On February 15, 2024, a small architectural event took place, which could become significant for the development of the architectural community in Ukraine.
Academician of the Ukrainian Academy of Architecture, Professor of the Department of Architectural Basics and Architectural Design at KNUBA, practicing architect Yuriy Seryogin, at the initiative of AR 36 B student of the Department of ABA and AP Irina Stepanova, upon the invitation of the administration of Kyiv Lyceum No. 145, located opposite the NSC "Olympiysky," gave a lecture-presentation on "Profession - Architect" for senior class students. Children who had not yet chosen their further path in education but showed interest in architecture gathered on this day. Representatives of leading Kyiv universities, awaited by students in various classrooms, visited the lyceum for an open doors event. Two hours after the end of the lecture, which was initially scheduled for one hour, I was informed that Architecture had intrigued and gathered the largest audience. Students listened with great interest to the monologue of a sports enthusiast who accidentally found himself in architecture and remained an architect despite the challenging 90s. Slides of projects by Yuriy Seryogin, such as the music stage in Mariinsky Park in Kyiv, the reconstructed Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex and the sports complex of the Odessa shipyard in Yuzhne, added emotion and elicited applause. Traditional questions were asked about the architect's earnings and whether it's possible to start education abroad.
I am confident that if the Academy found the strength for systematic popularization of the profession among the youth, our architectural community would grow more qualitatively. It seems to me that urban planners could educate a new generation that understands the development issues of cities, in contrast to today's ruling clan of "consumers" - exploiters.
