Court Returns the October Palace in Kyiv to the State
The Kyiv Commercial Court has ruled that the October Palace building, currently known as the International Center for Culture and Arts, must be returned to the state. The building is a national landmark with an estimated value of approximately 1 billion hryvnia. Previously, the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine had registered ownership of the building in its name.
The Kyiv Commercial Court granted the prosecutor’s office’s claim and ruled that the October Palace be returned to state ownership. This was reported by the Office of the Prosecutor General. The claim was filed by the Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office on behalf of the state, represented by the State Property Fund of Ukraine.
The prosecutor’s office emphasized that the October Palace is a cultural heritage site of national significance. It is also one of Ukraine’s largest concert venues. According to the State Property Fund, the estimated value of the complex is approximately 1 billion hryvnias.
Why the decision was made to return the building to the state
The October Palace is included in the list of cultural heritage sites that cannot be privatized. Such sites may be owned exclusively by the state. Despite this, the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine had previously registered ownership of the building in its name.
The Office of the Prosecutor General explained that this situation posed a risk of further alienation of the landmark. “Despite this, the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine registered ownership of the building in its name. Its status as private property posed a risk of further alienation,” the Office of the Prosecutor General noted.
The prosecutor’s office filed a lawsuit to return the property to the state. The court agreed with the prosecutor’s arguments and granted the claim.
The History of the October Palace
The building was constructed between 1838 and 1842 based on a design by architect Vikentiy Beretti. Initially, it served as the main building of the Kyiv Institute for Noble Girls. Later, various government agencies operated within the premises. The building is also linked to tragic chapters in Ukrainian history.
According to the Office of the Prosecutor General, NKVD officers executed members of the Ukrainian intelligentsia within the palace walls. Among them were Kost Bureviy, Oleksa Blyzko, Hryhoriy Kosynka, Taras and Ivan Krushelnytskyi, and Dmytro Falkivsky. In 1979, the October Palace was designated a monument of national significance.
Today, the building is known as the International Center for Culture and Arts. It remains one of the capital’s largest concert venues. Following a ruling by the Kyiv Economic Court, the building is to be returned to state ownership. The Office of the Prosecutor General announced this on Facebook.
