A stroll through Kyiv with architectural history buff Mykhailo Kalnytsky is an enlightening experience indeed
ing, and chances are, he’ll tell you more than you would ever expect to hear.
Off the top of his head Kalnytsky can recount the history, the architect and the original owner of practically any building in the city. He can even tell you how much it cost to build.
It’s no wonder, because likely Kalnytsky was the one who discovered the information.
Until recently this guru of Kyiv’s architectural history worked as an electrical engineer at one of Kyiv’s design bureaus. But architecture has always been his hobby. With an air of respect and adoration, Kalnytsky refers to Kyiv as “this town.”
“During high school, I enjoyed long walks around this town and always wanted to know my surroundings,” Kalnytsky recalls. “But Soviet travel guides mostly listed major plants and monuments of leaders. Finally, I realized that if I wanted any more information, I would have to find it myself.”
So Kalnytsky delved into the dusty archives of state agencies, schools, museums and any others that he could find. Soon his hobby evolved into a mission.
Today, Kalnytsky feels compelled to pass his knowledge on to the next generation.
“The Bolsheviks destroyed many things for the communist belief, and today people will destroy anything for money,” Kalnytsky says. “I am just very afraid of losing something. I want to leave [behind] a integral picture of Kyiv.”
Kalnytsky writes a Kyiv history column in Kievskie Vedomosti, produces a TV program on Tet channel, and writes articles for a number of specialized magazines. Kalnytsky also was involved in publishing the Kyiv volume of the first-ever Code of Historical and Cultural Monuments of Ukraine, which is a compilation of articles detailing more than 2,000 buildings in Kyiv.
Kalnytsky’s driving force is his desire to share his discoveries. He is primarily interested in the architecture and era between the 19th-century and early 20th-century – Kyiv’s most flourishing period since the Kyivan Rus.
After serfdom was abolished in 1861, Kyiv became one of the Russian Empire’s largest sugar-processing and flour-milling centers. As these industries expanded, so did the population, and as a result, real estate became a profitable business.
Many of the more elegant five-story buildings that remain today were built as so-called “profit houses,” which were leased to private tenants with shop space on the ground floors, or they housed factories or army headquarters.
Using documents such as birth certificates, building contracts, and letters, Kalnytsky published dozens of insightful stories and biographies. His other pursuits include collecting postcards of old buildings; he has amassed more than 1,000. He also enjoys publishing profiles of famous officials, merchants and art patrons.
Occasionally, Kalnytsky comes across something unexpected. For instance, he recently found “The Rules for Brothel Keepers,” a 1908 guide that was handed out to brothel owners by law enforcement officials. He also found an anonymous letter written by a father to the police, reporting 48 illegal brothels. Apparently this father was distraught over his teen-age son’s frequent visits to these houses of ill repute.
Thanks to Kalnytsky’s efforts, he has helped restore several artifacts in Kyiv. For example, after the restoration of the Mykhailivsky Cathedral in August, Kalnytsky published an account of the cathedral’s chime clock.
In 1802, the clock broke and the city repeatedly promised to fix it. It was never repaired, and the cathedral was destroyed in the 1930s. After Kalnytsky wrote an article recently detailing the story, Kyiv’s city administration immediately ordered a new chime clock for the restored church.
There are many such stories detailing Kalnytsky.
For instance, he was instrumental in the creation of a realistic replica of the metal fence that once surrounded the statue of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, erected in 1888 and torn down in the 1940s.
By chance, Kalnytsky came across an original pillar from this fence and brought it to the Kyiv History Museum. In 1999, during the reconstruction of Sofiyska Square, the pillar was used as a model to rebuild the fence surrounding the square.
Discovering artifacts that many researchers had tried – and failed – to find is the most satisfying aspect of Kalnytsky’s work, he says.
Kalnytsky is most proud of discovering the birth certificates of world-famous pianist Vladimir Horowitz and former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir who were both born in Kyiv.
“You won’t find anything if you search where everyone else does,” Kalnytsky says. “You must use your imagination and suppose where else it could be – this often works.”
Each document in the archives has a user’s list and anyone who reviews these documents must register. Most of the popular records on file have dozens of signatures on the list. However, often Kalnytsky comes across documents that have never been examined.
“When discovering a blank sheet and being the first to sign it, I feel like Don Juan on the hunt for a virgin,” Kalnytsky smiles.
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The Vladimir Horowitz competition of young pianists, will take place at the National Philharmonic Nov. 4-10. Named after the late world-famous pianist from Kyiv, Vladimir Horowitz (1903-1989) this competition three age categories.
Admission is free for those attending the afternoon concert.
The most interesting performances will be on the last three days when the best musicians will be performing.
On Nov. 10, the finalists will perform. The venue for this year’s award ceremony and closing concert has not been set; however, in previous years, both were held at the National Opera.
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Turkish Cinema Days will take place at Dom Kino on Nov. 9, 10 and 12. The festival features six award-winning films that were produced in the 1990s. The films are shown in Turkish with simultaneous Ukrainian translation and English subtitles.
