Mykolaiv seeks ₴5 million to renovate a historic tram substation purchased on Soborna Street

The building of the first tram substation, Photo: NikVesti

The Mykolaiv authorities are seeking 5 million hryvnias to renovate and begin using the historic building of the former tram substation at 8a Soborna Street.

This was announced by Mayor Oleksandr Senkevych on 13 January during his report on his activities for 2025, according to NikVesti.

«Last week, I met with the new head of the Mykolaiv City Agency to discuss attracting extra-budgetary funds to launch this substation. A lot of money is needed to avoid a major overhaul, and it will take years,» he said.

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Currently, the city authorities are considering an option to renovate only the first floor of the building and start using it, and then gradually renovate the other floors.

«My opinion is that we need to renovate the first floor, separate it from the second and third floors, and launch cultural and social life there. Access for ongoing repairs to the second floor should be through the back entrance via a window. In fact, we should export the first floor, gradually renovate the second and third floors, and look for funds for this,» the mayor explained.

He also added that a project is currently being prepared to renovate the premises at a cost of 5 million hryvnias.

«We are currently in the process of writing a project worth 5 million hryvnias in order to start this work,» concluded Oleksandr Sienkevych.

We would like to remind you that in December 2025, the Mykolaiv City Council completed the process and received the historic tram substation building into municipal ownership.

The history of the first tram substation in Mykolaiv

The building of the electrical substation. Photo: Mykolaiv Regional Archive

As is well known, the first tram substation in Mykolaiv was built at the beginning of the 20th century. In the 1970s, attempts were made to demolish the building to widen Lenin Avenue (now Central Avenue, ed.) and to build an underground passage.

However, thanks to the efforts of local architects and activists, in particular architect Olha Popova, this object was preserved and included in the list of architectural monuments. In 1973, the building was given a new use — the Sadko café was opened there.

In the early 2000s, the building caught the attention of Serhii Prudkyi, director of the Mykolaiv branch of Aval Bank, who initiated the establishment of a bank branch within its walls. After reconstruction, the building was purchased and adapted for new use.

Sale of the historic building on Soborna Street

As is well known, on 9 February, the building of the first tram substation at 8a Soborna Street was put up for sale with a starting price of only 3.5 million hryvnias.

At that time, according to the head of the Mykolaiv Culture Department, Yurii Liubarov, the owner of the building approached the city council with an offer to purchase the building even before the auction was announced, but the mayor, Oleksandr Sienkevych, refused, citing a lack of funds.

Later, NikVesti asked Serhii Prudkyi, an honorary citizen of Mykolaiv and member of the executive committee, who was once the director of a bank and bought this building for Aval, what he thought about the possibility of the city buying the property. He replied that the Department of Culture should now look for opportunities to purchase this building for 3.5 million hryvnias in order to preserve this architectural monument for the residents of Mykolaiv.

In particular, the opinion that the historic tram substation building on Soborna Street, which is up for auction, should be purchased in the interests of the city community, is shared by Mykolaiv City Council member and head of the Servant of the People faction, Tetiana Dombrovska.

Mykola Kapatsyna, co-owner of the Okean shipbuilding plant and deputy of the Mykolaiv City Council, said he was ready to allocate 1 million hryvnias to purchase the building for the city together with other interested parties.

Deputy Artem Iliuk said that the city authorities should involve deputies in resolving the issue of purchasing the property.

At the same time, musician, volunteer and chairman of the supervisory board of the DOF public organisation Volodymyr Alekseiev supported the idea of raising 3.5 million hryvnias to buy the building of the first tram substation in the centre of Mykolaiv. He proposed combining social and commercial functions in this building, which would benefit the city and preserve the historic building.