Only recently renewed Andriivsky Uzviz was inaugurated and the Kyivites already could walk there. There was also a gala concert and a stage show there. “We have done a tremendous job. I am sure that this street will not have problems for many years since St. Andrew’s Church has been reconstructed, foundations have been strengthened, drains have been constructed, pipelines and networks, building facades and roofs have been completely restored,” head of Kyiv City State Administration Oleksandr Popov said during the inauguration. “What we have done will last at least 30 years,” Popov emphasized. The reconstruction of the descent lasted over half a year and cost the city budget 45 million hryvnias.
However, the problems started the next day after the inauguration: in the center of the descent there was a dirty fountain coming out of block pavement – one of the pipes breached. Users of the social networks reacted to the situation immediately and called “the fountain” “a healing source,” “a fountain for stilling thirst in heat” and “the Popov fountain.”
The other day it became clear that the descent is unlikely to last 30 years after being repaired. The official website of the state building control inspection in Kyiv placed the information that the inspection refused to put the reconstructed descent into service because of numerous breaches. “The prime contractor and the engineering supervisor have been penalized. The main complaints concern the executed work, in particular, absence of vertical and horizontal isolation of walls in the pavement and puddle trench; absent armored concrete basis under the pavement, etc. Besides, during the inspection it was recorded that the building facades were ready for 80 percent, block pavement – for 75 percent, pavements – for 90 percent, and pipelines and networks – for 70 percent. The problem of the free access for people with limited abilities has not been resolved either; plinths in the buildings have not been constructed thought the pavements had been lowered for a meter,” the website reads. The inspection sent the instructions to the prime contractor demanding to remedy the deficiencies and sanctioned them with 49,000 hryvnias.
