Over 75% of Kyiv's Metrohrad Mall Owned by Russian Citizens: City Plans to Convert It Into a Parking Garage With Bomb Shelter

Kyiv Plans to Turn Underground Metrohrad Shopping Center Into Parking and Shelter

According to Главком: Kyiv authorities are exploring a major transformation of the underground Metrohrad shopping center into a parking facility that would also serve as a bomb shelter. The announcement was made by Kostiantyn Usov, deputy head of the Kyiv City State Administration. Notably, about 75% of the property is currently owned by Russian citizens. The city is actively seeking legal avenues to nationalize or buy out the asset, as roughly 60% of the complex now sits abandoned.

Opened in 2001, Metrohrad spans about 17,000 square meters and is located between Bessarabska Square and Ukrainian Heroes Square. The project was originally designed by the architectural firm A. Koval, part of the Kyivproekt joint-stock company, with Kyivmiskbud serving as the general contractor. The first phase of its reconception took place in 2015-2016, followed by a redesign of the restaurant zone and food court in 2019. In 2020, a grocery market opened as part of an update. However, in 2022, the premises of the Metrohrad shopping center were placed under seizure.

For context, this site sits at a key intersection in central Kyiv, near the iconic Bessarabska Market and the Khreshchatyk thoroughfare.

Control and Future Plans

Control over Metrohrad has been exercised by the so-called "Luzhniki group," which includes three Russian citizens: Alexander Babakov, Yevgeny Giner, and Mikhail Voyevodin. Babakov serves as deputy speaker of the Russian State Duma, Giner is president of the Moscow-based CSKA football club and a partner of the state corporation Rostec, while Voyevodin, also known as Misha Luzhnetsky, is identified by investigators as a thief-in-law.

“Right now, 60% of the facility is abandoned. In the 21st century, Kyiv residents don’t want to go underground to shop or to cross the street. They are already forced to descend into shelters all the time. Metrohrad has no future as a shopping center-and it never will,” Kostiantyn Usov stated.

The city plans to commission a detailed architectural study to assess the technical feasibility of building a parking garage on the site. If the plan proves viable, Kyiv will move forward with the reconstruction. 'Nothing like this has been done in Ukraine before. If architects confirm we can install vehicle entrances there, we will begin the process,' Usov added.

This redevelopment could mark a significant step in improving the capital's infrastructure, addressing modern residents' needs for safety and convenience. Given the property's neglected state and its ownership by Russian nationals, the project may also become part of a broader strategy to nationalize assets linked to Russian influence in Ukraine.