The UNOPS is waiting for permission to rebuild the Arkas gymnasium in Mykolaiv

The building of the Arkas Lyceum is still awaiting restoration, September 2024, photo NikVesti

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is awaiting permission from the State Inspection of Architecture and Urban Planning to begin reconstruction of the destroyed part of the historic building of the Mykola Arkas Lyceum (formerly Mykola Arkas First Ukrainian Gymnasium) in the center of Mykolaiv.

Mykhailo Turianytsia, UNOPS communications specialist in Ukraine, told about this in a comment to NikVesti.

It should be noted that the Danish government undertook to finance the project in 2023, and UNOPS is engaged in its implementation. According to the restoration plan, stabilization works, which include major repairs of the roof and walls and restoration of the facade of the lyceum, were to begin in the third quarter of this year, and already in the spring of 2025, it was planned to begin repair work and the construction of a shelter at the lyceum.

In May, UNOPS held a tender for stabilization work, but as of September 9, the work had not started.

The building of the Arkas Lyceum is still awaiting restoration, September 2024, photo NikVesti

The building of the Arkas Lyceum is still awaiting restoration, September 2024, photo NikVesti

As Mykhailo Turianytsa noted in a comment to the publication, UNOPS has already determined the winner of the tender and negotiations with a potential contractor are now being completed.

«We announced a tender for works in May. So far, it has already been successfully completed, there is a selected winner, and we are in the process of final negotiations with him, after which we will conclude a contract,» said Mykhailo Turianytsia.

He also explained that the date of the start of work will be known after the city council receives permission to carry out construction work.

«Unfortunately, we cannot name the exact date of the start of work. The fact is that their start depends on obtaining a permit for construction work. The Mykolaiv city government, which is the owner of the building, must apply for a permit to the State Inspection of Architecture and Town Planning. We actively work with the local authorities and provide all the necessary information so that the permit is granted as soon as possible,» said Mykhailo Turianytsia, UNOPS communications specialist in Ukraine.

He also added that the works should be performed not only as quickly as possible, but also with high quality.

«Speaking about the difficulties in implementation, it is worth highlighting the main point of tension in the project: we understand that the works must be carried out as quickly as possible, but we must take care that they are safe and that the result is durable. Accordingly, we conducted a thorough examination of the scientific project documentation, developed a list of necessary works, and then carefully checked the proposals of potential contractors. The next step is obtaining a permit, which is a process that ensures compliance with government rules and regulations, so it also needs to be taken seriously. All these things cost us time. The project is very clearly aware that every day is worth its weight in gold, and that the people of Mykolaiv are looking forward to the works,» Mykhailo Turianytsia said.

The building of the Arkas Lyceum is still awaiting restoration, September 2024, photo NikVesti

Stabilization works for the restoration of the Arkas Lyceum building, which should begin in the near future, include:

• overhaul of the roof and walls,
• restoration of the facade, but without restoration of ornaments and other decorative elements.
• This also includes preparation for setting up a shelter.

The contractor must perform all these works in accordance with the scientific project documentation. The next stage should be restoration works. Their content is already determined by the developed NAP.

It was previously reported that the first stage of reconstruction of the Mykolaiv Lyceum named after Mykola Arkas, according to the project documentation, will cost about 41 million hryvnias.

Mykola Arkas Lyceum during the war

The building of the Arkas Lyceum is still awaiting restoration, September 2024, photo NikVesti

The historic building of the First Ukrainian Grammar School named after Mykola Arkas was destroyed on November 1, 2022 during the bombing of Mykolaiv by Russian troops. As a result of shelling in the gymnasium, a part of the wall collapsed, the interior of the classrooms was opened, and the roof above the facade was damaged.

Later, the Department of Education of the Mykolaiv City Council reported that the lyceum building would be restored at the expense of Denmark. Later, the Ukrainian architects presented the Danish ambassador Ole Egberg Mikkelsen with options for the recovery and restoration of the Lyceum named after Mykola Arkas. At the same time, he assured that the Mykolaiv city government will choose the reconstruction option itself.

Mayor Oleksandr Sienkovych announced that the lyceum will be restored while preserving its authentic appearance. And the head of the city council's culture department Yurii Liubarov spoke about one of the options for the reconstruction of the destroyed facade of the Arkas First Ukrainian Gymnasium. He proposed to preserve the destroyed part of the facade in a glass «aquarium», while strengthening the overlap between the floors, and to restore the other part of the facade in a classical way to an authentic state.

The building of the Arkas Lyceum is still awaiting restoration, September 2024, photo NikVesti

The building of the Arkas Lyceum is still awaiting restoration, September 2024, photo NikVesti

The building of the Arkas Lyceum is still awaiting restoration, September 2024, photo NikVesti

The building of the Arkas Lyceum is still awaiting restoration, September 2024, photo NikVesti