Kyiv artist community Nahirna22 faces eviction after Russian strikes, Edward Akrout warns
The Nahirna22 artist community at the Kyiv Institute of Automation is at risk of eviction after enduring two Russian attacks. A military strike on 28 August 2025 devastated studios and resulted in a civilian's death, but the artists managed to reopen within weeks. A subsequent assault on 14 November 2025 inflicted more destruction. On 19 August 2026, artist Edward Akrout appealed for Ukraine to safeguard its culture from bureaucratic constraints. Tenants were informed on 30 April that they must vacate by the end of May, despite having raised 800,000 hryvnia for repairs. Akrout condemned peace initiatives that equate Russian and Ukrainian cultures and called for government action to protect artists, asserting that culture is integral to national security.
Key facts
- Russian strike on 28 August 2025 killed a civilian and damaged Nahirna22 studios
- A second strike on 14 November 2025 destroyed windows and damaged the roof
- On 30 April, tenants were ordered to leave by the end of May
- Community raised 800,000 hryvnia for repairs after being told it would protect from eviction
- Co-founders Sabina Magnitofon and Marta Nyrkova led the fundraising
- On 18 October 2025, Nahirna22 marked six years with an open studio event
- Edward Akrout published a comment in The Art Newspaper on 19 August 2026
- Akrout calls on Ukrainian authorities to prevent the eviction
- Art Shield is among the organizations that supported fundraising
- The article describes the strikes as attacks on cultural memory
Entities
Artists
- Edward Akrout
- Anna Maydanik
- Sabina Magnitofon
- Marta Nyrkova
- Petro Ivanyshy
- Petro Skunts
Institutions
- Nahirna22
- Kyiv Institute of Automation
- State Property Fund
- State Migration Service
- Kyiv local authorities
- Ukrainian government
- Art Shield
Locations
- Kyiv
- Ukraine
- Kharkiv
- Lviv
- Moscow
- Russia
- Berlin
- Germany
- Kyiv Institute of Automation