Kharkiv: a heart made of reinforced concrete - PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA

Each city has its own spatial landmarks, popular meeting places, architectural landmarks, and streets that preserve legends. At first glance, it is not clear what is so valuable about this strange sculpture or a simple cafe. Along with the valuable historical objects, there is something that does not make it to the lists of monuments, but steadily exists on the mental maps of the townspeople. Sometimes it is not even about a specific building, but about the atmosphere of a whole section of the area. Now, when architects and urban planners are actively discussing the post-war future, it is important not to forget about the subtle layers connecting a person with the city. In this material, we will talk about the organization and perception of Kharkiv, about wartime reality and new city symbols, development vectors and priorities of recovery, places of strength and pain points, about residents, their emotional connections and spatial practices.

[NOT]Normal places. What do I see?

"In our lives, different registers of reality are always mixed, so I also mix them in my films," says Ukrainian artist and director Mykola Ridny. His film "No! No! No!", awarded this year by the Survival Kit international art festival, is a philosophical collage about Kharkiv, conceived as a continuation of the earlier work "Usual Places", a film about great changes. The Euromaidan, the revolution, the beginning of the war in Donbas, the unsuccessful attempt at a "Russian Spring", the confrontation between Ukrainian activists and pro-Russian groups, the "fall of Lenin" - at that time the war had not yet come to the city, but it touched it. Showing how streets, squares, and buildings are filled with new meanings and moods, Ridnyi uses an interesting artistic technique: he films calm city life, and in the process of video montage he superimposes on the image the sounds of exploding shells and collapses. Such a contrast creates the impression of the duality of space, as if one reality cuts through another, as if the picture of the visible world has another layer beneath it, which breaks out.

Evening Kharkiv. View of Assumption Cathedral. Source: celes.club

Immersed in the war of 2022, covered in burns and scars, but in its steadfastness and even in a kind of eloquent Murrayian silence, Kharkiv now has a no less surreal appearance than in Rydny. The city is located only thirty kilometers from the Russian border, and it has been mercilessly bombed since the first day of the invasion, leaving not only death and rubble of building structures, but also traces of black irony. On March 8, exactly XNUMX years after the Russian flag "did not take root" on the facade of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration, the building was hit by a rocket. The Palace of Labor, the premises of which once belonged to the insurance company "Russia", was destroyed by Russia. Writers and poets of the "shot revival" seem to have been subjected to repression again - in the ruins of a monument of history and culture, the "Slovo" building, where Ukrainian figures once lived. The Korolenko Library, the archives of which were partially removed by the German Nazis during the Second World War, suffered structural damage due to the Russian Nazis.

Spoiled memory of historical cemeteries. The victims of the Holocaust, who were lying in the Drobytskyi Yar, were once again faced with the death brought by Russian shells. Architectural monuments and historical buildings, which are symbols and shape the face of the city, were damaged. Among them are many objects of Beckett's heritage. The building of the Faculty of Economics of Vasyl Karazin University is in a state of disrepair, a building that is a unique example of Ukrainian modernism. Large-scale damage was caused to the sports complex of the Kharkiv National Polytechnic University. This is the only sports facility in Ukraine awarded the State Award in the field of architecture. Entire neighborhoods were demolished. Myronositska Street was almost completely destroyed, most of the Saltivka district, which was home to approximately 200 residents, was destroyed, and the Barabashovo market, which was considered the largest in Eastern Europe, burned down. Not a single district escaped "arrivals" - Kholodna Gora, Oleksiivka, Bavaria, KhTZ...

Olga Kleitman: "Despite the fact that wars themselves change, some reactions of society remain unchanged"

Olga Kleitman

Despite the large-scale mutilation, the city is very tidy. Heroic Kharkiv utility workers work everywhere: they dismantle rubble, patch holes from shells, clean up leaves - the city does not lose its face and defends the right to remain itself. Emphasis is shifting in urban spaces: once crowded places are empty, others, on the contrary, are becoming new centers of attraction. The goals, rhythms, speed of hiking routes change. "From the first day of the full-scale invasion, Kharkiv has been functioning as a military hub," says the architect and head of the volunteer organization "Through War" Olga Kleitman, — our soldiers come here to restore their strength and take the necessary equipment to the unit."

The shopping rows received this name back in 1840 from the Church of the Annunciation, which is located nearby. At that time, the city held four large fairs a year, where you could not only buy goods, but also see entertaining performances. Today, Blagovishchensky bazaar includes the territory of the market and the market square, XNUMXth-century shopping rows, Ivanivska embankment, the House of Trade and the bus station

The centers of urban life shifted to trade areas and public catering establishments. Kleitman notes that markets have become particularly popular meeting points. "Despite the fact that wars themselves change, some reactions of society remain unchanged," Olga shares her thoughts, "in films about the Second World War, you can see how the markets are flourishing. And now Kharkiv's Blagovishchensky bazaar and the "flea" market are the main meeting places, especially on weekends. Here, residents of the city and nearby settlements solve all their problems, including earning money, as many have lost their jobs."

Exhibition of works "What do I see?" students of the children's art school of Mykola Kolomiyets "Aza Nizi Maza". All images courtesy of Aza Nizi Maza Studio. Source: birdinflight.com

Public spaces are constantly being transformed, changing their purpose. Many processes of social life have moved to the underground part of the city. The subway, which initially served as the main bunker, at some point turned into an art gallery. Here at the "Historical Museum" station, students of Mykola Kolomiyets' art school "Aza Nizi Maza" presented their works. Exhibition "What do I see?" — insightful reflection of war reality through the eyes of children. The school itself also served as a shelter, which saved a large number of Kharkiv residents. The "Yermilov Center" art institution took over the functions of a military media hub - now press conferences are held in the basement of the modern gallery. In the summer, the pre-premiere screening of the feature film "House "Slovo"" took place here.

Built in 1928, the "Slovo" house was a cooperative of writers. All 66 apartments were occupied by novelists and poets, representatives of the theater — actors, directors, as well as journalists, translators, and artists. Mykola Kulish, Les Kurbas, Ostap Vyshnia, Volodymyr Sosyura, Pavlo Tychyna lived there. In May 1933, after the suicide of Mykola Khvylovy, death hung over the house: many residents were repressed, shot, sent to camps - massive Stalinist repressions began. Photo: ukrainer.net

"...Bones must grow firmly. Scars should add anger. Something must happen to you. Something has already happened and is still going on..." Serhii Zhadan

Maxim Rosenfeld

The past perfect tense is not applicable to wartime Kharkiv. "The city is changing every minute. It is like a beloved, well-known person, with whom you have to get acquainted again and again," says the architect, historian, tour guide Maxim Rosenfeld. But the reason is not only in the war: the reading of the city cannot be unambiguous, constant and objective. It depends not only on the period of time or event content, but also on the observer's point of view.

Source: celes.club

Sergey Ilchenko

Talking about the architecture of Kharkiv, Sergey Ilchenko, an architect, refers to the term "multiplicity of space". Unlike the concept of "place", space can contain several subjective realities. The French philosopher Michel de Certeau emphasizes this division. Such a statement is based on the theory of Henri Lefebvre, where the production of space takes place in a constant dynamic interrelationship through its perception, understanding and experience by a person. Today, when the key question for architects is the future of the post-war city, it is important to consider that urban space is, in particular, a projection of human experience. "What will the new Kharkiv be like? This is a philosophical question, says Serhiy, what can we do to preserve its originality and characteristic local features? Analyzing the city, we came across the fact that we don't know much about it ourselves, so we focused more on understanding Kharkiv."

Photo: Yevhen Maloletka. Source: AP

Today, an open discussion about post-war Kharkiv brought together about 60 specialists in the field of architecture. One of the teams is represented by a project group that interacts with the Norman Foster Foundation; among its participants are our experts: Olga Kleitman, Maksym Rosenfeld and Serhii Ilchenko. Acting as consultants for an international team, they conduct research in the field of architecture and urban psychology. The work is carried out on a volunteer basis. According to Serhii Ilchenko, it will take at least a year.

PART ONE: PERCEPTION

Mixed registers

What do most Ukrainians associate with Kharkiv? Everyone will recognize the Pokrovsky Monastery, the Opera and Ballet Theater, the "Mirror Stream" and Derzhprom. "Kharkiv is a millionaire city," they will say. Kharkiv also has a number of well-known firsts and merits: the first cinema on the territory of the former empire, the first bank and the first stationary stone circus. Here, for the first time in the Union, they split the atom, built a skyscraper, and produced a film camera. Throughout history, Kharkiv has been a city of merchants and entrepreneurs, craftsmen and traders, with profitable houses, factories and manufactories. But this is only one layer that is read from history books, memorial plaques and tourist sites. Old-timers will tell you that this is a city of intellectuals, culture, science and education, where famous physicists, mathematicians, microbiologists and Nobel laureates came from. Kharkiv is associated with the names of Grigory Borman, Oleksiy Beketov, Vasyl Yermilov, Lev Landau and Ilya Mechnikov. They will say that Kharkiv is a "biscuit", a bridge of lovers, a suspension road, the "Five Corners" square, a legendary bar and cafe "Krystal", a trempel and a fork.

Oleksandr Kud

For the younger generation, Kharkiv is a city of parties, theatrical performances, football fans, cyclists, literary tradition and city picnics. These are "Night of Museums", "Day of Music", Vinyl Fest, PLAN B, art factory "Mechanika", Art Area, "7ysklad". "For me, Kharkiv is the capital of poetry," says a native resident, journalist and musician Oleksandr Kud. In peacetime, Sashko played in the BusiCama group, read poems in Kharkiv bars and was one of the organizers of the literary slam. For half a year now, he has been serving in the armed forces and protecting the borders of our country. "Among our poets, no one had a doubt that the final of the All-Ukrainian Slam League should take place right here," says Oleksandr, "it's very cool that every Ukrainian city has its own peculiarity, that's why cultural life is concentrated not only in the capital, from here we have a healthy regional patriotism".

Oleg Drozdov: "Kharkiv constantly changed its purpose, its state, its visions, its mission, and none of them was completed"

The Kharkiv Circus-Theater Gricke, or the Old Circus, is a historical and architectural landmark of local importance. Built at the beginning of the XNUMXth century, it was the first stone circus in the city. During the Second World War, the Germans set up a sausage factory here, and when they retreated, they mined the building. The circus was saved thanks to the wife of one of the artists: she worked here as a cleaner and was able to show where the explosives were hidden

Kateryna Kublytska

Kharkiv is multifaceted. Changes in political regimes, mixing of nationalities, religions, and cultures caused confusion in architecture as well. Here, the church is adjacent to the synagogue, classicism to baroque, modernism to eclecticism, constructivism to XNUMXst century architecture. Architect and activist Kateryna Kublytska draws attention to the fact that the face of the city is formed by both ancient streets and industrial facilities, sleeping areas. In her opinion, along with the buildings of the end of the 7th and beginning of the XNUMXth centuries, the HTZ area is a monument of urban planning art, and the atmosphere of the place can be created by individual engineering structures, such as bridges, post-industrial towers or, for example, the unique outdoor fire hydrants located in Kharkiv. Olga Kleitman talks about the development prospects of the area beyond the Lopan River. "This is a very distinctive place steeped in history," says Olga, "a horse road passed here, and XNUMX theaters were located here. With the right approach, this place will attract a large number of tourists."

The Vedmedyk store is the first branded confectionary store belonging to the Georges Borman trading house, opened at the beginning of the XNUMXth century. Photo source: vgorode.ua

Oleg Drozdov

"Kharkiv constantly changed its purpose, its mission, its condition, its visions," says the architect, founder of the KhSHA Oleg Drozdov, — and due to various circumstances, including military and political, none of these missions was completed. That is why Kharkiv is such an unfinished project. In comparison, Lviv, in my opinion, has very little room for maneuver. In Kharkiv, they are simply incredible - here you can implement the most ambitious plan."

The Ukrainian Physical and Technical Institute (UPTI) is a unique complex in the center of Kharkiv, where science, history and architecture meet. In the 1930s, Lev Landau and leading physicists from Austria, Germany, and America worked here. Such Nobel laureates as Niels Bohr and Paul Dirac came here. Here, for the first time in the Soviet Union, they split the atom, built the world's most powerful Van de Graaf generator and made discoveries that changed world science

Risk zone

"Kharkiv is a city of free and brave people," Oleksandr Kud claims, "the very history of Slobozhanshchyna and its name indicate that people lived here who wanted to be independent, not obey anyone." According to Maksym Rosenfeld, the territory of the Slobid region was called the frontier zone. This concept was introduced by the American historian of the early XNUMXth century, Frederick Jackson Turner. According to his theory, America was formed as a state thanks to passionate individuals, the so-called "adventurers", who were not afraid of the risk of undeveloped land. The very term "frontier" was defined by Turner as a border space between opposite states - between wild territories and civilization, between old and new, permanent and changing. Turning to Turner's theory, Rosenfeld finds in it features identical to the history of Kharkiv.

Parts of the battleship "Empress Mary", which was damaged by the explosion in 1916, were used for the construction of the main building of the UFTI (Ukrainian Physical and Technical Institute). The photo shows a battleship in the dock after pumping out water, 1919

Maksym believes that 5 stages or "front surges" can be distinguished in the development of the city, when important turning points occurred. The first begins directly with the founding of Kharkiv, the construction of the city fortress and the first settlements. The second is the educational frontier associated with the opening of the first university. The third took place in the 20s and 30s of the XNUMXth century, when science, culture, and avant-garde art were developing, and the building of Derzhprom became the epitome of the era. The fourth stage is the sixties, the time of dissidents and intelligentsia. Well, the fifth surge is happening right now.

Maxim Rosenfeld: "New Kharkiv residents are those who consciously decide to be a Kharkiv resident. Among them can be Chinese, Indians, Arabs... People who will want to go here for the sake of risks and for the sake of what they are interested in."

Night Kharkiv. View of the Church of the Annunciation. Photo: Pavlo Itkin

According to Maxim Rosenfeld's concept "Frontier City", post-war Kharkiv can become an experimental site. "Militaryism allows leaving the comfort zone and creating laboratories: scientific, educational, military, logistical, transport, conceptual, laboratory of development strategies," explains Maksym. What does this mean in terms of architecture? There will be new approaches and methods that may become risky for all beneficiaries. Thus, during the construction of the experimental area, all project participants must understand that the ideas being developed here may turn out to be a complete failure. Therefore, the frontier will attract those who are interested not so much in financial gain as in inventions, innovations, and discoveries. "For example, architecture in Dubai is not about the frontier, but about big money and high margins," explains Rosenfeld, "we're not talking about fame and recognition, but about what's interesting." The new resident of Kharkiv will not be the one who was born here, but the one who consciously decides to become one."

PART TWO: COMPLIANCE

Vernacular areas and spatial practices

Before talking about the future of Kharkiv, one should first understand its existing structure and define project freedoms and limitations. However, designers face at least two problems here. The first is that modern master plans do not provide any information about spatial development. "If you look at least at the general plan of 1914, developed by Rzhepishevsky, you can see the designation of new streets and districts," says Serhiy Ilchenko, "but the architect cannot use the modern general plan, because this document has turned into an element of ascertainment." The second problem is the traditional administrative zoning, which at one time was carried out like "pie cutting", contrary to the natural boundaries and established urban planning traditions of the local area. Since this is completely ineffective for the sustainable development of the city, it is necessary to use some other knowledge and approaches.

Street art of Hamlet Zinkivskyi in Kharkiv. Photo: kharkovforum.com

Analyzing the urban space, the architects decided to see what scraps Kharkiv is made of, how people perceive its different parts, and which location they identify with. "A person does not just live in Kharkiv, he lives directly in Northern Saltivka, Ivanovka, Lysia Gora, Moskalivka," explains Serhii Ilchenko, "these areas are accepted by local residents." After conducting research, the architects identified 105 such mental or vernacular districts (Vernacular district is an unofficial city district that residents distinguish with the help of local identity. Very often it has the name of areas that were once separate from the city, and then became part of it. ed.). Among them there are areas with private development, modernist, historical. "Each of them has its own spatial characteristics and is even perceived on a sensory level in its own way," Serhiy says. When the architects combined the vernacular map and the street network, it turned out that each mental district has a completely unique pattern, and also differs in building density, height, and morphology. In addition, these areas have their own natural border, which is defined by industrial zones, railway tracks and a green frame.

Street art of Hamlet Zinkivskyi in Kharkiv. Photo: kharkovforum.com

Kharkiv drivers usually use the names of mental, not administrative districts, therefore, as one of the tools of the research work, Maksym Rosenfeld suggested using the "taxi driver map"

Understanding and applying the vernacular structure, as opposed to the mindless division of the city into sectors, will further allow planners to combine areas with similar characteristics for their qualitative interaction. In addition, this approach will help architects establish a connection with local communities, understand their request. Serhii Ilchenko emphasizes that this is extremely important for the spatial development of the city. "Participation of residents in shaping the vision of the new city must be effective," Serhiy explains, "it is impossible to bring up issues that have already been resolved at a public discussion. This is a proforma. Requests, objections and appeals of local communities must be heard before the start of work on the project. Districts with different mentalities are tuned to different styles and rhythms of life. To establish a culture of dialogue, it is important to understand what we are talking about with specific communities." Serhiy notes that we are currently living in a time of crisis of trust: information about urban development remains closed, people do not trust experts, and experts do not see citizens as allies. But at the same time, there is a spontaneous and rapid process of uniting people. Therefore, this is a good opportunity to break the system and synchronize the work of architects and urban planners with local communities.

Saltivka is the largest residential area of Kharkiv, located in the northeast of the city. The district came under the main attack of the Russian aggressors from the second day of the 2022 war. Photo: Yulia Ilyukha / Facebook

Serhii Ilchenko: "Residents are not so interested in what the house looks like and whether there will be a garden on its roof. It affects them very little. They are affected by what they consider to be theirs: where they walk their dogs, where they buy milk, where they go on their daily routes."

A mutilated multi-storey residential building in the Saltiv district of Kharkiv. Photo: Yulia Klymeniuk / Facebook

"All problems with architects occur because of a conflict of location," says Serhiy Ilchenko. He explains that there are preferences and markers that can be completely incomprehensible to architects. And the biggest risk is that in the process of improvement, the thin layers that connected a person with the city will disappear. Locals have knowledge of such mental maps and reference points that make the area their home area. "Residents are not so interested in what the house looks like and whether there will be a garden on its roof. It affects them very little, says Serhiy. — They are affected by what they consider their own: where they walk their dogs, where they buy milk, where they go on their daily routes. Henri Lefebvre calls these things spatial practices.” In the course of a sociological survey, the architects discovered a much greater attachment of residents to modernist districts than was assumed, and drew attention to the fact that a person is very attached to his place. "Architects call high-rise buildings and residential areas 'people's houses', but for residents it is absolutely not the case," says Serhii, "there is a category of people who have a strong intention to return to Northern Saltivka, regardless of how it suffered, because it is their homeland ".

The Assumption Cathedral is one of the oldest Orthodox churches in Kharkiv. The cathedral bell tower is the tenth tallest stone building in Kharkiv and the second tallest bell tower in Ukraine. Its height is 89,5 m. Photo: Pavlo Itkin

About attachment to home and the spirit of the place

Maxim Rosenfeld: "Objects that seemed rather prosaic suddenly acquired enormous value"

Before the full-scale invasion, there was no Saltivka route in Maxim Rosenfeld's tours. After the war, he said, this would be the main route. Why? Not only because of human tragedy and large-scale destruction, but also because of unexpected discoveries. "It turned out that in this section of the city, many things, in particular material ones, changed their meaning," says Maxim, "objects that seemed rather prosaic, suddenly acquired enormous value." Once, in one of Saltiv's courtyards, residents independently installed a sculpture on a children's playground. Architects criticized it, calling it a demonstration of bad taste. When several shells arrived here recently, this simple art object became the personification of love for home. "I posted a photo of this broken sculpture on social networks, and it immediately made a lot of noise," says Maksym, "people who have lived here all their lives immediately cry when they see it. Each of them understands how much he was attached to the place, how much he loved his city, without realizing it before."

In 1977, the population of Saltivka, excluding the private sector and apartment buildings built before the massive construction of the 1960s, was 250 people. In 2018, this number increased to 410 people

In the manifesto about the future of Kharkiv, which a group of architects prepared for their English colleagues, there is a section on the protection of historical and architectural heritage, which contains a separate item - the heritage of intangible culture. In addition, Maksym Rosenfeld suggested that 20 sightseeing city routes should contain not only objects, but also the context of city life. "There are things that are understandable only to the residents," the architect explains, "for example, "Gradusnyk" or "Steklyashka", but they are no less important for preservation. Yes, it is difficult to comprehend, because it is impossible to feel, to understand, what is the object of protection. This is the spirit of the city, which is literally dissolved in the air."

Gradusnyk is a huge city thermometer located in the very center of Kharkiv, near the "Historical Museum" metro station. The Kharkiv thermometer is about forty years old. Photo: Vasyl Golosny

Kateryna Kublytska: "Urban space is a whole mental time machine, like in the novels of Stephen Fry"

Lopan embankment in Kharkiv is one of the most favorite meeting places of the townspeople

When a person describes a city he loves, regardless of whether he is an architect or not, he rarely uses the concepts of "composition", "style", "authenticity", "dominant". She talks about her feelings. "The heat, Chichybabina Street, the smell of old, decaying paint, the sudden sound of tango," recalls one of the summer episodes, Kateryna Kublytska, "at that moment I immediately thought of my grandmother." She talked about the tradition of taking the record player outside and listening to rare Western music recorded on x-ray discs. For Katya, every piece of Kharkiv is connected with family stories or her own memories. "Urban space is a whole mental time machine, like in the novels of Stephen Fry," says Kublytska. The route from home to the university will always remind her of being a student, and the Lopan embankment will bring her back to her school years. "Cast iron, wild grapes and boats floating on the river. There was so much painting in it, something elusive and special," Katya shares her memories.

South Railway Station (official name - Kharkiv-Passenger) is the main passenger railway station of the Southern Railway in Kharkiv and one of the most important transport hubs in Eastern Ukraine. Source: celes.club

"I was always worried about the entrance to Kharkiv from the side of Kholodnaya Gora," says Oleg Drozdov, "how this route goes, how new perspectives gradually open up: first crossing the bridge, then the view of the University Hill... This is an incredible path, such in it and poetry, and drama, and so much more..." Oleg touched on the topic of the city border, and it must be said that one of the most emotionally charged "border" spaces is the train station. With the beginning of the war, it acquired new meanings, became a symbol of rescue, mass evacuation and at the same time - separation from loved ones. "All my life I liked to travel and not get attached to a place," says Oleksandr Kud, "but every time I go, I miss my city very much, and that's why I especially love the moment of returning." I really like Kharkiv station, no other station suits me. Only here, going out to the station square, I feel: I am finally at home."

PART THREE: RETHINKING

Delete cannot be left

Oleksandr Kud: "The main thing is not to forget how to feel, the main thing is not to forget. Do not lose the foundations of empathy, limbs and common sense"

What should be the priority of post-war reconstruction and what really has architectural value is a controversial issue. From the first day of the war, experts have been discussing which objects should be reconstructed, which should be demolished, and which should be left in their current state.

The Kharkiv Fire Station was built in 1823 and is the oldest building of its kind in Ukraine. In the 34th century, most of the city was made of wood, there were frequent fires, so there was always a watchman on duty at the tower. From the height of the tower (XNUMX meters) you could see the whole city. Now you can see about a fifth of Kharkiv from here. Photo: Dmytro Frantsev / Unsplash

One of the sore points of the city's military space is architectural monuments that have had roof damage or were left without it at all. Since most of these buildings do not belong to the housing stock and are not objects of critical infrastructure, they are not a priority for financing. With the approach of winter, the situation becomes a stalemate. "Unfortunately, we are not allowed to visit the sights," says Kateryna Kublytska, "the houses are open, and during the rains the elements that survived are destroyed." According to her, the most "shrill" object is the building of the dispensary on Blagovishchenska Street, 17. The roof of the fire station, a historical monument, is also badly damaged. The building of the Faculty of Economics of the Karazin University is in a state of emergency.

The mansion of the merchant Sokolov, located at 17 Blagovishchenska Street, is an architectural landmark in the Neo-Renaissance style. The building was erected in 1899 according to the project of Oleksiy Beketov. Since 1924 — Kharkiv Regional Clinical Skin and Venereological Dispensary No. 1. Photo provided by Kateryna Kublytska

The entire Myronosytska Street in the city center was mutilated. "The main problem now is that it is impossible to approach any landmark, because according to the procedure we have to start a long history with the development of the project, passing expertise, approvals, obtaining consent for construction, submitting a declaration in the unified register, and all this takes away time," says Kublytska, "back in the spring, architects and restorers from all over the country submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Culture, but no simplifications in this regard were made at the legislative level. At the same time, we are not talking about grandiose tasks, but for now only about closing, protecting, and stabilizing the monument. Therefore, finding ourselves without financial support, we are now attracting various foundations and organizations, individuals and legal entities to collect funds in order to somehow start work on the urgent conservation of these objects."

Kateryna Kublytska: "Unfortunately, we are not allowed to visit the sights, the buildings are open and continue to collapse during the rains"

"This side of the street is under fire." The inscription, made on one of the city walls of Nevsky Prospekt during the blockade of Leningrad in the forty-second year, was never removed. Maxim Rosenfeld gives this example to explain: similar spatial markers should remain in Kharkiv as a reminder of what happened. But, in addition, there are stories that Maxim considers assets, not losses, of this war, such as the exhibition of children's artwork "What do I see?". "Every centimeter of Kharkiv was once a battlefield, a place of pain," says Oleg Drozdov, "and now these events are repeating themselves." It is very important that we always remember that the subway, for example, saved an incredible number of lives, and that there was a very difficult situation. Many things touched by the tragedy will remain certain city symbols. Not everything that was destroyed by Russian aggression should be restored.

Palace of Labor, the building was erected in 1916. It combined residential and commercial functions. There was an office of the All-Russian insurance company "Russia" here. In the 1920s, the lower floors housed commercial premises, and the offices of public and trade union organizations that appeared here, as well as the People's Commissariat of Labor, were located above. This is where the house got its name. Photo: Viktor Dvornikov

It is important to maintain a delicate balance, to choose a recipe that is appropriate for both the place and the time. Olga Kleitman believes that the restoration of the destroyed multi-story panel building in the Kholodnaya Gora area is a hasty and thoughtless decision. "From a practical point of view, no one will return to this house yet. It is also difficult to talk about any architectural aesthetics here, - Kleitman comments on the situation, - it seems to me that this object should be left as a monument to the tragedy and in the future tours should be held there, and the priority for restoration should be the more valuable historical buildings that are now left without support and simply risk disappearing."

Oleg Drozdov: "The design mistakes of the past decades are much more dramatic than the destruction caused by the war today"

The war forced architects and urban planners to look at the development of the city globally. In the future of Kharkiv, not only the actual destruction, but also the negative points of the previous urban planning should be taken into account. "Mistakes by planners of past decades are much more dramatic than the destruction of buildings caused by modern war," Oleg Drozdov believes, "unfortunately, a city with huge prospects was cut off from many opportunities. A combination of corruption and speculative capital took away a large urban spatial resource." Among the examples, the architect mentions the dismantling of tram lines, the development of the lower districts of Levada and Pavlivka. Kateryna Kublytska draws attention to the multi-story "candles" that randomly appear in historical districts and destroy the city skyline, emphasizes the incorrect work with landmarks. In her opinion, the flour mill on Kharkiv embankment, a unique architectural object that created the atmosphere of the place, was "absolutely absurdly faced with bricks", and the spirit of Lopan embankment was completely killed by the new reconstruction.

Lopan embankment in Kharkiv. Photo: Taras Zaluzhny / Unsplash

Olga Kleitman believes that the reconstruction of Shevchenko's garden caused huge damage to Kharkiv. "The beautiful ditch with an authentic cast bridge, in which we all grew up, was simply destroyed," says Olga, "and instead of its restoration, crazy money was spent on the realization of a concrete trough. The daily evaporation of this pool is 10 percent of the total volume and is accordingly compensated by replenishment from the city's purified water resource."

Olga Kleitman: "Liquidation of monuments is one of the ways to resist Russian aggression"

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Kharkiv subway has turned into the city's main bunker, which has saved many lives. Photo: Hanna Gunko / Unsplash

With the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the attitude to monuments to Russian cultural figures was revised: spatial markers that once marked the zone of political influence of the Russian Empire, and then the Soviet Union, are no longer needed by Kharkiv residents. "My attitude towards culture has always been tender and touching. Until 2014, I thought that it was pointless to fight with monuments, - says Olga Kleitman, - but today I am sure that the elimination of monuments is one of the ways to resist Russian aggression. I personally participated in the demolition of the monument to Lenin. And it must be said that as long as Lenin was standing, people gathered near him and even broke up the "Pridi-Putin-Aunt" camp, and when only the shoes remained from the monument, no one gathered there anymore. But the dismantling of such things should be done in a civilized way: move all the monuments to some museum or park and give lectures on history there."

Karazin Kharkiv National University, one of the oldest universities in Eastern Europe, which was officially opened in 1805. In 1957-1962, the university moved into the building of the former House of the Ukrainian SSR, built in
1930-1932 as part of the architectural ensemble of Freedom Square (Dzerzhynstkrgo) according to the project of Serafimova and Zandberg. Source: celes.club

A new era

Oleg Drozdov: "Since the beginning of the war, it has become obvious to me that we have crossed a certain Rubicon"

As we mentioned earlier, according to the feelings of the architects and residents of the city, Kharkiv is now entering a new era. "Since the beginning of the war, it has become obvious to me that we have crossed a certain Rubicon," says Oleg Drozdov, "in fact, we have only one partner left - the collective West, and we can expect almost no other help."

The first thing to accept as a condition for the equation of the new city is the new energy reality. Damage to the infrastructure, disruption of the operation of the CHP, but not only that. "A third of Kharkiv residents live in houses that, from the point of view of energy efficiency and infrastructure quality, do not meet the current conditions and possibilities," says Oleg Drozdov. The architect notes that the latest quality standards should be reflected in post-war projects of new construction or reconstruction. That is, when restoring the city, it is important not just to return to the previous state, but to make it work in the future. "Now we are spending money on the restoration of all housing. But is it necessary? Although a panel house also has value, it may be more rational for us not to allocate a budget for it, but to build a new home that will generate energy in accordance with modern standards."

The Kharkiv National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet named after M. Lysenko (KHNATOB) is the first Ukrainian stationary opera theater. Photo: Oleksandr Zhabin / Unsplash

The second condition: settlements gradually change their main functional tasks. "Our cities were formed to a greater extent during the Soviet era, during the period of the development of industry, which has lost its relevance at the moment," explains Oleg Drozdov, "it cannot be said that there will be no industry at all, and no one needs it. It does not. But that outdated form of Soviet industry will give way to a modern one. In addition, speculative capital — creation of additional value at the expense of real estate — had a great influence. It cannot be said that there will be no commercial speculation, but it should not be decisive."

The third point Drozdov draws attention to is another social reality. "Most of our responsible, active and best people are currently in the war zone or engaged in volunteer activities," says Oleg, "when they return to normal life, they will be ready to participate in the formation of a new city. Each of these voices is important, and we must not now make decisions about visions for the future without taking their opinions into account." We must remember those who were near the front line, in the occupied territories - the moral recovery of these residents will require a lot of time. "The new order of urban development is connected with the return of residents to the place of trauma. Rebuilding cities will involve overcoming a certain phantom pain, and this is a very fine piece of work," Oleg notes. Due to mass resettlement and evacuation, cities are losing their population. "Ukrainian cities are now in serious competition for Ukrainians with all our partners in the West," says Drozdov, "so we need to think about new perspectives and offer city dwellers conditions for a happy life."

Oleg Drozdov: "The work on the design of the new Kharkiv will require a large consolidated distribution, a very fair one. These are very fragile schemes, in which cleanliness is extremely important for this to happen as best as possible."

Bridges over the Lopan River in Kharkiv. Source: celes.club

Oleg Drozdov initiated the creation of the international urban coalition "Rozkvit", which includes international experts and Ukrainian planners, architects and engineers. The purpose of this coalition is to bring new methodologies for the post-war development of Ukraine. The main principles of "Roskhvit" are multidisciplinarity, cooperation of foreign colleagues, establishing a dialogue between the authorities, local communities, activists and residents. Thus, in "Rozkvit" specialists are involved not only in the field of architecture, but also specialists in the field of transport, sociologists, cultural experts, etc. The main idea of the urban community is to work out new mechanisms for the development of the city together, that is, not from top to bottom, but towards each other. Together with the European Commission, Rozkvit conducts a number of studies in the following areas: circular means of construction, creation of training programs for municipal workers, housing prospects for displaced persons. Such an initiative is one of the ways to draw attention to the current problems of urban planning and involve as many specialists as possible in their discussion.

"In order for us to be able to present a vision of Kharkiv's future, it is very important to rally around some kind of discussion and involve a large number of citizens and experts from abroad in it," explains Oleg Drozdov, "the answer to the question of what Kharkiv can become after the war, primarily depends on the joint work of the authorities, intellectuals, business, which will require a large consolidated distribution, very fair. These are very fragile schemes, in which cleanliness is extremely important for this to happen as best as possible."

PART FOUR: CONSTANTS. Instead of an epilogue

Maxim Rosenfeld: "Kharkiv showed a sense of self-worth"

Rosenfeld dedicated one of his first video clips about wartime Kharkiv to the Palace of Labor, where he told how this building was reconstructed after World War II almost from scratch. "I am very careful with the wording 'loss', 'destroyed', 'lost,'" says Maksym Rosenfeld, "among the objects of architecture and infrastructure, nothing has been lost yet." Absolutely everything is subject to restoration. Our main loss is the death of people."

The Shevchenko Garden was laid out in 1804–1805 by Vasyl Nazarovych Karazin, the founder of Kharkiv University, therefore, from the moment of its foundation, it was called the University Garden. In 1808, an astronomical observatory was built in the garden, and in 1896, the Kharkiv Zoo, the oldest in Ukraine, was opened on the western edge of the park. Photo: Hanna Gunko / Unsplash

Before the start of the full-scale invasion, Oleksandr Kud was filming a report for China International Radio. Among the residents interviewed on the street, the majority of Kharkiv residents were determined to fight and were ready to defend their city. Sashko lost friends in this war. "They say that death does not choose between the good and the bad," says Kud, "but sometimes it seems that it takes away the best, because now our heroes are dying... I keep in touch with many of my acquaintances, I communicate." When Oleg Kadanov (musician, a volunteer since the beginning of the full-scale war) sent me the chevron "Kharkiv - reinforced concrete", I realized that this is exactly how I feel about my city. It stands, continues to hold." The outlines of Derzhprom turned into the most popular city logo and a patch for the military uniform of Ukrainian defenders, and the building itself became the personification of courage, strength and reinforced concrete stability of the citizens. "Watching the changes in the city, I noticed: I didn't even find Kharkiv, but I discovered a sense of self-worth," says Maksym Rosenfeld.

Derzhprom stood during the German occupation and continues to stand today, personifying the steadfastness and reinforced concrete stability of the city. Photo: Hanna Gunko / Unsplash

In addition to architecture, urban space is created by residents. Everyone has their own "human constants" in their hometown: constant bistro workers, a recognizable grandmother at the market, from whom you always buy your favorite variety of apples, musicians in subway crossings, and even city crazies. Today, Kharkiv residents strengthen the feeling of continuing life, create markers of its normality, its possibilities as such simply by their presence. "Grandpa, a fiddler, who before the war sat near the Shevchenko Theater on Sumy Street, is still there," says Maksym, "and a middle-aged woman who sells flowers on the corner of Danylevsky and Nauka avenues still sells them." And all summer, and all autumn, and now sells flowers. And after arriving at the Slobidsk estate, and right now during the air alert, she sells flowers."

Central avenue of the Shevchenko garden. View of the monument to Taras Shevchenko. Photo: Hanna Gunko / Unsplash

As if in some surreal collage, despite the aggression, as if not noticing the sirens and rockets, the people who remained in Kharkiv continue to do what they did before, breaking through the frames of broken streets with a "peaceful layer", mixing different registers of reality in one city. "We have a customer, an entrepreneur," says Serhiy Ilchenko, "he recently restored his damaged shop and is working hard on it. We are simply amazed. To the question "Why?" he replies that he simply cannot stop and stop being himself. I would not associate such reactions with the realities of war, but I would associate it with the fact that people keep the city they love in every possible way. In those spatial practices that were familiar to them."

This publication was created with the financial support of the Stabilization Fund for Culture and Education 2022 by the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany and the Goethe-Institut