Budinok on Saigaidachnogo, 29/3. Facade on the side of the street. Pokrovskaya
2On January 2, the Kyiv City Council, by a majority vote (93 out of 97), adopted a decision to introduce a temporary ban (moratorium) on construction and sale of land until the Kyiv City Council approves the Zoning Plan for the central planning zone of Kyiv and/or a detailed plan for the territories within the boundaries of the protected (buffer) zone of site No. 527 of the UNESCO World Heritage List, “Kyiv: Hagia Sophia and Adjacent Monastic Buildings, Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra,” which was approved by order of the Ministry of Culture dated July 5, 2011, No. 511/0/16-11.
The decision has already been signed by Kyiv Mayor V. Klitschko. Now it's time to oversee its implementation. This isn't an easy task.
But the question arises: what will happen to other architectural monuments in Kyiv that are not located in the buffer zone?
According to Irina Nikiforova, a member of the working group drafting the resolution, one of the draft texts, in addition to the protected areas of world-class monuments, also included the territory of the State Historical and Architectural Reserve (GIAZ) "Ancient Kyiv," a national monument since 2001. For some reason, the GIAZ "Ancient Kyiv" was not included in the final version of the draft resolution. This is unfortunate. Perhaps this would have halted the rapid construction (reconstructions, extensions, and additions to architectural and urban planning monuments) in Podil and part of the Upper Town, which has been ongoing for nearly 16 years.
On December 25, 2014, the Kyiv City Council, at the instigation of Viktor Klitschko, liquidated the Department for the Protection of Cultural Heritage. On February 9, 2015, the Kyiv Mayor signed Order (No. 9) "On Organizational and Legal Measures for the Implementation of the Kyiv City Council Decision of January 25, 2014, No. 741/741." It stipulated the creation of a special commission "for the termination of the Department for the Protection of Cultural Heritage" (verbatim) and its merger with the Department of Culture of the Kyiv City State Administration. This "termination" will continue until December 30, 2015, with the dismissal and subsequent hiring of employees. Clause 2.b of the order stipulates that the commission must notify employees of the liquidation of the department and their subsequent dismissal. Deputy Mayor G. Starostenko will direct and oversee the process.
It's completely unclear what will happen to the Ancient Kyiv Preserve and other units of the "repressed" administration. It certainly needed to be reorganized, but not liquidated! Many experts believe that such a crackdown on the administration would significantly worsen (though, what's the worst that could happen!) the preservation of Kyiv's heritage.
There are suspicions that the liquidation of the department had two goals: to facilitate the passage of projects for the development of historical areas and to push through a new general plan for the capital – something the department somehow obstructed.
In the summer of 2015, former Minister of Culture E. Nyshchuk addressed Klitschko: "The cultural heritage protection agencies in Kyiv are charged with implementing a large number of tasks in accordance with the Laws of Ukraine 'On the Protection of Cultural Heritage,' 'On the Protection of Archaeological Heritage,' and the Land Code of Ukraine (regarding the approval of land allocation for construction in historical territories). Maintaining the Department for the Protection of Cultural Heritage within the city administration is also necessary to implement reforms to decentralize power. It is also necessary to consider that Kyiv is a role model for all territorial communities in Ukraine. The liquidation of the Department, among other things, will contribute to the destruction of the human resources pool of specialists in the field of cultural heritage protection."
Kyiv Mayor and City Head V. Klitschko failed to heed Yevhen Nishchuk's plea. Today, G. Starostenko is apparently gathering public opinion on the future of the departments. His website currently lists 48 architectural landmarks (as of March 30, 2012!) that are in poor or dilapidated condition. All of them are well known to Kyiv residents, and protests are periodically held near some of them to attract the authorities' attention, but nothing happens—the Kyiv authorities are blind and deaf. There's no doubt that over the past three years, the number of such sites has increased, and some may have already been demolished or completely collapsed. Where are we going, Mr. Klitschko?
Where is the reserve?
Few Kyiv residents have a clear understanding of the State Historical and Cultural Heritage Preserve "Ancient Kyiv." It's unlikely that the current Kyiv City Council members have any idea either, although some of the deputies from previous convocations (A. Briginets, V. Deynega) expressed interest in this structure and even proposed expanding the preserve's territory.
Verkhovna Rada members are also poorly informed about the preserve. Two years ago (February 1, 2013), the current Minister of Culture of Ukraine, V. Kyrylenko, then head of the parliamentary Committee on Culture and Spirituality, appealed to the Cabinet of Ministers for clarification of the legal status of the Ancient Kyiv Preserve. Among the questions were: its compliance with the provisions of the Law "On the Protection of Cultural Heritage," the list of monuments, the boundaries of the preserve and the monument protection zone, the general development plan, staffing, and funding. This was at a time when the Kyiv City State Administration was once again streamlining its structures. Officials may have given some kind of response to V. Kyrylenko, but nothing followed—the Ancient Kyiv State Preserve continued its mysterious, invisible existence.
The State Historical and Cultural Heritage Reserve "Ancient Kyiv" was established in 1987 by a Cabinet of Ministers decree within the Ministry of Culture of the Ukrainian SSR. The boundaries of the reserve were determined based on the results of scientific research. By a decision of the Kyiv Executive Committee in 1988, they were formally established.
The 175-hectare reserve contains 349 monuments of urban development, architecture, history, archaeology, and monumental art, 66 of which are of national significance. It is also a unique landscape complex. The reserve's boundary runs from Pochtovaya Square along Naberezhno-Khreshchatitskaya Street, then turns along Nizhny Val Street, and then ascends Voznesensky Descent to the Starokyivske Plateau. It then runs along B. Zhitomirskaya Street to Mikhailovskaya Square, and then returns via Vladimirskaya Hill and the descent to Pochtovaya Square.
Among the monuments in the reserve are the pearl of Kyiv, St. Andrew's Church, the foundations of the first stone church—the Church of the Tithes—and the foundations of Prince Vladimir's palace (10th century), the Pokrovsky and Frolovsky monasteries, monuments to Prince Vladimir and the Magdeburg Law, and many other valuable structures.
The first and only full-time director of the reserve was the architect V. Sikorsky. During his tenure, the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy was reopened, and outside organizations were relocated from the St. Florovsky and St. Pokrovsky Convents. Restoration work was completed on the Mazepa House (16b Spasskaya Street), the estate at 6 Borisoglebskaya Street, and the house at 12 Spasskaya Street, and the restoration of the Kontraktovy House (1 Mezhyhirskaya Street). The churches of St. Nicholas Prytysk, St. Nicholas Naberezhny, and St. Pokrovskaya were also restored. These sites are still cited as positive examples of the reserve's work. Other positive examples are currently lacking. The reserve operated successfully for only 10 years.
In 1997, with the onset of Kyiv's construction boom, officials did everything possible to manually exploit the preserve's valuable historical lands for development, and its unique monuments for reconstruction with additions and extensions. The state preserve was incorporated into the Kyiv City State Administration's Department for the Protection of Cultural Heritage and placed under the control of the Kyiv Scientific and Methodological Center for the Protection, Restoration, and Use of Historical, Cultural Monuments, and Protected Areas (KSMC), stripping it of its legal entity status and minimizing its powers.
The Kyiv City State Administration's Land Resources Department's failure to include the reserve's boundaries in land records also served the purpose of freely disposing of the land. Despite this complete lack of legal authority, in 2001 the Ministry of Culture included the "Ancient Kyiv" State Historical and Cultural Monuments Reserve in the State Register of Immovable Property of Ukraine as a monument of national significance.
Recently, the reserve's staff consisted of approximately 10 employees, most of whom earned a meager salary of approximately 1500 hryvnias. Reserve inspectors, when reporting violations within its territory, had no authority to stop them; instead, they passed the reports on to the administration, where decisions on how to deal with the violators were made. The reserve was also unable to enter into conservation contracts with the owners of architectural monuments—this function had been taken over by officials and (intentionally or not?) was not fulfilled. Contracts were usually not signed, and even if they were, their implementation was unenforced, leading to the deterioration and destruction of many monuments, which were often resold by their owners for demolition for new construction.
Throughout the years of legal deprivation, the reserve's territory was actively developed with new buildings that were out of keeping with the historic environment. The "Vozdvizhenka" residential complex, reminiscent of a "Hollywood set," was built in the Gonchary-Kozhemyaki tract. It became problematic due to the poor quality of construction and neglect of engineering and geological conditions. The "Vozdvizhenka" architectural style has spread beyond the tract and is present along the ancient streets of Podil. The ancient Borichev Tok street is lined with luxurious mansions. Historic Podil, with its beautiful homes, is gradually turning into a patchwork quilt, with new buildings being inserted here and there, out of context.
The reserve's independent existence was not beneficial to officials. In September 2012, the Kyiv City Council's Temporary Control Commission decided to review the legality of land allocations in the city center, including on the territory of the Ancient Kyiv State Historic-Industrial Park. The commission noted that since 1999, 95 Kyiv City Council decisions had been made on the GIAZ territory to allocate land for construction, as well as 43 decisions on the reconstruction and restoration of buildings. The commission developed a number of proposals to improve the situation and recommended that the Kyiv City Council revise the reserve's boundaries upward. However, no improvement was achieved.
In November 2012, the status and condition of the Ancient Kyiv Nature Reserve was reviewed by the board of the Ukrainian Society for the Protection of Cultural Heritage (USCPCH). USCPCH noted that the 1997 transfer of the reserve to Kyiv city structures and the deprivation of its legal entity rights and powers was carried out in violation of government resolution No. 183 of May 18, 1987, "On the declaration of the complex of monuments in the historic center of Kyiv as the State Historical and Architectural Reserve "Ancient Kyiv" in accordance with order No. 497 of the Ministry of Culture of the Ukrainian SSR of July 3, 1987, "On the establishment of the historical and architectural reserve "Ancient Kyiv" with subordination to the Ministry of Culture of the Ukrainian SSR." The change in the reserve's status deprived it of the ability to perform the functions assigned to it. The UOOPIK appealed to the Kyiv City Council and the Kyiv City State Administration with a proposal to restore the reserve's status as a separate legal entity, restore funding for the development of a master plan, repair and restoration of cultural heritage sites, and provide the necessary resources. There was no response to this appeal.
Meanwhile, the situation with the protection (or rather, the surrender) of cultural heritage within the reserve has reached a critical point in recent years. The unkempt streets, courtyards, and buildings, the abundance of advertising, the dilapidated buildings, the stylistic chaos of the buildings, the overcrowding of traffic, and the addition of floors and attics to many historic buildings are conspicuous.
A controversial, illegal eight-story office building is being constructed on the reserve's territory above the foundations of Prince Vladimir's palace on Desyatinny Lane (the developers are the UOC-KP and Intergalbud). There are also plans to build a UOC-KP church above the foundations of the Church of the Desyatinny.
On Kontraktova Square, the unique, one-of-a-kind Gostiny Dvor building is gradually falling into disrepair, abandoned first by the developer and then by the Kyiv authorities.
Sagaidachnogo, 29/3
The two- to three-story architectural landmark of local significance at 29/3 Sahaidachnoho Street (corner of Sahaidachnoho and Andriivska Streets, protected by 630-Apt.) is planned to have a three-story addition. The building was included in the State Register of Monuments by order of the Ministry of Culture dated September 15, 2010, No. 706/0/16-10. The project is called "Restoration, rehabilitation, and partial reconstruction of an adjacent building into a hotel and administrative center with retail and public spaces at 29 Petra Sahaidachnoho Street (lit. A, B) in the Podolsk district of Kyiv." The addition is not mentioned in the title.
The facade of the house on Andreevskaya Street and a section
The facade of a house on Pokrovskaya Street
Facade of the house on the street. Sagaidachny
The project was reviewed by the advisory board of the Department for the Protection of Cultural Heritage and rejected. However, until now, no one has taken the board's decisions into account—the final decision has always rested with the head of the department, and now it will likely rest with the head of the Kyiv City State Administration's Department of Culture. Therefore, it is important for the Kyiv public to know what is being built at the Ancient Kyiv State Historical and Cultural Heritage Center.
The short (about 500 m) street named after Hetman Petro Sahaidachny is one of Kyiv's oldest streets. It runs along the Kyiv Hills and connects Pochtova and Kontraktova squares. In recent years, various mayors have promised to make this street a pedestrian street (there isn't a single pedestrian street in Kyiv).
After the Podolsk fire of 1811, in the 1820s and 1830s the street was built up with 1-2-storey buildings (the lower part was stone, the upper part was wooden).
Zhitlovy booth. Facade on the side of the street. Andrievskaya, 1920s. – NHM, method fund
View from the side under the roof. Photo by Gonchar L.G., born in 1975
In the following decades and until the early 20th century, old buildings were reconstructed and new three- and four-story brick ones were built. The buildings became denser, with the lower floors used for shops, tailors, and hairdressers, and the upper floors for housing.
Buildings were designed to be beautiful. The architecture was diverse, featuring styles such as brick, eclecticism, historicism, and classicalism. Almost all the buildings have survived to this day. The street boasts 23 architectural and urban planning monuments of local significance and three monuments of national significance.
Since 2010, the owner of the building on Sagaidachnogo, 29/3 is Nika - Novy Svit LLC.
Facade on the side of the street. Peter Sagaidachny
In 2012, the Department for the Protection of Cultural Heritage signed security agreement No. 2827 with this organization.
The building has a complex construction history. The author of the study is M. Vinogradova, head of the department at the State Historical Archives of Ancient Kiev. In 1818, a two-story stone house in the classical style was built on the corner. In 1832, a stone outbuilding was added on the Andreevskaya Street side. Subsequent additions and additions made it possible to form a coherent structure on this site by the mid-19th century. In 1883, the façade of the corner building was reconstructed according to the design of architect A. Gekker. In 1979, restoration and partial reconstruction of the building were carried out. In 2008, there were plans to add one more floor to the building. Research showed that such an addition was impossible due to insufficient structural strength.
The architectural monument's protection includes the overall volumetric and compositional structure, compositional, architectural, and stylistic design of the main façades facing Sagaydachnoho, Andriivska, and Pokrovska Streets, as well as the building's height, scale, and proportions, which correspond to existing 18th- and 19th-century buildings, and its architectural typology in late classical styles. The corner house at 29/3 Sagaydachnoho Street is located against the backdrop of Uzdykhalnytsia Mountain, in the axial perspective of St. Andrew's Church.
According to the new design, the building will most likely be demolished and then rebuilt, as its structure will not be able to support the weight of three stories. According to Ukrainian legislation on the protection of architectural monuments and the historical environment, such vandalism is unacceptable.
Irina Karmanova, for “Ні корурції!”
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