Court Ruling on the Roman Ratushny Landscape Reserve
On March 5, the Northern Court of Appeal partially overturned a 2022 decision by the Kyiv City Council that had established the Roman Ratushny Landscape Reserve, removing conservation status from 16 hectares of green space. This ruling upheld the lawsuit filed by Protasiv Yar LLC, a company that has been in a long-running conflict over developing the area since 2004. This case highlights the ongoing tension in Ukraine between urban development and the preservation of vital green spaces for communities.
The court's decision annulled part of the Kyiv City Council's 2022 decree and left unchanged a lower court's ruling from December 21, 2022. The case materials will be returned to the court of first instance, with the appellate court's ruling taking immediate effect. The land plots are owned by Protasiv Yar LLC, which leased 15 hectares from the Kyiv City Council for development in July 2004 and purchased the land that October.
Local Resident Protests and Initiatives
Local protests against development began in 2004. On April 20, 2021, the Kyiv City Council's environmental policy committee supported an initiative to create the 'Protasiv Yar' landscape reserve. In July 2022, the Kyiv City Council voted to establish the reserve, and on November 23, 2023, it voted to name it after Roman Ratushny, who died on the front line near Izyum on June 9, 2022.
In 2024, residents of the Solomianskyi district again appealed to the Kyiv City Council to prohibit construction. This marks the third active legal dispute between the Kyiv City Council and Protasiv Yar LLC.
“We will file a cassation appeal. We suspected such a decision was possible. In effect, the Supreme Court in 2024 equated a nature reserve, which is part of the protected areas fund, to parks and public gardens.”
Anton Dykan, Lawyer for the Protasiv Yar NGO
Consequently, the situation surrounding Protasiv Yar remains tense, with the development issue continuing to spark active public debate. For years, local residents have campaigned to preserve these green zones, underscoring the critical importance of environmental initiatives in urban settings. The court's decision could influence the future of the territory and the relationship between developers and communities, potentially setting a precedent for other Ukrainian cities facing similar conflicts.