[EXPROPRIATION OF TRADE UNION PROPERTY] Unions oppose private company takeover of International Center of Culture and Arts in central Kyiv

On July 11, 2025, at Kyiv on the stage of the International Centre for Culture and the Arts (ICCM), a press conference of the National Agency of Ukraine for Finding, Tracing and Managing Assets Derived from Corruption and Other Crimes (ARMA) was held, on which it was officially announced: October Palace (the ICCM building) has been transferred to the management of the private company Kombinat Plus. Journalists of the Trade Union News newspaper were present at the event and tell what was going on and what position trade unions take.

At the press conference, the head of the ARMA Olena Duma said that for the first time in decades, October Palace (pictured above) will work "exclusively in the interests of the state". I asked myself…and before that it worked underground and did not pay taxes? Every Kyiv resident who has visited the palace at least once can confirm that they did not enter through a back door, but bought tickets. The ICCM has always been a conscientious taxpayer. At first, the head of ARMA claims that the ICCM did not pay any hryvnia (UAH) to the budget, and then that for 2024 one million UAH was paid. So what is the truth?

Next came the dreams and plans for a happy future for the facility in the hands of the new manager, who, as it turns out, does not quite understand where to begin and how this complex engineering structure actually works. The company's representatives want to start from scratch, but...

The very first question from the Trade Union News journalist— about the fate of a unique pipe organ from Zurich worth about two million euros, which has been stored in a container for over a year due to the seizure of the building and its uncertain ownership status — put the head of ARMA in an awkward position. It was clear she was hearing about this for the first time. And it was not possible to get a specific answer as to whether this organ would be heard in the near future.

No less important is the question asked by the union journalists of the head of ARMA: about the payment of property tax and land tax for the ICCM. It turns out that with the introduction of a new management company, FPU cannot use the building or conduct economic activities, but as the legal proprietor must still pay taxes. Simple question: from what funds? Is this a new bankruptcy scheme involving the loss of union assets?

And then it gets even more interesting: if, as the new manager claims, he plans to invest 20 million hryvnia in the development of the facility over five years, and the court returns the asset to the owner, what then? Is there already a guarantee that it will not be returned?

Trade union blogger Andriy Madzharov, a member of the All-Ukrainian Trade Union of Defenders of Ukraine, Athletes and Employees, tried to find out from the head of ARMA issues regarding the status of the property complex of trade unions, in particular helth and resort institutions where military and veterans undergo rehabilitation. Unfortunately, this attempt was unsuccessful: he never got an answer to his question, and the organisers of the press conference forced the veteran to leave the hall.

In the end, it all looked less like a press conference to which journalists came to get answers to important questions for their readers, but more like a failed PR event.

Trade Union News journalists will continue to monitor the development of events and will inform readers about the next steps of trade unions in the fight to preserve social and cultural heritage.

Watch the video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWW-g1KPbFQ