In Kherson, the Russian military shelled and destroyed one of the most significant architectural landmarks – the «City Assembly» building, erected in the 1860s.

This was reported by the Kherson Regional Museum of Local Lore on Facebook.

«This is not just the destruction of a building; it is the erasure of a part of our history, culture, and identity. One of the most famous architectural structures of old Kherson, commonly referred to as DKC (Cultural House of Shipbuilders), has vanished,» the post states.

This architectural landmark was built in the 1860s near Pavlivskyi Park. A cozy venue created at the initiative of Governor Klushyn was named the «City Assembly» or club. Previously, this site housed a food market and a fire station. Starting from the late 19th century, it became a vibrant cultural hub: balls, evening gatherings, billiards, newspaper reading, and socializing took place here.

Between 1903 and 1906, the building was renovated: the facade was decorated, a dome added, the garden expanded, and even a bowling alley and a power station were established.

During the Soviet era, the dome was removed, architectural details were destroyed, and the building was turned into a typical «cultural institution». Although the spirit of the place persisted — theaters and creative collectives operated here, little remained of its original beauty.

Today, this historic structure has been destroyed due to Russian shelling.

«The enemy sees no value in historical monuments, but we do, for preserving memory is part of our resistance,» the museum states.

Two photographs have also been released. The first image shows the City Assembly building at the beginning of the 20th century. The second image, showing the building after the shelling, was taken by the museum's researcher Oleksandr Korinchuk.