The head of the Bessarabian Market on its new life: no discussions, but a new format. | Ukrainian News

In December 2025, Bessarabsky Market in the center of Kyiv reopened after renovations. It had been closed since mid-2025. Immediately after its reopening, Kyiv residents began criticizing the new concept of the venue. Some private vendors were removed from the market, and a food court called "Bessarabka. Food Market" was opened instead. Another complaint was that the market was handed over to entrepreneurs for management not through Prozorro, even though the facility is a municipal enterprise. Journalist LIGA.net Volodymyr Fomichov I spoke with Natalia Dzhulai, the head of the Bessarabka. Food Market project. In an exclusive interview, she talked about which establishments will open in the food court, why they didn't consult with Kyiv residents, and who the project's investors are.How were the restaurants chosen and which establishments will be included?People complain that the market has become smaller and is now more of a food court. What do you have to say about that?This is a manipulative statement. Previously, the space visually appeared larger due to the massive concrete shopping rows located in different parts of the building. At the same time, the actual number of traders working in the market has not changed significantly.In addition, they were provided with updated spaces. 30 m² were allocated for meat. This is quite enough, because butchers trade according to a schedule, and not all at once.Even at the design stage of the Bessarabskyi Market building, public catering areas were planned, as recorded in the facility's passport. Throughout the market's operation, food service establishments in one format or another have existed here, including before the market's official closure in 2025.What was the principle behind your choice of restaurants for the food court?The main condition is different cuisines with no overlap in the menu. This eliminates competition between establishments and gives the guest a choice. We do not take on unknown startups; we need professionals who know how to work in a street food format. We currently have a waiting list of people who want to join the project.The restaurant selection process took place without any official announcements. In the initial stage, we found tenants through our own contacts and recommendations. For example, Burger Farm, which was one of the first to join, recommended its partners for consideration.Who else can "enter" the new Bessarabka? In fact, there is already a certain queue. My task is to gradually involve craft producers. There is already an agreement with the craft cheese producer "Syroman", as well as with one of the companies from "Stolichnyi", which specializes in craft meat.We want the market to have seafood, craft milk, and farm products. There are also preliminary agreements with a brand of fermented marbled meat — this format does not compete with traditional butchers.As for the food hall, there is currently a lack of Vietnamese and Chinese cuisines on the market, as well as the ramen format. In addition, we are considering attracting formats like "Chornomorka" if they can operate in a fast-service format.Recently, for example, Ostap Stupka stopped by and jokingly remarked that it would be nice to have a glass of wine and eat oysters at the market while simultaneously buying groceries to take home. So, seafood cuisine is a direction that truly interests us.It is fundamentally important that the formats are not duplicated. Many Italian restaurants are contacting us now, but we are declining because this segment is already represented by Buffalino.Separately, we want to see more businesses from IDPs on the market. For example, Chebreak contacted us, but due to production difficulties, they haven't been able to join us at this time.How much does it cost to rent one trading space at the market?This is commercial information; we do not disclose details.It is worth clarifying that this is not a fixed price for a separate retail space. The cooperation model is based on the principle used in shopping malls: payment in the form of a percentage of turnover.Historically, it has been difficult to pay by card in Bessarabka. Vendors ask to be paid in cash or to have money transferred to their personal bank cards. What do you plan to do about this?We are currently working on ensuring that merchants register as sole proprietors, enter into contracts, and pay taxes. In the future, every seller should have a bank terminal to make it convenient for visitors to pay cashless.In parallel, we plan to introduce clear and uniform rules for market operations, particularly regarding appearance. This is a matter of basic trade culture and respect for guests: the market should remain authentic, but at the same time neat and comfortable for everyone. We don't want a situation where the person cutting meat has their entire apron covered in blood.About the owners, UAH 150 million, Bessarabskyi Market Communal EnterpriseHow did you become the head of the "Bessarabka. Food Market" project?The proposal came from one of the entrepreneurs, Arshak Babajyan, director of Beverages LLC, who brought together businessmen to revitalize the market. [Beverages LLC is engaged in restaurant activities and mobile catering services. – Ed.]I was invited at a stage when the process had already been launched and the entrepreneurs had clearly defined the concept. They were looking for a manager who could unite different worlds: the municipal sector, big business, and private traders.Have you communicated with city hall officials regarding your work?The city hall didn't offer me anything, I didn't have any interviews there. The entrepreneurs signed agreements with the municipal enterprise "Bessarabsky Market" for the use of retail spaces with the right to renew them and transfer them to third parties.What is this process?The Bessarabskyi Market municipal enterprise has provided retail spaces for use by entrepreneurs (16 sole proprietors + one LLC). The entrepreneurs who joined the project have concluded agreements with the municipal enterprise for the use of retail spaces for a period of five years.In turn, the entrepreneurs provide these retail spaces for use by market traders and food hall residents. The municipal enterprise is not a party to these agreements.Under agreements with municipal enterprises, entrepreneurs set up retail spaces at their own expense, without any interference with the structure or authentic elements of the building.Utility companies have the right to enter into direct contracts with sole proprietors (individual entrepreneurs), as in our case, it is not about renting square meters, but about providing specific retail spaces for use.Read alsoLease vs. Privatization: How to Protect Kyiv's Zhytniy Market from DestructionThese are different legal mechanisms, and that is why in such cases the procedure does not go through Prozorro.Who owns the idea for the new Bessarabsky Market? The idea of reformatting Bessarabsky Market does not belong to one person. It is the result of a collaborative effort by entrepreneurs who, from the very beginning, wanted to update the market space without losing its authentic essence. Decisions were made collectively: various scenarios were discussed, formats were compared, and European examples of markets and food halls were studied.Initially, only two or three entrepreneurs worked on the project idea, but over time, other like-minded individuals joined them, interested in restoring the familiar rhythm of life in Bessarabka to Kyiv residents.Can you name any other investors in this project besides Arshak Babajanyan? Are these the people who trade at the market?These are different people; they didn't trade here. These are Arshak's friends and those he brought in. They are not public figures; I cannot name them. Moreover, I don't know them personally, as I only communicate with Babadjyan.The total investment amounted to approximately UAH 150 million. For many of the entrepreneurs, this was more of an ambitious dream – to leave a mark on the city's history – than a quick profit, as there is no talk of profits yet.Return on investment, parallels with the Zhytniy Market When will Bessarabka become profitable? At this stage, we are not talking about profitability. Our primary goal is to break even. A full-fledged revenue model is only possible after craft producers appear on the market and stable traffic is formed.We have now consciously made concessions to traditional merchants: they receive a 50% discount for three months. This is to help them win back their regular customers and achieve a certain volume of sales and income.The market opened on December 10. Although we had planned to launch after the New Year, when the space would be completely ready, the management of the municipal enterprise asked us to open earlier so that traders could earn money before the holidays.Due to the tight opening schedule, some processes are still in progress: not all contracts have been signed with vendors yet, and the launch was carried out as quickly as possible. We are gradually bringing all issues into a systematic format.Many people were concerned that there was no discussion of the concept of the market. Why? We are not civil servants, activists, or public hearing specialists.As far as I know, no request for public hearings was received, and in this case, such hearings were not planned. This is because the project did not change the intended purpose of the market and did not involve work that would affect the structural or authentic elements of the building or its protected status.In fact, it's about improving the trading spaces and organizing the interior, not about changes that require public discussion procedures. All the basic functions of the market have remained unchanged: traders continue to work in renovated, but essentially the same, trading rows.I can give an example. There have been discussions about the Zhytniy Market for a long time, but it's falling into disrepair. At least we're doing something here. At Bessarabka, the historic building is entering a new phase of life.Read alsoThe crucial moment has arrived: will Kyiv lose its Zhytniy Market?The market is quite cold right now. Are you planning to do anything about it?This is a big problem. For our part, we have implemented a number of solutions: we have installed heat pumps, thermal curtains at the entrances and fan coils, and we have installed 500 kW of electricity, which was not there before. Also planned is the replacement of the entrance doors, as they have gaps that cause drafts. Prolonged power outages remain a challenge — generators cannot always provide the power needed specifically for heating.Today, the temperature inside may seem less comfortable than in classic restaurants. However, it is worth considering the scale of the building and its architecture — it is a large space with high vaulted ceilings, where full heating of the entire hall is technically difficult.Therefore, we continue to explore and develop alternative options to improve visitor comfort during the winter and retain heat without damaging the historic building. After all, we are not allowed to touch the roof or walls — that is the responsibility of the utility company.The issue of traffic and parking is a separate matter. According to traders, blocking traffic has negatively affected market attendance — it's difficult for people to drive up, stop, and make purchases. We understand the importance of the parking issue, so we are initiating the opening of a separate parking lot for Bessarabka visitors.What are the next steps in the development of Bessarabka?I want the market to become a venue for cultural events. We've built a stage for events. Plans include Sunday brunches, meetings with famous Kyiv residents, book presentations, and even an immersive performance about the history of Kyiv.Personally, I also dream of gradually restoring the market's facade to its historical appearance: reducing visual clutter, particularly outdoor advertising, and eventually replacing the doors with solutions closer to the building's original architecture. After all, Bessarabka should be seen as a city landmark and a fully-fledged urban space.

"At Zhytniy, there's a discussion about it declining. We are doing something about it," – an interview with the head of Bessarabka. Food market.

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