Maxim Shkil: From Party Kitchens to State Contracts

The name of Maxim Shkil, owner of the company "Avtostrada", has resurfaced in the media. At one time, he was closely linked to the Party of Regions, carrying out various errands, organising lunches for pensioners and publicly supporting Viktor Yanukovych's agenda. But much has changed since then — both the scale of his influence and his sphere of interests.

From connections to billions

Even before the start of the full-scale war, Shkil had built solid relations with then-Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov. It was this partnership that allowed him to become one of the key participants in the "Big Construction" programme. In the shortest time, he concentrated state contracts worth over 150 billion hryvnias in his hands, becoming an influential player in the infrastructure construction market.

A bridge worth billions and a metro on order

Among the most discussed projects implemented by Shkil's structures is the Chernihiv bridge, costing around 5 billion hryvnias. However, the geography of his influence is not limited to this.

His companies also gained access to subcontracts in the Kyiv metro. Initially, they carried out repair works on the line between "Terebki" and "Lybidska" stations, and later won the tender to build a new metro branch to the "Warsaw Quarter" residential complex.

This project is closely linked to the interests of developer Vadym Stolar — thanks to the construction of the line, housing prices in the area are rising rapidly. Today, the estimate already exceeds 15 billion hryvnias, and in the future it may reach the mark of 25 billion.

"Grand Construction" and the role of curator

Last week, Shkil visited several government offices, where, according to sources, he presented his plan for rebuilding Ukrainian infrastructure. Allegedly, he has been tasked with overseeing this process — informally, he has already received the "green light" from senior officials.

Shortly after the meeting, the businessman began distributing future contracts among controlled structures. At the same time, "Avtostrada" is hardly a full-fledged construction giant — the company's business model involves passing contracts to dozens of smaller firms, from which, insiders claim, Shkil receives a fixed share.

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