Ukraine: Norman Foster, 'colonisation' and rebuilding Kharkiv

Kharkiv, Ukraine, in happier times. Photo by Anna Hunko on Unsplash

In my recent openDemocracy piece on decolonising the bookshelf, I paraphrased Jane Austen’s famous first line from ‘Pride and Prejudice’: “it is a truth universally acknowledged that decolonisation is devilishly difficult and wildly contested.”

That’s dreadfully, starkly true. Consider this.

Ukraine needs to be rebuilt by architects that understand the local context, the political situation, the cultural background. — Iryna Matsevko

When celebrity architect Norman Foster published a manifesto outlining his plans to create a “city of the future” in Kharkiv, Ukraine, he received unexpected pushback. His ideas were seen as neo-imperialist, a way for the Anglo-Saxon to take over and keep control.

Ukrainian architect Oleg Drozdov, who co-founded the Kharkiv School of Architecture in 2017 took exception in forceful terms. He sharply criticized Mr Foster’s decision to appoint himself to oversee reconstruction and said it was an e…