The damaged heritage of Ukrainian industrial cities – examples from Mariupol and Lisichansk

Semen Shyrochyn

The industrial cities of Ukraine are of young age; most of them have been developed since the late 19th century. Despite that, they display a rich heritage of different architectural styles: Russian style churches, Belgian and French residential houses, neoclassical buildings of 19th and 20th centuries, soviet constructivism as well and postwar modernism.

Despite this variety of styles and cultures, the heritage of Ukrainian industrial cities has never been turned into a tourist attraction, nor have they benefited from the attention of heritage protection organizations. Moreover, degradation and neglect accentuated since 1990s. Many factories were dismantled and their architecture was forever lost. Now this heritage is threatened by war. The more is lost, the less is left for the future.

The talk will focus on two examples: Lisichansk and Mariupol, two cities with a valuable heritage, now under Russian occupation. Their history and development will be analyzed, together with notable examples of architectural heritage. Not least, the talk will also emphasize the extent of the war destruction.

Semen Shyrochyn is architectural historian, and author of “Kyiv: Architectural Guide. 100 Iconic Buildings since 1925“ (DOM publishers)

Date: Tuesday, 20 February at 18:00 (CET)

› Join here