The memorial to Ukrainian scouts was nominated for the prestigious European Mies van der Rohe Award
The project of the Memorial to Ukrainian intelligence officers in the Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR), created by the sculptor Nazar Bilika together with the team, nominated for the European Union Prize in the field of modern architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award.
“This award is truly one of the most prestigious European awards in the field, if the “Nobel” from architecture is the Pritzker Prize, then the second, as the architects themselves say, is the Mies van der Rohe prize, says sculptor Nazar Bilyk.
He emphasized that this distinction not only gives an opportunity to present one’s own projects, but also allows one to become a part of the common European cultural space. The first element of the memorial was opened on February 24, 2025, and the full ceremonial opening took place on June 17, 2025.
The idea belonged to architect Andriy Lesyuk and sculptor Nazar Bilyk. A team of Guess Line Architects worked on the implementation: Kateryna Ivashchuk, Mykhailo Kogut, Yehor Perepeliuk, Yaroslav Ivaskiv and Andriy Lesyuk. The memorial consists of two stelae symbolizing wings and shields. The names of those who died in the struggle for Ukraine are engraved on them. In the center, between the stelae, there is a stone with the inscription “aeternitas”, which in Latin means “eternity”. From a bird’s eye view, the whole composition resembles the shape of an eye.
The Mies van der Rohe Award was established by the Mies van der Rohe Foundation and the European Union Program for the Support of the Cultural and Creative Sectors in 1988 in Barcelona to honor outstanding achievements in European architectural projects. It is considered the most prestigious architectural award in Europe.
