While Kyiv holds out under Russian shelling, it is being destroyed from within. During the full-scale war, more than ten cultural heritage sites have been destroyed — not by enemy missiles, but by the hands of unscrupulous officials and developers.
More details in the article.
The former Tram and Trolleybus Administration building
Address: 7b Dehtiarivska Street
Built: 1911
Demolished: 2025, by Budkhol LLC
“Please tell me, how can you so calmly destroy the city you live in? I just don’t understand it. Do you really not love the place where you were born and where you live so much that money matters more to you than your own streets?” — Ivan Kostenko exclaimed in frustration.
On May 12, he created a petition on the website of the Kyiv City State Administration, demanding a halt to the destruction of a local architectural landmark in Lukianivka under the guise of reconstruction.
That same day, media reported large-scale demolition of the former Tram and Trolleybus Administration building. The construction workers had completely dismantled the roof of the back section of the landmark. The day before, they had removed the inter-floor structures, and some of the interior walls had been taken apart brick by brick.
Under posts by activists who shared photos of the demolished building and construction equipment on social media, dozens of negative comments appeared.
Journalists found that the so-called “reconstruction” is being carried out by Budkhol LLC — a company that belongs to the Arricano Group (which owns several shopping malls in Ukraine, including Rayon Mall, Prospekt, City Mall, and holds a stake in Sky Mall). The ultimate beneficiary is Rauno Teder, son of developer Hillar Teder, who is also a minority shareholder in the Russian retail chain O’Key.
The former Tram and Trolleybus Administration building is an example of Kyiv Art Nouveau architecture. It was built back in 1911 and has been under state protection since 1986. The depot was the oldest in Kyiv and remained operational until 2005. After its closure, the surrounding area gradually fell into decay: that’s when the first dismantling works on the hangars began. Local officials explained that the land had been handed over to investors.
The building stood abandoned for a long time. In 2023, another demolition attempt — this time targeting the roof — was halted by law enforcement due to the lack of a valid permit. Now, however, the architectural landmark is facing yet another wave of destruction. According to activist Dmytro Perov, heavy machinery is present at the site, and a crane is in operation.
The building at 47 Zhylianska Street
Built: 1860s
Demolished: 2023, by Kovalska Real Estate LLC
One of the oldest manor houses in Kyiv — and the oldest on Zhylianska Street — this building was constructed around the 1860s and served both administrative and residential purposes until 1917. It once housed the administration of a dairy plant and provided accommodation for workers of the Joseph Brodsky brewery. In 2021, it was added to the List of Historically Valuable Buildings in Need of Additional Protection.
The landmark was demolished on June 21, 2023, by the development company Kovalska Real Estate to make way for the construction of the NUVO business complex, with a planned area of over 80,000 square meters.
Activist Dmytro Perov publicly accused the developer of illegally demolishing a historically valuable building. In response, Kovalska Real Estate filed a lawsuit against him in 2024. The company’s lawyers claimed that a few social media posts had caused them damages amounting to 85 million UAH.
“They want to make an example out of this case, to publicly punish activists who oppose the destruction of historic buildings. As if to say: we are such an influential company that no court, no police, and no activists can stop us,” said Perov.
At the same time, the industrial and construction group owned by Serhii Pylypenko became embroiled in another major scandal. Civic activist and entrepreneur Yevhen Shevchenko accused Kovalska of destroying part of the Dnipro riverbank during sand dredging operations near Vodnyky Island.
“The Water Police and its chief, Oleksandr Yukhta, claim they ‘have no authority,’ while the Kyiv City Military Administration and its head, Tymur Tkachenko, personally continue to issue Kovalska weekly permits for barge movement — even during the spawning season ban. The Ministry of Environment, which granted the sand mining permit in blatant violation of current legislation, is not monitoring the consequences, ignores numerous complaints from local residents, and for some reason doesn’t see the threat of an ecological disaster,” said Yevhen Shevchenko.
At the same time as news emerged about Kovalska’s destruction of the Dnipro riverbank, in March 2025, the Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Kyiv ruled in favor of Dmytro Perov and rejected the developer’s lawsuit. However, no court ruling can bring back the demolished historical landmark.
The building on Zhylianska Street held particular historical value. It was made of wood — a rarity in the Central Historical Area of Kyiv. In the past, such structures were common in Nova Zabudova, a historic neighborhood in the city. This building remained the only surviving architectural landmark of its kind.
The Kyiv county zemstvo building
Address: 37 Reitarska Street
Built: 1913
Demolished: 2023, by NEST company
The Kyiv County Zemstvo Building had a history spanning over 130 years. It was constructed in 1913 based on a design by architect Biliaiev. Ukrainian military leader, civic figure, and politician Mykola Shapoval once lived there. During Soviet times, the building housed the Institute of Hydromelioration.
The building was listed in the State Register of Immovable Heritage Sites and was located within the buffer zone of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. In September 2023, the developer — NEST company — began demolishing the historic estate without receiving approval from UNESCO.
The company claims it wants to “restore the building to its original appearance.” The developer plans to open a modern business center called REITER HALL, promising to preserve the architectural style and authentic look of the structure.
According to media reports, the company is owned by brothers Vadym and Volodymyr Trofymenko. For over 15 years, they have been acquiring historic buildings and converting them into business centers. In 2020, NABU investigators detained Volodymyr Trofymenko as one of the investors in the now-bankrupt Trade Commodity LLC. Vadym Trofymenko was a Member of Parliament in the 4th and 6th convocations, representing the political parties Our Ukraine, Reforms and Order, and the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc.
Activists are convinced that NEST intends to build a business center under the guise of preserving a historically valuable site. The developer reportedly plans to demolish both the façade building and the courtyard annex, leaving only a single wall intact.
“Since part of the building — specifically the annex — was not listed in the State Register of Immovable Heritage Sites, the company NEST was able to begin its demolition,” journalists clarified.
Thanks to the efforts of activists, the demolition was halted, but the developer had already caused significant damage to the historical landmark. A criminal case was opened against the company on charges of deliberate destruction and damage to cultural heritage sites.
In April 2025, reports emerged that the French Embassy was interested in purchasing the building on Reitarska Street.
Kharychkiv Estate
Address: 13-B Yaroslavska Street
Built: 1811
Demolished: 2023 by the company Alekseev, Boyarchukov & Partners
The Kharychkiv Estate was a prime example of the first wave of construction following the Great Podil Fire. Built in 1811, this 200-year-old historical landmark was demolished on August 10, 2023. It was torn down by a tractor at five in the morning — immediately after an air raid alert had ended.
According to official documents, a four-story “club house” was planned to be built on the site, commissioned by Serhii Boyarchukov from the law firm Alekseev, Boyarchukov & Partners.
According to investigative journalists, the name Alekseev in the law firm’s title refers to Serhii Alekseev, a current Member of Parliament from the European Solidarity party. He is currently under investigation for fraud — allegedly accepting a $50,000 bribe in exchange for promising to help a German citizen avoid extradition. The MP was released on bail set at 2.264 million UAH.
The Kyiv City State Administration’s Department for the Protection of Cultural Heritage stated that despite its historical value, the Kharychkiv Estate was not officially registered as a cultural monument or heritage site. However, it was still protected under Ukrainian law on cultural heritage, meaning its demolition violated existing heritage protection regulations.
Serhii Boyarchukov, one of the co-owners, stated that he purchased the building at 13b Yaroslavska Street in 2007 and that the building does not have the status of an architectural monument because it was not included in the State Register of Immovable Monuments.
“Regarding its historical value, I want to point out that the building once housed a sobering-up station. Maybe that holds some value for certain people, but to me, it doesn’t represent the bigger picture — just some personal stories of a few individuals,” Boyarchukov said in a video posted on Facebook.
Historian Anton Korob explained that this estate gave insight into the mass urban development of the city in the first half of the 19th century: “This estate was once described and studied. It was even a candidate for inclusion on the heritage list, but it was never approved or signed off… As a result, we now have yet another destroyed old and quite valuable building.”
In October 2024, activists reported that the land plot at 13-B Yaroslavska Street was being cleared for the construction of a residential complex with the same name.
Zelensky Estate
Address: 22 Oleksandra Konyskoho Street (formerly Turgenevska Street)
Built: 1890
Destroyed: July 19, 2024, by the developer of the residential complex “Turgenev”
In 1890, a wooden house faced with brick was built on commission from merchant Vasyl Malin — one of the oldest buildings on the street. It is known for housing the wealthy Zelensky family from 1911 to 1915.
The building had the status of a newly discovered architectural monument, and in 2025, after its destruction, it was added to the State Register of Monuments by a decision of the Ministry of Culture.
In July 2024, right before the eyes of passersby, an excavator began demolishing walls of a building over a century old. The police arrived on the scene and seized the equipment; however, activist Dmytro Perov reported that the construction workers fled behind a neighboring fence, and law enforcement refused to detain them. Meanwhile, hired thugs (“titushky”) violently beat activists who tried to stop the demolition. The police questioned the excavator driver but did not arrest anyone.
A criminal case was opened regarding the illegal demolition of the historic structure.
The next day, July 20, around a thousand people protested outside the Kyiv City State Administration, claiming that a residential complex named “Turgenev” was planned to be built on the destroyed site.
Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, called the demolition a “cynical provocation,” and the Ministry of Culture stated the same day that the demolition was illegal.
Despite the public statement from the owner about intentions to restore the building, in March 2025 it became known that one of the co-owners, Mykhailo Hrechko, filed a lawsuit demanding to revoke the building’s protected status and receive compensation. In August 2024, he was formally suspected in connection with unauthorized demolition, after which the court imposed a personal obligation as a preventive measure.
On March 21, 2025, the remaining parts of the building began to be dismantled by a crane. The relevant department of the Kyiv City State Administration explained this as “conservation work” and found no violations.
Kyiv is full of stories that remain only to be remembered. But there are also those that can be brought back to life. The Zhytniy Market in Podil is currently in a critical condition. It, too, is under threat of destruction and redevelopment.
Activists and concerned citizens are collecting signatures for a petition to prevent Zhytniy Market from suffering the fate of many other historically valuable sites in the capital. The plan of the locals is to restore and transform the market into a modern farmers’ market, inspired by the best locations in Europe, such as London or Paris. Hopefully, in the future, Zhytniy will be remembered solely as a successful case of quality transformation and preservation of historical space.
