Archival Photos of Kyiv’s Hay Market Come to Life Through AI.

Video Brings Kyiv’s Hay Market Back to Life

According to Espreso.tv: A newly released video on the channel 'Stories of Yura Martynovych' showcases historical footage of Kyiv’s Hay Market (Sinnyi Bazar), enhanced with artificial intelligence animation. The footage features rare images provided by the 'Sadiba na Kudryavtsi' museum, a branch of the Museum of the History of Kyiv. The market, which once stood on what is now Lviv Square, no longer exists today.

Yura Martynovych, the creator of the video, noted that

“The Hay Market was one of the most colorful spots in old Kyiv.”

“These animated archival images let us, even for a moment, feel the spirit of that time,”

Exhibition 'Suburb in the City Center'

As part of the exhibition 'Suburb in the City Center,' currently running at the 'Sadiba na Kudryavtsi' museum, Martynovych presented not only the Hay Market but also other Ukrainian cities. He brought archival photos to life for:

• Lviv
• Kyiv
• Kharkiv
• Uzhhorod
• Ternopil
• Odesa
• Dnipro
• Boryslav
• Zalishchyky
• Chernivtsi
• Zaporizhzhia
• Kherson
• Ivano-Frankivsk
• Vinnytsia

This project highlights the importance of preserving cultural heritage and using modern technology to promote it. Animating archival photographs not only safeguards memories of the past but also makes them accessible to new generations, helping them better understand their cities’ histories. The exhibition and video work together to raise awareness of Ukrainian history and culture, contributing to the formation of a national identity.