The Office of the Prosecutor General defended the right of Ukrainians to preserve living history — a museum where Lesya Ukrainka, Mykola Lysenko, Mykhailo Starytskyi, and Panas Saksahanskyi created and lived side by side.

This concerns the complex of the Museum of Outstanding Figures of Ukrainian Culture in the center of Kyiv. It was here, at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, that the families of Ukrainian artists lived, creating a unique cultural hub that still preserves the spirit of that time.

Despite the obvious value of this place, as early as 2010, the Kyiv City Council unlawfully transferred over 0.5 hectares of land for use by a private company for the construction of an office-residential complex with a hotel and parking. The plot is located within the protected zones of the museum and in the historical area of the capital, where any new construction is strictly prohibited by law.

For many years, the developer attempted to compel cultural heritage protection authorities through the courts to grant permits for earthworks. However, the prosecutor's office consistently opposed these intentions, filed a number of lawsuits, and achieved the cancellation of all permits for construction.

Judicial instances, including the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court, confirmed the legal position of the prosecutors and ordered the return of the land plot to the Kyiv City Council. This legal position has become a benchmark for the further application of legislation in cases concerning the protected zones of cultural monuments.

Thus, the prosecutor's office protected not only a specific museum but also the principle itself: no business interest can outweigh the right of society to preserve its own historical memory.

Thanks to these decisions, Kyiv has preserved one of its key historical and cultural territories. The museum will continue to remain open for Kyiv residents and guests of the capital, reminding us that culture and memory are the foundation of statehood.

The Office of the Prosecutor General continues to defend the interests of the state in the field of cultural heritage protection and to ensure real protection of the historical and architectural environment of the country.