Memory fragments. How we lose what can be saved

/ Architecture /

The Sviatohirskaya Lavra, the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1862, the National Museum of Grigory Skovoroda, the building of the local history museum in Okhtyrka, the Shchors cinema in Chernihiv are just a small part of the list of monuments that were partially or completely destroyed by Russian missiles. Will we be able to preserve the cultural property under such pressure? Can we take care of history and culture today to revive and rebuild it tomorrow? Is it appropriate to adopt the experience of post-war reconstruction of other countries? And most importantly, what actually happens to the fragments of our history?

From Warsaw to Mostar

After the Second World War, Warsaw was almost completely destroyed: 85% of the historic city center lay in ruins. The townspeople immediately began to rebuild their city, while even using rubble from the former ghetto area, from which the new bricks for the modern quarter were made. Architectural details of demolished buildings in the Old Town were placed on the reconstructed facades.

Destroyed houses of Warsaw at the beginning of the Second World War, September 1939

Like Warsaw, the German city of Dresden was razed to the ground after three days of bombing in February 1945. One of the destroyed buildings was the famous Frauenkirche Protestant church, which lay in ruins for decades until the citizens of Dresden formed a special committee to restore it. Reconstruction has begun 1994, and it used most of the building's original materials.

Ruins of destroyed buildings in Dresden during the Second World War. Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Another example is the brutal civil wars of the 1990s that erupted after the collapse of the former Yugoslavia. They were accompanied by a merciless attitude towards objects of cultural heritage. The old bridge in Mostar, built by the Ottoman architect Mimar Hayreddin in the middle of the XNUMXth century from white limestone, was deliberately destroyed as an embodiment of Muslim heritage. A thorough process of reconstruction of the monument was carried out based on plans of the XNUMXth century, using stone from a local quarry and traditional Ottoman construction techniques. The parts of the old bridge that had fallen were lifted from the bottom of the river by divers of the Hungarian army. And they were also used during the restoration works, restoring the authenticity of the destroyed building.

Old bridge in Mostar. Photo: Alessandro Giangiulio

But there are also opposite examples. When the main goal was not to reconstruct the past, but to build a new one. This is what happened to Rotterdam. The city was completely destroyed by German bombing in 1940. However, the local government decided not to restore the historical building. Conservatives tried to organize a protest movement, but it did not develop into activism. They managed to save the church of St Lawrence and several other buildings in the central part of the city, and only. The zoning of the city was decided in such a way that the center was intended primarily for work, commerce and entertainment, residential quarters were moved to areas on the outskirts of the city and in the new garden suburbs to the south.

Businesses and factories were also moved to special industrial districts outside the center. At the same time, even partially damaged or almost whole houses were completely demolished to implement the city's reconstruction plans. The same was proposed to be done with the Gothic Cathedral of St. Lawrence, but all proposals were rejected by Queen Wilhelmina. In 1952, the reconstruction of the cathedral began: then they restored and created catalogs of all finds, repaired the historical basements, rebuilt the western pediment, created five galleries and formwork for arches and vaults.

Modern Rotterdam. Photo: Steshka Willems/Unsplash

These few examples demonstrate different approaches and attitudes of the authorities and the public to the restoration and reconstruction of either individual objects or entire cities. Reconstruction is a whole symbiosis of factors, both financial and ethical, which in the end will lead either to the restoration of buildings important to people, or to their disappearance from the pages of history. And today a very important question has arisen for Ukraine: will it be possible to preserve the heritage and is it possible at all?

The destroyed church in Mariupol, March 10, 2022. Photo: Yevhen Maloletka/AP

Impossible is possible

Experts believe that in modern conditions it is possible to rebuild any object, regardless of the level of damage. Even such complex linear objects as bridges can be restored. However, there is currently another problem: authentic building elements, decorative details must be collected and preserved for their use during further restoration. The building itself should be inspected by experts, an initial fixation of the monument's condition should be made, and measures should be taken to preserve it. It is especially important to do this before the onset of winter, when snow and rain will cause no less damage than rocket fire.

In 1965, the international organization ICOMOS (International Council for the Protection of Monuments and Historical Sites) was created, whose activities are devoted to the preservation and protection of cultural and historical sites throughout the world. The organization also carries out its activities in Ukraine. Yes, according to members of the Ukrainian National Committee of ICOMOS Olga Rutkovska, now there is a problem that the destroyed monuments are not conserved, and the municipal services just collect the ruins of the houses as garbage, while these houses are monuments.

Olga Rutkovska, member of the Ukrainian National Committee of ICOMOS

"IN Kharkiv colleagues (ICOMOS specialists. — Ed. note) are trying to respond to communal workers and local authorities so that they consider that you cannot treat the details of monuments as garbage. According to colleagues, objects were repeatedly recorded where after the attacks, decorative details with a high degree of architectural quality were simply collected and taken away," says Rutkovska.

According to her, local authorities should have received clear and direct instructions from Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, how to behave with all objects cultural heritage. And if there is not enough experience, adds Rutkovska, and there is no way to mark the wreckage and coordinate the procedure, then it was necessary to collect all the details and hide them in a safe place.

The facades, windows and roof of the building of the former "Lux" store were damaged as a result of a Russian missile. Photo: Pavlo Bebeshko

"However, we have a very good foundation. Monuments that were built in the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries, if they were in more or less normal condition before the hostilities, then in the case of minimal damage, they have a chance to survive this winter. The quality of construction was incomparably higher than what we have in the modern period. They can suffer. But in cases of direct hits, the situation is worse, since nothing was done and winter began", says the member of ICOMOS.

Olga Rutkovska: "By preserving our cultural heritage, we preserve ourselves"

"We will be destroyedthere is a Russian Federation for that we are different, we have our own culture and our own history. Our culture and history are much richer. That's why they hate us, that's what we are are trying to wipe off the face of the earth. And in this situation, to do nothing to save the monuments is like knowingly conniving with the same occupiers," says Rutkovska.

St. Michael's Church, village Mostyshche, Chernihiv region. Photo: Maksym Dyachenko / Unsplash

A reminder is not a sentence

Rutkovska believes that in order to prevent a situation where the monument will be lost, a clear instruction of local authorities from the central authority is needed. There should be a balanced plan and algorithm of actions when local authorities together with law enforcement agencies, the owner or balance keeper of the destroyed building gets acquainted with its current condition. And then they have to ensure the work of specialists who will assess the situation and provide a preliminary plan of action so that the monument preserved.

"In the first months of the war, there was a resolution that regulates the order of actions and reactions to the consequences of military actions. This applies to all real estate objects, except monuments. Accordingly, perhaps it was planned to develop a separate procedure for monuments. Unfortunately, this has not happened yet," says the ICOMOS member.

Oleksandr Kumeiko, co-founder and chief architect of Kumeiko Architects and Edelburg Architects studios

Architect-restorer Oleksandr Kumeiko and notes to himself that each object must have a security agreement, which must contain the passport of the attraction. All elements are described in the passport і designs, what are under protection.

"What's the matter now? may be problem in such cases? Either these elements of the object are not under protection, or on a certain object at all this passport lost. All these passports are designed for the main sights of national importance, with to most sights of local importance generally passport and security agreement missing. Then it is not clear what is under protection. All these documents need to be developed now. If it is communal property, then the community should be the customer for the development of documents. If the owner is private, then necessary oblige the owner to develop documents. It is not very expensive, while you can immediately remove any manipulations regarding the presence or absence of the need to save this or that element", says Kumeiko.

In his opinion, customers have become more conscious in recent years. "They see advantages, not disadvantages, in the presence of a monument in the property. Earlier, even 15-20 years ago, we saw that monuments were brought to such a state that they were demolished in order to forget about the monument and build something else," says the architect-restorer.

Oleksandr Kumeiko: «Now, by restoring a monument, you can create more added value than if you build something new."

At the same time, Kumeiko emphasizes: if 3D modeling of all monuments had been carried out in Ukraine even before the war, the question of their probable loss would not have arisen at all. "We should digitize at least those sights that have a long history. Conservation is a very expensive process. It is clear that at the moment there is neither the strength nor the finances for it. However, 3D-scanning and 3D modeling canwhit to help, so that when the forces and funding appear, for available it will be possible to reproduce and rebuild the monument with the model," says the architect-restorer.

French architect, partner of the Heritage Rescue Headquarters, Emmanuel Durand in Chernihiv. Photo: Bohdan Poshivaylo

3D scanning allows you to record and analyze the damage as completely as possible. Photo: Bohdan Poshivaylo

Society as a driving force

Preservation of damaged parts of buildings is a painful issue. The building can belong to a private person, be in communal or state ownership, and its owner is responsible for the state of the monument and must take all measures to preserve it.

As noted by the architect, art critic and MP Anna Bondar, the biggest problem may arise with private houses where condominiums are not created, but apartments are privatized. In such cases, it may be unclear who owns, for example, the facade.

Hanna Bondar, architect, art critic and People's Deputy of Ukraine of the XNUMXth convocation

"The law provides for the possibility of restoration of the monument. That is, it can be rebuilt in its previous forms, as, for example, the Dormition Cathedral or Michael's Gold-Top Monastery were rebuilt in Kyiv. They were destroyed, then in the 2000s they decided to rebuild them. But in the world, such examples are considered a myth, because if you lose, you lose. And the memory of this place manifests itself in a different way. In the form of laid out foundations or information tables. How to act in our situation depends on the landmark. If it is known and loved in the city, and it is of public importance, it will be rebuilt. Otherwise, people can stand up and say no," says the architect.

Assumption Cathedral. Kyiv. Photo: from open sources

A recent case with a residential building on the street is illustrative. Zhilyanska in Kyiv. Yosyp Lev's house destroyed by a Russian drone is part of Kyiv's historical buildings. It was built in the style of historicism with neo-Renaissance elements at the turn of the 6th and XNUMXth centuries. The mayor of the city, Vitaliy Klitschko, after inspecting the site, noted that the building cannot be restored, so it will be demolished. Local residents and activists strongly disagreed with such an approach, and in XNUMX days they collected the necessary number of votes to consider a petition demanding the involvement of specialists and the restoration of the house in its original form.

A ruined house on Zhilyanska Street. Kyiv. Photo: Yulia Melnyk

«House of the merchant Joseph Lev is an interesting example of the Kyiv brick style. Using the left part of the building as a model (What was left intact. — Editor's Note), you can reproduce all the necessary details and restore the building," notes Semyon Shirochyn, a researcher of Kyiv architecture and the author of the petition.

Although the Kyiv City Council rejected the idea of ​​rebuilding the object and insists on its demolition, it is obvious that the civic position and attitude of people towards their history have a powerful influence on whether the country will be able to preserve its cultural heritage. A synergy of several factors should work here: proper financing, public involvement, and support of local self-government bodies.

Inspection of the building of the forestry research station in Trostyanka by experts of the humanitarian initiative "Heritage Rescue Headquarters". Photo from the archive of the National Museum of the Revolution of Dignity, author Bohdan Poshivaylo

Save cannot be destroyed

However, there are other problems that Ukraine will face during the reconstruction of historical and cultural objects - legislative ones. According to the law, objects of cultural heritage are not subject to reconstruction, but to restoration, restoration in their original form. This is how it is established all over the world.

In Ukraine, restoration, on the one hand, is a type of construction and regulated lawohm "On the regulation of urban planning activities" (responsible Ministriesо regional development), and on the other hand, it is recorded as practically the only type of work acceptable for monuments of architectural heritage, and is subject to supervision in accordance with the law "On the Protection of Cultural Heritage". The Ministry of Culture is responsible for the implementation of this law. And in fact, this area is between two departments, when restoration work needs to be coordinated in two ministries: projects are coordinated in the bodies of cultural heritage protection, and permission for construction is obtained in the bodies of urban planning.

"This is a normal working conflict between the Ministry of Regions and the Ministry of Culture, because one ministry has to preserve and the other has to develop. There will always be such conflicts, but this area depends on the interaction of the two ministries, and this led to what it led to... In fact, it makes the normal development of by-laws impossible," notes Hanna Bondar.

Another, no less important point: currently in Ukraine, any architect can work on monuments. Bondar notes that there is currently no certification for architect-restorers in the state.

Fragments of the city of Izyum, now destroyed by the Russians. Photo: Volodymyr Matsokin

"This is a wrong practice, because the restoration of architectural monuments has its own specifics, starting from the understanding and knowledge of technologies and ending with a deeper knowledge of history, culture, art and architecture. All this leads to the absence of by-laws in this area. What to do with monuments of history, monumental painting — there is no by-law at all, and there is not even a procedure for developing, agreeing and approving this scientific project documentation. It seems to me that in order for this area to start working, it should be given to one ministry. I will not tell anyone, I have my subjective opinion. But restoration should be recorded as a separate type of activity, specific to monuments. And one separate body should be responsible for this," she says.

According to Bondar, if this point is resolved, it will give further impetus and development to the entire field.

 

Brain drain

Until recently, higher educational institutions of architecture issued a diploma in which it was written: specialty "architect-restorer". In 2015, this specialty was removed by the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers. Departments still exist, students study and receive education as an architect-restorer. However, in their diploma, the specialty is simply "architect". Among specialists, the cancellation of the specialty by the government is considered wrong. "If there was a specialty, it would be easier to promote the topic of certification. And how will you get a certificate if your diploma simply has "architect" and not "architect-restorer"? This will cause further reduction of these personnel, leveling of the profession." - notes Cooper.

In the photo, Olga Salo, a member of the Heritage Rescue Staff, surrounded by injured Polovtsian women during the rescue expedition to Mount Kremyanets. Photo from the archive of the National Museum of the Revolution of Dignity

A separate problem is the outflow of personnel. Due to the hostilities, private orders have been suspended, and public orders are focused on rebuilding critical infrastructure, which is suffering greatly due to constant shelling.

"Now is a difficult time for those who develop scientific project documentation, and accordingly for builders who are directly engaged in restoration. What will happen next is uncertain. There are almost no professional builders-restorers left. Previously, there was such an organization "Ukrrestavratsiya", which was demolished in a not very legal way, and where there really were master restorers, builders who knew a lot, they knew ancient technologies and could work with them," says Hanna Bondar.

Hanna Bondar: "Now is a difficult time for restorers. There are almost no professional builders-restorers left"

Nowadays, construction companies can obtain a restoration license, but this does not give any guarantee that there are actually professional restorers. This, in turn, can lead to unsuccessful examples of restoration, when an ordinary architect deals with an architectural monument, and during the execution of works he does not take into account important points.

At the same time, architect-restorer Oleksandr Kumeiko says that some architects now have an idea to create a guild of restorers. It would be something like the National Union of Architects, a professional association that licenses restoration professionals. Such a union should gather specialists who can and have the right to work with objects of cultural heritage and control and improve the quality of these works.

Currently, according to the Ministry of Culture, 171 objects with the status of monuments, 146 objects of valuable historical buildings, 58 monuments and works of art, and 44 museums have been affected.

The statue of Grigory Skovoroda in the memorial museum in Kharkiv Oblast after a Russian projectile hit the building, May 2022. Photo: Serhiy Kozlov

Back in June, Kateryna Chuyeva, Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Policy for European Integration, said on the air of "Ukrainian Radio" that the ministry cooperates with international and Ukrainian specialists. In particular, the Ministry of Culture of Latvia supported the visit of a 3D scanning specialist to Ukraine. So was the work of volunteers from France. However, it is currently unknown whether the process of 3D scanning, conservation or other actions to preserve the destroyed objects of cultural heritage is progressing. At the time of publication, PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA has not received any comment from the Ministry of Culture.

 

 

See also:

Scars of War: How to Heal Cities and Souls

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