What an Architect Sees When Kyiv Burns

Between explosions, cigarettes and cups of tea, a Kyiv architect discovers that war redesigns every room, road and ordinary sound in the city he loves.

Vitayu. I am Hryhorii Afanasiev, an architect living in central Kyiv. This means I spend my days arguing politely with millimetres and my nights discovering that Russian missiles have very little respect for planning permission.

I had imagined that my first note from Maisternia would begin with a drawing. Perhaps I would show you a floor plan, explain the logic of a mater…