On 24 February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, a major escalation of the conflict dating since 2014. Now, a year later, the war is still ongoing. Both soldiers and civilians have fallen victim, while millions of others have become refugees, fleeing to safer areas across Europe or within Ukraine. What was instilled was a severe humanitarian and refugee crisis. The hostilities have also threatened Ukraine’s cultural and architectural heritage, as museums, monuments, and historical landmarks have become targets.
The implications are also reaching Europe and globally, as energy resources and food supplies become scarcer, damaging some economies. Still, Western countries remained unified in their support of Ukraine, as reported by international news outlets. Despite the economic difficulties, international support was mobilized through various initiatives in hopes of helping displaced people, protecting cultural heritage, and mapping a plan for reconstruction.
Read on to discover some of the humanitarian and cultural initiatives happening across the country, as well as ArchDaily’s coverage of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.
A Humanitarian Crisis
Across the country, airstrikes have hit homes and apartment buildings, as well as cultural gathering spots and important infrastructure elements, leaving citizens without access to basic needs such as water and electricity. Millions have become refugees in what is now seen as the largest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II. In total, it is estimated that more than eight million Ukrainians fled to neighboring European countries, while even more were internally displaced.
It stands to reason that the first priorities, both locally and internationally, were sheltering and protecting the displaced people. To aid in the efforts, Kyiv-based practice Balbek Bureau developed a modular temporary housing system designed to be easily deployed, regardless of the different types of terrain or settlement density. Drozdov&Partners, together with Replus Bureau and Ponomarenko Bureau, have begun refurbishing shelters for internally displaced persons in Lviv and the surrounding regions, using school campuses and large-scale facilities as temporary housing. Shigeru Ban and the Voluntary Architects' Network have also contributed to the humanitarian efforts by deploying a paper partition systems (PPS) for emergency shelters in Ukraine.
Several programs were also initiated by the architectural community to help displaced architects and designers. An industry-wide initiative called Support by Design set out to help firms remotely hire Ukrainian landscape designers, a great many of whom are unemployed due to the war. In a similar effort, Boston-based architects Office of Collaborative Design launched a program called HireUkrainiandesigners.org to assist Ukrainian architects with remote employment opportunities.
Cultural Heritage under Threat
As of 23 January 2023, UNESCO has verified damage to 236 sites across Ukraine, in an ongoing effort to assess the damage to cultural properties by cross-checking reported incidents with multiple credible sources. An independent investigation of the New York Times has identified and verified 339 cultural sites across Ukraine that have sustained substantial damage. These include architectural treasures, statues, churches, museums, cinemas, houses of culture, theaters, and archeological sites. The reports suggest some of these sites have been completely destroyed, including the collections and objects stored inside. Despite the research efforts, these are believed to represent only a partial picture of the devastation. According to The Times, some of the sites appear to have been intentionally targeted. Others are mere collateral damage, still proof of a “callous disregard for the cultural heritage of Ukraine.”
Despite the loss of cultural heritage, Ukraine’s position has been strengthened through the solidarity shown locally and internationally. The Ukrainian architecture studio Balbek Bureau has come up with a solution to help protect sculptures and medium-scale monuments from the destruction occurring during the war. ‘RE: Ukraine. Monuments’ is a modular, easy-to-install, and fast-to-mount protection system. The system has already been deployed in Kyiv with the Mykhailo Hrushevskyi monument. Prototypes are also proposed for other monuments across the country. The same office has recently inaugurated the MOT pavilion, or Module of Temporality, installed in Kontraktova Square in Kyiv. The space is designed to house exhibitions of paintings, sculptures, and audiovisual works by 28 artists from 10 countries, as a way of drawing attention to Ukraine's cultural landscape.
Among other initiatives, the Kharkiv School of Architecture (KhSA), currently displaced in Lviv, reworked its entire educational program to prepare future architects to understand and participate in creating a path for Ukraine’s recovery. The Kharkiv School of Architecture is counting on donations and external financial support to help keep its program running. UNESCO has also recently announced the addition of Odesa’s Historic Center to the World Heritage List and List of World Heritage in Danger. This action is expected to aid the city in acquiring financial and technical assistance to ensure its protection. Six other sites in Ukraine are already inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, including the Saint-Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv and the historic center of Lviv. To date, none of these sites appear to have been damaged, according to the latest information provided by UNESCO.
Reconstruction Efforts
Even though the war hostilities show no sign of coming to a resolution in the near future, the focus is already shining a light on the challenges and opportunities of reconstruction. Interest from emerging architects, as well as internationally renowned architecture offices, has put the country at the forefront of technological and urban innovations. The Norman Foster Foundation and Arup office in Berlin, in collaboration with a local advisory board, set out to elaborate a master plan for the city of Kharkiv to guide future urban regulations and to begin preparing professionals for the city’s reconstruction. The plan is developed through five core sectors: industry, heritage, housing, rivers, and the science neighborhood. Zaha Hadid Architects has also revealed a master plan for the Odesa Expo 2030 proposal that employs reusable pavilions to strengthen Ukraine’s cultural presence.
Balbek Bureau has developed a modular temporary housing system that aims to provide a dignified dwelling to internally displaced Ukrainians. Titled RE:Ukraine, the project uses a standard 6.6 by 3.3 meters modules to accommodate private rooms, communal spaces for cooking, sanitary amenities, or common areas. By grouping modules into larger residential structures, the system can form entire neighborhoods, complete with playgrounds and green areas. In a similar effort, WZMH Architects developed a prefabricated modular system for salvaging thousands of structures across Ukraine that had been partially or fully destroyed during the war. The construction system is made out of ISP (Intelligent Structural Panels) fabricated off-site and installed on-site with minimal workforce necessary. The ISP boxes can be employed in existing buildings to replace a damaged section with new residential units. In contrast, other emerging Ukrainian architecture offices, such as NOVA - New Office of Vital Architecture, propose new solutions to rebuild local landmarks in a transparent and optimistic manner.
Regardless of their approach, all these initiatives, projects, proposals and pledges hope to provide some respite and optimism for the Ukrainians caught in a devastating situation. From providing emergency shelters, to helping displaced communities, educating a new generation or architects or providing innovative mass scale renovation solutions, all of them play a part in the united effort to support Ukraine.
Check the list of organizations and aid groups you can contribute to and help alleviate the humanitarian crisis.
