The October Palace is back in court: the prosecutor’s office is demanding that the landmark be returned to the state
12 January 22:54
The Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office has filed a lawsuit demanding that the building of the International Center for Culture and Arts —the famous October Palace in central Kyiv— be returned to state ownership, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
This is a monument of national significance, which, by law, cannot be privatized.
According to the prosecutor’s office, the building at 1 Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred Alley is included in a special list of cultural heritage sites that may be held exclusively by the state.
Despite this, the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine has registered ownership rights to the October Palace, which, according to law enforcement officials, violates the law.
The issue of preserving the monument
The prosecutor’s office is paying particular attention to the state of the building’s preservation. According to its information, the Federation of Trade Unions failed for a long time to take appropriate measures to preserve the monument, and a preservation agreement was concluded only in 2025—and even then, in compliance with a court ruling on a previous lawsuit filed by the prosecutor.
The Kyiv Commercial Court has 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 attempting 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 plot of land was transferred to state ownership for nature conservation purposes.
