On 13 November, as part of the ReBuild Ukraine international exhibition in Warsaw, an architectural concept for a future residential quarter for 1,000 displaced families from Mariupol was presented. A memorandum on the transfer of architectural and technical solutions for the housing construction was signed between the Mariupol City Council and Metinvest as part of the Group’s Steel Dream concept for Ukraine’s reconstruction.
The architectural design of the residential quarter was financed by Rinat Akhmetov's Metinvest Group The concept, which has been provided free of charge to the Mariupol City Council to enable the earliest possible start of construction, envisages the use of modular steel-frame building technology. This approach will significantly reduce construction time and optimise housing costs.
The construction of the first residential quarter comprising 1,000 apartments is planned in Bila Tserkva, in accordance with Ukrainian Government Resolution No. 814, funded by the local budget accumulated by the Mariupol City Council since 2022. The Mariupol City Council is implementing the project with the support of the Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine, and with the participation of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration and the Bila Tserkva City Council. This initiative represents a systemic step by the Government to provide housing support for internally displaced persons from Mariupol, pending the unblocking of the state compensation programme for destroyed and damaged property of residents of temporarily occupied communities.
The complex will combine residential buildings, social infrastructure and public spaces, including a memorial dedicated to the Heroes of the Mariupol Garrison. The apartments will be fully refurbished and equipped with furniture and household appliances. The housing will remain under the ownership of the Mariupol community. Rental rates in the complex will be social ones, significantly below market levels, while a number of preferential categories of residents will be eligible for free accommodation under state programmes.
A further expansion of residential construction is planned in cities with the largest number of internally displaced people from Mariupol — Lviv and Dnipro. Currently, 9,086 Mariupol residents have expressed their intention to receive housing under Government Resolution No. 814. The Mariupol City Council has registered applications from 4,543 families, including 10% who are military families, 39% elderly people, 25% families with children and 7% from the most socially vulnerable groups, such as large families and people with disabilities.
The future residential quarter will become the first housing project in Ukraine to comply with the concept and principles of social housing, commissioned by the Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine, and developed by the full-cycle urban bureau Big City Lab in cooperation with Pupa architectural firm, Civitta consulting company and the Mariupol City Council. The team of experts studied the experience of France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Spain and Poland, adapting best practices to Ukraine’s specific needs. The pilot project in Bila Tserkva is expected to serve as a starting point for building a national system of high-quality social housing that ensures decent living conditions, helps retain people in Ukraine and creates new opportunities for Ukrainians to return home.
Yuriy Ryzhenkov, Chief Executive Officer of Metinvest Group:
“We believe in the future of Ukraine. That is why our firm position is to continue, despite the war, to provide maximum support to the Defence Forces and invest in the development of Ukrainian industry. However, the main asset of Ukraine is its people. Therefore, we are investing in the country’s social resilience — in solutions that support Ukrainians, create opportunities for a decent life, and allow them to plan their future here, in Ukraine.”
Vadym Boichenko, Mayor of Mariupol:
“The social housing project in Bila Tserkva will become the largest residential initiative in Ukraine for internally displaced persons. Thanks to the cooperation among the government, regional and local authorities and major Ukrainian businesses, we will be able to create decent living conditions for people who have lost their homes due to the war. This is an opportunity to keep our citizens in Ukraine and to bring back those who were forced to leave.”
The pilot project for the construction of social housing for internally displaced persons from Mariupol is defined by Government Resolution No. 814. It aims to provide displaced persons who lost their homes as a result of the full-scale Russian invasion with high-quality, affordable housing offered under a social rental model. During the 86-day siege of Mariupol, the Russian army destroyed 90% of the city’s infrastructure. More than 200,000 Mariupol residents who lost their homes were forced to flee the occupied city and are now living in government-controlled areas of Ukraine.
Steel Dream is a universal concept for Ukraine’s reconstruction, developed by Rinat Akhmetov's Metinvest Group. It is based on three steel construction technologies — module, frame and platform — which enable fast and flexible building solutions. The Group’s experts have designed more than 200 standardised projects for residential and social infrastructure that are ready for implementation.
