NAUKA SCIENCE Nadiia Antonenko* Olga Deriabina** orcid.org/0000-0001-9047-3669 orcid.org/0000-0002-3478-2544 Preservation of Monuments of Modern Architecture in Ukraine (1990–2010) Ochrona zabytków architektury nowoczesnej na Ukrainie (1990–2010) Keywords: monument protection activity, Ukrainian Słowa kluczowe: działania konserwatorskie, Modernism, the monument of modern architecture, modernizm ukraiński, zabytek architektury Derzhprom, DOCOMOMO nowoczesnej, Derżprom, DOCOMOMO Introduction Due to the significant stagnation of preservation processes, most of the pieces of Ukrainian modern The global experience of preserving the heritage of architecture are in critical condition—thousands of modern architecture dates back to the period between unique modern buildings and structures are destroyed the 1940s and the 1970s, of the postwar rethinking of and disappear every year. In addition, the region- the value of cultural heritage, when systematic work al non-recognition of the value of of the twentieth- for identification and documentation of monuments century architecture significantly affected the status of of modern architecture began in Western Europe and the Ukrainian avant-garde and Modernism of the So- the United States against the background of the trium- viet era in world rankings. phant progress of the international style.1 In Ukraine, Meanwhile, it should be noted that during the years the issue of the need to preserve modern architectural of independence, the growth of general interest in the heritage was brought up much later. The first modern future of Ukrainian modern architecture was still ob- monuments began to be included in the State Regis- served—both among scholars and ordinary citizens. ter of Immovable Landmarks of Ukraine only in the From time to time, thematic conferences and work- 2000s. The process unfolded so slowly that the pieces shops were held in the cities, interdisciplinary research of modern architecture still make up a small share of was conducted, books were published, public organ- the register among other landmarks. The Ukrainian izations were established to take care of the preserva- Branch of DOCOMOMO (International Committee tion of individual landmarks, excursions, exhibitions, for Documentation and Conservation of Buildings, and non-academic educational events were organized. Sites, and Neighborships of the Modern Movement) Up to this day, this kaleidoscope of events has not been was established only in 2012, although the global or- studied, but it is important to identify a real social in- ganization was founded and has been operating effec- terest in the preservation of the architecture and the tively since 1988 in over 80 countries of the world. capability of the cultural field to provide it. * Ph.D., Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture * dr, Kijowski Narodowy Uniwersytet Budownictwa ** Ph.D., Kharkiv National University of Civil Engineering and i Architektury Architecture ** dr, Charkowski Narodowy Uniwersytet Budownictwa i Architektury Cytowanie / Citation: Antonentko N., Deriabina O. Preservation of Monuments of Modern Architecture in Ukraine (1990–2010). Wiadomości Konserwatorskie – Journal of Heritage Conservation 2020, 62:7–15 Otrzymano / Received: 29.06.2020 • Zaakceptowano / Accepted: 15.07.2020 doi: 10.48234/WK62UKRAINE Praca dopuszczona do druku po recenzjach Article accepted for publishing after reviews Wiadomości Konserwatorskie • Journal of Heritage Conservation • 62/2020 7 This study aims to analyze the achievements of and B. Yerofalov13 play a special part; they give a sys- monument protection activities concerning the archi- tematic idea of the role of monuments of architecture tectural heritage of the twentieth century in Ukraine and urban planning in the context of the development during 1990–2010, the results of which may become of Ukrainian Modern monument protection activities. the basis for further development of programs of meas- ures to protect the heritage of modern architecture. Prerequisites for the Formation of the Concept The study is based on the methods of historical and of Ukrainian Modern Architecture as genetic research, which allows us to identify the histor- a Cultural Heritage Site (1970–1980) ical sequence of events in the field of protection of the heritage of modern architecture and urban planning The processes of forming concepts of the monuments and to establish its periodization. The actual basis of of Modern architecture, which began in the USSR in the study is the chronicle of the organizational efforts the late 1960s and were completed in 1990 with the of the professional community and the public, which participation of a delegation of Soviet scientists at the were aimed at uniting advocates of the new architec- constituent First International DOCOMOMO INT. ture and the preservation of key architectural monu- Conference,14 were interrupted by Ukraine gaining in- ments of the twentieth century in Ukraine. The great- dependence. The preservation of Soviet heritage prop- est cultural value is the architecture of the so-called erty seemed inappropriate amid exposing some tragic Ukrainian avant-garde Modernism, the birthplace of historical facts concealed by the Soviet government which was Kharkiv.2 regarding Stalin’s terror, collectivization and artificial famines in the 1920s and 1930s, the fate of Ukrainians State of knowledge in the Second World War during 1939–1945 and the years after it, the persecution of Ukrainian dissidents in In the modern research field, there are practically no the 1960s and the Chernobyl disaster of 1986. works devoted to understanding the formation of The process of forming Ukrainian national identity the practice of preservation of Modernist architec- was just unfolding, and cultural meanings were mixed ture in Ukraine. Thus, one of the leading promoters with political and historical contexts, as in Germany of the Ukrainian avant-garde, Professor O. Bouryak3 after the Second World War. Soviet architecture was analyses the current state and prospects of Ukrainian perceived by Ukrainian society in a range of attitudes— Constructivism. He believes that the preservation of from aggressive illustrative propaganda of the totalitari- the Ukrainian avant-garde is possible only within the an regime to outdated architecture.15 framework of a large and long-term (and quite costly) In the 1990s, avant-garde architecture was of in- cultural and information project, as the problem lies terest only to some local historians who were inter- not so much in the field of monument protection, but ested in the history of their native lands and collected in knowledge and theoretical field—there are issues photographic and factual materials. Most publications of style attribution, confusion within the conceptual and articles were the result of search and collections framework. S. Smolenska in her study4 highlighted as far back as Soviet times.16 Only at the end of the the key issues of development of preservation efforts century the first suggestions for the renovation of an and analyzed the Register of Immovable Landmarks avant-garde building—the building of Derzhprom on of Ukraine for monuments of Modern architecture; Freedom Square in Kharkiv—were voiced in inner and also briefly described the period between 1990s academic circles. and the 2010s as the final stage in the loss of authen- ticity of Ukrainian Modernism. P. Rychkov considers STAGES OF FORMATION OF THE PRACTICE the outstanding objects of Kharkiv constructivism and OF PRESERVATION OF MODERN emphasizes the need to preserve not individual monu- ARCHITECTURE MONUMENTS ments, but Kharkiv as the „capital of constructivism” as IN UKRAINE a whole.5 P. Vesel6 attempted to compare the processes of Ukrainian monument protection in the preservation Stage 1. Interest in the Kharkiv Derzhprom buil- of modern architecture with the European ones. In the ding: beginning of the discussion on preserva- 7 context of the topic studied, the work of I. Kreiser is tion of the Ukrainian avant-garde (2000–2005) also relevant, who, unlike others, describes the devel- opment of interest in Ukrainian modern architecture, highlighting the most important turning points in In 2000 suggestions for restoration of the Derzhprom Kharkiv in the 1990s–early 2000s. Important research building (Fig. 1) were supported by the management works that allow the study of Ukrainian Modern ar- of the then Kharkiv Regional State Administration. chitecture in general, despite the historical affiliation The Head of the Administration personally addressed of Ukrainian lands with the territories of different the President of the Ukrainian Branch of ICOMOS states, are the works of O. Remeshilo-Rybchynska,8 L. Prybega with a request to establish an Internation- O. Mykhailyshyn, S. Linda S.,9 M. Pszczółkowski,10 Yu. al Council to recognize the Derzhprom building as a Bogdanova.11 Works of theorists N. Kondel-Perminova12 monument of international importance, and in May 8 Wiadomości Konserwatorskie • Journal of Heritage Conservation • 62/2020 mained in under-repaired condition with exposed con- crete walls with no plaster. The indifference of the city authorities to the future of the Derzhprom building was criticized at the public hearings „Anniversary View of Kharkiv.” The hearings were attended by the Head of the Department of Architecture and Restoration of the Faculty of Architecture of the Gdańsk University of Technology R. Cielątkowska, who was upset by the inaction of the Kharkiv city authorities