Public funds embezzlement suspect Yuriy Holyk fled to Austria amid scandals surrounding the “Big Construction” program and is now building a new public image as a drone developer and cycling influencer, riding bicycles worth $10,000–15,000.

References to Holyk’s past scandals are now reportedly being scrubbed from the internet. We are republishing this material to recall how the story began and what remains behind the new image of the former coordinator of the “Big Construction” program.

Ukrainian “entrepreneur” Yuriy Holyk, known as one of the coordinators of the “Big Construction” program during the early years of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s presidency, has once again attracted attention. This time, it is not because of government projects, but because of his new persona, ironically dubbed a “cycling influencer” on social media.

A post on the Telegram channel “Monaco Battalion” highlights his transformation: “At first glance, you might think you’re looking at a professional Tour de France cyclist. But no — this is our Yuriy Holyk. The same ‘cashier’ of the Big Construction program who has now retrained as a cycling influencer.”

The post notes that Holyk rides bicycles worth $10,000–15,000, opting for top carbon-fiber brands equipped with the latest electronic components rather than ordinary “Ukraina” bicycles. His cycling trips take place not on the roads he promoted as part of the “Big Construction” program, but on “high-quality roads in the Kyiv region built before he became involved in the project.”

Yuriy Holyk is originally from Luhansk. He is a businessman, public figure, and volunteer, a co-owner of the Creative States coworking network and co-founder of the Smartass fitness clubs. He served as an adviser to the heads of the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administrations and, from August 2019 to March 2020, was an adviser to Ukrainian Prime Minister Oleksii Honcharuk. Holyk also headed the “Regional Development” program at the Ukrainian Institute for the Future (UIF) think tank.

Holyk gained widespread recognition as one of the key architects of the “Big Construction” program — an ambitious initiative aimed at large-scale reconstruction of roads, schools, kindergartens, and sports facilities across Ukraine, despite ongoing hostilities in the country’s southeast. However, the program repeatedly came under criticism over suspicions of corruption schemes and the inefficient use of public funds.

In 2023–2024, journalists from the Bihus.Info investigative project published reports documenting Holyk’s repeated visits to the Office of the President of Ukraine despite holding no official position there, as well as his correspondence with a representative of Budinvest, a company that received more than UAH 4 billion in public funding. The correspondence reportedly pointed to possible corrupt ties between Holyk and the contractor.

Another controversy emerged over reports that Holyk traveled to Austria in 2024 using Ukraine’s Shliakh border-crossing system and a disability certificate. The news sparked outrage online, where Holyk was branded part of the “lohocracy” — a term used to criticize those surrounding the authorities. However, Holyk had promised to return, and he did.

Despite the scandals, Yuriy Holyk appears to have found a new way to attract attention. The Telegram channel “Monaco Battalion” sarcastically notes that his bicycle collection consists of premium models, while his helmets cost as much as portable power stations. This contrasts with the image of a man previously associated with large-scale infrastructure projects. The post emphasizes that Holyk avoids the roads he promoted under the “Big Construction” program because, as its authors put it, “the asphalt never made it beyond the presentations.”

On his Facebook page, Holyk posts about testing new UAVs and his cycling trips. In response to the pointed comment “In Austria?”, he replied with a similarly ironic reference to “Giro De Obukhiv” and “Tour De Husachevka.”

Yuriy Holyk’s shift from government manager to cycling influencer is seen as an attempt to divert attention from past scandals by cultivating the image of a successful individual who helps the military despite corruption allegations.

Some social media users argue that his cycling is a personal matter unrelated to his previous activities. However, such comments are in the minority, and their tone is often perceived as an attempt to defend Holyk. For example, one user wrote: “Holyk rides a $15,000 bicycle, while the roads built under the ‘Big Construction’ program are still full of potholes. Coincidence?”