Street stalls, jobs and the war: why small businesses protested in Kyiv

The protest took place near Mariinsky Park, with participants calling on parliament to support Bill No. 15035.

In central Kyiv, over a hundred small business owners took to the streets to protest against the removal of small retail kiosks.

The protest took place near Mariinsky Park. The business owners held placards with slogans such as “Vote for the Tretyakova bill”, “Support Bill No. 15035” and “Don’t destroy our businesses”.

The protesters’ main demand is the adoption of Bill No. 15035, which aims to restrict the dismantling of temporary structures during martial law.

Why small businesses are protesting

Business owners claim that the dismantling of small retail units during the war affects not only the owners of the kiosks, but also the employees, their families and local budgets.

The organiser of the protest, Tetyana Petrenko, head of the public organisation “Business Rescue Committee”, Tetyana Petrenko, argues that the draft law should restrict local authorities so that during the war they cannot unjustifiably destroy businesses or make decisions that lead to job losses.

A protester, entrepreneur Maria, explained that during the war, businesses must operate, support the economy and pay taxes. According to her, many people have already left the country, and the destruction of small retail outlets could prompt even more people to leave.

What does Bill No. 15035 propose?

Bill No. 15035 is entitled “On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine Regarding the Protection of Employment and Self-Employment in the Sphere of Small Business”.

Its rationale is not simply to protect kiosks as physical structures, but to link the dismantling of temporary structures to the issue of employment.

According to the Verkhovna Rada, the bill provides for a ban on the dismantling of small architectural forms (MAFs) if this leads to job losses, without a court ruling or without compensation. Local authorities must also assess how many people may lose their jobs and whether there are alternatives for them.

The document aims to protect the rights of entrepreneurs from decisions by the authorities that could lead to a loss of income, rising unemployment and social tension within communities.

In the event of the forced removal of a temporary structure, the draft law provides for a compensation mechanism or the provision of an alternative site.

The Kyiv City State Administration’s position

The Kyiv City State Administration insists that it is dismantling structures that lack the necessary permits or have been erected in breach of regulations.

The city explains the dismantling as part of the reform of the temporary trade market. New trading spaces are to be allocated through public auctions on “Prozorro.Sales”, rather than through the old, non-transparent mechanisms.

Mykhailo Budilov, Head of the Department of Territorial Control at the Kyiv City State Administration, told “Ekonomichna Pravda” that following the completion of the reform, the number of small architectural forms in Kyiv is expected to be reduced to between 800 and 1,000 structures. According to the publication, in June 2024 there were over 8,900 temporary structures in the capital.

How many temporary structures are being dismantled in Kyiv

The dismantling of temporary structures in the capital is continuing systematically.

Since the start of 2024, over 5,700 unauthorised street trading units have been dismantled in Kyiv. In 2024, 2,016 structures were dismantled, in 2025 – 3,240, and since the start of 2026 – 538.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko also reported that in the Solomyanskyi and Shevchenkivskyi districts alone, around 500 small architectural forms and kiosks have been removed since the start of 2026. He added that active work on dismantling temporary structures would begin on the left bank of the capital from June.

What is the crux of the conflict

For entrepreneurs, small architectural forms are not just kiosks, but jobs, self-employment and a source of income during the war.

For the Kyiv City State Administration, this is part of urban space reform, the fight against illegal structures and the transition to the auction-based allocation of trading spaces.

That is precisely why the protest in central Kyiv has become about more than just a dispute over kiosks. It is a conflict between urban reform and small businesses’ demand not to lose their jobs and income during martial law.

What is important

Draft Law No. 15035 has not yet been adopted.

It does not imply a complete ban on the dismantling of small architectural forms (MAFs), but proposes to significantly restrict such decisions if they lead to job losses and are not accompanied by a court ruling, compensation or an alternative location.

Therefore, the key question is whether parliament will support a moratorium on the dismantling of temporary structures in its current form, and how this will affect the reform of small architectural forms in Kyiv.

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