National Union of Artists of Ukraine accused of opaque schemes

M17 Gallery demands change of leadership

M17 Centre for Contemporary Art has issued a statement regarding opaque schemes it believes are being used by the National Union of Artists of Ukraine (NUAU) in relation to real estate. M17 representatives argue that the union's leadership is commercialising art objects at the expense of cultural development and are calling for a change in the head of the organisation.

Suspicious lease and transfer of property

For many years, M17 leased premises from the NUAU on contractual terms. However, difficulties arose in December 2024 regarding the extension of the lease. According to the gallery, in 2022 the Artists' Union transferred the same premises to the free use of a subsidiary, TОВ «СЕРВІС НСХУ 2022» (LLC "SERVIS NUAU 2022"), for just 500 hryvnias. Meanwhile, the rent for M17 remained at commercial rates, comparable to supermarket prices.

Recently, the NUAU sold its stake in the company «СЕРВІС НСХУ» ("SERVIS NUAU") to the law firm «Мизернюк и партнеры» ("Mizerniuk and Partners") — an organisation with no connection to the art world. M17 believes these actions may be part of a "systematised scheme of embezzlement" of property related to cultural heritage.

Demand for reforms and new leadership

In light of the situation, M17 is demanding the replacement of the head of the NUAU. The centre is calling for the election of a new leader to replace the current one, Konstantin Vladimirovich Cherniavsky, accusing him of using the union not to support art, but for personal interests.