How Lviv’s “Take a House Under Guardianship” Initiative is reviving damaged properties after Russia’s attack

What is the problem?

The story of one street

Konovaltsia Street is located not far from the center of Lviv. However, in contrast to the noisy and always busy central alleys, silence reigns here.

A woman sweeps the porch, clearing away the bothersome fallen leaves. Students chat as they walk back from their university classes. Meanwhile, cats dart beneath the windows, chasing each other playfully. The street feels like a scene from a fairy tale—a Lviv fairy tale—complete with charming old houses, some dating back to the 19th and 20th centuries, clean streets, and friendly greetings exchanged between neighbors each morning.

This district could have continued to be a peaceful place where the lives of its residents unfolded quietly. However, on September 4, a Russian missile struck here.

Broken windows, piles of construction debris, and marking tape around the buildings are now visible. But the most tragic consequence is the loss of life. A small memorial has been established here in memory of those who, unfortunately, did not survive.

Konovaltsia Street was not the only one affected that night. In total, 189 houses were damaged across two districts of Lviv—Frankivskyi and Zaliznychnyi. This resulted in 3,377 broken windows, along with damage to architectural monuments, educational and medical institutions, and creative centers.

The Russians targeted the historical center, which includes many architectural monuments and falls within the UNESCO buffer zone, as well as the state register of immovable monuments of Ukraine. Notably, the building at Konovaltsia 44, which was a tenement house belonging to Ludwig Hirsch, built between 1911 and 1912, was destroyed.

What is the solution?

To aid in the restoration of Lviv, specifically the 20 most severely damaged buildings, Mayor Andrii Sadovyi has launched the "Take a House Under Guardianship" program. Through this initiative, he is inviting both Ukrainian and foreign investors to participate in the reconstruction of the affected structures.

How does it work?

Emergency work is currently being carried out at 44 Konovaltsia Street. According to Deputy Mayor Andrii Moskalenko, the building will be conserved, and restoration efforts will commence soon. As part of the "Take a House Under Guardianship" initiative, Sadovyi recently announced on his Facebook page that ATB-market will contribute to the reconstruction by investing $281,000.

Konovaltsia Street is adjacent to Kokorudza Street, which also sustained significant damage.

This includes Lyceum No. 5 named after Ivanna and Ilya Kokorudziv. On September 3, the first bell rang, marking the official start of the new academic year. However, the very next day, school staff arrived to find the classrooms devastated, filled with shattered glass, torn wallpaper, and broken windows.

Partners from the German city of Freiburg contributed to the reconstruction of the lyceum by donating €100,000. These funds were used to restore the windows and repair the damaged parts of the building.

Ukrainian businesses and international entrepreneurs and organizations have come together to support the initiative, including the OKKO gas station chain, Carlsberg, the Sean Penn charity fund CORE, Kormotekh, Enzim, Meest Group, Lviv IT Cluster, Polonik Institute, the Association of Western Ukrainian Developers, Schreder, Poner, Young Business Club Lviv, Kindgeek, MarkKven, ULAR farm, Victoria Gardens, inVerita, the Ukrainian Bible Church, the Ukrainian Development Fund, and others.

Andrii Pavliv, head of the Investments and Projects Department, explained: "The Lviv City Council did not create a charity fund or hold meetings; patrons are invited to take specific buildings under their care and restore them or finance particular types of restoration work." This could include replacing windows, conducting emergency repairs, or restoring roofs and facades.

He added that under this initiative, the houses are placed under the care of patrons, and the Lviv City Council does not select contractors or announce tenders for the restoration of the 20 most affected sites—investors have the freedom to choose their own contracting organizations to carry out the work. There is no predetermined list of 20 specific buildings designated for reconstruction by patrons.

According to Pavliv, framework agreements for restoration have been signed for most of the buildings, with expert opinions and cost estimates already prepared.

It is too early to assess the timeline for complete or partial restoration, as the process may take months or even years. Therefore, monitoring of the reconstruction efforts will continue in the future.