Chernivtsi steps paved with granite tombstones from cemetery

Chernivtsi authorities are investigating a shocking discovery: steps in the city's Philharmonic Square have been renovated using granite slabs sourced from a local cemetery, some bearing images of deceased individuals. The renovation, completed shortly before the Petriv Fair, has drawn widespread condemnation from local officials and residents.

“

I was stunned for half an hour... IA? Challenge? Photoshop?! No. Already confirmed. "Acted." The stairs of the Philharmonic Square were renovated with tombstones.

Oleksiy Kaspruk, a representative of the City Council, voiced his disbelief on July 17, announcing that the stairs had been repaired with "tombstones." He questioned whether the act was intentional or a mistake, but later confirmed the use of funerary stones. Local council member Yana Brus expressed outrage, asking, "How greedy must you be to use granite that was already in the cemetery instead of new granite?" She noted that the project cost the city budget approximately 190,000 hryvnias.

“

How greedy must you be to use granite that was already in the cemetery instead of new granite and where else?

By the morning of July 18, the images of the deceased had reportedly been removed from the steps. Liudmila Kushnir, former deputy chair of the Chernivtsi Regional Council, visited the site and observed that the steps had become a popular attraction, with people examining them closely and seeking explanations. She confirmed that the portraits were no longer visible.

“

Yes, it's true! The stairs in Philharmonic Square were renovated with granite slabs with images of the deceased... For the city budget, by today's standards, it didn't cost that much - only about 190 thousand hryvnias. But how?

The contractor responsible for the repairs, Spabud LLC, stated that no new slabs were used. Company head Oleg Kerdey explained that existing granite slabs were cleaned and repositioned. He suggested that workers might not have noticed the direction of the slabs during the cleaning process, or that the images were obscured by dirt. Kerdey added that it was strange no one noticed this during the Petriv Fair, which attracted many visitors. The City Hall has promised a further comment as investigations continue.

“

It seems that during the work, the slabs were dirty, and the workers did not see in which direction they were installed. But the slabs were not replaced - they installed the one that was there since the arrangement of Philharmonic Square. But it is strange that they noticed this only now, because the Petriv Fair took place, many people walked around and no one saw anything. We will find out how everything happened in the first place.