The historic building of the Kyiv Small Opera, an architectural landmark, highlights the indifference and irresponsibility of the city officials responsible for the cultural sector
On March 15, 2022, during a hostile missile strike, the building of the opera was damaged by the shock wave: windows, window panes, entrance and internal doors were shattered, and part of the roof was affected. The decorative plaster on the ceiling of the lobby collapsed.
Since then, the building located at 5 Dehtyarivska Street has yet to receive a comprehensive capital repair.
“Kashtan NEWS” has critically reported on the sad fate of the opera twice in the following materials:
Kyiv Small Opera: almost forgotten and left to its fate;
The tragicomedy of the Kyiv Small Opera
3 What has changed today? In the fall of 2024, a tender was held, but it only included the replacement of windows, doors, and roof repairs. The contract was won by the company “Inter-norm”. On October 26, an agreement was signed with the firm for 589 thousand hryvnias. On November 21, the artistic director of the theatre, Oleksiy Prasol, and the head of the “Inter-norm” company, Yuriy Lysenko, signed an additional agreement reducing the total cost of the repairs to 464 thousand 468 hryvnias.
At least these works were completed. But what about everything else? The building, which is a monument of history and architecture, still awaits capital repairs. This is a significant shame and disgrace.
4 The stripped "orphan"
Once again, we emphasize: the Kyiv Small Opera continues to remain a stripped orphan in the capital's "cultural" economy.
5 From the Strategic Plan for the activities of the enterprise from 2023 to 2025, which was approved by the Kyiv City State Administration in December 2022, it is evident that “the average salary is up to 7 thousand hryvnias per month. The staff consists of the director, chief engineer, and technical workers. Low salaries “negatively affect the overall work of the municipal institution, do not motivate theatre employees to productive work, and weaken motivational incentives…”, the document states.
6 The theatre still lacks its own troupe. The hall is rented out for performances that take place here. Several rooms on the first floor are leased by entrepreneurs who have set up small cafes. About 15-20 years ago, children's groups actively worked here, where teachers taught music instruments and occasionally organized talent shows. And where have all these good deeds gone? They "drowned" in the cold waves of indifference and greed that constantly washed over the city.
It all started so beautifully
How can we not mention such a fact in this context?
In 2004-2005, the city council established the municipal institution “Theatrical and Spectacle Institution of Culture “Kyiv Small Opera””. In 2005, the building at 5 Dehtyarivska was transferred to the operational management of the institution. It was directly adjacent to the tram depot. Brilliant prospects opened up for the theatre.
Especially since the Kyiv Small Opera was founded at the initiative of the legendary singer, People’s Artist, and Hero of Ukraine Yevheniya Miroshnychenko. Back in 2005, Yevheniya Semenivna planned to stage Mozart's “The Magic Flute,” Strauss's “Salome,” and Handel's “Deidamia” on this stage.
However, the city authorities did not lift a finger to financially support the new theatre, to provide it with maximum assistance, shielding it from all misfortunes, primarily from developers who had “ignited” a great appetite for the hectares of land adjacent to the Small Opera. Next to the opera building was the Lukyanivske tram depot.
The trick with the tram depot
What trick did the Kyiv city officials perform during the mayoral term of Oleksandr Omelchenko? The depot was hastily relocated to Kurenevka, and four hectares of land were quickly leased to the company “Budhol,” which later began grand construction here.
7 The distance from the construction fence to the opera building is half a meter or even less! For years, the owners of this construction have refused to move it a certain distance away from the theatre building. Even judicial instances have not put an end to this issue – Themis did not see grounds to compel “Budhol,” which leases the land of the former depot, to coordinate the boundaries of land use with the opera administration. Meanwhile, the opera planned to add a space for the stage section to the main building. This remained only on paper.
In 2008, the notorious mayor Leonid Chernovetsky was forced to send an official response to then-President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko regarding his order to finance repair and restoration work in the Small Opera building. Chernovetsky “signed” in the impotence of the city authorities, noting that “Budhol” refuses to agree on the boundaries of the land necessary for the reconstruction of the cultural institution “Kyiv Small Opera.”
Thus, the city transferred “Budhol” four hectares (!), while even a few square meters of land for the Small Opera were withheld. For someone – everything, but for the artistic institution, it turns out, a hole from a bagel. Isn't it a tragicomedy?
8 In 2008, Viktor Yushchenko wrote to the head of the capital's authorities, Chernovetsky:
“The information from the Kyiv City State Administration (about blocking repair work in the Small Opera building, – ed.) indicates the passivity of the Kyiv authorities regarding ensuring effective activities aimed at fulfilling the tasks I set.”
And again, Yushchenko unleashed a thunderbolt in this letter:
“Take specific measures to resolve the problem raised by the Kyiv Small Opera.”
9 Yushchenko addressed the capital's leaders three times on this matter. And all was in vain. Like peas against the wall. A breath of air.
There isn't even a sign on the facade
Seventeen years have passed since then. Today, just like two years ago, the theatre greets visitors with a damaged (from the shock wave of a hostile missile) ceiling in the lobby, with wooden stairs to the second floor that are barely holding up, and with cracked and peeling walls inside. There isn’t even a sign on the facade indicating that this is the Kyiv Small Opera (another stroke to the theme of the capital officials' care for the cultural sector).
0 For two years, the ceiling in the theatre lobby has been damaged. And if its fragments were to fall on someone’s head, God forbid? This is what it is, a threatening cultural hub in the center of the capital!
1 And let’s try to open the doors to the corridor on the first floor, where the theatre administration's offices are located. There are no door handles! Just primitive holes that allow you to open the doors. In a small, narrow corridor, there is a chaotic accumulation of communication wires. What I saw just reeks of horror. Which actor would come here to work? And on a salary of seven thousand hryvnias.
Klychko and his mission
Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klychko today claims:
“The mission of the theatre is to give people optimism, faith in goodness, in their country, and in those around them.”
Golden words. If only Klychko would visit the Kyiv Small Opera once. He would see with his own eyes how the “mission of the theatre” is being realized.
2 The Deputy Head of the Kyiv City State Administration, Hanna Starostenko, coordinates and directs the activities of the authorities in the cultural sector. The Director of the Department of Culture of the city state administration is Serhiy Anzhiyak. Recently, in Facebook, Hanna Starostenko wrote that “despite the challenges of war, the cultural life of Kyiv continues to unite people and inspire everyone without exception”. And that’s good. But doesn’t Ms. Starostenko want to come to the Small Opera to talk to the management? After all, let her try to open the doors leading to the administration of this institution. And at the same time, admire the “beauty” of the lobby. A dangerous “beauty”.
3 We would also advise the city leaders to see what this building looks like from the back. The impression is depressing. After all, you can't even approach the back of the building. Because right up against it is