In the autumn of 2024, the building sustained damage due to shelling. Following the visit of a UNESCO representative to Kharkiv in February 2025, a new opportunity emerged: the possibility of nominating Derzhprom for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List through the emergency “in danger” procedure.

On May 6, 2025, the first meeting of the working group on the restoration and nomination of Derzhprom was convened under the auspices of the regional administration. However, a core team formally responsible for preparing the nomination dossier has not yet been officially established.

From May 13 to June 30, three exhibitions from the series Modernism in Ukraine, prepared by ETOM NEB LAB and previously presented between 2022 and 2024 as part of the Triennale der Moderne in Berlin — and later shown in Chemnitz from December 2024 to January 2025 — were displayed in the very heart of Kharkiv, within the Derzhprom building itself. One of the exhibitions, Svoboda/Freedom Square Ensemble in Kharkiv, traced nearly a century of the ensemble’s development through historical photographs, culminating in its current wartime condition.

This exhibition became a catalyst for its author, Prof. Dr. Svitlana Smolenska (an ISC20C expert), together with her Kharkiv-based colleagues concerned with the fate of the city’s modernist heritage, to initiate a roundtable discussion with both local and international experts. The aim was to accelerate the nomination process and to bring international knowledge, experience, and support to the effort.
The roundtable took place on June 11 and was widely considered a success. Participants included architects — both scholars and practicing professionals — who have studied Derzhprom or worked on its restoration, as well as representatives of the regional administration responsible for preparing the UNESCO nomination, and national and international heritage experts.

Among the Kharkiv-based contributors who presented research, documentation, and updates on the history and current condition of Derzhprom were: Oleksandr Kostin, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Tourism of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration; Prof. Dr. Kateryna Cherkasova, Head of the Kharkiv Branch of ICOMOS; Volodymyr Lopatko, restoration architect and member of ICOMOS Ukraine; Danylo Yelfymov, a specialist in structural building assessment.

Significant contributions were also made by national experts such as: Prof. Dr. Mykola Bevz, Head of the Department of Architecture and Restoration at Lviv Polytechnic National University; Oleksandr Kharlan, PhD in Architecture and President of ICOMOS Ukraine.
It was especially notable that such distinguished international experts took part in the discussion, including: Prof. Dr. Riin Alatalu, Vice President of ICOMOS and Chair of the Estonian Heritage Council; Prof. Dr. Jörg Haspel, Technical University of Berlin, former Vice President and President of the German National Committee of ICOMOS, and long-time Chief Conservator of Berlin’s Monument Authority; Dr. Thomas Flierl, Head of the Max Lingner Foundation, architectural historian specializing in Soviet and German avant-garde heritage, and former Berlin Senator for Science, Research, and Culture; Ben Buschfeld, designer and heritage activist, co-organizer of ETOM NEB LAB and Berlin curator of the Triennale der Moderne festival.

A letter of support was also received from Prof. Dr. Uta Pottgiesser, Chair of Docomomo International.

In total, twelve experts took part in the discussion, addressing key issues related to the potential inclusion of Derzhprom on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Topics included the preservation of the site’s authenticity following the damage it suffered in 2024, the possibility of applying under the emergency nomination procedure (§161–162 of the Operational Guidelines), and the technical and substantive requirements of the nomination dossier.

International experts emphasized that neither the recent war-related damage nor earlier losses — such as missing windows, plaster, or interior elements — necessarily disqualify a site from nomination. What matters most is that these changes are transparently acknowledged, clearly documented, and that the site’s significance is convincingly demonstrated — both in terms of its remaining physical fabric and its broader historical and cultural value. This open and evidence-based approach reflects a responsible attitude toward heritage preservation.

Experts also stressed the importance of aligning the nomination with the criteria recommended by UNESCO. Derzhprom not only fulfills Criterion (iv) — as an outstanding example of early modernist architecture — but also Criterion (vi), due to the strong ideological and historical associations that connect the building with Kharkiv’s unique role as a hub of early Soviet modernism in Ukraine.
The online meeting was moderated by Prof. Dr. Svitlana Smolenska, with Olesia Chahovets, conservation architect and member of ICOMOS Ukraine, serving as coordinator, and technical support provided by Dr. Anastasiia Bozhenko.

Overall, the roundtable discussion was both meaningful and productive. Ukrainian and international experts alike expressed a clear willingness to contribute their knowledge and collaborate toward the shared goal of nominating the Derzhprom building for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Going forward, much will depend on the regional administration’s ability to demonstrate leadership — by establishing a dedicated expert team, initiating the development of the nomination dossier, and designing a comprehensive communication strategy that engages all relevant stakeholders, including local authorities, communities, and international partners.
The inclusion of Derzhprom on the World Heritage List would represent a milestone not only for Kharkiv, but for all of Ukraine. It would mark the first recognition of a modernist site in the country at the international level — affirming the global value of Ukraine’s architectural and cultural heritage.

Image: The current state of the Derzhprom building from the side of the destroyed part. © Svitlana Smolenska, June 2025.