Will Kyiv landmarks survive until Euro-2012?

The European soccer championships in Kyiv are slightly more than four years away. But the city residents, witnessing the construction boom in the historic sector of the capital, are already starting to wonder if Kyiv landmarks will survive until the start of this major sports event, given the local authorities’ love for the precious real estate of our capital city. Almost every day residents get a surprise from the “Mayor of all Kyivites,” Leonid Chernovetsky, and his team. Even the area of the historical preserve, Zhukov Island, has shrunk beyond all imaginable limits, and the city fathers have their eye on Andriivsky uzviz and are quietly zeroing in on the Museum of Architecture and Daily Life in Pyrohove.

Despite Kyiv City Council’s construction ambitions, Ruslan Kukharenko, head of the directorate for the protection of cultural heritage at the Kyiv City State Administration (KMDA), has given optimistic assurances that Kyiv landmarks will not only be standing by Euro-2012, but will greet our guests in the full splendor of complete restoration. In conjunction with the soccer championships, Kyiv City Hall has now drafted a branch program to restore various historical and cultural monuments.

According to Kukharenko, the restoration works will embrace 11 projects, including the historical preserve Kyiv Hagia Sophia (the Golden Gate pavilion, Zaborovsky Gate, St. Andrew’s Church), St. Nicholas’s Cathedral on the grounds of the Holy Protection Monastery, the Church of St. Mykola Naberezhny, the Pechersk Gate, the statue of St. Michael the Archistrategos, the monument to Ukrainian Independence (construction of a fountain and sculptural elements), the Hlobus Mall on Independence Square (the famous Maidan), St. Demetrius’s Church (Kostiantyn and Olena), St. Alexander’s Cathedral, the Karaim kenasa (temple), St. Michael’s Church at Vydubychi Monastery, and St. Nicholas’s Roman Catholic Cathedral.

The Mayor’s Office is paying special attention to the restoration of the old City Hall building, the belfry of St. Cyril’s Monastery, the Church of Christ’s Presentation at the Temple on Lvivska Ploshcha, the Church of the Prophet Elijah near the railway station, the William Hastie Complex on Kontraktova ploshcha, the Ivan Fountain on European Square, the belfry of St. Nicholas’s Monastery on Glory Square, the fountain on Leo Tolstoy Square, and the belfry of Holy Trinity Church at the Kytaiv Monastery.

The third part of the restoration program is entitled “Museums” and deals with a 12th-century church whose remains were discovered at 3 Yurkivska Street in 2003. Its name has not been identified yet, and the possibility to place this site in the State Register of National Monuments is being discussed.

Kyiv’s number-one protector of the city’s cultural heritage is convinced that what is left of the Church of the Tithes (the Dormition of the Mother of God) is also of great interest to the international cultural community. This was the first brick structure built in Kyivan Rus’ in 989-996. It was destroyed in 1240 during an attack by a Mongol-Tatar horde. Today it is listed in the register of local archaeological sites.

The Mayor’s Office plans to restore a total of more than 40 historical monuments. “We have calculated that these works will cost 1,441,000,000 hryvnias. Part of this money will come from the city budget, and we are also counting on investors. However, the state must undertake the bulk of the financing. If the Cabinet of Ministers gives us money, we’ll complete the work within two to four years,” Kukharenko said.

When he was queried about the construction going on in the historic part of Kyiv, Kukharenko pointed out that his directorate is often bypassed when such issues are decided.

One can only hope that the election campaign will be over soon [the original Ukrainian-language article was published on Sept. 25-trans.], and that Ukraine’s high-ranking officials will finally start paying attention to what is happening in Kyiv. The situation has gotten to the point that artists, architects, and book publishers — people who by virtue of their creative nature have never been particularly interested in politics — have begun holding rallies. They can no longer remain silent because the Ukrainian spirit and culture are being threatened with destruction.

COMMENTARY

Yurii KHUDIAKOV, vice-president, National Union of Architects of Ukraine:

The restoration of historical and cultural monuments is a crucial issue, especially since there is a resolution to this effect from the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. However, restoration must be done with the utmost caution, so as not to damage historical masterpieces that we have inherited from the very distant past; so that what happened with the Liadski vorota (Polish Gate) on Independence Square is not repeated. This structure was in fact destroyed and what we now see on the capital’s main square bears very little resemblance to the Liadski vorota. It would be good if they also restored historical monuments (churches, monasteries) that were demolished in the 1930s (1936 went down in history as the year of the total destruction of historic architectural sites in Kyiv). As regards Euro-2012, I believe that we don’t have a clear-cut city development program. So far it’s mostly talk. Unfortunately, rather than placing the emphasis on socially important and cultural projects, the municipal authorities are focusing on building offices and housing.