Against the slow destruction of the architectural legacy of earlier generations, the quiet and peaceful demise of early 20th century buildings, the decline of the grandeur and beauty of once flourishing estates, a whole epoch is being effaced, and all is left for us is merely to imagine the lost beauty of our landscapes, towns and villages. If only we could admit and finally realize that they are priceless treasures both for us, and for generations to come. After all, in their better days, these buildings served as a model to follow for a lot of countries at the turn of the 20th century.

Hundreds of abandoned historical buildings are scattered across Ukraine. They are part and parcel of our history and national identity, which is to be preserved for future generations, especially now that Ukrainians are standing up for their independence.

Almost every Ukrainian village used to boast a manorial estate or an exquisite palace, looted or destroyed in the aftermath of the 1917 socialist revolution or in the Soviet era.

Cities were once immersed in luxury, parks with fountains and rosaries would be laid out in front of palaces, which in their turn were built of advanced materials using cutting edge technologies. But over time, the palaces suffered from severe looting, treasures of art galleries were taken abroad, and the former fountains turned into landfills. Pre-1917 revolution apartment buildings in our cities now look like birdhouses with balconies cased in plastic or enlarged by tasteless extensions. The facades of buildings appear neglected, the roofs are damaged and need restoration. The overall condition of century-old revenue houses can be characterized as run down, which leads to commercial and moral losses. The buildings that have a protection status are decaying or are intentionally set on fire in order to vacate the site for the next residential complex to be built and a profit made from high-rises.

Houses are meant to be a decoration of a European state and demonstrate the culture of a country. However, part of the Ukrainian national heritage may disappear completely in the near future. A significant number of historical and architectural monuments are turning into ruins.

Declaring European values, we must realize that Europe is not only a political and economic union, but also a way of life in which culture is of paramount importance. While in Germany, Austria, or Poland, the preservation of monuments has always been a national priority, in Ukraine it still seems necessary to explicitly draw attention to the preservation of architecture, to emphasize the priority of cultural heritage in the public opinion.

Making ourselves aware of the history, culture and traditions of people, we can deeply appreciate the heritage of previous generations. This also holds for Ukraine, a unique land with a lot of treasures to be unearthed.