Another valuable area in Kyiv is threatened by development. The site in question is a 21-hectare plot within the grounds of the Main Astronomical Observatory of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, which is home to the "Century-Old Oaks" natural monument, among other features. Activists are calling on concerned Kyiv residents to join the effort to protect the land at a court hearing scheduled for April 20.
This was reported by the Kyiv Ecological and Cultural Center (KECC).
A threat to science
The observatory’s effectiveness directly depends on the absence of obstacles. Astronomical research requires a clear space around it—free from light, industrial, and other types of anthropogenic pollution.
Construction would jeopardize the functioning of this important scientific facility.
Threat to nature
The “Ancient Oaks” nature monument, located on the observatory grounds, was created back in 1997 on the initiative of the Kyiv Ecological and Cultural Center. Dozens of trees, each more than 100 years old, grow on the three-hectare site.
According to the KECC, the State Environmental Academy of Postgraduate Education and Management drafted a project ostensibly for expanding the nature monument, but in practice, it threatens its preservation.
"The project could actually lead to a significant reduction and weakening of the environmental protection status of this area," the KECC writes.
This project was not previously approved by the former Ministry of the Environment, but the threat to the site still remains relevant.
Legal protection
The main task now is to terminate the contract that envisages development on the observatory’s land. For this purpose, back in January 2026, the Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office filed a case with the Commercial Court of Kyiv.
The contract with the developer was signed by the Main Astronomical Observatory itself. The project planned the construction of hotel and administrative buildings on the site. However, prosecutors insist that the land is state-owned and may only be used for implementing the observatory’s statutory scientific activities.
The contract was concluded in violation of legal requirements. In particular, the Kyiv City State Administration, as the landowner, did not make any decision to transfer the 100 million UAH plot for development.
On April 20 at 15:00, a hearing in case No. 910/16420/25 will be held at the Commercial Court of Kyiv.
"We urge all concerned citizens to come and support the protection of the Main Astronomical Observatory of Ukraine and the 'Ancient Oaks' nature monument. Let’s defend the nature of Kyiv together," the KECC calls.
EcoPolitic previously reported that, to protect the Paranal Observatory’s space research in Chile, a large-scale “green” hydrogen production project was halted. The international scientific community was then outraged at the possible interference with the area adjacent to the key astronomical research site.
