During renovation work on Heroes of Kharkiv Avenue in 2020, a storm sewer system dating from the early 20th century was uncovered.

Kharkiv authorities decided to keep it—it has been performing its functions reliably for 120 years.

Such brick storm drains are still “in use” in many places beneath the city’s streets, and just outside Kyiv, they even carry rivers and streams that were buried underground back in pre-soviet times.