Anton Kolomeytsev was appointed the chief architect of Lviv in 2019, replacing Julian Chaplinsky, who had laid a solid foundation for change in his 4 years of work. However, Kolomeytsev’s tenure was marked by a number of challenges: first the coronavirus pandemic, and then a full-scale invasion. Despite everything, Lviv has maintained an ambitious vector: even in times of war, the city is implementing a sustainable urban policy, changing approaches to working with public spaces, adapting the modernist heritage to modern requirements, making the city inclusive, and thoughtfully working with the memorial component.
Kolomeytsev improved and polished the procedure of architectural competitions: now it is not a bureaucratic formality, but a real tool of architectural selection, thanks to which many high-quality projects with a distinct architectural language have already appeared in Lviv. How the experience of architectural competitions affects the urban environment and forms new principles, in a recent interview PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA said architect Andriy Lesyuk, one of the strongest representatives of the Lviv competition scene.
However, Kolomeytsev's experience goes far beyond the local context: in 2023, he initiated Lviv Urban Forum — the first large-scale urban forum in Ukraine. The platform brought together leading architects and urban planners from around the world, including Pritzker Prize laureates Anne Lakaton and Shigeru Ban, as well as one of the most influential European urbanists Kis Christiansen. Organizing an event of this level in times of war is not only a symbolic act of resilience, but also a clear signal: Lviv aspires to be the main platform for rethinking urban visions in Ukrainian cities — even in an era of crises.
Anton Kolomeytsev has been the chief architect of Lviv since 2019. Photo: Olga Klymuk
So who is he - the chief architect of Lviv and how does he maintain a balance between formal duties and the mission of a cultural mediator who rethinks the urban environment? How does the city's architectural policy balance development and traditional sound, how does it curb the appetites of developers, and at the same time not slow down the economy? The answers are in the large PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA profile about the chief architect of the city of Lviv.
Where is Lviv heading: strategic priorities, challenges of war and accessibility
PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA: I'll start with the trivial: who is in charge in Lviv today?
Anton Kolomeitsev: Lviv residents. We have fantastic people.
PM: At the beginning of the war in 2022, Lviv became the largest rear hub-shelter for people from all over the country. Three years have passed. What is Lviv's mission now?
A.K.: This mission has not changed, Lviv still remains a humanitarian hub for the entire country. Not only have thousands of displaced people found shelter here, this city has also become home to hundreds of wounded, military personnel, and people from different parts of the country who receive support and assistance. Lviv is the city where the largest number of rehabilitation initiatives and activities are taking place today.
PM: What now about the modular towns that hosted over 1000 displaced people at the beginning of the invasion?
A.K.: In Lviv, we opened a total of four modular towns — the fourth, the largest, we built in Sykhiv. In the winter of 2023, residents from the other three moved there, and some still live there. We have preserved the other towns, but they are used, for example, as temporary housing for residents whose homes were damaged by rocket attacks.
Panorama of the historic center of Lviv, view of the city hall and the Lviv TV Tower. Photo: Olga Klymuk
PM: Over 5 million people passed through Lviv during the three years of the war, and at the end of 2024, there were still 150 officially displaced people in the city — numbers that calling Mayor Andriy Sadovyi. How has the migration flow affected strategic priorities? Don't you see a threat to the city's expansion?
A.K.: If we compare Lviv with Western European cities, we have more or less the same population density as they do. At the same time, we really have a deficit in terms of the amount of housing. In Lviv, one person has approximately 23 sq. m of housing, while, for example, in Vienna or other European cities, on average, it is 40–45 sq. m. That is, in fact, European cities have twice as much housing as we do. They also have many times more offices and various infrastructure: for example, in Krakow there are about 2 million sq. m of office space, and in Lviv there are 300–400 thousand sq. m.
PM: So, does that mean that expansion is inevitable?
A.K.: The thing is, no. We have long been following a different path, using spatial resources within the city: areas and territories that are not working, that have stood empty for years. These are, for example, former industrial enterprises, utility and warehouse zones. These territories are now being rethought for housing, offices, public areas, and even boulevards and squares. This is currently happening in the Pidzamche and Zamarstyniv districts, in the former industrial zone within Pasichna and Zelena streets.
This does not mean that we are stupidly throwing out all industry - no, today the specifics and approach to industry have changed: in Soviet times, we had a situation when people went to the factory in droves in the morning, and returned home in droves in the evening. Large industrial enterprises were concentrated within the urban fabric. Today it works differently: large factories can be moved to the periphery, and small manufactories, craft workshops that are not harmful to people can be integrated into residential development. This is a normal phenomenon. Lviv even has this resource in abundance, and our vector is not expansion, but the most efficient use of internal territories.
Chief Architect of Lviv Anton Kolomeytsev at the observation deck of the Memorial to the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred. Photo: Olga Klymuk
PM: The so-called shrinking cities are developing according to a similar scenario. Do you also foresee a similar scenario for Lviv?
A.K.: No, given the context, Lviv will be stable or will have a small, but still certain growth dynamics. But many Ukrainian cities in the east are really threatened with becoming shrinking cities, they already need to think about how to adapt to these challenges today. How, for example, is the German city of Cottbus doing? Once it was a large industrial center where coal was mined. But the coal mine stopped working, and the population rapidly decreased. So that the mine does not stand empty, they are already planning to build a lake in its place, this process is literally ongoing today - ferry stations and lighthouses are already being built there. Later, they will connect the drainage, water will start flowing, and residents will have a huge recreational area.
A lignite mine in the German city of Cottbus is being gradually transformed into a lake by filling it with fresh water from the Spree River. Photo source: © picture alliance / Andreas Franke
However, if we talk about other European cities, they are not sprawling, but on the contrary, they are concentrating on densifying the districts. For example, in Zurich: 10 years ago they built the residential area "New Oerlikon", allocating a large plot of land in the suburbs for this. Now they are acting differently: they are demolishing, for example, old three-story buildings and building six-story ones in their place. This allows you to create a denser, more efficient environment - but in them this is possible from the point of view of property rights. In our case, in this aspect it is a completely different story, it is like two parallel realities.
"I'm really confused by the approach where we reinvent the wheel every time. We tried it with square wheels - it doesn't work. We tried it with triangular wheels - it doesn't work. Now with round ones, the whole of Copenhagen is riding!"
PM: Lviv has both a master plan and an integrated development concept. What is the fundamental difference between these documents? Do they take into account the approaches you are talking about?
A.K.: The Integrated Development Concept is an informal but strategically important document that helps the city outline its priorities in spatial development. In Lviv, it has a unique status, as it was officially included in the legislative field in 2021. Since then, this document has become part of the process of developing detailed territorial plans and influences the formation of urban development policy.
But in fact, this concept has always been about one thing: the vision of a compact city, a city of short distances. And it is precisely this compactness that is the key idea that is practically not talked about at all in the Ukrainian urban discourse. After all, the general plans of Ukrainian cities "draw" things that are completely divorced from reality: dozens of bridges across the river or, as in the case of Lviv, gigantic tunnels tens of kilometers long, overpasses, bypass highways and similar infrastructure fantasies. Even if we do not raise the question of the feasibility of such intensive development of automobile infrastructure and look only from the perspective of the budget, these projects are absolutely utopian. This is not even a prospect for the next 10–20 years - these are plans for half a millennium, if we proceed from the real capabilities of cities and today's realities.
Pedestrian infrastructure as a basic element of the historical center of Lviv. Photo: Olga Klymuk
PM: Many modern architects call the master plan a rudimentary tool that is generally impractical in a market economy. Don't you think so?
A.K.: No, these things need to be separated. The master plan is a formal, that is, a mandatory document. Without it, we cannot issue new building permits or assess whether projects comply with urban planning documentation. In Germany, the master plan plays the same role as it does here. The integrated concept is an informal document for us and for them, but no less important, because it defines the vision of the future development of the city, coordinates the relationships between different spheres of urban life. I am well versed in the German urban planning environment - how it works, how it is formed, because I am a member of the German Academy of Urban and Regional Planning. So I hear a lot of things firsthand.
PM: You often appeal to European experience. Don't you think that adopting Scandinavian or German approaches can turn into a cargo cult - when we copy their practices, but they don't work for us? Maybe we need to consider our own context?
Lviv's Chief Architect Anton Kolomeytsev rides a bicycle through the city center. Kolomeytsev criticizes the lack of a human-centric and sustainable approach in Ukrainian urban planning. Photo: Olga Klymuk
A.K.: I don't suggest mindlessly copying. I see a problem here and say: look, the solution could be this or that. As a specialist, I am very confused by the approach when we reinvent the wheel every time. First, we tried with square wheels - it doesn't work. We tried with triangular wheels - it doesn't work either. So now we have round ones! All of Copenhagen is doing it! Of course, I am being ironic, but writing new laws from scratch is not always effective. In my opinion, looking at foreign experience is OK. We need to adopt those things that really work, but remember that they don't work by themselves, but as part of a system.
PM: Is our system ready to adopt European approaches?
A.K.: If we have already started about bicycles - I use them every day and every day I see a lot of problems from my own experience. We are trying to fix them, but we meet resistance from the system: the thing is that at the global level the country does not prioritize people-centric cities, with safety for everyone, not just for car owners. When you approve a banal traffic scheme, you cannot get into all these DSTU, they are written so that cars are as comfortable as possible, and people - as they will be.
In the foreground is the Lviv City Hall and the inclusive route that runs through Rynok Square along the tram tracks. Photo: Olga Klymuk
PM: The eternal question: is all this timely? Is human-centered urban development — with barrier-free access, with green zones, with sustainable mobility — timely in times of war?
A.K.: This is a difficult question. When you know that someone is defending the country in the trenches with weapons in their hands, you naturally want to be as useful as possible in the rear. Therefore, our focus is on supporting the wounded, rehabilitation, and recovery. But what next? How do we bring back to life those who have lost their mobility: for example, veterans with spinal injuries who will now spend their entire lives in a wheelchair? Once I saw a veteran in a wheelchair carrying a child on his lap on Rynok Square. On the cobblestones, alone, with a backpack. After what I saw, can there be a question of whether it is time or not? It is obvious that our task is to get the cobblestones here, to hew them, to make the space accessible. We have begun to form inclusive routes in the center of Lviv with minimal costs, but with maximum respect for human dignity. This is not about tomorrow, it is needed today.
Chief Architect: Responsibility, Vision, Ambition
Office of the Chief Architect of Lviv. Photo: Olga Klymuk
PM: How is the work of the Department of Architecture and Spatial Development, which you head, organized? What are your goals and strategic priorities?
A.K.: The Department unites three departments: architecture, spatial planning and environmental formation, as well as one municipal enterprise "Institute of Spatial Development".
The structure was reorganized into a department a year ago, so each vector of our activity has acquired a more independent form. Now we are engaged in spatial development systematically: the architectural department is responsible for urban planning restrictions, facade passports, MAFs and architectural competitions, the spatial development department is responsible for urban planning documentation, cadastre and strategic spatial plans. And the environmental formation department is in charge of urban landscapes and the visual environment of the city. The Institute of Spatial Development directly designs new streets and spaces: for example, Palace Square near the station is their work.
"There's this crazy guy who says we need to build six stories where we want ten."
For us, the issue of a properly structured urban environment is very important. We perceive the street not just as a transport corridor, but as the most important public space - from facade to facade, with all the details: air conditioning, signs, landscaping and sidewalks. Traditionally, our city had these public spaces, but it also had a courtyard that belonged to the community of residents. It was this urban composition that ensured the sustainability of development over the centuries.
Chief Architect of Lviv Anton Kolomeytsev in his office in the city hall. Photo: Olga Klymuk
However, in the 20th century, the modernists came and broke all that. And although the world has long since rethought these mistakes, in Ukraine they still design according to modernist logic. That is why we began to implement recommendations: we meet with architects, communities, developers and explain how to structure urban space according to the latest approaches, returning long-forgotten traditions of urban grammar. We do not call for a return only to block-based development as such, but rather talk about the need to create a logically assembled, understandable and human environment. There is a place for various urban forms and typologies in it.
PM: How many people work in the department team, how do you coordinate?
A.K.: In total, we have 75 specialists, but in reality, this is very few. For comparison: in Frankfurt am Main, the team of the relevant department consists of 650 employees, although this city is slightly smaller in terms of population.
The Department of Environmental Development views city streets not as transit corridors, but as public spaces — with greenery, well-maintained facades, and spaces for people. Photo: Olga Klymuk
PM: Formally, you are an official, but informally, you are building a new vision and urban paradigm for Lviv. What drives you? How do you manage to combine administrative work and a great mission?
A.K.: I simply don't care about my city. I remember when I was a student, the chief architect of Lviv was Yuriy Kryvoruchko: I used to visit him with colleagues and various delegations back then, and watch the processes. I was curious about how the city works, what mechanisms of influence exist, how something can be changed. But it was banal when I saw that instead of a sidewalk they were building a parking lot, I would write complaints to the city council or try to somehow reach the relevant services. Since I graduated from university in 2008, I have constantly delved into city processes and tried to make the city better, to reform the system. I didn't fully understand how to do it correctly - and I'm still constantly improving, but I still want to influence, change, and improve.
Dialogue of eras: interaction of modern architecture and historical facades on the central streets of Lviv. Photo: Olga Klymuk
PM: Do you have real leverage?
A.K.: I will be honest: I would not have taken this position if there was no support from the city leadership, if the city did not understand the value of all these things. In other conditions, I would not have worked. I saw the work of my predecessor, Julian Chaplinsky (Chief Architect of Lviv in 2015–2019. — Ed. Note.), I saw that the urban planning and architectural spheres in the city are valued, understood, respected, and given the opportunity to influence processes.
"The chief architect is always between two fires"
PM: Are developers in Lviv afraid of the chief architect?
A.K.: Colleagues from other cities often ask me whether it is worth going to the chief architects. And I say - go to the mayor and ask him a simple question: "Imagine, a developer comes and says: there is one crazy guy who says that we need to build six floors, where we want ten." What will he answer? There are two options. The first - he will tell you: "Don't interfere with business, let them build ten." The second - he will tell the developer that "that crazy guy is the chief architect of the city, and he knows better." In Lviv, the second option. Unfortunately, in many cities - the first.
"The chief architect is always between two fires" — Anton Kolomeytsev. Photo: Olga Klymuk
PM: Chief Architect must be an "octopus" - to find a solution that will simultaneously satisfy the community, the authorities, and the developers. He said so Danish architect Peder Baltzer Nielsen, who advised the Ukrainian reconstruction team. It is possible to be this "octopus"?
A.K.: The peculiarity of the chief architect's job is that you are almost always "bad". Bad for the residents - because where there was a ruin or a wasteland, now a house appears, and this already causes resistance. Bad for the developer - because he wanted to build ten floors, but had to agree to five. And so on: you are forever between two fires, trying to maintain balance and not ruin your hometown, but for many you still remain a conventional "evil".
But if you go into confrontation, you won't succeed. The chief architect must definitely be a caring person. You must love people and try to hear them. Because 95–99% of our work as a chief architect is communicating with very different people. Someone's roof is leaking, someone just came to complain about conditions that you can't even influence. During war, people are very psychologically exhausted, and sometimes you just have to listen to them. Sometimes, one of the residents comes and says: I want to build a 9-story balcony on cantilevers on the 5th floor - he sincerely wants this and doesn't understand why it's bad. And you have to listen to him in a human way and explain to him why this can't be done.
After graduating from Lviv Polytechnic in 2008, Anton Kolomeytsev worked as a teacher. Photo: Olga Klymuk
PM: Do you have any plans to return to architectural practice? No ambitions to build anything "big"?
A.K.: I definitely don't see working in the city council as something to do "until retirement" and graying. But, I guess, I don't have such a classic architectural ego. An architect is like a chef: it's important for him that his name is engraved in the urban fabric. And I'm calm about the fact that my name won't be on the facades. For me, these are relative things: we're all grains of sand spinning on a big planet somewhere out there, around the Sun. I love architecture. I love urbanism. And I try to do my best to make the city more comfortable. The only thing I'm really afraid of is that someday everything will roll back, that decisions will be made that will harm the city. It would be especially painful to see this - and not have the opportunity to influence it.
About competitions, modern architecture and the Memorial on the Champ de Mars
PM: Over the past 10 years, the quality of new architecture in Lviv has noticeably improved — to a large extent, this is due to architectural competitions that the city began to actively hold since 2015. Many objects have already been implemented, some of them have become iconic for the whole of Ukraine, for example, the Memorial to the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred. How did you manage to make the competition practice so influential?
A.K.: The first steps in this direction were taken by Julian Chaplinsky and Marian Kardash (Head of the Contest commercial project. — Ed. note.), which is involved as an organizer. They laid this foundation, and they should be given credit. And today the city holds municipal competitions independently, we have really honed this procedure to a level that already has a public resonance. Two components are important here: the organization itself and the selection of projects. We approach the organization very scrupulously, we carefully draw up the technical specifications, these are not protocol things, this is a whole process - a process of reflection and analysis at a deep architectural and urban planning level.
The chief architect of Lviv near the stele of the Memorial to the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred — the Memorial project by Guess Line Architects won the architectural competition in 2017 and was implemented in 2019. Photo: Olga Klymuk
We have not had a single precedent of canceling a competition — this shows that everything is done honestly and transparently. That is why teams of architects who participate in competitions trust us. But we try not to overload them, so we make intervals between competitions. We must be realistic: our architectural market is not that global. If we start organizing competitions for everything in a row, it will be simply profanation.
PM: Is the selection of the best works a collective mind or the final word for the chief architect?
A.K.: Everything is decided by a professional jury, which is selected according to each competition. I never have ready-made answers, I always listen to my colleagues, we discuss, argue, sometimes we stay up until one in the morning. Sometimes, the next day we go to the site again, find out the details and suddenly see that the project that was already rejected was actually the most apt. Then we bring it back into the discussion. We have such stormy and deep discussions that they could be published as a separate book - it would be interesting literature. Therefore, as a member of the jury, I always form my opinion in this dialogue.
Anton Kolomeytsev in his reception room. Photo: Olga Klymuk
PM: Even when competitions are held with high quality, they are still often criticized — especially on social media. Why is that?
A.K.: When we designed the school, people wrote on social media that it looked like a crematorium. Later, they announced a competition for the crematorium - people wrote: "it looks like a prison." Then there was a competition for the prison - and we were told that it looked like luxury housing. It has already become a meme.
It's fun, but it's more about the lack of communication and the absence of architectural topics in the general cultural discourse for decades. That's why I'm constantly trying to be in dialogue with the townspeople. I'm not saying we know better, I'm explaining. I'm trying to be open. Actually, that's why I started YouTube channel — to talk about architecture in simple language and explain why we do it the way we do.
PM: You mentioned the crematorium. Its design was also selected in an architectural competition held back in 2021. When will the implementation begin?
A.K.: We have already started building it, it will be the first crematorium in Lviv.
Anton Kolomeytsev in front of the hotel complex on Doroshenko Street, designed by Guess Line Architects. The Guess Line Architects project won the 2020 competition out of over 70 entries. Photo: Olga Klymuk
PM: Perhaps one of the most resonant projects in Lviv that was selected in the competition is the hotel on Doroshenko Street, designed by Andriy Lesyuk's team. Guess Line Architects. You said, and I quote: "This is a clear contender for a 21st century architectural monument." What makes this project so unique?
A.K.: This architecture is fully consistent with the Milan of the 1950s, as shaped by Mario Asnago and Claudio Wender. Their projects are elegant, rational, deeply rooted in context, they laid the foundation for the Milan that the world knows today. It was a golden age of architecture - not just mass construction, but high-quality minimalist projects with a deep understanding of materials, traditions and continuity. In the project on Doroshenko I see something similar: restrained minimalism, delicacy of forms, relevant typologies, a subtle dialogue between history and modernity. And although you can always find something that you want to improve, overall it is a very good example of how architecture can be both contextual and timeless.
The photo on the right shows a building on Via Albricci in Milan, designed by the architectural firm Asnago e Vender. Photo credit: © Filippo Poli
PM: This case also became a precedent in the sense that the city actually forced an influential developer to build the facility through a competition. For Kyiv, for example, this is something unheard of.
A.K.: This brings us back to the first question — who is in charge in Lviv?
PM: The townspeople? But the community has much less leverage than the city government.
A.K.: In fact, if the city sets itself the goal of restoring order, there will always be ways to do it. Yes, there are risks that someone will start shouting about pressure. But if you read the law on corruption, it turns out that we, as officials, should generally sign everything that is given to us. But if we acted like that, several skyscrapers would have grown in the center of Lviv long ago - so we try to talk to business, everything is built through dialogue, without pressure. We explain: this is a historical part of the city, it is important to choose a harmonious architectural solution here, in accordance with the context.
"Even if the developer is not very keen on entering the competition, we always have one convincing argument: it is better to have several high-quality options than one"
PM: Do I understand correctly that in the future all new projects in the city will go through competitions, including development projects?
A.K.: Competitions are primarily for complex and sensitive locations: sacred buildings, memorials, objects within the historical center. In such cases, it does not matter who the customer is - the city or a private developer. Even if the developer is not eager to go the competitive route, we always have one convincing argument: it is better to have several high-quality options than one. Because competitions help find solutions that neither we nor the customer would have come to on their own.
This was the case, for example, with the hospital renovation project for the Unbroken network of rehabilitation centers. We searched for a solution for a long time, and none of the options worked. And thanks to the competition, the Belyaev studio proposed such a cool idea that it turned the entire technological scheme of the building upside down - this allowed us to come up with an updated rehabilitation center in Bryukhovychi, which will complement the first cell of the abmk ecosystem, built on the basis of a Soviet hospital.
The Unbroken National Rehabilitation Center in Lviv, conceived by the architectural and engineering company abmk. Photo: Yuriy Ferendovych
So large developers now come and ask for a competition themselves. For example, Avalon had competition experience with a project on Konovalets: there was a difficult location, it was necessary to preserve a historical villa, and thanks to the competition, which was won by the Sulyk Architects team, we found a solution. Now Avalon has bought a new plot and has turned to us: they say, we want to hold a competition, help us formulate the task, organize the process.
PM: Do architectural competitions somehow influence the professional environment? Do you see an increase in the level of architects?
A.K.: Some studios really grow through competitive practice: Andriy Lesyuk's Guess Line Architects is a vivid example, they have followed this path, experimenting, offering non-standard solutions. But we should not underestimate architects who have chosen a different path. There are teams that do not participate in competitions, but create niche, deeply meaningful and high-quality architecture.
PM: Who, for example?
A.K.: A44 is a team that makes very cool private houses and works elegantly with interiors. There are also bureaus that have a lot of implementations outside of competitions, but also like to participate in competitions and have many victories. This is the Replus Bureau team, which specializes in creating conceptual institutions, they always very interestingly combine the theme of heritage, reuse of materials, restoration and modern design.
Lviv has many strong architects. There are also giants like AVR, with an incredible number of unique projects of offices, educational institutions, housing, and there are teams consisting of two or three people. It is interesting for me to follow the development of each of the Lviv studios. They are all superstars to some extent for me.
Anton Kolomeytsev against the backdrop of the hotel complex on Doroshenko Street, built according to the project of the architectural bureau Guess Line Architects. Photo: Olga Klymuk
PM: How do you think Oleg Drozdov's move to Lviv affected the local architectural community?
A.K.: Well, first of all, the Kharkiv School of Architecture is a truly tangible influence on architectural education in Lviv. Our Polytechnic is also a strong institution, but the emergence of a private, more niche school is a big plus. Especially since now the Kharkiv School of Architecture has a master's program.
Secondly, Oleg Drozdov has really added a lot of quality to our architectural scene, having already undertaken the implementation of several good projects, including social housing on Mykolaychuk Street, once again winning the architectural competition. Drozdov is a member of the city planning council, sits on the competition jury, it is really valuable for me to have such a colleague by my side. But I don’t want to single out anyone in particular — it is very nice to have projects by architects who do not live here in the city. For example, the Memorial on the Field of Mars was designed by Dmytro Reifschneider from Khmelnytskyi and Viktor Golubev, who lives in the Netherlands.
PM: The project by Reifschneider and Golubev, which won the 2024 architectural competition, was sharply criticized. In particular, because the memorial emphasized public space, while, according to the townspeople, little attention was paid to the burial itself. In a recent interview You said that you spent a whole year coordinating this project with the families of the fallen heroes - do I understand correctly that it will be completely changed?
A.K.: Not quite. This place is very sensitive, so we are trying to find a consensus. In fact, we have been finalizing the project for the whole year: for this, we have formed a professional team that fundamentally works with the topic of memorial culture. The specialists really worked a lot with the families of the fallen soldiers — they took into account all their wishes and recommendations. But in addition to this, they also studied the memorial tradition in Ukraine — they visited the burial grounds of the interwar period, the graves of other Ukrainian heroes.
The project of the memorial complex of the military burials of the Heroes of Ukraine on Mechnikova Street in Lviv, which won the 2024 competition. The authors of the project are Dmytro Reifshneider and Viktor Golubiev. Visualization: Lviv City Council
The project of the memorial complex of the military burials of the Heroes of Ukraine on Mechnikova Street in Lviv, which won the 2024 competition. The authors of the project are Dmytro Reifshneider and Viktor Golubiev. Visualization: Lviv City Council
We have already presented the first ideas of the transformed concept to a narrow circle of experts, which includes the initiative group of the families of the deceased. The most controversial question was what the culminating point of the Memorial would look like - after the presentation of the updated sketches, we received a positive response. Now the architects are preparing the final visualizations and very soon, in just a few weeks, we will show the final result to the community.
PM: When will implementation begin?
A.K.: This is an open question. We can implement this memorial gradually, but it is important to have a vision first. Theoretically, we can start part of the work this year. In fact, this place has long had a sacred connotation - anyone driving by or passing by cannot remain indifferent. The memorial is already there. All we have to do is immortalize it in an appropriate form.
Urban Forum in Lviv as a new platform for sharing experiences
Lviv is shaping the urban environment around the principles of sustainable mobility: in the photo - a tram in the historic center. Photo: Olga Klymuk
PM: You are one of the initiators of the Lviv Urban Forum, which has already become an annual platform where architects, urbanists, residents, and government representatives gather to talk about the future of cities in times of war. How did the request for this forum arise, why this format and why at that time?
A.K.: At the beginning of the war, the information space was filled with slogans — “Let’s rebuild faster, higher, stronger!” But it seemed to me that instead of slogans, we should learn, we lack experience. And the international community is as open to us as possible, great architects and urbanists, despite the shelling, are ready to come, share, and teach. We have the opportunity to reach the best in the world, it would be a sin not to take advantage of this. So we decided that Lviv, as a safer city, could become just such a platform, a place where we can discuss and learn how to improve our cities. This is by no means Lviv’s PR — the goal is to become a coordinator of these processes.
The chief architect of Lviv, Anton Kolomeytsev, is one of the initiators of the all-Ukrainian urban forum Lviv Urban Forum. Photo: Olga Klymuk
And it would be unfair to take all the credit for it. Urban Forum is not just me, it is a team effort, the project would not have happened without the coordinator Marichka Zakalyuzhna, this person has done a huge amount of work. There are actually many people behind the organizational machine who keep it all running smoothly.
PM: The first Urban Forum was attended by the star of world architecture, Japanese architect and Pritzker Prize winner Shigeru Ban. After the forum, it became known that he would design a surgical building for the Unbroken rehabilitation center. Was this his initiative?
A.K.: Yes. When he visited the Nezlamny center, he noticed that the center lacked a separate surgical building for its normal operation. But building a new building in a rehabilitation center is a very difficult task. We cannot close it, and it is unrealistic to conduct noisy construction work, it is incompatible with the rehabilitation of the wounded. A month later, Shigeru Ban called me and proposed the concept of a wooden building, completely assembled from prefabricated elements. This would not only allow the building to be erected quickly and without heavy equipment, but also to do it environmentally friendly and with minimal interference with the existing space.
The design of the surgical building for the Nezlamni rehabilitation center in Lviv, proposed by Shigeru Ban Architects. Visualization: Shigeru Ban Architects
PM: What stage is the project at now?
A.K.: We are coordinating the development of this project with the relevant ministry. On the Ukrainian side, the abmk team is the designer. In parallel, a large number of colleagues from the Unbroken team are drawing up a financial implementation model and looking for additional donors. Preparatory work will begin this summer. Next is construction.
PM: The slogan of this year's Lviv Urban Forum is "Building Continuity." What will you talk about?
A.K.: Considering all our political and historical upheavals, in Ukraine we have a development line that resembles a telegraph code: dash, dot, dash, dot. I wish this straight line would finally last a little longer.
Chief architect of Lviv Anton Kolomeytsev. Photo: Olga Klymuk
The experience accumulated by modernist architects in Soviet times, albeit not always successful, was almost lost in the 90s. And then a new generation came, which was already studying at European exhibitions, not so much understanding as copying. Every time we have something similar to the breaking of this professional line, a certain continuity.
At the same time, there are processes in architecture that last for centuries, despite the fact that sometimes the authorities and even worldviews change. Gothic cathedrals were built by many generations over the centuries - and the process was completed sooner or later, because everyone understood: there is a goal, there is a meaning, there is a superidea. This is how a space arises that fits architecture into the context of a common past and future - this is continuity. Learning to build it in times of war, in my opinion, is very important.
There is another perspective on this topic. In today's dramatic times, we, Ukrainian architects, are looking for the solid ground of European tradition — ideas that provide a sense of continuity, of belonging to the high architectural culture of the continent. It is also a question of institutions and mechanisms capable of ensuring the achievement of something incredibly outstanding and important over a very long period of time.
*Photo of Olga Klymuk was used to illustrate the material
