Kyiv undergoes remodeling on the eve of 10th anniversary celebrations (08/19/01)

Kyiv undergoes remodeling on the eve of 10th anniversary celebrations

by Roman Woronowycz
Kyiv Press Bureau

KYIV - Some are calling it the "new Kyiv." The city's Mayor Oleksander Omelchenko has said it is the capital city moving into the 21st century. There are those Kyivans that are thrilled by the changes, while others are calling them a waste of money and materials in a country where many of the citizens continue to eek out survival.

Most city dwellers of this metropolis of more than 2.7 million are simply happy that all the construction and remodeling that has taken place over the last six months, and the associated road closures and traffic jams that have put the city into terminal gridlock, is drawing to a close as the city begins final preparations for the 10th anniversary celebrations of Ukraine's independence.

What seems to please Mayor Omelchenko most, given that he has proudly stated it several times over the last months, is that the various projects have proceeded without municipal or state funds. The mayor has explained that private concerns have either contributed or invested their own finances into both the private and public projects.

The city center has been most affected by the changes, especially the city's main thoroughfare, the Khreschatyk. The major cause of the disruption has been the six-month reconstruction of the city's central plaza, Independence Square, which lies at one end of the one kilometer long street, and summer-long development and street improvements at the other end, near the Bessarabka Market.

The main train station has also undergone an extensive facelift, as have many historic buildings in the downtown area as well as parks and squares throughout the city.

Independence Square, which will be at the center of the 10th anniversary activities on August 24, will be completed in time, Mayor Omelchenko asserted on August 14, dispelling rumors to the contrary.

"Contrary to what some have said and what others would like to see, everything is on schedule and will be ready," said Mr. Omelchenko after completing a review of the area.

The square has been the center of controversy since the very beginning of the reconstruction project. Oppositionist politicians had laid plans to use the plaza for demonstrations and strikes against the administration of President Leonid Kuchma this past February when the square was abruptly cordoned off and boarded up over their objections, with the official explanation being that preparatory work on the site was needed.

Soon after construction finally began in April, engineers found the remains of the ancient Lyadski Gates of 11th century Kyivan Rus'. City engineers on a tight deadline and archaeologists bent on saving the remains found themselves at odds over how to proceed. The compromise that resulted - save the central portion of the gates, but destroy the outer extension and limit the excavation work for artifacts - satisfied no one.

That problem went away when two pylons that supported the remains, which had been dug out and were to be encased in glass for public viewing on the new square, collapsed at the end of June. The disaster, in which no one was hurt, was only one of several accidents or unfortunate incidents that marred construction. Another major setback occurred when a 60-ton platform that supported a monument to Archangel Mikhail, the only artifice that was to remain from the original square, collapsed after a sand slide and resulted in the injury of two workers.

It will take at least another half year before the central plaza is finished. A major feature of the new square will be an extensive labyrinth of shops as well as a parking structure located below its surface. For Independence Day, however, Mayor Omelchenko assured that the surface of the square, if not the subterranean structure, would be entirely completed.

On Independence Day city dwellers and guests will see a radically different square. An extensive roof-like glass structure will cover the north side of the square, which is bisected by the Khreschatyk, while a 60-foot high gilded monument will dominate the south side. Adorning the top of the memorial will be a golden-winged woman representing 10 years of Ukrainian independence. President Kuchma will unveil the symbol of Ukrainian independence on August 23 during ceremonies marking the opening of the square.

Construction at the other end of the Khreschatyk, where workers are building a second underground mall while also renovating a historic piece of architecture that has lain dormant for the last decade, will be sufficiently completed to allow for the normal movement of traffic, much to the relief of shop owners. The area, located just west of the Khreschatyk, along Chervonoarmiysk Street, is considered the city's main shopping district. Construction has severely limited pedestrian and auto access to many shops since the end of spring. The street will reopen on August 22.

Rail traffic has also been affected by the changes taking place in the Ukrainian capital city. Since May the city's main train station has undergone major renovations, which have made the building nearly inaccessible for the last two months. Passengers often had to gather near blackboards as station workers scribble train delays or new schedules on them which forced passengers to search for ways to get around the closed building to board trains.

By the week prior to the beginning of Independence Day celebrations, the work was coming to a close. The building's exterior facade was complete, and workers were attaching large marble plates that would constitute the interior walls. Contractors had brought in artisans from Poland and Hungary at higher rates of pay to make sure the work proceeded smoothly and the deadline for completion was met. The train station was still not ready, but according to one worker, it would be finished on time.

"It is going to take a full effort, but you can be sure that it will at least look complete by next week," said Petro Riznyk, a bricklayer from Rivne working at the train station site. He had traveled to Kyiv in June after hearing that workers were needed to complete the various projects. Although Mr. Riznyk would not state what he was making, he said that some workers were taking in up to $40 a day, an exorbitant amount of money in the current Ukrainian economy, but obviously not in the new Kyiv.

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