For more than a month now, a new public space hidden in the Dnieper hills between the Eternal Glory Park and the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra has been available to Kyiv residents. At the end of September, the restored Church of the Savior on Berestov, a monument of architecture of the XII-XVII centuries, was opened here. The territory near the temple and the Spassky bastion adjacent to it are one of the fortifications of the Kiev-Pechersk fortress, built at the beginning of the XNUMXth century. under the leadership of Hetman Ivan Mazepa, — renovated and beautified.
Scheme of the master plan for the reconstruction of the Spassky Bastion and improvement of the square near the Church of the Savior on Berestov
"The neighborhood of two monuments of architecture - a church and a bastion - was rather conflicting. Precipitation from the bastion flooded the temple, and archeological researches of the church during the last century repeatedly tore off part of the rampart. The new landscape was supposed to resolve this three-hundred-year-old conflict, no matter how much or how little," Anastasiya Stryzhevskaya, the chief architect of the project, tells PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA.
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
Area: 1,45 ha
Project: architectural bureau AER
Anastasiya Stryzhevskaya, chief architect, co-founder of the AER office
Artem Dodonov, architect, co-founder of the AER office
Aleksandra Urtyukova, architect
Bastion
Before the reconstruction, the Spassky Bastion was often used as an observation deck for cars, which only contributed to the destruction of this monument of fortification architecture. Over time, it lost its clear shape, became overgrown with weeds, and completely ceased to be perceived as a man-made structure.
In order to connect pedestrian routes and make the platform on the crest of the rampart more accessible, the architects provided a steep slope with stairs on three sides: one leads to the top from the side of the Memorial to the victims of the Holodomor, the second - from Lavrskaya Street, and the third rises from Spas to Berestovo. The steps were hidden in the "body" of the bastion, the spans on the sides were finished with Corten steel: its brown shade contrasts with the green landscape.
The purpose of the project was to "reconcile" the church and the bastion located next to each other
"An architect working on the reconstruction of earthen fortifications is faced with the fact that the object of his work will never be used for its original purpose. In Kyiv, and throughout the world, earthen ramparts are very large-scale structures that cannot be turned into a museum entirely. What the reconstruction of the rampart can do is to give the fortress a new function while preserving the memory of the place," Stryzhevskaya notes.
The scheme of the reconstruction of the Spassky Bastion in section. Comparison of relief contours in 1925 and 2019.
As part of the reconstruction, the breastwork was restored - a parapet on the fortification structure, which is designed to protect against bullets and shells. Its finish is made of the same steel as the walls of the stairwells. The parapet line should be illuminated in the dark, emphasizing the contour of the shaft.
The scheme of the reconstruction of the Spassky Bastion in section
The stair flights sunk into the slopes are finished with Corten steel
Square near the church
Before the reconstruction, the square near Spasa on Berestov almost did not attract visitors. The new landscaping was supposed to correct the situation. The architects expanded the square, emphasized the contour of the foundation and opened up a view of the restored monument from all sides. Benches for recreation were also installed on the territory.
For the space around the temple, the authors of the project proposed conceptual lighting. The church itself became the main source of light: all illumination is directed to it, and its walls are already reflected on the square. Specially designed lamps in the form of crosses were built into the pavement.
All sources of light are directed to the Church of the Savior on Berestov, and already from its walls are reflected on the square
Observation deck
At the top of the bastion, there was an equipped observation deck with a panoramic four-level bench that encloses the green areas in a circle.
By the way, the top of the shaft is located at 198 m above sea level, which, according to the project authors, makes it the highest point in Kyiv.
The paths on top of the shaft are laid with gravel
For now, the view from this highest point is slightly impaired by the ongoing construction of the memorial museum below. But the location will definitely appeal to those who do not like excessive fuss: a casual passerby or tourist is unlikely to wander there.
Photo: Ivan Avdeenko
