Communal work at Teremky: how to make the district exemplary and promising 40 years after its foundation

Photo: bohdan.com.ua

Viktoriia Hubareva

Why do we like European cities so much? An activist from Kyiv, designer Bohdan Hdal writes in his blog: "When I traveled abroad, I often asked myself: what makes cities in other countries feel beautiful? And I caught myself thinking that minor details seemingly created the city's appearance. Freshly cut grass, a painted wall without defects, a new light bulb in a lantern, a clean roadside, same windows, washed partitions of public transport stops, and so on. It's clear that in many European countries, there's also a dictatorship of order. That's when you can't insulate your walls or put air conditioning on your own."

Bohdan Hdal

Bohdan's story begins in 2013 when he lived on Avtozavodskа Street and decided to put a common space for all building residents in order: first, he painted the front door, then the elevator, and then the walls at the stairwell. He bought paint for his own money, drew sketches, and did all the work. The painted entrance began to look more aesthetically pleasing, and the residents took up this initiative and supported the artist as they could: with kind words, money, or their direct participation.

It'd been a long time, but this case might've made Bohdan realize that the city where he lived belonged entirely to him: not only his own apartment but also his street, and the one that intersects with it, and even neighboring areas. The relocations allowed the artist to take care of the area where Bohdan lived and continue the projects he started. Thus, after 7 years of activity, prints of his work are in the Minskyi residential area in Obolon and Teremky, and on a sign at the Pochaina metro station in Kyiv.

Photo: bohdan.com.ua