Klitschko accused as Podil loses historic 19th-century landmark

In the Podil district of Kyiv, a 19th-century architectural monument known as the Trade House has been demolished. The decision came from the city’s Department of Cultural Heritage, which justified it as "emergency measures."

Journalist Oleksandr Saiun reports that the demolition project contained no restoration plans, no technical survey, and no legal confirmation that the building was unsafe. Despite this, the department still gave the green light.

Demolition of the "Trade House"

"According to the project documents, there are no restoration works and no technical report on the building’s condition. The structures were never officially declared dangerous, as required by law," Saiun noted.

On-site inspections revealed crumbling bricks, overgrown weeds, bricked-up windows, and graffiti on the facade — clear signs of long-term neglect. Activists argue that, instead of protecting the landmark, Klitschko’s administration let it decay until the only "solution" left was demolition.

Now, under the pretext of safety, Kyiv has lost yet another historical monument — and critics say Mayor Vitali Klitschko bears responsibility for allowing the city’s heritage to be destroyed piece by piece.

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