The destruction of natural territories by construction is one of the main environmental problems facing Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. The only reliable way to protect these areas is by granting them protected area status.
Including these areas into a National Nature Park (NNP), such as “Holosiivskyi” NNP, not only provides a high level of conservation status but also ensures they are managed by a dedicated administration, protection service, and scientific personnel.
The administration of the Holosiivskyi NNP, public activists, and scientists have jointly prepared documentation for a park expansion covering over 1,000 hectares.
These proposed additions include:
- The natural tracts of Kitaiv and Bakalovshchyna (around Lake Vidro).
- The area surrounding the Pyrohove open-air museum.
- The river islands of Olzhyn and Kozachyi (located on the Dnipro River), and other adjacent territories.
Undermining Conservation Efforts
This proposed expansion is only a part of what the park was originally intended to be. Initially, over 11,000 hectares were supposed to be included in the park in the Holosiivskyi district of the city, but only 4,200 hectares received protected status. Critically, the areas originally planned for inclusion have not lost their environmental value.
All the documentation for the current expansion was agreed upon by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources (Min dovkillia). The subsequent work was to be handled by the Kyiv City (Military) State Administration (KCSA).
However, the KCSA effectively sabotaged this expansion. Why?
Many international observers have seen investigative reports (like those by Bihus.Info) detailing how Kyiv city authorities allegedly profited from corrupt land schemes. This is precisely why Kyiv’s “environmental” officials were in no hurry to expand the national park—protecting these lands would have closed off lucrative opportunities for illegal development.
A Call for Real Change
Figures implicated in corruption scandals within Kyiv’s government structures have now been dismissed from their positions. Changes have also occurred in the leadership of the relevant city department for environmental protection.
The question remains: Will we see qualitative changes in the city’s conservation policy?
It is time for the capital’s authorities to remember their duty to protect nature—and, in collaboration with the public, the Ministry of Environmental Protection, and the Park Administration, to begin the genuine work of expanding the Holosiivskyi National Nature Park!
