Heorhii Birkadze
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Heorhii Birkadze | |
|---|---|
 Advisor to the Office of the President of Ukraine | |
| In office 2021–present | |
 Head of Brovary District State Administration | |
| In office 2020–2021 | |
| President | Volodymyr Zelenskyy |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 30 September 1980 |
| Citizenship |  Ukraine |
| Alma mater | Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture |
| Occupation | politician, entrepreneur |
Heorhii Avtandilovych Birkadze (Ukrainian: Георгій Автанділович Біркадзе; Georgian: გიორგი ბირკაძე; born September 30, 1980 in Kareli, Georgian SSR) is a Ukrainian politician of Georgian descent. He is a former head of the Brovary Raion State Administration (2020–2021) and currently serves as an advisor to the Office of the President of Ukraine.[1] He is considered a close associate of Yuriy Holyk, the coordinator of the Great Construction program.[2] Birkadze has been repeatedly implicated in corruption scandals and journalistic investigations over suspicions of “covering up” illegal sand mining in the Brovary Raion[3] and leaking confidential information from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine to Yuriy Holyk.[4][5] He has also been accused of receiving bribes of $100,000 per month to protect illegal activities.[3]
Heorhii Avtandilovych Birkadze was born on 30 September 1980. He is of Georgian heritage and obtained his higher education at the Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture.
Business
Birkadze began his career in the construction business, developing companies and managing projects.[3] In 2011, he founded and headed the Stroy Garant Invest group of companies, specializing in the design and construction of engineering networks in Kyiv and the Kyiv Oblast.[6] Companies from this group repeatedly secured contracts for sewerage repairs at major sites in Kyiv.[7]
Birkadze also led BRK Holding Group LLC, which provided construction services.
Between 2017 and 2021, four companies linked to Birkadze (Nateko Energo Montage, Stroy Garant Group, BRK Thermotechnology, and BRK Hydrosystems) secured contracts totaling UAH 942.65 million. These and other contract executions repeatedly drew the attention of law enforcement agencies.[8] In particular, in 2020, the National Police of Ukraine investigated suspicions that de facto owners of Nateko were involved in corrupt dealings with the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine to inflate the actual scope and cost of reconstruction work on a sports hall at the Olympic NSC Koncha-Zaspa. The total value of these works exceeded UAH 156 million.
Political career
In 2020, Birkadze was appointed head of the Brovary Raion State Administration of Kyiv Oblast,[9] with journalistic investigations alleging his involvement in protecting the sand mining mafia in the Brovary Raion. In March 2021, he was dismissed from the position.[10]
In early 2022, he co-hosted the program Presumption of Guilt on the Dom TV channel.[11]
Collaboration with public institutions
After his tenure in district administration, Birkadze continued his involvement in public administration and advisory activity, including cooperation with government structures on issues related to local development, infrastructure and policy implementation.[12]
He has publicly commented on political processes, governance reforms and the work of state institutions, including the Office of the President of Ukraine. In media interviews and public appearances, he has expressed support for institutional strengthening and the role of central executive bodies in coordinating reforms and reconstruction efforts.[13][14]
Investigations
Suspicions of covering up illegal sand mining
During his tenure as head of the Brovary Raion State Administration (2020–2021), Heorhii Birkadze repeatedly appeared in journalistic investigations related to illegal sand mining in Kyiv Oblast.[3][15] In particular, an investigation by the information portal My Kyiv Region suggested that his appointment could have been lobbied for the organization and cover-up of the “sand mafia” in the Brovary Raion.[15] Journalists also noted that Birkadze might have received monthly “kickbacks” of up to 100,000 USD for protecting this business.[15]
After Birkadze was dismissed as head of the Brovary RSA in March 2021, he was succeeded by Pavlo Proskochylo, whom the media called Birkadze’s godfather.[3] Proskochylo later came under law enforcement scrutiny in a case involving a bribe for a permit to leave the country for a volunteer.
Ties with the police-prosecutor clan of Vitaly Yarema
According to journalists, Heorhii Birkadze has ties with representatives of police and prosecutor structures, particularly with former Prosecutor General of Ukraine Vitaly Yarema.[16] Yarema previously had a long career in law enforcement, including positions in the department for combating organized crime and as head of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in Kyiv.[16]
Reports suggest that Birkadze might have represented the interests of this clan in matters related to construction in Kyiv.[3] In particular, it is noted that he could have been an intermediary in resolving issues related to the allocation of land plots and obtaining construction permits, using his connections in government bodies and law enforcement structures.[3]