Ukraine considering sanctions against Austrian architects over project in occupied Crimea

"For some time now, rumours have been circulating about Coop Himmelb(l)au's involvement in Putin's flagship project in Crimea: the construction of an opera house in the occupied Sevastopol. In early October, I called the firm’s director, Wolf Prix, and tried to persuade him not to ruin his reputation by participating in this indirect and yet unequivocal legitimization of the annexation," Ambassador of Ukraine to Austria Oleksandr Shcherba posted on Facebook.

As the Ambassador noted, the director of Coop Himmelb(l)au, unfortunately, rejected his arguments.

"At the present stage, when the rumours are vividly confirmed by the Russian media, I have no choice but to express my regret and inform architect Prix that Ukraine is seriously considering the imposition of sanctions on him and his bureau. Our partners around the world will be informed that once respectable architecture firm now concludes dubious agreements with Putin," Oleksandr Shcherba stressed.

Earlier, director of the Coop Himmelb(l)au Viennese architecture firm, Wolf Prix, confirmed in a comment to the APA Austrian news agency the fact of his bureau's involvement in two projects in Russia: construction of a museum and theatre complex in Russia’s city of Kemerovo and construction of an opera house in the occupied city of Sevastopol, Crimea.

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