ABOUT CHERNIHIV CITY
HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE
1300-year old Chernihiv really does have some things to be proud of. The city has three cultural and landscape complexes that claim to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. These are multi-layered urban planning ensembles that have no analogues in Eastern Europe nor, unfortunately, have their own touristic brand. The new City redevelopment Concept defines Chernihiv as the historical and ecological center of Ukraine and reveals its full potential.
A candidate to the UNESCO list and the pride of Chernihiv - landscaping view, consisting of:
1) Complex of the historic center with unique monuments of architecture and archeology of national importance, in particular, Spaskyi Cathedral, one of the oldest preserved monumental stone buildings of Ukraine
2) Boldyna mountain with a burial mound of the 10th century. As well as the complex of the Trinity-Illina Monastery
3) Yeletska Mountain with the ensemble of the Yeletskyi Monastery of the 12th century
DAMAGED HISTORICAL BUILDINGS
Since the beginning of Russian invasion, Chernihiv, 1300–year–old Ukrainian city within 70 km of Belarus border, has been blockaded for more than a month. According to Chernihiv city council data, the amount of damage caused to the housing buildings and infrastructure of Chernihiv reaches 37 billion UAH. Kyiv School of Economics research showed in May that Chernihiv is on the 3rd place within the Ukrainian cities by the amount of damages and ruins. As a result of active hostilities in Chernihiv, 857 apartment buildings were damaged, 145 of which were the result of a direct hit; 2 schools and 1 vocational education institution were fully destroyed; 25 schools, 37 kindergartens and 4 vocational education institutions were damaged; children's dental clinic was destroyed and 5 hospitals of the city were damaged; 3 water–pumping stations out of 5 existing in the city were destroyed, they provided water to almost 84% of the city's consumers; 2 sewage pumping stations were destroyed; 50% (55 km) and 90 poles of the city's trolleybus contact network were demolished, 6 trolleybuses were damaged; 60 units of specialized equipment of municipal enterprises of the city were destroyed; heat power plant was seriously damaged. As reported by the Minister of Culture and Information Policy, more than 20 crimes against the cultural heritage of Ukraine were recorded in Chernihiv.
List of some of the key city problems
•Demography and economics problems (population decreases; outflow of youth seeking jobs and more comfortable infrastructure; the city is slowly “dying out”)
•Chaotic construction (visual pollution)
•Expressive urbanization/ centralization (all active life is centralized)
•Traffic jams in the center
• Poor condition of bombed communal and old public transport at the city and nearby villages routes (such buses and big cars are called “marshrutka”).
•Ecological problems (the Stryzhen river, the Bilous river, the Desna river, Communal enterprise “Chernihiv Water Channel” problems)
•Energy inefficiency, power and heating restrictions and old ‘solutions’ (remaining from the Soviet Union)
•Historic and ecological, landscaping untapped potential – potential to boost touristic activity and attract investments.
The blockade of Chernihiv has caused a strong outflow of the population (200,000 out of pre-war 280,000 citizens). Mostly, people with financial stability and young people left the city. In autumn, 2022 only 7% of the city population has not come back (according to the data of mobile operators).
But this problem was urgent even before the war. Chernihiv region was one of the poorest in demographic situation in Ukraine.
Our team is convinced that the course of Resilient city and sustainable development, which involves rebuilding the city around people and creating conditions for a comfortable life and doing business, will allow people to return to or stay in Chernihiv.
REDEVELOPMENT CONCEPT PROPOSALS
