The Kyiv TV Tower () is a lattice metal tower on Oranzhereina Street, Kyiv, Ukraine, and is the tallest structure in the country. It is used for radio and television broadcasting and is not open to the public.

Location

The tower was built on top of the Jewish cemetery in Lukianivka. The cemetery was officially closed in 1966 and Jewish families were given six months to rebury their relatives in the Jewish areas of a new cemetery in the city. Since the relatives of the interred had been killed in the Babyn Yar massacre, most of the graves were not moved. After the headstones had been destroyed or removed, the antenna was built on top of the existing graves.

Construction

Construction began in 1968 and finished in 1973 According to Ukrainian officials, five people were killed as a result. The dead included Yevhenii Sakun, the first journalist killed in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine state advisor Anton Herashchenko accused the Russian army of trying to disrupt the city's communication infrastructure. According to The Kyiv Independent, Ukrainian TV channels' broadcasting was disrupted following the attack. It is unknown if the strike intended to topple the tower or if the intent was to disable its transmission and reception systems. The extent of the damage was not immediately apparent, and the tower remained standing. thumb|Kyiv TV Tower from ground level

The Ukrainian foreign ministry condemned the attack due to its proximity to the memorial to the Babi Yar massacres. The Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center confirmed reports that a second missile had hit the nearby memorial, however there are contradicting reports.

See also

  • Lattice tower
  • List of tallest towers in the world
  • List of tallest structures in Europe
  • List of tallest freestanding structures in the world
  • List of tallest freestanding steel structures
  • List of transmission sites

References

  • members.lycos.nl – Kyiv Central Radio TV Tower
  • – Kyiv TV Tower
  • Russian Strike on the Kyiv TV tower. In: forensic-architecture.org, 10 June 2022 (with video).