Kyiv's historic market sits almost empty after being transformed into a luxury food court

Kyiv's historic market sits almost empty after being transformed into a luxury food court

Besarevsky Market has been standing in Kyiv for 114 years. His prestigious makeover lasted less than a year. Less than a year after the late 2025 reopening, most of the restaurants are gone, and the hall is quieter than before the renovation.

Besarevski's change is part of a wider trend. Across Europe, developers sought to turn grocery markets into profitable food courts. But in wartime Ukraine, the reality of transforming a historic market and part of Kyiv's heritage into a trendy food court proved more difficult than developers expected.

Photo: Danylo Antoniuk/ The Kyiv Independent