The city is uninterested in preserving and protecting this monument
Near the “Lybidska” metro station, the well-known modernist building of a scientific institute, shaped like a flying saucer, is gradually disappearing, blending into the concrete structures of a new shopping center. The Kyiv City Council has handed this territory over for development, while those organizations that are supposed to protect historical monuments have taken a blatantly treacherous stance.
Kashтан NEWS has been investigating what has been happening around this building recently.
History of creation
The building in the shape of a flying saucer is located on Antonovicha Street and is part of the structures of the Ukrainian Institute of Scientific and Technical Expertise and Information and the State Scientific and Technical Library of Ukraine.
3 The building was constructed in 1971 based on the designs of architects Florian Yurev and Lev Novikov. It was built in the style of the second wave of Soviet modernism and is considered an architectural monument.
The conference room located within the "saucer" has unique acoustics that allow for the full range of human voice frequencies and musical instruments to be heard. The project authors originally planned to create a light-music theater there, with concerts intended to take place in the hall. Instead, the management decided to house the Institute there. Eventually, the space was equipped as a cinema lecture hall for the library.
4 According to architect Florian Yurev, the supports of the "saucer" structure are hidden in such a way that it appears to be hanging in the air from the outside.
"Innovative" absorption
Of course, everything might have remained as it was if modern architects hadn’t intervened in the situation. More precisely — the money of developers who have a distorted understanding of historical value and are indifferent to what will remain for future generations of old Kyiv.
“The ‘flying saucer’ is a vivid example of Kyiv's and indeed all of Ukraine's modernism. Thanks to the use of new materials and technologies at that time, the building achieved incredible plasticity and a play of forms that made it iconic,” says Kyiv heritage protector Dmytro Perov.
He states that on October 7, 2020, the Department of Cultural Heritage Protection of the Kyiv City Administration included the building in the Register of Kyiv’s monuments, and on October 20 of that year, the Ministry of Culture registered it in the State Register.
5 However, as it turned out, this did not change anything; it only postponed the developer's plans to “absorb” the Institute building. Already on November 21 last year, the Kyiv City Council transferred two plots for development on Luzhevskogo Street, 5, and Antonovicha Street, 180, which are located in the protective zone of the monument. According to Article 14-1 of the Law of Ukraine “On the Protection of Cultural Heritage,” new construction work is prohibited here.
However, currently, notes Dmytro Perov, to the right of the "saucer," we can see a facade screen that will soon completely engulf the volume of the original building, leaving only the silhouette of the central element of the monument.
“The new construction will significantly alter the visual perception and context of the monument. However, the developer, who is the former consul of the Russian Federation Vagif Aliyev, refers to this work as restoration,” said the activist.
For officials, there are no problems
About two months ago, Kyiv activists, the public, and some deputies of the Kyiv City Council sent letters to various institutions expressing their concern about the future of the “saucer” and called for immediate measures to protect it.
“I hoped for a more active and decisive involvement of the Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office in this matter. Specifically, regarding the cessation of illegal reconstruction around this historical cultural heritage site,” noted Dmytro Perov. “Why do I use the word ‘illegal’? Because we see how construction is proceeding. If a few months ago it was evident that the shopping and entertainment center being built next to the ‘saucer’ could engulf it, today we see that this is already happening: the console of the new building is practically extending to the forefront of the monument, spoiling its overall appearance.”
6 Despite this turn of events, the Department of Cultural Heritage Protection of the Kyiv City Administration has taken a rather strange position.
“The Department shamelessly and even cynically states that all construction work for the shopping center is approved and carried out accordingly. Everything else is a manipulation of facts,” said Dmytro Perov regarding the officials' stance.
For him, as for many of his like-minded individuals, there is no doubt that the work around the “saucer” was approved. The only doubt is that it complies with the law. As Dmytro Perov explained, Article 22 of the Law of Ukraine “On the Protection of Cultural Heritage” states that it is prohibited to demolish, change, or otherwise rebuild monuments.
Given what is happening at the construction site, we can talk about altering the appearance of the monument due to the construction of new structures nearby. And these structures, according to the project, will be further developed. As a result, only the front edge of the “saucer” — its projection over the sidewalk — will remain visible, while the entire other structure will be engulfed by the new shopping center.
7 “It seems to me that this is a change to the monument! It seems to me that this is a reconstruction of the monument! It seems to me that we are losing this monument!” — Dmytro Perov does not hold back his emotions.
In offices, silence is preferred
Of course, activists are trying to reach out to the capital's law enforcement agencies. To this end, they have sent a corresponding letter to the city prosecutor's office, as well as to the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications — requesting them to take measures according to their powers.
“In particular, we asked the prosecutors to open a criminal proceeding under Article 356 (self-will) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine,” recalls Dmytro Perov. “This was done, but unfortunately, the investigators found no grounds for opening a proceeding under part 2 of Article 298 (intentional damage to historical monuments).”
8 The activist speculates that there may be some movement under the first article of the Criminal Code, but there are no details regarding the proceeding, as law enforcement refers to the secrecy of the investigation. However, it is concerning that no measures have been taken to impose a ban on the conduct of works, which is the most effective action in such cases. According to Dmytro Perov, the prosecutor's office has not even submitted the relevant documents to the court.
All over the world – in defense
To draw attention to the issue, activists have launched a petition to protect Florian Yurev's creation. Concerned Kyiv residents are calling for an immediate halt to construction work on the architectural monument.
In this context, Dmytro Perov hopes that both officials who are supposed to protect cultural heritage and law enforcement will heed the community’s opinion.
“If the relevant Department, on behalf of the leaders of the capital, states that no violations have been identified, this indicates that the city is uninterested in preserving and protecting this monument,” concluded the protector of Kyiv’s antiquities.
Yevhen DEM’YANOV