Sienkevych was shown what the new House of Fleet Officers could look like

Mykolaiv Mayor Oleksandr Senkevych was shown what the new DOF could look like, photo: Mykolaiv City Council, illustration «NikVesti»

Mykolaiv has selected the best project proposal for the restoration of the historic building of the House of Fleet Officers (DOF).

This was reported by the press service of the Mykolaiv City Council.

As it is known, in May 2025, the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning of the Mykolaiv City Council announced an all-Ukrainian architectural competition for the best project proposal for the restoration of the House of Fleet Officers.

According to the jury's decision, the winners were:

• First place — Serhii Ilchenko (Lviv), Olha Hrihorova (Kharkiv), and Iryna Baklykova (Lebedyn) — received a cash prize of 140,000 hryvnias;
• Second place — Andrii Shtender (Lviv) — 105 thousand hryvnias;
• III place — Kateryna Prokofiieva and Serhii Adamenko (Sumy) — 70 thousand hryvnias.

It is noted that the winners' proposal provides for «rethinking the spatial structure of the complex and creating an open public space where the historic building will once again become the centre of city events». The key idea is to create an accessible environment with stronger ties between the complex and Vasyl Sukhomlunskyi National University of Mykolaiv, a potential centre of cultural and educational processes.

The incentive prize of 60 thousand hryvnias was shared by Mariana Kosohorova from Mykolaiv and the team of authors «Heritage Future Lab» from Lviv: Nazar Ratushynsky, Ilya Lytvynchuk, Alina Prokhorenkova, Anastasia Kuliavets, Renata Veremchuk, Anastasiia Holosnaia, Iryna Svarchevska, and Sofiia Holosnaia — 60 thousand hryvnias.

Thus, a total of 375 thousand hryvnias was spent on the prize fund.

It is noted that the jury, which included Ukrainian and international experts, evaluated eight submitted works. Each bid was evaluated on an 8-point scale with the possibility of adding up to 5 additional points.

An incentive prize was awarded to the project that includes a blue and white facade and Tavrian painting on it.

The best proposal for the restoration of the historic DOF building was selected in Mykolaiv, project photo: Department of Architecture and Urban Planning of Mykolaiv

The best offer for the restoration of the historic DOF building was selected in Mykolaiv, project photo: Department of Architecture and Urban Planning of Mykolaiv

The best proposal for the restoration of the historic DOF building was selected in Mykolaiv, project photo: Department of Architecture and Urban Planning of Mykolaiv

How the winners plan to renovate the House of Fleet Officers

• The team of authors: Serhii Ilchenko (Lviv), Olha Hrihorova (Kharkiv), Iryna Baklykova (Lebedyn).
  The project involves reconfiguring the entire space of the complex and creating an open community centre. The main idea is to turn the historic building into a modern centre of urban activity while preserving its authenticity.
  The project also resolves the conflict between the preservation of the facade and the need for barrier-free access by providing access from the courtyard and a new logic of movement oriented towards the Universytetskyi square.
• Andriy Shtender (Lviv).
  The concept considers the DOF as a multi-layered space that combines history and modernity. The project focuses on restoring authentic forms, adapting the building to modern needs, and restoring its cultural role.
• The team of authors: Kateryna Prokofiieva and Serhii Adamenko (Sumy). The team proposes to create a multifunctional cultural centre — «third place» — open for education, art, dialogue and interaction. The concept is based on the philosophy of «culture of openness».

The best proposal for the restoration of the historic DOF building was selected in Mykolaiv, project photo: Department of Architecture and Urban Planning of Mykolaiv

In his turn, the mayor of Mykolaiv, Oleksandr Sienkevych, stressed that the DOF is «a part of the DNA of Mykolaiv».

«We want to bring it back to life and make it a space that will serve people. To do this, we have engaged experienced professionals. And I am sure that together we will be able to develop a worthy project that will preserve the spirit of the monument and open it to new generations,» said Oleksandr Sienkevych.

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The House of Fleet Officers in the history of Mykolaiv

The House of Fleet Officers was built in 1824 by order of the Black Sea Fleet Commander Alexander Greig to organise leisure activities for sailors and their families. On 30 August 1890, a reception dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Mykolaiv was held at the DOF.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the DOF has become a centre of assistance to the city's defence by concerned Mykolaiv residents. The first thing the citizens joined in was making Molotov cocktails and roadblocks. Later on, the House of Fleet Officers was transformed into a volunteer hub, where people brought things, medicines, and aid for the military.

House of Fleet Officers, archive photo NikVesti

House of Fleet Officers, archive photo NikVesti

The House of Naval Officers today

At the end of August 2020, Volodymyr Zelenskyy decided to include the DOF in the list of objects of the «Great Restoration» at the suggestion of the head of the parliamentary faction «of the Servant of the People», David Arakhamiia. However, in March 2021, it became known that the DOF was not included in the president's project because design estimates had not been prepared for it, and local authorities had not decided what should be located there.

In turn, the head of the regional state administration, Vitalii Kim, said that the problem with the building of the House of Fleet Officers was that the authorities did not know how to use it. At that time, he said, they were talking about the possible placement of a five-star hotel there.

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Before the start of Russian aggression, on 4 February 2022, the Department of Culture of the Mykolaiv City Council stated that the decision to include the House of Fleet Officers in the list of objects of the «Great Restoration» had been made at the state level.

Subsequently, in June 2023, the head of the Mykolaiv Regional Council, Anton Tabunschyk, said that he had asked the city council to transfer the DOF to the joint ownership of the territorial communities of Mykolaiv region. He added that the building could be restored and the office and session hall could be placed there.

Volodymyr Aleksieiev, coordinator of the volunteer headquarters of the DOF, says that the House of Fleet Officers in Mykolaiv should remain a public space and not become another business centre, restaurant or residential complex.

In June 2024, the chief architect of Mykolaiv, Yevhen Poliakov, came up with an idea of how to strengthen Ukrainian identity in the nationally significant architectural monument, the Officers' Assembly. He proposed to decorate the DOF with Tavrian painting and use yellow and blue colours in the decoration.

He later said that the House of Fleet Officers could become a training and coordination centre for water utilities in the southern regions.

In May 2025, the chief architect of Mykolaiv, Yevhen Poliakov, answered why his department announced an all-Ukrainian architectural competition for the best project proposal for the restoration of the House of Fleet Officers.

According to Yevhen Poliakov, the idea of holding the competition does not involve interfering with the building itself. The department wants to find the best proposal for adapting the object to new functions while preserving its authenticity as much as possible.

Later, Yevhen Poliakov came up with a way to strengthen the Ukrainian identity of the Officers' Assembly, an architectural monument of national importance. He proposed to decorate the DOF with Tavrian paintings and use yellow and blue colours in the decoration.