Hey folks and greetings from Kyiv!
I am so excited about yesterday's #WednesdayWalk and hasten to share my discovery with you. I passed by this 19th-century manor house with a charming park bunches of times but never got a chance to come close. The area is surrounded by a fence and all gates and wickets are always closed. It didn't look abandoned though. Until yesterday!
Seems that winter still has unfinished stuff here coz it returned with snow a couple of days ago. I was heading from one clinic to another, I had about an hour between doctor's appointments and 10 minutes of spare time or so. Not much time, no camera just my phone but I was happy to see the gates wide open and entered.
This manor house is commonly known as Khrushchev's Dacha. I mean Mykyta Khrushchev, Stalin's successor, Brezhnev's predecessor. Two wooden houses faced with bricks have been preserved here, as well as a beautiful park with ravines and many fascinating bridges.
The smaller and more modest of the two houses was built in 1889 by the apothecary assistant Octavian Bilsky. At that time, medicines were incredibly expensive, so when Bilsky became the owner of a pharmacy, he bought a nearby plot of land and ordered the construction of a profitable house with two five-room apartments. He arranged a park as well.
Many beautiful old buildings were built in the 19th century in Kyiv as profitable. It was a popular business. The owners of such houses tried to distinguish their real estate from others. They ordered beautiful stucco, unusual layouts, parks or courtyards.
200 years later, this type of passive income is still popular here.
After the Bolsheviks came here the estate became the property of the state, that is, the Communist Party. During the Soviet regime, private property was abolished. So this place became a "sensitive site".
Initially, the head of punitive organs in Ukraine and one of the organizers of the Holodomor lived here until he was executed. By the way, he was executed not for killing Ukrainians, but for embezzling money. No one could steal from the biggest thieves.
Shortly before the fascist attack on the USSR, the estate was given to a camp for the children of NKVD (later KGB) employees.
After the liberation of Kyiv, Khrushchev moved here. He lived here for 5 years and loved this place very much.
Now this territory is at the disposal of the Institute of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology. But I rarely saw people behind the fence. This could be a wonderful place of walks and relax for locals. It just need a little more care. Ah, not the biggest our trouble now anyway.
I counted at least 4 bridges, but as I can see they are in emergency condition. Or maybe they are closed for the winter season for safety reasons.
I met 2 or 3 red squirrels, they were playing around an old tree trunk. So much to see for just 10 minutes. Ah, what a pity.😊
That's it. Not bad for the starter. 😉 I should move on to not be late for my doctor's appointment but now I want to return here even more. As soon as it will become more green.🌿☘️
You can view all my posts on the map while we are waiting for the real spring to come to Kyiv.
Thank you for stopping by and have a good day 💙💛
