Varna Municipality Issues First Demolition Orders for Illegal Houses in Baba Alino Area

The article, published by Bulgaria’s national news agency BTA and authored by journalists Mila Edreva and Filip Pavlov, reports on the first demolition order issued by Varna Municipality against illegal multi‑family houses in the Baba Alino area near Varna. The piece forms part of a broader investigation into unauthorised construction on forest land, a matter that has attracted attention from anti‑corruption platform BIRD and local activists.

The Baba Alino complex comprises 104 residential buildings spread over roughly 10 hectares, amounting to about a dozen structures per week slated for demolition. Each of the first twelve‑plus orders concerns four‑apartment blocks owned by the Forest Club company, controlled by businessman Oleg Nev sorov. The buildings were erected using four “tolerance certificates” that appear to have been falsified, linking properties to unrelated locations.

Tolerance certificates, introduced in 2001, allow pre‑2001 structures lacking full legalisation to be tolerated by construction authorities. In this case, the certificates were allegedly misused to legitimise new builds on protected forest land, bypassing standard planning and environmental safeguards.

Mayor Blagomir Kotsev explained that demolition orders can be appealed within two weeks at the Administrative Court. If an appeal is filed, demolition is delayed until the court’s decision and a subsequent 60‑day voluntary demolition period. Should the investor fail to act, the municipality will carry out demolition at its own expense and seek cost recovery by freezing the company’s assets.

The complex’s infrastructure—including substations, water, and power networks—is overseen by the Regional Directorate for National Construction Control. Investigations continue into how utilities were connected to the illegal buildings, highlighting gaps in regulatory oversight.

According to the mayor, no third‑party citizens own apartments in the affected blocks, meaning current residents are not directly impacted. However, any future occupants would need to seek compensation from the investor, not the municipality, should demolition proceed.

Irregularities first emerged in 2023 when the Regional Forestry Directorate detected illegal logging. Subsequent inspections in 2024‑2025 by municipal, national, and police authorities uncovered extensive unauthorised construction, fenced‑off forest areas, and obstruction by private security. By early 2025, dozens of unfinished structures were identified, with media linking the project to Ukrainian group KYB. A joint police‑municipal raid in May 2026 uncovered 104 illegal buildings, unauthorised roads, sewerage, and transformer facilities, leading to the detention of 29 workers from Ukraine and Moldova.

The Baba Alino case underscores the environmental risks of unregulated construction on forest land, including habitat loss, illegal timber extraction, and unsustainable urban expansion. It illustrates the need for robust planning controls, transparent certification processes, and enforcement mechanisms to ensure new housing aligns with European sustainability goals and protects natural resources.