Alex from Kyiv
VDNKh Kyiv
Park & recreation
VDNKh stands for National Economy Achievements Exposition. It was built in 1958 to glorify the greatness of soviet Ukraine. The territory of the exhibition is around 300 hectares, where more than 30 pavilions of different architectural styles are built. It also has parks, gardens, stables, fountains and more. There is also a big forest and an artificial lake. Each sphere of production has its own exhibition pavilion, such as coal mining, agriculture, light industry etc. But the good times of the exhibition ended with the breakdown of USSR. Nowadays its huge territory is half-abandoned and all these gorgeous buildings are just standing there with a minimum amount of care.
But still there are a lot of activities to do. You can rent a bike or a barbecue spot or just walk around. Lots of people come here to jog, walk their kids or pets. Also there are a lot of different festivals taking place here. Such as Gogol Fest or October Fest which attract people from all over Ukraine and hopefully soon some improvements will be done!
As an architect, I just like to walk the territory and enjoy the architecture, from the late 50's with its Monumental Stalin's Empire style to 70's Soviet Modernism flat roofed minimalistic design. I imagine how it was years ago here and what could be done to renew it.
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