Bronyslav Chumak on the withering of "Flowers of Ukraine"

/ Architecture /

I think it is worth summarizing the extremely revealing results of the events that unfolded around "Flowers of Ukraine".

I propose to rewind time a little, when, in fact, the escalation of the conflict between the developer and the public began, the overture of which was the demolition of the fence and the stoppage of work. A couple of days later, I rolled out a post with some kind of quasi-scenario, in the implementation of which it would be possible to avoid radical events and follow a civilized path. That publication garnered a lot of reactions and quotes, which eventually led me to a dialogue with a person affiliated with the developer.

On the sidelines, I expressed my willingness to act as a mediator and organize the negotiation process. Yes, there is a negotiation process! I was so inspired that I expressed my desire to make an unprecedented case for the development market of Ukraine. Where on the way to the implementation of the project, a systematic and transparent communication will be built between all participants in the process: the public, the city administration, the state represented by the Ministry of Culture, the author of the project and its representatives, and naturally, the developer-investor.

What is important. When the question was asked: "On what conditions would you be willing to join the process?", my answer was unequivocal. I immediately announced that my proposal is an act of desire to pay tribute to my hometown, and I will not even consider any other options for my participation except "pro bono"

We went further. What next? I don't know if my proposal was conveyed to Mr. Alexey Pyshny, but the subsequent events vividly showed that "the samurai chose his path." The investor staggered and began to make sluggish demands for a civilized settlement. But during the entire communication coming from his side, the connotation of bitterness and resentment towards everyone around who put a stick in his investor wheels was very clearly read.

Pyshnyi initiated a round table, to which he invited everyone to the negotiations. But as you know, "in FB they grumble - not bags grumble" and the round table turned out not to be so round. Behind him were only the party of the developer and a number of representatives of NSAU. In the report to the publication of the event, the developer reported that all interested parties took part. But as soon as a number of communities and activists began to write in the comments that the post was manipulative, the developer's side chose the best tactic - an attack. He threw bots and an odious lady into battle, who, as it turned out, was attracted to "Flowers of Ukraine" to close the entire front of works related to P/GR.

Actually, on August 3, the building received the status of a newly identified object of cultural heritage, and already on August 6, the Minister of Culture Alexander Tkachenko signed a decree recognizing "Flowers of Ukraine" as a monument of architecture, monumental art of local importance. This status means that it cannot be destroyed or rebuilt, but can only be restored.

And further, the investor considered that the best solution in the continuation of demands for settlement would be lawsuits against Taras Hrytsyuk, Dmytro Guryn and "1+1".

The key delusion of the investor, in my opinion, was his firm belief that he had become another victim of pseudo-activists. But this topic, perhaps, deserves a number of materials, and I will definitely return to it. And already there, I will describe in a very accessible way how to identify slum dwellers and not confuse them with a bunch of marginal tourers wandering from object to object.

WHAT CONCLUSIONS CAN BE DRAWN AND WHAT PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED BY "FLOWERS OF UKRAINE"?

1. The anachronism of the city management system of the capital

Urbanization is an irreversible process for the capital, where money, people, resources and opportunities are concentrated. New and new projects will appear on the architectural map of the city every year. And if we had at least a 50% implementation of the "city-citizen-developer" interaction system, as it works in all civilized countries where I had the opportunity to work with residential real estate projects, there were simply no precedents similar to "Flowers of Ukraine".

2. Political populism

Is it worth noting the option that even if the developer goes the civilized way, there would be no confrontation between him and part of the public? I think you yourself guessed that there is no. But a specific case showed once again how the government at all its levels was screwed up and under the pressure of the public, it instantly changed its shoes in the air. And here, perhaps, is the only moment where you can sympathize with the developer. After all, he bought the building without schemes and scams, he received the documents in the usual order, the authorities issued them, and then they threw away his ego in a filigree way.

3. Political impotence

Masochism is in the DNA of our "authoritarians". Apparently, they get genuine pleasure from raking up reputational crises. It's all the fault of the lack of political will and the primitive ravenous thirst for profit. Every hour of the day, every month of the day, new outbreaks of fire appear in Kyiv, which could be avoided once and for all, he approved all areas, support plans and development plans, prescribed clear restrictions and requirements for them. Without loopholes. No exceptions. Which term in a row, which team of new "faces in power" promises to untangle these painful questions, but again and again the public abandons it. This is how we live in the theater of the absurd, where for the sake of, once again, political balls to the delight of the public, the National Security Council for some reason decided to deal with the chaotic construction of the capital.

4. Immaturity of the owners and top management of development companies

Systematicity is too complicated. Especially when it comes to developers. But if they had this notorious systematicity, life would be much easier for all of them. change I am asking you very much. It is you, the developers, as direct participants of the market, who must become the driving force behind changing the paradigms and rules of the game. Become transparent. Initiate public discourse. Initiate the debugging of city and public communications with you. Regardless of all your political motives. And lobbying in government offices. Because what is happening now is a road to nowhere. Otherwise, every year there will be more and more blocked streets, fallen fences and frozen investments.

 

Text Bronyslav Chumak 

 

Theory of broken "Flowers". Public initiative vs Private ownership