This competition used the research of Mariia Rusanova as a starting point. The design is therefore based very much on the history of the square and what it has meant for the public imagination. It is not so much a design as a way of thinking about what the square could be and how a design can pay respect to the rich history of the square. 

The design links the history of the square with a positive future. The Svobody square is symbolic on many levels throughout its rich history and the proposal is inspired by this history. Kharkiv was the capital of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic after the October revolution from 19 December 1919 to 24 June 1934 and the city became the centre of the Ukrainian Economy. In this period Ukraine experienced a cultural revival, a resurgence of literary and cultural activity by poets, artists and writers which was called Ukrainization. In 1934 the capital of Ukraine was moved to Kyiv and the Soviet government began to exert further control, repressing and executing poets, writers, and artists — freethinkers and advocates of Ukrainian language, identity and culture.

The Derzhprom building embodies Kharkiv’s role as capital of Ukraine. The Ukrainian avant-garde saw art as a tool to change the world with. Through this proposal we attempt to bring back the atmosphere of the optimism architects and artists displayed during the period of Ukrainization, even though the world was in turmoil. The aesthetic of the interventions is inspired by the work of Vasil Yermylov, a Ukrainian Avant-garde painter. He developed his own font which is used in the presentation. 

The main image is a collage of all activities on the square that have taken place in the past and will take place in the future. The proposed architectural elements refer to the Ukrainian Avant-garde period: simple materials and geometry: industrial trusses and forms, though made contemporary through use of recycled and sustainable materials and surrounded by greenery. The proposal therefore uses Kharkiv’s rich past as a segue way to a brighter future.

The main image is a collage of everything that has happened in Kharkiv over the years as the square, according to Mariia, is the city’s collective memory.