Mass Housing in Ukraine

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Housing is a fundamental aspect of urban life and shapes how people construct their lives and futures. The ongoing war in Ukraine, initiated by the Russian Federation in 2022, has severely impacted housing and residential infrastructure, leading to the destruction of neighborhoods and cities. This study examines the history and typologies of mass housing in Ukraine to assess the losses incurred, highlight the diversity of urban living in Ukrainian cities, and reconsider the narrative of Ukrainian housing development. Covering the last century, it begins with experimental buildings from the 1920s and 1930s in Soviet Central and Eastern Ukraine and Polish Western Ukraine, progresses through Stalin-era projects, and includes serial apartment blocks from the Khrushchev and Brezhnev periods, as well as typical residential buildings from the 1990s and 2000s. Utilizing archival materials—texts, blueprints, and photographs—alongside contemporary documentation, the authors analyze 30 examples of Ukrainian-designed housing. This research aims to liberate the history of Ukrainian housing from the Russian narrative of the Soviet past, establishing a distinct Ukrainian architectural tradition within the broader context of European architectural history. This title is part of the "Histories of Ukrainian Architecture" program initiated by DOM publishers in response to the war.