Talk too UN News An hour after artillery fired across the city, Mr. Rosenfeld said the idea that “Kharkiv is a border city” was now taking shape amid the destruction.
“Seeing the whole city from the panoramic windows and the smoke from the fire, you understand that our city is proud of itself, intelligent, educated, knows its value,” Mr. Rosenfeld, born and raised said Kharkiv.
Damaged buildings in Kharkiv.
The master plan being described now, was developed on a voluntary basis by the Norman Foster Foundation together with a group of local architects and urban planners and with an Advisory Board of International Experts.
Supported by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) through a pilot project, the newly created group of UN4Kharkiv unites 16 UN agencies and international organizations, with the volunteer Mr. Rosenfeld as a regional expert.
Maxim Rosenfeld, architect from Kharkiv.
Powers change constantly in the midst of war
“It is impossible to understand what is happening here from a distance,” he explained. “It is difficult to understand even from the inside because the situation is so strong. It changes all the time. We made an appointment for a Zoom meeting, and then it was late at night. When it comes to the issue of, say, energy security, the situation has completely changed. “
He said he was “in love” with his city, made movies about it, and could talk about its history and people for hours. Since the beginning of the war, when Kharkiv began to be systematically shelled, many have moved to other parts of Ukraine or gone abroad, but he said that he did not think about leaving.
The total damage caused to Ukraine’s housing sector since the Russian invasion is estimated at more than $50 billion. According to the City Council of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, 3,367 apartment buildings and 1,823 family houses were destroyed, along with city infrastructure.
The streets of Kharkiv in 2023.
Ukraine’s ‘Wild West’
The city in front is the “Ukrainian Wild West”, said Mr. Rosenfeld, referring to the beginnings of the mid-17th century.
“The people here are ready to take risks in order to take advantage of the opportunities that open up,” he said, providing an image of a rich history, from its character change at the beginning of the 19th century once the house was built- higher education to its early 20th century role as the capital of Soviet Ukraine.
“I have always believed that we have a lot in common with Berlin,” he said. “Now I don’t compare Kharkiv with anything. It is unique. To understand it, you must live here. “
Culturally, the national capital is a melting pot, with students from Africa to Asia studying and living together, he said, adding that Kharkiv’s border characteristics “are in its genetic code”. .
The central city of Kharkiv.
Kharkiv dream: Stop the bomb
Residents of Kharkiv were invited to participate in a study focused on the reconstruction of the city, but many had fled the daily attacks and those who died at that time dreamed of one thing: for the bomb to stop, Mr. Rosenfeld tell.
We heard their voices, he said. Noting that the bomb shelters built in Soviet Kharkov a year ago are being rebuilt to face new realities, he said that one of the 11 current proposals from architects and engineers in the defense process affect.
“Today, a ‘modern’ bomb shelter is an underground facility, underground universities, and event centers, which should be dual-use facilities,” Mr. Rosenfeld said.
Traditional life is back
Since 2022, despite constant attacks in the last month and a half, “a large number of people” have returned to Kharkiv, and cultural life has resumed in the city, Mr. Rosenfeld said.
“Recently we went to an amazing project based on a play we wrote two months ago on current events,” said the architect, noting that a jazz festival is in the works.
With air raid sirens, the show went on, he said.
Indeed, the idea of the future of Kharkiv was born to the sounds of air traffic sirens, Mr. Rosenfeld recalled, adding that despite the current conditions, he and many of his colleagues felt “happy” to work on the project.
The central city of Kharkiv.
‘Do the right thing’
“Maybe for some, it looks scary, but at this time you understand that you are doing something important and important,” he said. “You want to be needed.”
After the start of the war, many people in Kharkiv, like doctors and volunteers, understood that they were needed and useful, he said.
“They didn’t do it for nothing; they just did the right thing,” he said. “Doing what I do makes me very happy. Our work with the UN is real, making the most of our abilities, talents, knowledge, and skills. Yes, you have to deal with such a tragedy, but you are happy because you did not plant. He lives.”
