Destruction and reconstruction of Ukrainian cities after World War II: Development of methodological approaches to contemporary reconstruction

The research relevance of the formation of cities during the pre-war and post-war periods of World War II was determined by the influence of the process on the modern appearance of some cities, being one of the main components of their cultural identity. The study aimed to analyse the historical stages of city formation as an integral system of political, ideological and material structures, and to determine the impact of the post-war reconstruction of Soviet cities on the current urban planning situation. The study analysed the post-war reconstruction of Soviet cities in Ukraine as a dynamic and controversial process consisting of several stages. The peculiarities of architectural and urban planning thinking and practical methods were identified, which determined the nature of architecture and the general logic of city formation during the war and post-war years of World War II. Using general scientific research methods such as analysis, synthesis and comparison, the post-war reconstruction of Kyiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and Ternopil was analysed; the main architectural and urban planning techniques used in the reconstruction of these cities were identified, and a comparative analysis of these cities with cities in modern Europe was conducted. The systematisation and generalisation of bibliographic materials were used to determine the state of research on this topic, and to summarise and supplement existing information on the principles of rebuilding cities destroyed by war. Through systematic analysis and special research methods, such as graphical comparison, retrospective modelling and architectural composition, the characteristic features of Ukrainian cities that shape their national identity have been identified. The practical significance of the research lies in the use of the results of the analysis of the post-war reconstruction of Ukrainian cities after World War II in the development of plans for cities or city districts for their reconstruction after the end of the Russian-Ukrainian war