Ukraine is currently in a process of deconstruction—reflecting on its past, analyzing the present, and setting the direction for the future. Is there a future for cities that no longer exist? Does it make sense to restore Mariinka, Bakhmut or Vuhledar? What are the guiding parameters in making such decisions: economic indicators? geography? prospects for rapid development? activity level of the community? historical value? Reconstruction encourages new construction, and Ukraine is already being called "the largest construction site of Europe." Construction giants are already developing strategies to enter the Ukrainian market. But is it fair to build in the midst of the climate crisis? Who will then be responsible for carbon emissions and environmental impact? Would it be possible to rebuild cities without having to create new buildings? In the post-industrial context, when some cities are shrinking and have a large number of vacant spaces, can they become centers of recovery? And if so, when will people who have fled their homes return? What are the conditions for this? Is it enough to bring peace to a city for people to return? Will they still come back after three, five, ten—or even more—years of war? Will it be possible to find social ties that were once lost? Will Ukrainian cities be populated by completely new people? After all, changes in Ukraine may well affect the patterns of global migration, which is becoming more active due to the climate crisis. Perhaps Ukraine could gain significance in terms of global migration, and welcome people from the climate-risk countries? If so, could demographic changes in Ukraine prompt a search for connections with the context of the countries of the Global South and the emergence of a reflection on Ukraine's colonial past? And with that, a path to rethinking and the beginning of the post-colonial chapter of Ukraine's history?We have reached the point where every question only begets new ones. But, if questions are all we have now, perhaps they themselves can be our building material? By exploring the complexity of the topic of post-war recovery, we want to immerse the visitors of the La Biennale Architettura di Venezia 2023 in the context of Ukraine today through the exhibition of reflections by Ukrainian architects, entrepreneurs, and politicians and engage them in a common reflection and dialogue about reconstruction. We invite visitors to answer questions or ask their own questions, and to engage in a common reflection on the restoration of Ukraine, gradually materializing its future.

How to achieve lasting peace?

What will happen after lasting peace is achieved?

What will happen after the war?

After the war, Ukraine is going to be rebuilding its infrastructure, economy, repatriating its citizens, healing its society, restoring the natural environment… What else will need to be done?

What do you want to see in Ukraine when you visit it after the Ukrainian victory?

What exactly do you think creates a sense of security?

What exactly do you think creates a sense of home?

What do you think is the most important thing that should happen after the war?

Where should reconstruction begin?

How should reconstruction end?

What should be rebuilt first?

What should be done with the destroyed cities that are not mentioned in the media?

Should cities and villages that have been completely destroyed be rebuilt at all?

Do cities and villages that have been completely destroyed need to be rebuilt in the same place?

How do we decide between rebuilding destroyed cities and villages and facilitating the assimilation of IDPs into surviving cities and villages?

Should the surviving cities be densified?

How can the public be involved in the recovery process?

How can we maintain contact with our native natural landscapes while they are inaccessible due to mines and other fallout from the war?

How can we move past the mono-image of Ukraine as a country at war in the future?

How many Ukrainians will return after the victory and how many will settle abroad?

Will Ukraine gain significance in terms of global migration?

How will the cities that have been completely destroyed establish their right to rebuild? How will their relevance be evaluated?

How can individual people personally help contribute to the rebuilding of Ukraine?

Should we begin rebuilding now, or wait for Ukraine's victory?

Should the Kakhovka Dam be rebuilt?

How do we decide what to prioritize between the natural environment or global food security?

Ukraine's population is decreasing—will it be necessary to build at all?

In our search for answers, our questions prompted more and more questions and reflections. As a result, we were compelled to study a variety of opinions and ideas.

Today, there are different points of view on exactly how reconstruction should develop, depending on experience, context, and professional capacities. We decided to talk to representatives of the Ukrainian architectural community, entrepreneurs, government officials, volunteers, researchers, urbanists, landscape architects, activists, and engineers. We invited them to share with us their thoughts, solutions, and doubts about reconstruction by answering our questions.

These answers represent a kind of status quo. The comments also demonstrate the situation in which Ukraine and Ukrainian Architecture finds themselves today. Together the interviews form a composite discussion showing different views on the same topic—Reconstruction.