Dnieper Hills and the Podil Embankment: Visions of Redevelopment

You can read articles about the A-Station project on Arsenalna and the lighting of Khreshchatyk here і here.

A city where the water was cut off

Proximity to rivers or the sea has long been a determining factor in the founding of settlements, especially for cities with a long history.

Water provided trade, logistics, and even politics, and provided resources for life. But in the process of development, the city seemed to "absorb" the river: it grew on the banks, building up once green and hospitable spaces with ports, warehouses, factories, and transport interchanges. The river, which was the greatest value - the thing that brought people here - was turning into the city's servant.

Restoring the city's connection with its rivers is one of the key themes in modern urbanism. It's not just about new pedestrian routes or accessible embankments. It's about restoring the balance that cities once lost by isolating themselves from the water. Redevelopment improves the microclimate, creates conditions for biodiversity, and residents experience the city as a higher-quality and more pleasant space to live in. An important part of identity is returning, and in the context of Kyiv, this is especially relevant for historical districts - the Old Town and Podil.

Are there many promenades and public spaces with access to the river on the Right Bank of Kyiv now? Moving along the Dnieper from north to southeast, we first come to the banks near Obolonsky Island, a long embankment, and Natalka Park.

Unfortunately, Pochaina has lost a decent connection with the Dnieper due to a massive road junction and industrial zone. In 2017, the Kyiv City Council voted to create the Pochaina Park - the project envisaged the rehabilitation of the legendary riverbed. The linear park with an area of ​​15 hectares was to be arranged between S. Bandera Avenue and Elektrykiv Street and connected to the coastal recreational spaces of Obolon.

A park was also planned near Jordan and Kyryliv lakes, but work on the part of the city has been suspended.

The next stop on the route is Rybalsky Island, also industrial in nature and separated from the water by an active highway. At the same time, a new residential district of Rybalsky is being built here with accompanying infrastructure, so the role of the island in the future should change, and connections should improve as much as the landscape allows.

Then begins Naberezhno-Khreshchatytska Street with a pedestrian strip above the water along the road. It turns into the embankment of Poshtova Square with a space near the River Station - a popular place where Kyiv residents and tourists descend from the Upper Town or come from Kontraktova Square.

The road here briefly dips into a tunnel and continues as the Embankment Highway, which stretches to a massive transport hub near the Paton Bridge.

On this stretch near the water, a pedestrian and bicycle route has been arranged along the highway, there is an exit to the Park Bridge to Trukhanov Island, the Rybalka (or Bukhara) market near the Dnipro metro station, a small Navodnytskyi Park, and a monument to the founders of Kyiv.

Above the highway, on high slopes and terraces, a green strip stretches from Volodymyrska Hill to Khreshchatyk, Central and Mariinsky Parks, the Provallya tract, Glory Park, the complex of the National Museum of the Holodomor-Genocide, the Lavra and the Singing Field, the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in World War II.

Further, the Dnieper Highway, and later the Stolychne Highway, are also cut off from the water by the Zvirynets and Vydubychi hills in Pechersk, cutting between the historical Lysa Hora and the industrial zone adjacent to the water. The coastline becomes more branched, with numerous straits, lakes, and islands. The outskirts of the city begin.

So, in fact, there are not so many locations on the Right Bank where a person can interact with the river without leaving the city infrastructure. And there are even fewer well-equipped ones, with additional cognitive, cultural value, or at least simply comfortable and accessible to all groups of the population. And this is surprising. The potential of the Dnieper riverbank spaces in the capital is still significantly underestimated.

Despite all the urban planning nuances, for many Kyiv still retains the image of a green city. According to pre-war statistics, it was among the hundred greenest megacities in the world. However, if we analyze where exactly the plantings are concentrated, then, according to the interactive map LUN, this is primarily Holosiiv and Syrets. On the other hand, Podil, Pechersk, Pochaina and the Left Bank along the Dnieper Embankment are among the areas with the least amount of trees and greenery.

Given this picture, work on restoring blue-green infrastructure in the central areas of the city seems logical.

How to get from the center to the river

There are several routes from the Upper to the Lower City that eventually lead to the water: the Kyiv funicular to Poshtova Square, the tourist Andriyivskyi Descent, or the Landscape Alley with stairs to the Honchari-Kozhumyaki tract (on Vozdvizhenka).

Several roads repeat the shape of the slopes in the forest park zone: the arc-shaped Volodymyrskyi Descent, laid from European Square to Podil, the Magdeburg Law Alley, Park Road, and Dniprovskyi Descent.

From Volodymyrsky Descent, steep long stairs also branch off to the Magdeburg Law Column.

There is another way down, and in the context of redevelopment, it interests us the most.

Many people descend the winding paths from the park area, from the glass bridge and the Arch of Freedom. There are many paths among the trees: they intertwine, leading both down to the pedestrian bridge to Trukhaniv Island, and parallel to the park spaces - all the way to the Green Theater and the walls of the Kyiv Fortress, Askold's Tomb.

In some places the alleys have paving and streetlights, in others they are just well-trodden paths on the slopes.

It is this space that we want to explore in particular detail, because it is an almost direct continuation of Khreshchatyk and European Square - without any detours or detours. It is the place where everyone who walks along the main street of the country, sees the park and the panoramas from the high bank and would like to continue the route further comes to a stop.

Defining the boundaries and possibilities of space

Hleb Ushakov, Candidate of Architecture, Associate Professor of the Kyiv National University of Architecture and Design, in the past - an architect of the Kyiv Scientific and Design Institute, expert of the NGO "Cultural Project", in his research he advises to consider a holistic territory from Postal Square until Paton Bridge.

He explains that the area has a landscape unity related to the relief and character of the development, cultural value as a historical landscape zone that is protected. Therefore, strategically and conceptually, it should be addressed as a single large landscape and recreational space.

Green and park spaces and areas near the water on the specified section should be considered together, even though they are currently separated by a highway:

“The landscape zone begins at the top edge of the slopes. We can always trace the streets or alleys where the highest panoramic viewing points pass, from where the best views open. This is an important public path, and the more continuous it is (the longer you can walk along these edges), the higher the quality of the landscape composition. From this route we descend to the water, and they cannot be separated,” he notes.

Gleb Ushakov says that the concept of territorial development should include solutions that will eliminate spatial contradictions that have arisen virtually spontaneously, without a clear plan:

"In the same space, we have a zone of historical landscape, a disorderly huge coastal park, powerful automobile transit, a waterfront that does not function as a full-fledged recreational zone for such a large city. We can say that only a piece of it near Poshtova Square is active."

The architect explains that when working with the landscape, it is important to distinguish between the approaches to the landscaped park part and the lower terraces, which are currently "cut off" and seem to live a life of their own.

For these areas on the slopes, it is necessary to develop landscaping and usage scenarios that echo the concept chosen for the embankment, while taking into account the historical value and conservation status of this terrain. This does not mean redesigning all the paths, interfering with the shape of the slopes and cutting down all the trees. At key points, it is only necessary to clear the so-called transparencies - “windows” in the greenery for panoramic views.

Changes should not happen instantly, especially in today's conditions, but it is still necessary to ecologically rethink objects on slopes and near water.

The expert reminds that the idea of ​​the unity of the Dnieper Hills is not new. Returning to the route along the edge (the highest points of the slopes), this concept is embodied by pedestrian bridges in and near the park area: the glass bridge from Volodymyrska Hill, the Park Bridge (Lovers' Bridge) over the Magdeburg Law Alley, built according to the project of Yevhen Paton, the bridge over the Heroes' Krut Alley, which leads to the Park of Glory.

Leading Ukrainian architect Yosyp Karakis has previously worked on the prospects for developing landscapes around the Green Theater, Arsenalnaya Square, and Slava Square. He created a comprehensive project that could ensure the unity and continuity of the walking route along the slopes.

Behind the architectural ensemble with the famous "airplane house" and the "Orlyatko" kindergarten at 3 Ivan Mazepa Street, built according to the designs of Y. Karakis, there is still a half-abandoned alley. It is located parallel to Parkova dorozhye and, according to the architect's plan, was to become the final link of the pedestrian promenade.

"Even now, in such a forgotten state, without improvements, the alley works: from here you can enjoy fantastic views of the Dnieper. It has become an integral part of the hilly area, and in the new project of the landscape and recreational zone, this legacy of Joseph Karakis should be revived," emphasizes Gleb Ushakov.

Ways to neutralize and rethink the road

Oleksandr Naryzhna, first vice-rector of the Kharkiv School of Architecture and co-founder of the NGO Urban Reform and Urban Reform School, says that approaches to the redevelopment of urban spaces with pronounced historical and natural value should be measured by three indicators:

"First, how do we improve the natural environment and are our actions climate-oriented? Second, does this space become comfortable for people and does it increase the level of happiness in the urban environment? And third, what economic benefit do we get for the city and how does this affect systemic solutions with mobility, etc."

The architect notes that this problem is familiar to many cities, where in the 20th century decisions were made to lay highways along the water.

"There are several examples of cities where roads near the water were moved underground, freeing up space for people. For example, in Boston, the Big Dig project was implemented: the highway that ran through the center and along the water was hidden underground, and the freed space became a green public area. In Madrid, the Madrid Rio project also moved the highway underground along the Manzanares River, turning the embankment into a recreational space. There is also the example of Antwerp, where the bypass road was hidden in an underwater tunnel, which created a lot of common space and new opportunities for development.

"Such decisions should be strategic and determine priorities in the urban space. For Kyiv, laying an underground highway would probably be the most obvious option, but its implementation could take ten years or more. Tactical alternatives can be sought, however, they can only partially solve the problem," she states.

Gleb Ushakov: "The uniqueness of Kyiv is that it is both medieval in parts and very intensively built up in parts"

According to Gleb Ushakov, the case of Kyiv is unique.

“Very few large cities of historical and archaeological significance have preserved such wild landscapes—with untouched areas and millennia-old slopes whose shape has not fundamentally changed to this day.

Looking for some parallels, one can recall Salzburg, which also has a low left bank and a high right bank, on which the historical center and the fortress are located. There are cities where the connection with the river is even weaker than ours, and somewhere access to their river has been used to the maximum. Positive changes have occurred mostly in countries with strong economies and municipalities, in conditions of stable long-term development, when cities have accumulated resources to make such significant changes. Especially when it comes to spaces with a special historical context.

Hlib Ushakov offers several scenarios for integrating the Dnieper slopes and the embankment to make the paths accessible. The most radical is to lower the highway underground and create a fully pedestrian public promenade. Another is to build aerial structures in the form of bridges with elevators or platforms with ramps and elevators that will cross the highway after a certain distance.

The architect notes an option in which the Park Bridge will continue further up the slopes:

"This junction already exists, so it should be used to the maximum — so that you can not only get to Trukhaniv Island, but also go to the embankment itself. A similar junction is needed near Poshtova Square, so that it is convenient to go down to the water: it is almost done there. Bridge crossings from the slopes should also be on the section between Parkovy Most and Metro Bridge and directly near the Dnipro station. Closer to Paton Bridge, existing underpasses can be updated and new ones added."

"Underpasses" under the highway — an option that was partially used here in Soviet times, — continues the urbanist. — We remember how the city tram ran along this road.

You could also try to reduce the intensity of car traffic and turn the expressway into a street with public facilities and terrestrial However, whether this makes sense needs to be calculated.

In these cases, a certain “discontinuity” of the territory will still remain. You can work separately with the slopes and create a better and more adapted environment there, but there will still be few connections with the embankment.”

He also reminds us of the possibilities of funicular communication: not only the famous historical funicular, but also other inclusive inclined elevators can operate on the hills.

Gleb Ushakov: "Even the creators of the Kyiv Funicular understood that the problem of connecting Podil and the embankment, Poshtova Square with the Upper Town is a physical problem. In more than 100 years, we have not improved this connection."

Hlib Ushakov notes that the way the space is organized will affect the nature of the walking route and its "stops." New interesting points of attraction on the embankment could be the underground museum on Poshtova Square, the place where the Pochaina River flows into the Dnieper, where, according to legend, the baptism of Rus took place (traditionally it is believed that it coincides with the location of the Magdeburg Law column), as well as the fish market near the Dnipro station - an original and thematically relevant object that can be scaled.

If the highway remains, the embankment will actually be divided into two parallel parts on either side of the road, each of which will have its own functions. The inner path under the mountain can be arranged as a wide pedestrian promenade - a completely open space without scaffolding or fences, with buildings for various purposes that will provide the necessary activity of this zone. The architecture here does not have to be capital, it is important that it is commensurate with the environment.

"In the gap between the Magdeburg Law Monument and Poshtovaya Square, several beautiful historic buildings have been preserved. Most of them were official buildings. Once upon a time, there was an impressive building of the technical engineering service. Just on the side of the highway between the Park Bridge and the Metro Bridge is an abandoned two-story structure of a 19th-century coastal pumping station. This place could be shown to tourists or a themed restaurant could be opened there, but currently the building is in disrepair.

"Continuing the historical development, it would be possible to create new objects according to its principle, to restore at least some of the mistakenly demolished structures along the future promenade. Institutions could operate here, cultural events could take place, and flea markets could take place - like on Andriyivskyi Uzviz," the expert explains.

Hlib Ushakov summarizes: the territory directly near the river is an almost perfectly flat plane without a slope, so the new public zone would be as inclusive as possible. Neither Andriyivskyi Uzviz nor Vozdvizhenka can provide such conditions.

If all ideas around Naberezhny Highway are focused on how to "neutralize" it, then for the two roads laid along the Dnieper slopes, the task is different: to make them more pedestrian.

Architect Oleksandra Naryzhna states: "The park road currently functions as a transport corridor that compensates for the lack of connection with Mykhailo Hrushevsky Street. Strategically, this may be the case, but it is extremely necessary to remove the priority of cars by adding solutions that will make the space comfortable for people and restore connections with the natural environment."

According to architect and researcher of Kyiv's historical architecture Hlib Ushakov, Parkova doroga has enormous potential to become the main internal communication line in this area. It is located right in the middle of the green slopes and leads from Dniprovs'kyi Uzviz to European Square.

"The park road should be rethought. It may not be possible to make it completely pedestrian, and there will remain moderate traffic with traffic lights. However, it is worth expanding the sidewalks so that a wide area for pedestrians is formed on both sides. Point-by-point high-quality leisure facilities and proper lighting will ensure the diversity of this path, bring life back to it. Some existing objects, such as the historic hospital building (Park Road, building No. 3/5. — Ed. note), will be able to return from oblivion."

Slopes as a treasure trove of surprises

The conversation about the slopes revealed numerous points concerning their architecture and history. This is voluminous information, which would be enough for a separate large material.

Firstly, the Dnieper slopes hide many unexplored finds and locations that are waiting for their time.

We have already mentioned the forgotten Yosyp Karakis Alley - literally two steps from the lively Arsenalna Square and Ivan Mazepa Street.

The reliefs of the slopes are included in the buffer zone of the Sophia Lavra. Careless actions during construction can lead to irreversible losses of heritage. If a new object is found here, it can change the previous project and launch a series of further research, museumization processes, etc. Interventions must be very delicate and qualified.

Gleb Ushakov explains: "When they were building the building that now houses the Ukrainian House, they cut off a piece of Volodymyrska Gory. There were even questions about the supports of the glass pedestrian bridge, because even though it is a point-by-point intervention in archaeological layers. Most of the places under the Lavra and around it are unexplored. The entire old Podil is a continuous underground multi-layered museum zone. The slopes are no different, they were just built differently on them. The finds can be different: burials, underground spaces, floors and communications, for example, for military purposes. There are a lot of these in Kyiv, engineering networks are laid through these objects, they are gradually being destroyed by construction."

He said that near the Askoldov grave tract there is cave complex, comparable in age to the Lavra Caves, which was encountered during the construction of Dniprovskyi Uzviz Street in the 19th century. The valuable object is currently covered with earth and is still unexplored, the boundaries of the underground spaces are unknown. Of course, it is impossible to freely "draw" on plans and make major changes to park alleys in such historically valuable areas.

On the slopes of Askold's Grave, the Pustyno-Mykola Monastery operated. The layers of soil contain the remains of older wooden temple buildings, several necropolises also arose here at different times, and there is a modern memorial.

The architect reminded that in this area we have already lost a unique historical structure - defensive fortifications. Podolskyi Verk, which covered the chain bridge and were located under the supporting walls of the Kyiv Fortress, below the modern Arsenal Square. They survived two world wars, but not the Soviet government, because they prevented the construction of the Naberezhne highway.

The building's remaining underground spaces could be stabilized and are worth turning into a historical destination in a renewed system of park and river spaces.

The same applies to the lower and upper supporting walls of the fortress and the Green Theater, which at one time became a hostage to its remote location, the neglect of the surrounding space, and its own concept designed for the warm season.

Gleb Ushakov raises the important issue of a comprehensive approach to the restoration and redevelopment of large historical sites:

"We see a very successful restoration of individual objects around the Arsenal plant, the barracks building on the isthmus with the Mykilska Gate. A beautiful public space with integrated solutions and landscaping has appeared on Arsenal Square (this is about A-Station. — Ed. Note). This is a worthy example of the adaptation of a historical industrial zone, which is beginning to play the role of a unique cultural and recreational space.

However, in my opinion, it is worth approaching such objects even more broadly. If you do not work with entire zones and territories, point solutions can later lead to negative consequences. In the case of the Kyiv Fortress, it is a single and very complex object of national importance, which contains above-ground, underground, earthen structures, bastions, walls built on Pechersk and on the Dnieper slopes. Therefore, it is important to identify, restore and adapt them all. The upper structures of Arsenal Square and the objects on the slopes constitute a single whole, and it is through them that a living connection between Arsenal Square and the embankment could be created. Not to mention the fact that the lower structures ensure the stability of the entire slope behind Arsenal Square. Their potential is simply incredible.

The way, when a plot is allocated near a historical object for new construction and the development company simultaneously carries out the restoration and adaptation of the monument, is normal. But the approach, when only individual objects of the complex are selected, is destructive for those monuments that remain behind the fence without protection and supervision. The situation with them is contradictory.

The second significant feature of the Dnieper slopes, which the expert points out, is complex hydrology. This is a rather unstable area with a risk of landslides, and this must be taken into account during redevelopment. Today, part of the old communications and drainage tunnels and modern drainage systems remain underground. Natural conditions contradict capital construction; in the past, there were no technologies at all that would allow building tall buildings in this area. In order to erect modern facilities on slopes, it is often necessary to solve a complex of hydrological problems.

However, for recreational, cultural projects, and catering establishments that do not require heavy monolithic architecture, this is not a sentence.

The light that unites everything

When it is necessary to combine territories with complex relief, a river, green spaces, bridges or crossings, monuments, public buildings of different styles, another assistant comes onto the scene - lighting. Now that we have "sorted out" all the landscapes and their possible roles, we can think about how to illuminate them.

It is light that connects fragments of a large space, can reveal the character of monuments and give them the "right to vote" in the dark, invite visitors and tourists from different population groups to the promenades, and interest small business owners in the location.

Given the large park areas without development, safety and access characteristics become important. I wonder what kind of lighting would best suit the embankment, and are there any special rules that lighting designers follow when working with river and green landscapes.

We asked all these questions To Alexander Maksimov — the founder and head of the Ukrainian lighting brand LOFU. The company has undergone a transformation from a manufacturer of lighting for industrial and commercial enterprises (Solmix Lighting) to the creation of lamps designed by Ukrainian artists, interior, facade and gallery lighting. LOFU develops lighting scenarios for enterprises and public street spaces. In 2022–2023, the brand participated in exhibitions abroad: Maison&Objet (Paris), i am u are (Los Angeles) and others.

The expert explains: when lighting designers and lighting technicians develop master plans for lighting spaces, they rely not only on existing characteristics and "flaws", but also on the concept of spatial development, redevelopment or restoration projects selected for implementation, and established routes. Currently, they do not exist yet, however, it is quite possible to analyze the scenarios that exist and may appear.

Oleksandr Maksimov: "Even the park part of the slopes in the evening is not perceived as an attractive place to visit. It's like we're going back to the 19th century, but not in a good way."

The orderly and "wild" parts of the green slopes now contrast very strongly with each other. The central park part uses not very relevant mercury-sodium and LED light sources with low color rendering indices. This indicator determines the ability of the light source to transmit the colors of objects.

Such lamps, on the one hand, overilluminate these park spaces, and on the other hand, distort the perception of objects, causing all parts of the evening landscape (greenery, landscaping elements, small architectural forms, etc.) to become faceless and merge with each other.

Light unity is important for a landscape, but it must be correct.

"This is all the more important in a situation where monuments, architectural and infrastructure objects belonging to different times and styles are combined in one territory. For example, the materials and shapes of stairs or bridges are very different. We could "connect" them with light in the dark," explains Oleksandr Maksymov.

He suggests that several scenarios may apply. A scenario common to cultural, recreational urban spaces is object, when the light ensemble is formed around the objects that dominate this part of the space: some natural dominant, a landmark, a bridge. This main object should be highlighted and combined with other types of lighting, such as floor lighting, decorative lighting - in practice, these are quite a lot of tools:

"For example, we illuminate the monument with low-level light — for comfort and high-level light — for navigational safety, add the light of the surrounding paths and spot lighting of the trees. This forms a single ensemble that "plays" in the same tonality and can be controlled by modern equipment. Then we scale this experience to other such ensembles in a large space, that is, they all have to be implemented the same way. Now, as a rule, this is not colored, warm white light," notes the head of LOFU. "As an example, we can mention the A-Station project on Arsenalna, which was already discussed in this study."

Oleksandr Maksymov: “Some of our parks are still dark mass around light "corridor"". But these are 1960s standards. We also always have to understand who we are doing this for."

Moving on to the discussion of the lower terraces of the slopes, Oleksandr Maksimov generally notes: people come to parks from the central bright streets and squares to relax and be alone, so it is important to “quiet down” these spaces, to make them intimate, but so that they are safe. The “less light” trend is global in the lighting industry.

Of course, there's no point in talking about the safety of moving along the paths of the slopes at the moment. Although some of them have lights and paving, these solutions are not enough.

An important detail: in addition to their historical and archaeological value, the Dnieper Cliffs from the Pedestrian Bridge to the Paton Bridge have the status of a complex natural monument of local importance. Here, valuable biotopes are combined with cultural locations, and the slopes are home to insects, birds, and mammals within the boundaries of a large city.

The expert says that in order to illuminate these spaces and make them friendly and safe for people, aggressive interventions that would harm nature are not needed:

"There is no need to remove soil or enter with heavy machinery, it is not necessary to install supports. Lighting is possible even where there is no paving. We could create an environment of unity between nature and man here. The trees themselves can be used as supports and the lamps can be mounted on special clamps; such light can have shadow or patterned effects. In terms of cost, such solutions are no more expensive than capital construction, laying tiles, pouring foundations under supports, etc., but on the contrary, they are more economical and more careful. Maintenance is simple, anti-vandal resistance is no lower, and in some cases even higher, because some light sources are located at a height of 4–6 meters."

Oleksandr Maksymov draws attention to the fact that in projects that will be implemented in these natural spaces, it is important to establish careful scenarios for everyone:

"Currently, the DBN and lighting standards still mainly focus on technical indicators. An important characteristic of all modern projects is ensuring inclusiveness. But caring for animals and nature still seems to be out of focus, somewhere it is being implemented, somewhere not at all. This applies to many aspects: the same highways, tunnels for animal crossing, taking into account opportunities for access to water, movement, etc. Light should also not interfere with life on the slopes. Even if Ukraine does not yet have much experience in eco-projects, we need to analyze the work of colleagues abroad; there are very interesting projects, for example, in Japan. We can say that the flora and fauna that have existed within the city limits for decades have adapted - and this is true to some extent, but cities have also changed a lot. We need to pay attention to this, and it is not only about attracting butterflies or bats, it is about coexistence. Specialists need to talk to customers about the interaction of light and nature."

Oleksandr Maksimov considers the entire historical and recreational zone as a kind of "patchwork quilt" of walking routes, park areas and squares, memorable spaces that should be illuminated according to similar, common scenarios, with accentuation of selected points, again - not with color, but, for example, with brightness.

We asked him about possible lighting options for the historical monuments of the Dnieper slopes - parts of the Kyiv Fortress, the walls.

"This architecture, hidden today — the remains of a fortress, ancient caves — should be highlighted by light, and this is a separate type of work. An open-air museum could function there after the underground spaces are stabilized. Somewhere they could be covered with glass, with accent lighting inside. Evening tourist routes could lead there, telling about the secrets of the hills and showing their evening beauty," the head of LOFU reflects.

Going down to the embankment in conversation with an expert, we also "run into" the Embankment Highway. How much road there will be in the hypothetical new space directly determines its character.

The expert states: currently, on most of this section, the pedestrian zone is illuminated by the supports of the highway itself; there are no interesting pedestrian stops or bright installations on it.

"To emphasize something, you need to reduce the intensity of the general light strips along the embankment. In conditions where there is heavy traffic and cars need road lighting, how can you do that?"

Oleksandr Maksymov separately emphasizes the need to rethink the lighting of bridge crossings:

"In large Ukrainian cities, lighting bridges with colored lights, multi-colored ribbons, controlled by LEDs as daily scenarios is like some kind of disease or bad habit. In my opinion, this approach cheapens the concept of the architectural, engineering object itself. More active scenarios can be used for some events, celebrations, but they can also be different."

"Regarding holiday scenarios: in our space there is currently no single symbolic color, design code, like, for example, in China, where red light is a traditional symbol of good luck. At a certain time, all cities — their signs, objects — acquire a red color by 99% due to backlighting. We solve this for each object individually, and sometimes we have stories when there is a cool landscape park backlight, it is the right color, everything is thought out — and then suddenly a purple bridge appears."

Another important aspect is taking into account the context, what is happening around:

"For example, there's a brightly lit bridge crossing, and then there's another big and bright installation on Trukhanov Island. I don't really understand how it's supposed to work together when there's no balance."

Oleksandr Maksimov notes: the conversation about lighting embankments can be very prosaic. After all, it is not about a set of wow effects, but about aesthetics and practicality: moderate quality solutions that facilitate navigation, make the space convenient for use, frame the landscaping, emphasize decorative plantings or small architectural forms. But there are certain interesting things: for example, how lighting architects work with water.

You can use caustic light. It repeats the effects of smooth refraction and reflection of rays on water. If caustic is projected onto some surfaces of the embankment, the natural river patterns of the Dnieper and the artificial ones, reproduced in light, will be combined. A practical detail: there are lamps with special diodes that repel mosquitoes and midges on the embankment.

Finally, we talked about lighting selected locations that may develop after the redevelopment of the Podil embankment.

Oleksandr Maksimov notes: if the pedestrian zone under the mountain is rethought and separated from the highway by a sound screen, it is possible to repeat the A-Station experience in some ways - both spaces can become visually and sensibly similar. By the way, this echoes the fact that the slopes continue Arsenalna and contain common facilities. At the same time, the existing architecture and planning are different, and we have no information about what other buildings may appear and what the specialization of the institutions will be.

“Of course, the space should follow a common lighting design code, like the rest of the territory. I would make the lighting of the architecture neutral, and historical buildings, in my opinion, should be illuminated brighter so that they stand out from the overall picture in the evening. This way, visitors to the promenade will have the impression that they are walking through the old city. This play of light for the venerable houses creates a story, as if each of them is a museum exhibit, but alive, one that you can go into. In my opinion, this can attract tourists.

A very interesting possibility is the development of the fish market near the Paton Bridge. Theoretically, after the redesign, it could turn into a street Fischmarkt, like in the Netherlands. It would no longer be just a fishing tackle market, but a place with craft spaces, souvenir shops, food courts and fish restaurants. To decide on the lighting, it is important to understand the central idea of ​​the redesign. It is clear that the lighting will be intimate. I would perhaps even consider museum lighting for this place, to give it an atmosphere of historicity and exclusivity.

Currently, we have problems with understanding the heritage that belongs to the trade and service sector of the Soviet era and the last 30 years of independence. Something appeared spontaneously, there were places of worship, but many of them fell into disrepair due to a decline in customer interest, online trading platforms appeared, etc. Turning to such locations, rehabilitating them and considering them as tourist sites is very cool. This can really arouse interest among visitors, change the atmosphere of the space, its perception by the townspeople. The idea is pretty cool, but a concept is needed.

We see how interestingly the history of the Dnieper Hills and the embankment unfolded. On the one hand, they have remained unchanged for quite a long time, on the other hand, even in the 50s of the last century, the coastline was completely different. Imagine modern Kyiv with massive towers and arched gates of the Podilskyi Verk near the water, with defensive walls towering above the river on slopes with lush greenery.

Let's imagine that a walk through the center and Podol on the weekend does not end at Poshtovaya Square, that there are equipped and convenient paths to the pedestrian embankment, with live connections to the Dnieper, which you can touch with your hand, and not look at from the parapet above the road.

Not everything that is lost can be brought back, but it is worth working to preserve what is and to reverse unfair scenarios. Would we want such a city? Probably yes. Will we have one? We thank all the experts who participated in the study.