UFOs in the house ( "dish" on Lybidska), Kyiv

A flying saucer on Lybidska appeared last century in the 70-ies. Basically, it is an architectural complex where Ukrainian institute of sci-tech expertise and information and the National sci-tech library of Ukraine headquarter.

 

Ever since the beginning, the architect of the building - Florian Yuriev, working on the institute project, dreamed of settling a music theatre, which specialty would be music performances, accompanied by the play of colourful gradients on the illuminated screen. Yuriev took the making-off process very responsibly: the acoustics` level was measured accurately, for the walls not to have access parget, which could mute the sound. But the theatre didn’t start functioning, a movie-lection hall was placed there, and a few floors of the institute were almost immediately taken for the KGB archives.

 

The building started falling into disrepair in the 90-ies. There wasn't enough financing. Life continued only in the big hall, where fun-fairs and sales took place. This building wasn’t protected from demolition, that’s why even it’s status of a cultural heritage was taken down in 2012.

 

At the end of 2016, this case caught the interest of the Ministry of Education officials. The state didn’t have enough money for the flying saucer renovation. It was decided to put it for rent. In 2017 the information leaked in the press, that the saucepan was going to be demolished and a regular shopping center was going to be built. Famous movement #Savekievmodernism, the participants of which fight for saving modernist architecture, stood up for the landmark. The battle for the saucepan wasn’t for nothing. The future tennant promises to save the building and has to carry out capital repairs.

 

Address: Kyiv, Antonovycha St. 180

 

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Translation by: Sofiia Khodieva