Kyiv St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Church: Problems of Restoration And Post-War Renovation of A Unique Monument of the Neo-Gothic Style

Abstract

St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Church is one of the main centers of the Roman Catholic community of Ukraine, an architectural monument of national significance, a neo-Gothic building of the beginning of the 20th century, unique for Kyiv, built in the innovative for that time material of reinforced concrete and experimental structures. As a result of problematic soils, design miscalculations, destructive to the structures of the building city transport communications (vibrations from subway traffic), a catastrophic fire in the building in 2021, deterioration of the stability of the building as a result of the barbaric Russian bombing of the civilian center of Kyiv, the church building is in a critical condition, and currently is no functioning. An urgent survey and restoration is needed to prevent the church ruining. The restoration should apply new practical technological measures to correct the critical situation. This publication sheds light on the current issues of the state of the monument and presents proposals for priority measures for its preservation, highlights the role and significance of St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Church in the history of Kyiv and in the formation of stylistic architecture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.