In Kyiv, plans are underway to construct a parking facility on the site of Old Kyiv Hill, but the Ministry of Culture opposes the project.

The construction of a parking facility, footbridge, and office building is planned at Kiyanivskyi Lane, 13-21 in the Shevchenkivskyi district, covering an area of 2.37 hectares. This is outlined in the urban development plan (DPT) for the lane, commissioned by the Department of Urban Development and Architecture of the Kyiv City State Administration (KCSA). A parking lot for 320 vehicles will be established within the vicinity of several archaeological sites, including "Cultural Layer of the City of Yaroslav", "Kopyriv End", "Settlement and Burial Ground on Mount Detka", and "Historical Landscape of the Kyiv Hills", as well as close to the buffer zone of the UNESCO World Heritage site — St. Sophia Cathedral. The project decision is scheduled for a vote on November 21.

What sparked outrage among deputies and the Ministry of Culture?

Deputy of the Kyiv City Council Yevheniya Kuleba was the first to speak out against the construction. She highlighted that the parking facility and office building are planned to be erected in the historical center of the city, risking the destruction of the historical landscape of the Kyiv hills and the cultural layer of the city. According to her, the development is being disguised by the creation of a green zone, as this would allow for a swift review by the environmental commission.

"Vitaliy Klitschko decided to build an underground parking facility on Staro-Kyivska Hill near Landscape Alley. Yes, right next to the stone with the inscription: 'From whence the Russian land came'," reported Kuleba.

The deputy accused the authorities of cynicism, as the project documentation indicates that construction will take place on the site of the "cultural layer of the City of Yaroslav, the historical landscape of the Kyiv hills, the valley of the Dnipro River, and the cultural layer of Kopyriv from the X-XII centuries."

Ministry of Culture also strongly opposed the construction, emphasizing that "the preservation of cultural heritage is an element of national security." The Ministry labeled the construction of an underground parking facility at the site of a nationally significant archaeological monument as "unacceptable."

What is KCSA's position?

Government representatives reject the allegations, referring to the documentation on the protection of monuments, which states that the usage regime for the mentioned territory does not prohibit new construction but only imposes certain restrictions, particularly regarding height. Additionally, KCSA emphasized that the area designated for the shelter and parking does not belong to the park zone and was previously developed with garage boxes and retaining walls during the Soviet era. Authorities promise to strictly adhere to the requirements of monument protection legislation during the project's implementation.

"The Ministry of Culture's approval will be obtained at the land allocation stage. If it gets to that point. Right now, we are only determining the prospective plan for the use of the territory. The Ministry of Culture has expressed its position, and accordingly, it will be coordinated with the Ministry of Culture. At the land allocation stage — even if the Ministry gives the corresponding consent — archaeological excavations must take place before the construction of this project if there are archaeological monuments present," commented the Secretary of the Kyiv City Council, Bondarenko.

On November 15, the Land Commission of the Kyiv City Council supported the DPT for the parking facility on Staro-Kyivska Hill.

What is the public's reaction?

The majority of users reacted negatively to the news in the comments. "It feels like we are wandering in circles of urban hell, with no hope of escape," wrote one commenter. KCSA deputy Ksenia Semenova reacted to the news saying: "The mayor of senseless bridges." There were also those who defended the construction of the parking facility: "If you do something — you get criticized, if you don’t do it — you get criticized... Perhaps this parking is designed as a potential bomb shelter? From such considerations...".