Kalicha River

Kalicha is a forgotten river flowing beneath the central streets of Vinnytsia. Once a small tributary of the Southern Bug, it played a significant role in shaping the city’s landscape. Its location in a ravine with a mild microclimate and access to fresh water springs attracted the first settlers as early as the 18th century. It was here that Vinnytsia began to emerge.

However, with the development of infrastructure, the river lost its function. No longer valuable as a source of water, its character — periodic floods — began to interfere with urban growth. Gradually, Kalicha was “buried” underground.

This project explores the paradox of transforming a natural element: what was once a beginning and a source has become hidden and displaced. Kalicha stands as a symbol of repressed, forgotten nature — a force that once shaped the city, now concealed beneath layers of concrete and industrial expansion.