Ukraine’s national monument damaged during Russian attacks
Pravda Ukraine
A cultural monument of national significance, Derzhprom (the State Industry Building), was damaged during Russian missile attacks on Kharkiv’s Shevchenkivskyi district on 2 January.
Source: Suspilne Kharkiv, a branch of Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne, citing Mykola Chekhunov, Director of Derzhprom
Details: Chekhunov explained that regular and stained-glass windows were smashed in the building, but the walls were not damaged. The damage has not yet been assessed. The building’s staff was also unharmed.
“We are currently patching everything up with plywood. There is no major damage inside. I can’t comment on how many windows and stained-glass windows have been smashed. Workers have been covering the windows since the morning, materials have been brought to us, and several organisations have organised work so that we can patch everything up today,” said the director of Derzhprom.
Architect Viktor Dvornikov added that the damage affected almost the entire north-western part of the building.
“There are deformed and broken windows. The extent of work is very extensive. The current damage affects the condition of the building, as a temperature violation can lead to damage to the interior, which is a serious problem. There are a lot of wooden structures inside Derzhprom, which would be harmed,” said Viktor Dvornikov.
He emphasised that Derzhprom is a model of avant-garde architecture and one of the architectural landmarks of Kharkiv.
Cultural heritage of Derzhprom
Earlier, on 7 September 2022, UNESCO added 20 Ukrainian cultural heritage sites to the International List of Cultural Property under Enhanced Protection. The Kharkiv building of Derzhprom was among them.
The State Industry Building, or Derzhprom, is an architectural monument in the constructivist style created at the time of its inception. The building is the largest of this design style and the first Soviet 12-storey skyscraper built between 1925 and 1928.
Derzhprom is located on Kharkiv’s central square, Svobody Square.
In January 2018, Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers included Derzhprom in the State Register of Immovable Monuments of Ukraine.
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