Derzhprom. A modernist architectural landmark in Kharkiv

Photo story by Sasha Maslov, editor Nadiia Dryzytska
November, 2024

On the evening of October 28, the Russian army launched a missile strike on the city of Kharkiv, targeting one of the city’s most iconic buildings — the Derzhprom building (also known as the State
Industry Building or the Palace of Industry). Completed in 1928, Derzhprom was one of the first skyscrapers in Eastern Europe and the tallest building in the Soviet Union, is internationally renowned
for its constructivist design featuring reinforced concrete and glass.

In addition to its recognition in Ukraine, the Derzhprom building also held global significance. In 2017, Derzhprom was included in the preliminary list of UNESCO World Heritage, and after Russia’s full-scale invasion, was placed under provisional enhanced UNESCO protection.

Ukrainian-American photographer Sasha Maslov, who was born and lived in Kharkiv, witnessed this attack and captured the aftermath of the attack on the city center during the night of October 28 and the following morning, October 29.

The damaged section of the Derzhprom building. By the morning after the attack, residents and utility workers are clearing the aftermath, removing shattered glass and debris. Kharkiv, October 29.

The Derzhprom building was constructed when Kharkiv was the capital of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (1919-1934 period), during the 1925—1928 years, and was intended to represent the achievements of the Ukrainian SSR and was named “The House of State Industry” to emphasize the motto of an industrialized nation. The project to implement was selected through the architectural competition that was won by the team of S.S. Serafimov, M.D. Feldherr, S.M. Kravets. T.

The aftermath of the attack: shattered windows and damaged walls of the Derzhprom building. Kharkiv, October 28, 2024.

An employee of Derzhprom after the attack. Kharkiv, October 28, 2024.

The building was remarkably modern on the moment of building, embodied the avant-garde principles of Constructivism on a grand scale: an open floor plan, flat roofs, ribbon window glazing, and the
absence of decoration. All of this reflected contemporary modernist ideas and resonated with the artistic movements of Bauhaus and architects like Le Corbusier.

The Derzhprom building in 1930’s. Getty Images/VUE

«Derzhprom is a symbolic structure for Kharkiv residents. Beyond being a unique architectural example of constructivism, it holds a sacred status for the people of Kharkiv. I remember it from my childhood in the 1990s—its corridors, its building. My grandmother used to work there, and almost every Kharkiv resident has, at least once in their life, been inside. Its destruction is another slap in the face for the people of Kharkiv. However, I am certain it will be restored, and honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if that happens before the war ends», — Sasha Maslov said.

The aftermath of the attack on the Derzhprom building, October 29, 2024

The Russian army’s attack is not the first act of terror in Derzhprom’s history. During World War II, before retreating in August 1943, Nazi forces mined Derzhprom along with many other buildings in the city. The building was set on fire and heavily damaged, but its reinforced concrete structure endured. The restoration of the skyscraper from the damage sustained during World War II took place between 1943 and 1947.

The aftermath of the attack on the Derzhprom building, Kharkiv, October 28, 2024.

Emergency service workers are responding to the aftermath of the attack, Kharkiv, October 28, 2024.

«The evening Derzhprom was struck, I was in the city. I was having dinner with Pasha Makov nearby, and half an hour before the building was destroyed, I passed right by that wing. There were lots of people heading home before the curfew. During the strike, I was two blocks away. I grabbed my cameras and jumped in the car, but then quickly realized the car wasn’t needed. It was a strike at the heart of Kharkiv—Derzhprom», – Sasha Maslov shared.

The aftermath of the attack on the Derzhprom building, October 28, 2024.

According to the Kharkiv City Police, Russian forces used a FAB-500 aerial bomb equipped with a glide kit—a 500-kilogram high-explosive warhead designed to destroy targets such as military headquarters,
warehouses, and reinforced concrete structures. The head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, Oleh Syniehubov, reported that it was a direct hit, destroying three floors of the building.

The morning after the attack, city residents and utility workers are cleaning up the aftermath and repairing the damage.Kharkiv, October 29.

Sasha Maslov, is a Ukrainian-American portrait photographer and storyteller based between Kyiv and New York. Sasha works on documentary projects around the globe, contributing to a number of magazines and leading publications. Since the beginning of the full scale invasion of Ukraine he has dedicated most of his time to highlighting atrocities committed by Russia as well as telling stories of Ukrainians fighting.