Unknown underground passage found during reconstruction of Arcas Lyceum in Mykolaiv

The building of the Arkas Lyceum is still awaiting restoration, September 2024, photo by NikVesti

During the emergency restoration of the historic Mykola Arkas Lyceum building, the contractor found an unknown passage underground.

Experts are currently investigating its origin, according to the Mykolaiv Department of Cultural Heritage Protection.

«A real treasure for researchers, scholars, restorers and antiquity lovers! During the work, a vault was discovered at the foundation level, the origin of which is still being investigated», the department said in a statement.

An unknown underground passage was found under the Arkas Lyceum in Mykolaiv. Photo: Mykolaiv Department of Cultural Heritage Protection

An unknown underground passage was found under the Arcas Lyceum in Mykolaiv. Photo: Department of Cultural Heritage Protection of Mykolaiv

An unknown underground passage was found under the Arcas Lyceum in Mykolaiv. Photo: Department of Cultural Heritage Protection of Mykolaiv

They also added that the underground passage was found thanks to technical supervision specialists in the field of cultural heritage protection, who are engaged in the restoration of the lyceum.

«When a restoration project is implemented by professional contractors with qualified technical supervision in the field of cultural heritage protection, it opens up opportunities not only to restore one of the most interesting monuments of the city, but also to explore step by step what has been hidden from view for many years», they added.

Read also the article NikVesti «Not lose the building. Reconstruction of Arkas Gymnasium begins in Mykolaiv». It is planned to restore the destroyed facade of the building by October 2025.

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Arkas Lyceum during the war

The historic building of the First Ukrainian Mykola Arkas Gymnasium was destroyed on 1 November 2022 during the bombing of Mykolaiv by Russian troops. As a result of the shelling, a part of the wall fell down, the interior of the school classrooms opened up, and the roof over the facade was damaged.

Later, the Mykolaiv City Council's education department said that the lyceum building would be restored at the expense of Denmark. Later, Ukrainian architects presented options for the restoration and renovation of the Mykola Arkas Lyceum to Danish Ambassador Ole Egberg Mikkelsen. At the same time, he assured that the city authorities of Mykolaiv would choose the option for reconstruction.

Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych said that the lyceum would be restored while preserving its authentic appearance. Yurii Liubarov, head of the city council's culture department, spoke about one of the options for reconstructing the destroyed facade of the First Ukrainian Arkas Gymnasium. He suggested preserving the destroyed part of the façade in a glass «aquarium», while strengthening the floors, and restoring the rest of the façade to its authentic state in a classical way.

At the same time, in the capital expenditures of the Mykolaiv budget for 2023, the cost of the Arkas Gymnasium reconstruction project, according to the document, is 300 million hryvnias. The reconstruction period was set to last until the end of 2030.

After that, the City Council's Capital Construction Department ordered an adjustment to the scientific and design documentation for the restoration of the Arkas Gymnasium.