Architect: loft buro
Year: 2024
Photography: Andrey Avdeenko
Team: Oleg Volosovskiy, Vira Zinchenko, Vyacheslav Kvitka, Denys Chudinov
Location: Kyiv
Country: Ukraine

VITRYAK windmill, restored by loft buro in 2024, revives a late 19th-century structure originally from Ukraine’s Kherson region. The project involved relocating the windmill to the National Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine and restoring its cap, wings, and milling mechanisms. This restoration honors the windmill’s historical and cultural significance through careful study, authentic material use, and traditional craftsmanship.

The restoration of the VITRYAK windmill and the revival of its century-old milling process represent a significant effort to preserve Ukrainian architectural heritage. The project aimed to demonstrate the ingenuity of historical architects and their skillful use of wind energy to transform grain into flour. This detailed restoration included work on the windmill’s cap, wings, internal mechanisms, and tailpole. The process required various stages, from researching archival documents, modeling, and drawing to finding skilled craftsmen, selecting authentic materials, and understanding mechanical technologies to restore the windmill to its former glory.

Originally constructed in the late 19th to early 20th century, the windmill was located in the village of Oleksandrivka, Kherson region, before being relocated to the National Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine in 1973. The structure is a prime example of southern Ukrainian folk architecture, showcasing the typology and regional characteristics of 19th-century mechanized windmills in Ukraine.

This two-story windmill features four wings and a round, tapering body constructed from local limestone bound with lime mortar. The first floor served as storage for grain and flour, while the second floor housed the millstones, connected by a spindle and a wooden cogwheel known as a “baklusha” to a wheel on the attic shaft. The gable roof, complex in design, resembles an inverted boat and is covered with planks. The wings were originally covered with canvas, which could be rolled up when not in use.

A 1973 inspection revealed that the windmill’s turntable frame required a 40% replacement, while the roof and roofing needed complete renovation. The walls and foundation, made of local limestone and lime mortar, were unsuitable for transportation. The windmill’s wings were mostly intact, but the metal doors needed to be replaced with wooden ones, and the windows had not survived. By 2023, only 30% of the restoration work had been completed, with an 8-meter section of the structure laid with limestone being presented.

The restoration phase commenced in the fall of 2023. During this period, a comprehensive study of the windmill’s condition was conducted, the surrounding area and slope were cleared, a protective wall was built, and the foundation was reinforced. A significant aspect of the restoration was the manufacturing and installation of an oak roof and blades based on the original 1973 drawings. The authentic working mechanism was reconstructed using preserved designs by the noted Ukrainian architect Leonid Prybieha, one of the museum’s founders.

Symbolism was deeply embedded in the project’s restoration. The windmill’s blades, designed to form a cross, symbolize an ancient tree of life. Their restoration required months of meticulous work by a team of skilled craftsmen. The architects made key decisions to ensure that the blades could rotate, providing a clear demonstration of the grain milling process.

Logistical challenges made it impractical to conduct the project in a traditional production facility. The size of the materials, including over 30 cubic meters of timber, and the length of certain parts required a different approach. The team established an open-air workshop, fully equipped with the necessary tools and materials. Craftsmen were accommodated on-site, allowing for continuous, dedicated work on the restoration throughout its duration.