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Zhytniy Market

Coordinates: 50°27′54″N 30°30′41″E / 50.4650°N 30.5115°E / 50.4650; 30.5115
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Zhytniy Market
Житній ринок
Zhytniy Market in 2013
Map
General information
TypeIndoor market
Address16 Verkhnii Val St.
Town or cityKyiv
CountryUkraine
Coordinates50°27′54″N 30°30′41″E / 50.4650°N 30.5115°E / 50.4650; 30.5115
Construction started1974
Completed1980
Technical details
Floor count2
Design and construction
Architect(s)Valentyn Shtolko, Olha Monina
EngineerO. Bednarskyi
Other designersAnatoliy Domnych
Website
www.zhytniy-rynok.kiev.ua (in Ukrainian)

Zhytniy Market (Ukrainian: Житній ринок, romanized: Zhytniy rynok) or Rye Market[1] is an indoor market in the Podil neighbourhood of Kyiv, Ukraine. The modernist building, then the largest indoor market in Europe, opened in 1980 on the site of an open-air market dating to the time of the Kievan Rus'.

History

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Outdoor market

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Outdoor market in 1888 (left foreground)

There has been a market on the site since the time of the Kievan Rus', and it has been a major marketplace since the 15th century.[2]

In 1811 a fire occurred on a street near the market. Due to the poor state of the roads firefighters couldn't reach the place in time so the fire spread onto the Zhytniy Market and the wooden buildings around it. The disastrous fire lasted for three days and became known as the Great Podil fire.

During the Ukrainian War of Independence, 10 April 1919, two months after the capture of Kyiv by Bolsheviks, Zhytniy Market became one of the centers of Kurenivka uprising [uk], getting captured by Ukrainian insurgents, later that day the entire city center had been liberated. In the evening international support was sent by Bolsheviks and the main battle took place in front of the market. Due to lack of weapons insurgents had to retreat and the following day the uprising was suppressed.

Indoor market

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Market interior, 2021

The current modernist building was designed by Valentyn Shtolko [uk] and Olha Monina, and built in 1974–1980.[3][4] Designed to accommodate 1,350 vendors, it was then the largest indoor market in Europe.[5] A curving concrete ceiling patterned with hexagonal indentations spans the market hall, supported by jutting beams.[3][4] Clerestory windows on all sides are overlaid with metal designs evoking the horse chestnut leaf that symbolises Kyiv. Metal reliefs on the exterior by Anatoliy Domnych depict Ukrainian trade routes over 1,500 years.[4][6]

Original project also featured a 112-suite hotel, however with Podil gaining a status of architectural reserve the plans were scrapped.[7] On the place of the cancelled hotel two rain shelters had been installed, in 1990's they were demolished in favor of a car park.

29 January 2009 Kyiv City Council agreed to privatize Zhytniy and Volodymyrskyi markets, the next day it was attempted to intentionally damage the first one by setting it on fire, which was a common scheme to legally demolish the historical buildings for a new construction. Market's security was missing and a fire was noticed by one of the salesmen who called the fire department. In fire a fish shop was damaged and a building got filled with smoke so it had to be ventilated for entire day. 2 February 2010 the workers of Zhytniy Market gathered to protest the privatization.[8]

Throughout the years the building has been increasingly in need of renovation[9] and is threatened by the war that began with Russia's invasion in February 2022 and also by anti-Russian sentiment that has led to the destruction of many monuments from the Soviet era.[4] Once packed with vendors and the site of monthly flea markets,[3] it is now little used. The Kyiv City Council has offered its lease at auction and then withdrawn it twice in 2024.[4][9] Celebrity chef Yevhen Klopotenko is among those urging the building be saved and refurbished as a tourist attraction.[4][5][10]

References

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  1. ^ "Rye market". Kyiv.Digital Tourist Hub.
  2. ^ "Про Житній ринок" [About Zhytniy Market]. Житній Ринок (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  3. ^ a b c Elina Kent (14 January 2021). "Kyiv's 12 extraordinary sights of Soviet architecture". Kyiv Post.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Charlotte Higgins (12 August 2024). "'Casual decommunisation': seeking to save Ukraine's Soviet-era modernist masterpieces". The Guardian.
  5. ^ a b "Ally of Kyiv mayor may soon own Zhytniy Market". The New Voice of Ukraine. 3 October 2023.
  6. ^ Darmon Richter (18 September 2023). "10 Extraordinary Examples of Modernist Architecture in Kyiv". TravelMag.
  7. ^ "Житній ринок. Історія". Київ від минулого до майбутнього.
  8. ^ "Працівники Житнього ринку проти його приватизації". Ukrainska Pravda. Kyiv.
  9. ^ a b Kateryna Hodunova (12 April 2024). "Kyiv City Council suspends second auction for iconic food market due to public uproar". The Kyiv Independent.
  10. ^ Dominic Culverwell (22 March 2024). "Kyiv at risk of losing iconic market to development". The Kyiv Independent.
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