Home of the Tripillia Culture's Discoverer Crumbles: Seeking Blame and Solutions

The Deteriorating State of Vikentiy Khvoika's Home

According to Главком: The house at 9/1 Ihorivska Street in Kyiv, where archaeologist Vikentiy Khvoika lived and worked for 16 years, is now in a state of emergency. This property holds official cultural heritage status, yet its condition has worsened due to neglect and complex ownership issues. The building is owned by the sanctioned oligarch Vadym Novynskyi. As of February 2026, the situation remains unchanged, and the structure continues to decay.

Vikentiy Khvoika is renowned for his discovery of the Tripillia (Trypillian) Culture, a significant prehistoric European civilization. An official assessment by experts from the Department of Cultural Heritage Protection of the Kyiv City State Administration confirms the building's poor state. Deep cracks are visible on the walls, ceilings have collapsed in some rooms, and decorative plasterwork is crumbling, indicating severe structural problems.

Public Initiatives and Management Obstacles

In the summer of 2025, public activists proposed transforming the estate into an archaeology museum. Khvoika not only lived there but also housed a personal museum showcasing some of his finds, considered by some to be the world's first museum dedicated to the Tripillia Culture. However, according to Roman Malenkov, the house currently cannot be sold or transferred to community or state ownership. The situation is a stark example of how legal entanglements can paralyze the preservation of historic sites. The Kyiv Scientific-Methodological Center for Culture plans to appeal to the Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA) for consultations on appointing a custodian-now seen as the only viable option to save the building.

The situation is further complicated by the fact that Khvoika's house has not been damaged by wartime strikes. In contrast, according to the Ministry of Culture, 172 cultural heritage monuments in Kyiv and the region have been damaged due to the war. As of February 2026, the building remains in a hazardous state, and the public continues to call for urgent action to rescue it.

The neglect of Vikentiy Khvoika's house reflects broader challenges in preserving Ukraine's cultural heritage, especially amidst war and political instability. While proposals for an archaeology museum demonstrate strong public interest in safeguarding history, legal and financial hurdles impede these initiatives. Involving ARMA to manage the property could be a crucial step toward its salvation, but this requires proactive measures from state authorities and the community.