Zhytnii market wants to live: Klitschko is summoned to talk about the fate of the building
20 March 2024 14:06
The National Electronic Exchange has announced an auction for the right to lease the capital’s Zhytniy Market. The relevant lot appeared on the exchange’s website on 18 March, and the auction will take place on 25 March. This information confused Kyiv residents, the capital’s public and concerned representatives of responsible business, Komersant ukrainskyi 
reports
The auction conditions state that the total area of the market is 11.1 thousand square metres. The starting price of the lot is UAH 2 million 475 thousand 710.59, which is the monthly rental price. The market is leased for 15 months. The tenant has no right to change the purpose of the premises. The ground floor will continue to be used for the sale of agricultural products and foodstuffs, while the first floor will be used for retail, restaurants and services to the public. The basement should remain a storage area.
The tenant may sublet the premises without changing the intended use. The tenant is also responsible for paying all utility and tax payments. The lessee is obliged to carry out major repairs and reconstruction of the building, including eliminating violations of fire and industrial safety rules. The tenant must start these repairs within the first six months of the lease, but the terms and conditions do not specify when the reconstruction should be completed.
The information about the auction caused a wide public outcry, as many concerned Kyiv residents believe that the iconic capital market is being destroyed. Yevhen Klopotenko, a well-known Kyiv restaurateur who has recently been actively involved in the development strategy of Zhytniy Market, believes that the buildings have long been prepared to play the role of another Kyiv market, Sennyi, which was destroyed for construction. Klopotenko has become one of those trying to save the market.
“This year, we have held a clean-up day at Zhytniy and cleaned it up, organised two pop-ups, and together with active Kyiv residents, we have formed a common vision of the future of Zhytniy. In a few weeks, an audit of the technical condition of the market was to begin, and a presentation of the Zhytniy revival project was scheduled for late spring,”
– he wrote on Instagram.
The businessman believes that the 5-day deadline for submitting bids for the auction with a starting price of UAH 2.47 million indicates that the auction is being prepared for a specific client.
“Someone is not satisfied with this piece of land (because that’s how they feel about it)… There are thoughts that this may be an auction for a specific winner. This is the case when you really want to be wrong,”
– said Klopotenko.
A similar opinion was expressed by another well-known businessman, Garik Korogodsky. He also hinted at the corrupt intentions of the auction organisers.
“The announced lease tender cannot be called a tender… I am telling you this as a businessman who knows how decisions are made in large companies. It’s not even funny to announce such a tender five days before it is to be held. I am convinced of one thing: no one will come to the tender who wants to turn Zhytniy into Rye,”
– he wrote on Facebook.
Even before these reactions appeared, in a comment to the relevant Facebook post, the National Electronic Exchange had engaged Klopotenko and invited him to participate in the auction with a smiley face.
The restaurateur seems to have accepted the offer.
“We have survived for a year and I am sure that together we can protect Zhytniy. Let’s join forces and take part in the auction together. Write to me in private, write comments under this post, tag potential investors and partners, share this post – publicity is a powerful weapon!
Rye will live!”
– he wrote on Instagram.
The businessman challenged Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko to a discussion:
“P.S. @vitaliyklitschko, let’s meet and talk like two people who care about the fate of the city.”
Yulia Savostina, the organiser of the Made in Ukraine fair, believes that the public should now demand the cancellation of the auction.
“My whole feed is in the news about the lease of Zhytniy Market for 15 years and the impossible 5-day deadline for submitting documents. My entire feed is aware that none of this will happen. Since yesterday evening, I have personally called several people who might be interested in developing such a project, who have an idea of international practices, the cost of reconstruction and further management of such an object that is so valuable to the community, and who have the resources to do so. You know what… I rarely give up. But in this case, we can only influence the cancellation of the competition for now… And then demand a competition for the development concept. So far, so good,”
– she wrote on Facebook.
Rye market
The Zhytniy market is considered the oldest market in Kyiv that is still operating. It dates back to the times of Kyivan Rus and has been considered one of the main centres of small-scale trade in the capital throughout its history. It is considered a cult place for many Kyiv residents, especially those in the Podil neighbourhood where it is located. The current Zhytniy Market building, built in 1980, is considered a monument of modernist architecture.
the “problems” with Zhytniy Market began a long time ago. The market building had been falling into disrepair for decades, and the city authorities did not take the necessary steps to maintain it in good condition. This gave activists grounds to claim that the market was being prepared for transfer to developers, and possibly for demolition for future development.
In April 2022, the tender for the lease of the market was won by Tangierin, a company owned by beer magnate Florian Bolen. The businessman planned to set up a food court and a beer pub on the second floor and undertook to reconstruct and overhaul the market. However, during the year of the contract, he not only failed to start the repairs, but did not even pay the rent properly, according to market representatives.
In July 2023, the Antimonopoly Committee opened a case against the tender, suspecting its participants of collusion and distortion of the auction result.
Businessman and restaurateur Yevhen Klopotenko was one of the initiators of a broad discussion about the future of the market. In October last year, the market hosted a brunch with businessmen, activists, urbanists, Podil residents and the city authorities. As part of the initiative, Klopotenko and his associates were preparing a development strategy for Zhytniy Market, according to which the place should retain its uniqueness as a place to sell seasonal and local products and a point of attraction in Podil, rather than turn into another shopping mall.
