Dugouts and an abandoned high-rise building in Mykolaiv have become shelters for the homeless

Former dugouts, photo by NikVesti

Abandoned defensive fortifications and a derelict high-rise building in Mykolaiv have become a refuge for people without a permanent place to live.

Local residents have lodged this complaint with the editorial team at NikVesti. The issue concerns an area on Peremohy Square in the Inhulskyi district of Mykolaiv, where residential buildings and two schools are located nearby.

Former dugouts and a high-rise building, photo by NikVesti

Former dugouts and a high-rise building, photo by NikVesti

According to local residents, the area has become a hotbed of unsanitary conditions, with rubbish piling up and a characteristic stench.

«The perception of the homeless is indeed negative, and not just in this location. They have taken over all the trenches along Kosmonavtiv Street from the square to 12 Povzdolzhnia Street. It’s unsanitary; they drag all sorts of rubbish from the bins there. It’s terrifying to walk there after dark when a person suddenly appears out of nowhere, usually not in a very coherent state,» a resident of Mykolaiv told the editorial team.

A reporter from NikVesti visited the site. In addition to the dugout on the square, the homeless are also entering the grounds of an abandoned unfinished building located next to the supermarket. They have effectively set up home there. We are talking about the building at 76/1 Kosmonavtiv Street.

The editorial team contacted Hanna Remennikova, head of the Inhulskyi District Administration, for comment. When asked by the journalist whether the administration was taking any measures to resolve the issue, the official stated that she had no involvement with these dugouts. She added, however, that the authorities are constantly «clearing things up there», but cannot remove the defensive structures without the military’s permission.

«We deal with the dugouts constantly; we constantly evict homeless people from there; we keep the area in order, but at the moment we are not allowed to dismantle them (the dugouts, — note). So we cannot do any more than we are already doing,» said Anna Remennikova.

As for the high-rise building, according to the official, it is privately owned and all the city authorities could do was to board up the entrances to the building. Despite the fact that the building’s doors and windows have been boarded up on numerous occasions, the homeless always find a way to get inside.

«The high-rise is privately owned, and there is a complicated situation with the paperwork; there is no resolution to this issue yet. This is because part of it belongs to a factory and part to a private individual. We are constantly working on this, constantly reviewing these documents. But we cannot do anything about the owners. We’ve boarded up the doors and locked them, but they still manage to find a way in and open them,» said Hanna Remennikova.

Former dugouts, photo by NikVesti

Former dugouts, photo NikVesti

Abandoned high-rise, photo NikVesti

Abandoned high-rise, photo NikVesti

Abandoned high-rise, photo by NikVesti

Abandoned high-rise, photo by NikVesti

It is worth noting that the fate of this high-rise has already been the subject of discussion in the city council on numerous occasions. In particular, in 2023, councillor Yevhen Prudnyk proposed completing the building to provide housing for servicemen of the Mykolaiv garrison.