Fragments of gravestones were found on a staircase in downtown Chernivtsi
A scandal erupted in Chernivtsi after granite slabs bearing fragments of portraits of the deceased were spotted on the steps of Philharmonic Square. City officials stated that the material had not been replaced, but that they had merely rearranged the old tiles; however, they promised to investigate how such slabs could have ended up on the square.
The contractor insists that only materials already on-site were used during the renovation. At the same time, city officials do not rule out the possibility that the gravestones may have been installed during the square’s construction nearly 20 years ago.
In Chernivtsi, the renovation of the stairs on Philharmonic Square caused quite a stir. Residents noticed fragments of portraits on several granite slabs that resembled images from gravestones. The first to draw attention to this was Oleksiy Kaspruk, a city council member and former mayor of Chernivtsi. On July 17, he posted photos on social media. “I was in shock for half an hour… AI? A provocation? Photoshop?! No. It’s already been confirmed. ‘It’s a fact.’ The stairs on Philharmonic Square were renovated using gravestones,” he wrote.
Shortly thereafter, Yana Brus, a member of the Chernivtsi City Council, confirmed the information. “Yes, it’s true! The stairs on Philharmonic Square were repaired using granite slabs bearing the images of the deceased… It cost the city budget 190,000 hryvnias. But how?” she noted.
The next morning, the situation had changed. Lyudmyla Kushnir, former deputy chair of the Chernivtsi District Council, posted photos showing that the images on the slabs were no longer there. Yana Brus speculated that the portraits might have been erased overnight.
What is known about the renovation
According to information in the procurement system, the current renovation of the staircase was carried out by Spabud LLC from the village of Velykyi Kuchuriv. The cost of the work amounted to approximately 190,000 hryvnias. Company director Oleg Kerdey told a local publication that the contractor did not install any new tiles. “We didn’t replace a single tile. We just repositioned the ones that were already there. Perhaps the workers couldn’t see which side to install them on because of the dirt. But all these tiles have been there since the square was built,” he explained. According to Kerdey, he is also surprised that this has only come to light now, even though the Petrivsky Fair, attended by thousands of people, was recently held on the square.
What the City Council Says
The Department of Infrastructure and Public Works of the Chernivtsi City Council responded to the situation. They emphasized that the stairs near the Philharmonic were built approximately 20 years ago. Since then, the cladding has not been completely replaced—only individual sections have been repaired periodically.
City council officials speculate that slabs from gravestones may have been used during the initial construction, but this is currently only one of several theories. “The documentation and other circumstances will be reviewed separately to help provide a complete and objective answer regarding the origin of the materials and the contractors,” the department stated.
They also assured that the results of the investigation will be made public. “It is a matter of principle for us not to leave any question unanswered. We will thoroughly investigate all aspects of this situation and openly inform the community of the results. If the investigation reveals any violations or identifies those responsible, there will be appropriate consequences,” the city council stated.
At this time, the origin of the slabs has not been officially determined. City officials promise to review the documents, trace the history of the materials used, and determine how elements from gravestones could have ended up on the stairs in the city center. He posted relevant photos online on July 17.
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