<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u201cI gave birth to you\u2026\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n
Key figures of our investigation are Igor Stepikov, the so-called \u201chead of administration\u201d of the city of Sudak, and Dmytro Tkachenko, his deputy, who supervises department of land and property relations, divisions on capital construction, territorial planning, city development and municipal control in the occupation \u201cadministration\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n Years ago, Igor Stepikov told a story about his involvement into setting up the natural reserve <\/span>\u201cMeganom Peninsula\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThere is a lot of work to do. We succeeded in making the borders of secured territory at Meganom Cape and Kapsel Cape. I cancelled all decisions about construction on this territory. It has been difficult to do. \u201cAggrieved\u201d businesspersons visited me at the village council every day. But later they agreed that there would be no capital construction on the sea shore of Kapsel bay\u201d, as Igor Stepikov, the head of the village council of Sonjachna Dolyna at that time, told <\/span>kafanews<\/span><\/a> in 2011.<\/span><\/p>\n PHOTO: Igor Stepikov, Photo by kafanews.com<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/div>\n The village council of Sonjachna Dolyna and its head shaped the destiny of Meganom.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Born in Feodosia, Stepikov graduated from Suvorov Military School in Kyiv in 1987 and then \u2013 from Kyiv High Military School named after Frunze. He did his military service as the officer in Russia, in Far East. He came back to Crimea in 1993, and then headed the resort \u201cZenith\u201d in Morske village. The resort has been the subsidiary of JSC \u201cRussian Aircraft Corporation \u201cMiG\u201d, one of giants of the Russian defense industry. He has been elected the head of the village council of Sonjachna Dolyna in 2006-2014.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The creation of the natural reserve at Meganom Cape has been already initiated at that time. Under Soviet Union the military base was located on the Cape. Access to the Cape and any activity were strictly forbidden. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Meganom was opened, and its unique nature was put under serious threat. In 1990s, the movement to preserve Meganom was launched. The Decree of the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea # 538-1 \u201cAbout Development of the Perspective Network of Territories and Objects of the Natural Reserve of Crimea\u201d from April 12, 1994 defined Meganom Cape as the basis for the creation of the natural reserve in the future.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Plan of the natural reserve \u201cMeganom Peninsula\u201d and its secured territory\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/div>\n The Crimean Institute of Ecology and Design completed the research about territorial organization, protection and use of the complex natural reserve \u201cMeganom Peninsula\u201d in the first half of 2002.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In 2006, Stepikov signed a letter of the village council of Sonjacnha Dolyna to the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea with the request to create the \u201cnatural monument\u201d \u201cMeganom Peninsula\u201d. As an outcome, the Verkhovna Rada issued the Decree # 708-5\/07 from December 19, 2007 about creation of the natural monument of the local significance \u201cMeganom Peninsula\u201d. Total area of the natural reserve has been 651,591 hectares whereas the secured \\ protected zone reached 850,488 hectares, in accordance with the recommendations of the Crimean Institute of Ecology and Design.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nsdolyna The Decree defined the village council of Sonjachna Dolyna as the land user of the natural monument \u201cMeganom Peninsula\u201d and its protected zone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In November 2008, Stepikov signed protection obligation for the natural monument \u201cMeganom Peninsula\u201d. Thus, the village council of Sonjachna Dolyna headed by Igor Stepikov took on the obligation to protect and preserve the natural monument \u201cMeganom Peninsula\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The \u201cmine\u201d under Perepelyne field\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n In 2009, the executive committee of the Sonjachna Dolyna village council announced the tender for the development of the land management project and borders of the complex natural monument of local significance \u201cMeganom Peninsula\u201d. LLC \u201cInstitute of ecology, land management and design\u201d won the contract. Approval of the land management project is the necessary condition for completing creation of the natural reserve.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nsdolina3 However, the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine informed that the State Geocadastre did not have information about approval of the land management project by the village council of Sonjachna Dolyna. It means that the procedure to create the natural monument \u201cMeganom Peninsula\u201d was not completed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It is worth noting that incomplete procedure and absence of borders allocated in kind is the most widespread scheme of the illegal use of natural reserve lands.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n PHOTO: Dmytro Tkachenko. Photo by sudak.rk.gov.ru<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/div>\n Further Stepikov\u2019s decisions suggest that he used this scheme. The village council of Sonjachna Dolyna ordered services to conduct new research about territorial organization, protection and use of the complex natural reserve \u201cMeganom Peninsula\u201d. The research was completed by LLC \u201cObjednannja Tekhnokhimkomplekt\u201d. The cost of services reached almost 80 thousand UAH, <\/span>according to Dmytro Tkachenko<\/span><\/a>, who has been the member of the tender committee of the village council in 2008-2010. However, we could not find any official information about this tender.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Is the new research able to change borders of the natural monument established by old research and approved by the Decree of the Verkhovna Rada of the ARC? Certainly, it is not, as the new Decree is needed to change borders! Authors used the following trick. They did not change the total area of the monument and its secured zone but they changed borders of the territory \u2013 they excluded Perepelyne field in the western part of the natural reserve and added the territory covered by the forest with the same area in the eastern part.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The part excluded from the secured \\ protected zone of the natural monument \u201cMeganom Peninsula\u201d. Photo by VK !\u041c\u0415\u0413\u0410\u041d\u041e\u041c \u2013 SOS!<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/div>\n It must be emphasized that human intervention threatens Meganom from the side of Perepelyne field and not from the eastern part.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Before occupation, the new research was ignored. The situation worsened after the occupation of Crimea\u2026\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Banquet of vultures\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n After the occupation, the legal vacuum created by the Russian authorities paved the way for a number of offenses and abuses, including the sphere of protection of the environment. \u201cMeganom Peninsula\u201d is such a case.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe Council of Ministries of the Republic of Crimea\u201d defined the area of natural monument \u201cMeganom Peninsula\u201d and did not mention protected zone (see \u201cthe Decree\u201d # 981-r from 19.10.2015). The \u201cOrder\u201d of the \u201cMinistry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Crimea\u201d # 104 from January 26, 2016 \u201cAbout Approval of Passports of Natural Monuments of Regional Significance\u201d also <\/span>indicated Meganom<\/span><\/a> without protected zone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In 2017, the \u201cCouncil of Ministries\u201d <\/span>adopted the \u201cDecree\u201d<\/span><\/a> \u201cAbout Creation of Zones with Specific Architectural and Planning Organization of the Territory\u201d. This \u201cDecree\u201d indicated protected zone of \u201cMeganom Peninsula\u201d, with its borders defined by the so-called \u201cnew research\u201d and not by the Decree of the Crimean Verkhovna Rada from 2007. As we wrote before, the \u201cnew research\u201d from LLC \u201cObjednannja Tekhnokhimkomplekt\u201d was ordered in 2009 by the Sonjachna Dolyna village council headed by Igor Stepikov and never approved by relevant authorities. That is to say, Perepelyne field was de facto excluded from the protected zone of \u201cMeganom Peninsula\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Part of the protected zone of the natural monument \u201cMeganom Peninsula\u201d illegally allocated for \u201crecreation zone\u201d. Photo by rreestronline.ru<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/div>\n In May 2018, four land plots with total area of 30 hectares \u201cfor recreation zone\u201d appeared on the public cadaster map of Russia. Numbers of plots are 90:23:000000:961; 90:23:000000:962; 90:23:082001:1; 90:23:082001:2. All of them are an integral geographical part of the Meganom protected zone. Building of tourist infrastructure is incompatible with the natural monument.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The \u201cCity Council\u201d of Sudak approved the <\/span>General Plan of Sudak<\/span><\/a> by its decision from November 15, 2018 (preparation of the Plan started on September 29, 2015). The Meganom protected zone was distorted as the western part of Perepelyne field was allocated for the tourist infrastructure. The \u201cfaction\u201d of \u201cEdinaja Rossia\u201d, the party of occupation authorities, in \u201cSudak City Council\u201d was headed by Igor Stepikov.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This decision opened the way for the illegal construction of tourist infrastructure in Meganom.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The sketch of the tourist infrastructure at the natural reserve \u201cMeganom Peninsula\u201d, photo by Tavrida Art.<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/div>\n \u201cSudak City Council\u201d <\/span>approved the illegal decision<\/span><\/a> on May 21, 2020 to transfer free of charge several land plots in Mygdalne village (total area \u2013 33 hectares) to the Federal Agency for State Property Management for organizing and conducting \u201cTavrida ArtRussia\u201d festival and building educational center \u201cArt Residence Tavrida\u201d. The \u201cdecision\u201d was signed by Dmytro Tkachenko, \u201cthe deputy head of Sudak City Administration\u201d. As we wrote above, in 2009, he together with Igor Stepikov, the current head of \u201cSudak City Administration\u201d, initiated the development of the \u201cnew research\u201d by LLC \u201cObjednannja Tekhnokhimkomplekt\u201d which excluded those land plots from the protected zone of \u201cMeganom Peninsula\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Protests: peaceful and hopeless\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n Sudak public activists try to oppose barbarian construction on lands illegally excluded from the protected zone of \u201cMeganom Peninsula\u201d. They also protest against restricted access to the seashore. Initiative group \u201cMeganom-SOS\u201d was set up with the purpose to preserve the natural monument. Activists address all occupation authorities but in vain. They also address Igor Stepikov, the head of \u201cSudak City Administration\u201d. However, it is hopeless to seek support from the collaborator who planned the scheme with Perepelyne field well before \u2013 in 2009. No wonder, activists receive meaningless answers from him.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Photo: FB \u041c\u0435\u0433\u0430\u043d\u043e\u043c SOS!<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/div>\n Even if Stepikov would decide to protect \u201cMeganom Peninsula\u201d, he will face the failure. Too powerful Russian actors are already involved into the case. The organizer of Tavrida ArtRussia festival is autonomous non-commercial organization \u201cThe Center for the Development of Cultural Initiatives\u201d founded by the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs. The leading developer is JSC \u201cStroitransgas\u201d owned by Gennadii Timchenko, the oligarch close to Vladimir Putin. The company of Russian billionaire is <\/span>under Crimean sanctions<\/span><\/a> of the EU and USA. It is very unlikely the company will pay attention to environmental protests of a handful of inhabitants of the occupied territory. Meanwhile, occupation authorities call \u201cMeganom SOS\u201d activists <\/span>for meetings<\/span><\/a> with police and heads of the Center to Counteract Extremism.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/investigator.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/stepikov-1024x507.jpg\")
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