Old tram substation could become the city museum: a cultural opportunity for Mykolaiv

The idea to transform a historic tram substation in Mykolaiv into a new cultural space has taken another step toward realization. The project to revitalize the building and create a City Museum was one of four projects that received support for further implementation after communities participated in the pilot school “Culture in Recovery”. This was reported on 25 May 2026 in an announcement by the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine. The information was also confirmed by the Mykolaiv Development Agency, which noted that the Mykolaiv project has been uploaded to the DREAM platform.

The pilot school “Culture in Recovery” is implemented by the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine together with the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine, with the support of the “Partnership for a Strong Ukraine” program. Also involved in the work are the Kharkiv School of Architecture, Lanka.pro and the NGO “Agency for Recovery and Development”.

During the training, community teams studied not only technical approaches to reconstruction but also the principles of culturally sensitive recovery. This approach means new projects should take into account the history of the place, community memory, the cultural and natural landscape, as well as the needs of the people who will live in and use these spaces.

The school included cross-sectoral teams from 11 Ukrainian communities. They worked to view their projects not only as building repairs or infrastructure creation, but as part of the broader context of the community — its past, identity, war experience, creative potential and future needs. All prepared projects have already been uploaded to the DREAM platform. This is important because such registration opens the way to further fundraising and implementation of initiatives in communities. The Mykolaiv project, according to the Mykolaiv Development Agency, has the number DREAM-UA-270326-54E55C41.

One of the supported projects concerns Mykolaiv. It involves the revitalization of the historic tram substation and the creation of a City Museum — a space where the community will be able to talk about Mykolaiv’s past and future Mykolaiv. For a city that lost part of its cultural heritage after Russian shelling, this initiative has not only museum value but also symbolic significance.

Among the initiatives is the creation in Sumy of a multifunctional shelter with an arts-educational function through the reconstruction of a historic building. This project places special emphasis on involving the community in shaping the concept of the future space.

Support was also given to a project in Novhorod-Siverskyi, where the cultural center is planned to be repurposed into a space for older people and youth. The main idea is to create a place for intergenerational interaction and the preservation of local identity.

The fourth supported project will be implemented in Trostianets. There they plan to renovate the hospital’s emergency and diagnostic department, but not as a routine medical renovation — rather with attention to humanity, care and connection to the local cultural and natural context.

The pilot school was one of the first activities of the cross-sectoral platform CuRe: Culture for Recovery, that is “Culture for Recovery”. Its task is to integrate a cultural approach into the processes of rebuilding Ukrainian communities so that after the war towns and villages restore not only walls, but also a sense of place, memory, ties between people and local identity.

For Mykolaiv, the historic tram substation has long been a sensitive issue. The building is over a century old and located in the city center. Earlier Korabelov.info wrote that the site was put up for sale for 3.5 million hryvnias, and active Mykolaiv residents proposed buying it and turning it into a multifunctional space. In March 2025, deputies of the Mykolaiv City Council had already approved the intention to purchase the historic substation, recognizing its value to the city. Now, after the support received within the “Culture in Recovery” school, this story has taken a new turn — no longer just a matter of preserving an architectural monument, but as part of a broader concept for the recovery of Mykolaiv.

At the same time, it is important that project support does not remain merely an attractive presentation. For residents it is essential that the authorities openly explain who will be responsible for implementation, what funds are needed, when real work will begin and what exactly the future City Museum will be. Because Mykolaiv already has the bitter experience of losing historic sites due to Russian strikes and years of neglect of cultural heritage.

Reminder, previously we wrote:

• Mykolaiv City Council deputies decided to buy the historic Tram Substation
• Mykolaiv residents plan to buy the historic substation: a chance for revival or another scam?
• In Mykolaiv they are selling the first tram substation — a historic symbol of the city with over a century of history
• Destroyed cultural memory of Mykolaiv: 77 historic sites destroyed — will there be restoration?
• An Office for Recovery and Development of the City Community has opened in Mykolaiv