The court returned the October Palace in Kyiv to state ownership
Kyiv • UNN
The October Palace in Kyiv is to be returned to state ownership by court ruling. The building is a national heritage landmark, and its value is estimated at approximately UAH 1 billion.
The Commercial Court of Kyiv upheld the prosecutor’s claim to return the building of the October Palace—now the International Center of Culture and Arts—to the state. This was reported by the Office of the Prosecutor General, UNN writes.
It is a cultural heritage monument of national significance and one of Ukraine’s largest concert venues. According to the State Property Fund of Ukraine, the estimated value of the complex is about UAH 1 billion
The building was constructed in 1838–1842 according to a design by architect Vikentiy Beretti as a building of the Kyiv Institute for Noble Maidens. Later, various government institutions operated here.
The palace is also linked to tragic chapters in Ukrainian history. Within its walls, NKVD employees executed representatives of the Ukrainian intelligentsia, including Kost Bureviy, Oleksa Blyzko, Hryhoriy Kosynka, Taras and Ivan Krushelnytskyi, and Dmytro Falkivskyi.
In 1979, the building was granted the status of a monument of national significance. It was included in the list of cultural heritage sites that are not subject to privatization and may be owned exclusively by the state.
Despite this, the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine registered ownership of the building in its name. Its being privately owned created a risk of further alienation.
The Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office filed a claim with the Commercial Court of Kyiv in the interests of the state, represented by the State Property Fund of Ukraine. The court agreed with the prosecutor’s arguments and upheld the claim to return the monument to the state