Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko considered electronic petition No. 14012, in which residents of the capital called for a moratorium on the dismantling of small architectural forms (MAFs) until the end of martial law. The authors of the initiative also proposed to direct budget funds spent on the demolition of kiosks to the city's energy independence.
Community arguments: business and energy
Petitioner Valentina Sorokina stressed the need to preserve small businesses and jobs in times of war. In her opinion:
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Dismantling MAFs deprives entrepreneurs of income at a critical time.
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Budgetary costs for dismantling work are irrational.
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It would be more appropriate to invest these funds in the purchase generators and autonomous power systems for the residential sector and critical infrastructure facilities.
The mayor's position: a balance between development and dialogue
In his official response, Vitaliy Klitschko reminded that the management of municipal property and compliance with the rules of improvement are the direct responsibility of the Kyiv City Council and the Kyiv City State Administration. However, the mayor supported the petition in a key aspect — creating a dialogue platform.
Main points of the answer:
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Creating a working group: Deputy Head of the Kyiv City State Administration, Petr Panteleyev, and the relevant commission of the Kyiv City Council have been instructed to involve representatives of small businesses in developing a trade reform plan.
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Energy sustainability: The mayor noted that the city is already implementing compensation programs for the purchase of generators, and this area remains a priority regardless of the situation with MAFs.
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Aesthetics vs. Economics: Klitschko emphasized that while the improvement of Kyiv is important, today the priority is to preserve jobs and strengthen energy security.
Visnovok: Supporting petition #14012 does not mean a complete halt to demolitions, but it does pave the way for a compromise between the authorities and entrepreneurs. Now the policy on temporary structures will be revised taking into account the economic realities of martial law.
