On July 4, 2025, a memorial plaque was unveiled in Kharkiv in honor of Yurii Mykhailovych Shkodovsky (1947–2020) — Rector of Kharkiv National University of Civil Engineering and Architecture (2008–2019), Doctor of Architecture, Professor, People’s Architect of Ukraine, Laureate of the State Prize of Ukraine in the field of architecture, and Honorary Citizen of Kharkiv Region.
The ceremonial event was attended by representatives of government bodies and public organizations, including Svitlana Horbunova-Ruban, Deputy Mayor of Kharkiv; Nataliia Osadcha, Advisor to the Head of the Kharkiv Regional Council; Oleh Sleptsov, President of the Ukrainian Academy of Architecture, People’s Architect of Ukraine; Serhii Chechelnytskyi, Honored Architect of Ukraine; as well as colleagues, students, alumni, architects, builders, representatives of the Kharkiv educational community, friends, and partners — all those who knew and remember Yurii Mykhailovych as a person who shaped both the environment and the people around him.
The initiative to honor this distinguished figure of the Kharkiv region came from Volodymyr Babayev, Rector of O.M. Beketov National University of Urban Economy in Kharkiv (2011–2025), Professor, Doctor of Public Administration, and State Prize Laureate in Architecture.
In his speech, Volodymyr Babayev noted that Yurii Shkodovsky made a tremendous contribution to the development of the city and left behind dozens of iconic architectural sites, the General Plan of Kharkiv, and monuments that have become spiritual landmarks of the city.
During his address, Ihor Biletskyi, current rector of O.M. Beketov National University of Urban Economy, emphasized that Yurii Mykhailovych Shkodovsky was not just a professional — he was a Teacher who left behind not only architectural masterpieces but also traditions, values, and ideas that continue to live on in the Kharkiv school of architecture.
The memorial plaque to Yurii Shkodovsky was created by renowned Kharkiv sculptors: Oleksandr Ridnyi, Honored Artist of Ukraine and member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine, and Alina Ivanova, Honored Artist of Ukraine and also a member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine.
