In Barcelona, a large-scale project to update the stained glass of the Sagrada Familia basilica has been completed. On one of the decorative elements, where the name of the capital of Ukraine was recorded, the transliteration has been changed: instead of the traditional "Kiev", "Kyiv" is now displayed. The work was carried out in strict accordance with the regulatory provisions of the Institute of Catalan Studies and became part of the international #KyivNotKiev campaign.

Technical Implementation and Timelines

The process of replacing the stained glass took about six weeks. It included the complete dismantling of the previous structural element, modeling, and manufacturing of a new original stained glass. The integration of the new glass fragment into the iconographic program of the cathedral, developed by Father Lluís Bonet i Armengol and implemented by artist Joan Vila-Gràcia, was completed in early June 2026. The modernization was timed to coincide with the annual Kyiv Day and was carried out on the eve of the official events for the consecration of the central tower of the basilica.

Initiative and Coordination

The initiative to change the text designation came from the leadership of the Barcelona organization of Ukrainian civil society. The project was implemented with the assistance of the General Consulate of Ukraine in Barcelona. The petition received institutional support from the Speaker of the Catalan Parliament, Josep Rull, as well as from the relevant leadership and the chief architect of the basilica, Jordi Faulí i Oller.

International Context

The correction of the inscription in Sagrada Familia is not an isolated case, but part of a long-term international interagency campaign #KyivNotKiev, launched by the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2018. The goal of the program is the unification of the use of Ukrainian geographical names in foreign cartographic, encyclopedic, and navigational databases.

Scope of Changes

The results of the campaign have already manifested in several key areas:

  • Media Space: Agencies Reuters, BBC, The New York Times have switched to the transliteration Kyiv.
  • Aviation Communication: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has changed the display of the name on airport boards.
  • Cartography and Geodesy: Services Google Maps, Apple Maps, and the BGN database have updated global electronic registries.
  • Sacred Architecture: The administration of the Sagrada Familia basilica has replaced a stained glass fragment with the form Kyiv.

Regulatory Basis

According to the rules of the Ninth UN Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names, the transmission of toponyms in international systems should be based on official national transliteration rules approved by the government of the country of origin of the geographical object. The correction of catalogs and elements of interior decoration in the largest tourist and religious centers of Europe is considered by relevant experts as a stage in the normative consolidation of national transliteration standards at the international level.