Construction moratorium approved for St. Sophia Cathedral buffer zone

The Kyiv City Council has approved a moratorium on construction in the buffer zone of the St. Sophia Cathedral. According to the resolution, which was adopted on Thursday, construction is prohibited on all streets surrounding the national reserve until an appropriate detailed plan is approved for the development of the territory of the buffer zone.

This resolution, however, does not apply to the construction of buildings necessary for the buffer zone and the life of the city, Interfax-Ukraine reports.

The Kyiv City council commissioned the Kyiv City State Administration to ensure a project is developed for the territory.

Funding for the development and approval of the project will come from the city budget. The resolution was adopted according to the protocol of the March 17 session of the humanitarian civil council led by President Viktor Yanukovych.

The hydrogeological situation in the protection zone of the St. Sophia Cathedral National Reserve is extremely complex: in the near future the historical site could be flooded, which would lead to its eventual destruction.