not study there and had no historical connection to the CYSS.

Oleksandr Sienkevych added that some of the people's concerns are related to the possible increase in the cost of storing yachts after the creation of the new municipal enterprise, but the city council does not plan to charge extra for the territory or security. The goal of the city authorities is to ensure civilised and legal use of the school territory for all parties.

«First, do we want to remove them from there? The answer is no. They will continue to be on the school grounds. Second, why did this issue come up? Only so that you could use your yachts. When the law changed and was enforced, you will soon not be able to do so,» said Sienkevych.

According to Sienkevych, any decision of the city council can be appealed by the regulatory authorities, primarily the prosecutor's office, and if it is illegal, it will be quickly stopped. He noted that sailing is an integral part of Mykolaiv and the city has no plans to remove yachts from the school's territory, but only seeks to regulate its use.

«We will provide you with the entire regulatory framework that we use when making decisions. We are not hiding anything. And no one is going to privatise anything or carry out any raider actions. All documents will be the basis for the decision of the city council. And let me emphasise once again: Mykolaiv cannot exist without yachting. Our tourist logo is the sails of two yachts. The issue is not to remove your vessels from the school grounds, but to regulate their use. We do not want to remove you from there. I understand your concern about the possible increase in storage costs. That is why we have come together — to calculate, discuss and agree on a solution. As long as the war is on, we can set one tariff, and after we win, we will return to this conversation,» the mayor added.

Summing up the discussion, Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych asked to appoint a group of 3-5 people to study the documents and provide a legal assessment. According to him, if the city council or departments missed something or overlooked an important detail, the experts should report it.

The mayor stressed that no decisions had been made to divide the school's territory into a parking base and an educational institution — only discussions and an inventory of the school's property, including yachts and lockers, had been held. The main purpose of the inspection was to determine the best way to organise the territory so that the school could continue the training process and the owners of the vessels could leave them at the base.

See also the NikVesti article: «City on the Wave»: how Mykolaiv revives and promotes sailing and yachting».