Kontraktova Square is gradually regaining its open horizon: workers are dismantling the metal framework of the observation wheel, with the cabins already transported away in containers. What Kyivans perceived as part of the Podil skyline turned out to be an attraction without any permits — and it is not the city, but the French owner under pressure from the prosecutor's office that puts an end to this story.
Why It Was Removed Now
The formal reason emerged in December 2025: the Podil District Prosecutor's Office established that the metal structures of the wheel were standing on wooden beams with hollows inside that were deteriorating from mechanical pressure. In December, the prosecutor's office appealed to court, and on December 30, the Podil District Court imposed an arrest with a ban on operation. Two KMDA officials — the director of the Department of Land Resources and the director of the Department of Territorial Control — were notified of suspicion of official negligence.
But the formal reason is not the whole picture. According to Tvoe Misto publication, the wheel had been operating without any permits the entire time. The Department of Territorial Control repeatedly issued demolition orders — including the last one on December 22, 2025. The owner ignored them.
Court Carousel and Hague Court Threats
The attraction's owner, French entrepreneur Louis Toutain, disagreed with the emergency assessment. He cited a technical inspection report from October 2025, compiled by LLC "Interregional Expert and Technical Center," which confirmed compliance with passport specifications. On March 4, 2026, the Kyiv Court of Appeals overturned the arrest and operational ban in response to the owner's complaint.
"If they pressure me — I will leave everything as it is"
Louis Toutain at a court hearing, May 2026
At the May hearing, Toutain again asked to postpone the case, explaining that he would dismantle the structure himself. The prosecutor reminded him that the owner had made the same promise last year. In response, Toutain announced his readiness to appeal to an international court if the pressure does not stop.
Where the Wheel Is Going
Despite the threats, dismantling continues. According to Proshchannya z Symvolom Podolu publication, the new destination for the attraction is Truskavets in Lviv region. The wheel is almost completely disassembled and ready for transportation. Thus, Kyiv will retain a tourist precedent — the attraction came from Paris in 2017 and will return to another Ukrainian city.
KMDA notes that it conducted negotiations with the owner regarding a new Kyiv location, but failed to reach an agreement. According to Deputy Head of KMDA Valentyn Mondriivskyi, the attraction "has proven its tourist appeal for Podil" and must operate exclusively within the legal framework.
If Truskavets receives the wheel without resolving the permits and documentation issue — will the new location reproduce the same scheme of eight years of operation in a legal gray zone?
