The complete reconstruction of St. Nicholas Church in Kyiv can cost between $10 and $20 million.
This was reported by Father Pavlo Vyshkovsky, the rector of the Roman Catholic parish.
"To provide an exact amount, we need to conduct a quality assessment of the building's condition. And we can do this only after we have the right to do so," explains the parish rector. "We understand that the full restoration of the church will require between $10 and $20 million. The parish can specify the exact amount only after an examination by the Institute of Cultural Heritage."
The funds for the restoration are ready to be provided by the Catholic community in the United States, Poland, Italy, Belgium, and other countries.
"Donors are ready to provide us with funds, but only as owners of the church," Father Pavlo Vyshkovsky continues.
According to the Ministry of Culture, the restoration of the church's facades as of 2019 could have cost about 148 million UAH. Emergency repair work in the church, which was necessary due to a fire in September 2021, was completed on January 31, 2022, with expenses of 21.5 million UAH from donations by businesses in the capital. The remaining funds in the church's fund, amounting to 5.6 million UAH, were transferred to the charitable fund named after Oleksiy Stavnytskyi for helmets and body armor in the early weeks of the war.
In 2022, the parish contributed 2 million UAH from its donations to support the church. An additional 4 million UAH will be needed for drainage. This issue currently requires a solution.
The structure is more than 90% operated. According to the Technical Inspection Report of the church building, its condition is unsatisfactory and requires immediate repair, restoration, and partially, emergency work. The facade was last repaired ten years ago, and the drainage system was installed nine years ago. It is urgently necessary to address the reinforcement of the foundation, which is settling as the church is affected by vibrations from the subway. The structures of the bell towers and roofs are also in an unsatisfactory condition (corrosion of metal and deterioration of wooden structures), leading to roof leaks.
On June 26, Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko announced that the ministry had found an investor in Brussels - the city authorities agreed to finance emergency repair work.
According to the minister, the process of transferring the church to the Roman Catholics is being delayed because the approved law regarding the transfer of objects that have the status of national heritage has not been signed by the president yet. After the law comes into effect, the department will proceed with the transfer of the church to the Roman Catholics. The procedure for relocating the House of Music, which shared the premises with the Roman Catholic parish, to the October Palace has also been delayed, as there is a seizure on all assets of the Federation of Trade Unions, which holds the balance of the palace.