Seventeen cultural heritage sites in the Zalopan district, a historic area of Kharkiv, were damaged in a Russian attack on 7 July. Architect Viktor Dvornikov said the buildings have stood since the 19th century.
Source: Dvornikov on Facebook
Details: In an exclusive comment to Ukrainska Pravda.Kultura (Culture), Dvornikov said the strike hit the historic district and a densely populated residential area. Most of the sites were located on Kotsarska Street, some on Zbroiarska Street and several on Chobotarska Street.
Four facilities near the strike’s epicentre were seriously damaged, with through-cracks in the walls, deformation of floors and walls, and two houses catching fire. Five more sites had their roofs destroyed, while most suffered broken windows and minor cracks in the decoration.
*The aftermath of the Russian attack on Kharkiv on 7 July.*Photo: Viktor Dvornikov on Facebook
*The aftermath of the Russian attack on Kharkiv on 7 July.*Photo: Viktor Dvornikov on Facebook
“There are wooden floors everywhere, and as a result of the blast wave, they rise and fall slightly,” he said. “And all the plaster that sticks to these floors is cracking. Now, they all need cosmetic repairs, but those closest to the explosion’s epicentre, of course, require major repairs.”
The architect is still conducting analysis but said that not all the damaged monuments have protected status. However, these are historic sites that have retained their authenticity and are recognised as cultural heritage sites.
“The problem we are highlighting now is that very often these sites are not only absent from the registers of monuments or lists of newly discovered sites,” Dvornikov explained, “but this also means they are not regarded as valuable by either residents or local authorities.”
The aftermath of the Russian attack on Kharkiv on 7 July. Photo: Viktor Dvornikov on Facebook
Another problem is that three different buildings are registered at the same address. Two of them have protected status, while the third, which was hit, does not. However, this building also dates back to the late 19th century.
The aftermath of the Russian attack on Kharkiv on 7 July. Photo: Viktor Dvornikov on Facebook
The aftermath of the Russian attack on Kharkiv on 7 July. Photo: Viktor Dvornikov on Facebook
Dvornikov said that it is generally unique that the buildings in this area are so well preserved.
“With proper management and approach, they could be valuable tourist and cultural attractions. Unfortunately, we don’t have that,” he added.
As Dvornikov said, not only are the historical buildings on these three streets well preserved on the outside, but also on the inside:
“Inside, there are also a large number of such gems that have been overlooked. Yesterday, we discovered seven such gems. We didn’t even know they existed. These houses have preserved facades with stucco mouldings, woodwork, 19th-century windows and doors, and well-preserved interiors in the apartments. It turns out that the tragedy helped us find them.”
The houses also feature 19th-century tiles, marble staircases, cast iron fences, many wrought iron items and more.
Two of the 17 damaged buildings had previously been damaged. One of them is located at 33 Chobotarska Street. The building was hit by an Iskander missile back in 2023. It now stands behind a fence and discussions are ongoing about its demolition. However, no work is currently being done there.
Dvornikov is monitoring the situation as part of a working group dedicated to preserving authentic elements of cultural heritage.
The working group quickly visits the scenes of the strikes and works with the damaged materials to prevent them from being taken to landfill.
This time, there were no cases of building collapse or destruction. However, the working group will continue to monitor whether the original frames or doors in these buildings are replaced. If they are, the group will insist on preserving them or will arrange for their restoration and preservation in a specialised workshop.
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