October Palace back in court: prosecutors demand return of landmark to state
12 January 22:54
The Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office has filed a lawsuit demanding that the International Center for Culture and Arts building —the famous October Palace in central Kyiv— be returned to state ownership, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
This is a monument of national importance, which, according to the law, cannot be privatized.
What are the claims?
According to the prosecutor’s office, the building at 1 Heroes of Heavenly Hundred Alley is included in a special list of cultural heritage sites that can only be state-owned.
Despite this, the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine has registered ownership of the October Palace, which, according to law enforcement officials, is contrary to the law.
The issue of preserving the monument
The prosecutor’s office pays special attention to the state of protection of the building. According to its information, the Federation of Trade Unions did not take appropriate measures to preserve the monument for a long time, and the security agreement was concluded only in 2025 — and that was in compliance with a court decision on a previous lawsuit filed by the prosecutor.
The Commercial Court of Kyiv opened proceedings in the case and scheduled a preliminary hearing for March 2, 2026. The prosecutor’s office is demanding that the building be returned to the state, represented by the State Property Fund of Ukraine.
The dispute over the October Palace
This dispute is one of a series of cases in which the state is trying to regain control over cultural and natural heritage sites.
Recently, for example, in the Verkhovyna district of Ivano-Frankivsk region, for the first time in the history of the Carpathians, a private land plot was transferred to state ownership for nature conservation purposes.
