Observation deck to the homeland. Concrete labyrinths and a dove in a sword

Cemetery of military equipment

In the Darnitsky district, at one of the farthest ends of the city, in the Rembaza residential area, there is a cemetery-warehouse for military equipment. It is located on the territory of the Kyiv Military Repair Plant, which began its work during the Great Patriotic War. The plant is still operating, repairing and putting into operation new Ukrainian and foreign tanks.

On the territory there is a lot of military equipment, presentable, which will simply be repaired and put back into operation. And it doesn’t stagnate here; every day it’s either cleaned or a new one is brought in.

Also on the premises there is stored very old non-working equipment, which is living out its last century, and is further disassembled into parts. There are not dozens, but hundreds of tanks and military vehicles for every taste: armored personnel carriers, missile launchers, long-range combat systems, engineering tanks, etc. This equipment costs a lot of money, so it is well guarded, so you can only dream of walking among the tanks.

Additional Information: Attention!!! The cemetery, which is essentially a military equipment warehouse and strategic object, is guarded by military personnel with weapons and dogs, and the warehouse is surrounded by barbed wire. We do not recommend going there in the dark, much less climbing over the fence.

Metro: Krasny Khutor

Address: Not disclosed for the safety of site visitors. The article was created for informational purposes, the address is known to the author.

Aviation Museum

The Kiev Aviation Museum houses the world's only collection of Tu-22 bombers capable of carrying nuclear bombs.

The museum was opened in 2003 - on the 100th anniversary of aviation, by order of then Prime Minister Viktor Yushchenko. They were collected by the whole world: some of the exhibits migrated from the Dovzhenko film studio, factories helped with repairs. Even the Americans helped - when they cut strategic bombers for scrap, several copies were preserved for history and transported to Kyiv. So this is the first full-scale transport museum in Ukraine and one of the largest in area - more than 14 hectares.

It has over 70 aircraft and helicopters. And also missiles, weapons, engines. A real training ground!
At the entrance there is a unique Tu-104, the first serial - serial number 001. It flew until 1958, until it was handed over to NAU “to be torn to pieces” by students. It is interesting for its interior - it was equipped with “VIP seats”: “mere mortals” sat in the back, and in the front there are 4 compartments with washbasins, upholstered in velvet and mahogany - for senior executives.

There is Il-86 - the very first, test one: it has an emergency hatch for the crew - and Il-18 No. 01.01. The Ilyushin Design Bureau even expressed gratitude to the Kyiv museum for preserving the aircraft - they thought that it had long been destroyed.

"Flying grocery store" and bombers
What amazes me most is military aircraft - especially when you find out what these “aircraft” standing peacefully on the grass could do in their best years. And at what price were these opportunities given...
“During testing of the Su-24, until recently the main bomber of the Ukrainian army, 10 pilots were killed and 13 aircraft were damaged,” said the head of the scientific and popularization department Boris Antonenko. – All because he was “taught” to fly around the terrain in automatic mode at an altitude of 15–200 meters and faster than the speed of sound. In the Iraq wars, the Americans were unable to shoot down a single such aircraft.
Here is the MiG-25, which still holds the world altitude record - more than 37 kilometers. The surface of the case was heated by hundreds of degrees, and there was a powerful cooling system on it... 200 liters of a water-alcohol mixture. For this reason the plane was called the “flying grocery store.” Member of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR Anastas Mikoyan said about it: “If the homeland orders it, we will fill it with Armenian cognac.”
In addition, it turned out that in Kyiv there is the world’s only collection of “Backfires” - Tu-22 strategic bombers capable of carrying nuclear bombs. As part of disarmament, the combat vehicles were cut up by the Americans, but several examples were transported to the museum - in parts. Nearby, X-22 missiles lie peacefully on carts, each of which is capable of destroying an entire city.

Assembling an airplane is a tricky business
Medovaya is visited not only by ordinary visitors, but also by people whose fates were connected with what have now become museum exhibits - pilots who themselves landed planes at their last stop. Americans, Afghan veterans, film participants and admirers of the film “Only Old Men Go to Battle” come - after all, the same plane of Leonid Bykov is also on the museum site. Nearby is a model of the first Ukrainian, still wooden, Anatra-Anassal aircraft from the beginning of the 20th century. In 1912, entrepreneur Arthur Anatra opened an aircraft factory in Odessa, where they produced an airplane per month. In 2005, a life-size model of it was transferred from Southern Palmyra to Kyiv.

Unfortunately, there are still few Kyiv aircraft from the Antonov Design Bureau - only three, including the famous “corner”. Now there is preliminary consent to transfer five aircraft to the aviation museum, including the giant Ruslan, but there is still a transportation procedure ahead. However, “winged” museum workers are no strangers to this.

Unique assembly operations are carried out in the open air: now aircraft are delivered mainly by road transport in disassembled form, sometimes about 20 trailers at a time! Often this is sponsorship. The exhibition is replenished every year. Currently, about 10 aircraft are being prepared for relocation, and more than ten are being agreed upon for transfer. Every year there are more and more exhibits that you can go inside.

Additional information: no work: Wednesday to Sunday.
Address: st. Medovaya, 1, tel.: 241-25-83, 461-64-85 (get from Sevastopol Square by trolleybuses No. 21 and No. 40 to the turn to Turetsky Gorodok, and from there walk).

Ticket price is 12 UAH, for students – 6 UAH, for students and labor veterans – 3 UAH.
Airplane visit – 2 UAH.

Video filming – 10 UAH, photography – 5 UAH.
Excursion – from 30 to 60 UAH (depending on the detail of the inspection).

It is possible to rent exhibits (holding events inside aircraft: filming, presentations, etc.).
Prices per hour: small – 81 UAH, medium – 200 UAH, large – 270 UAH.

Metro: Vokzalnaya, Shulyavskaya

Address: Medovaya, 1

How to get there: From Sevastopol Square move along People's Militia Street to st. Honey

Observation deck Motherland

After a long break, the observation deck on the shield near the Motherland has reopened. The sculpture was opened on May 9, 1981 together with the Museum of the Great Patriotic War and is its central figure. The height of the sculpture without base is 62m. Its weight is 500t. The shield offers an overview of the entire Kyiv.

It was assumed that the monument would be covered with gold leaf. More precisely, it was originally planned that an 80-meter bronze and gilded figure of a woman would rise on the pedestal. At the foot of the statue, a waterfall was supposed to flow into the Dnieper from a 30-meter height, on both sides of which soldiers crossed the river. But this idea was abandoned. The current sculpture is made of stainless steel and installed on a 40-meter conical pedestal, at the foot of which is the museum itself. The total height (to the tip of the sword) is 102 m, the height at the edge of the shield is 92 m. According to experts, the sculpture should last 150 years and should withstand earthquakes of magnitude 9.

There are two elevators inside the sculpture: - inclined (moves on rollers at an angle of 75 degrees) and vertical. An inclined elevator lifts people inside a pedestal. The vertical elevator allows you to rise to the level of the sculpture’s chest (the so-called 9th floor); Next you need to climb one of the stairs that lead to both hands and to the top of your head.

The climb to the shield looks like this: walk to the 3rd floor of the museum, then an inclined elevator to the lower observation deck, then you sign for instructions and hand over unnecessary things, then a vertical elevator, then a small vertical staircase and an inclined staircase in the hand of the sculpture, turning into vertical. Climbing on each non-standard ladder is accompanied by securing a safety belt to a rope or cable.

The area is located on the back side of the shield above the fingers of the sculpture’s left hand, it is fenced on all sides, but on top at eye level there is a space free from the mesh, which is enough to look at and stick out the camera normally. The shield offers a magnificent view of the Dnieper, Lavra, Pechersk, etc.

There is also a lower observation deck at an altitude of 36 meters, which is equipped with binoculars.

Additional information: Opening hours: 10:00-17:00, closed on Monday.

The cost of climbing to the shield is 200 UAH. The duration of the climb is about 40 minutes, the time spent on the shield is 10-15 minutes.
Elderly people, pregnant women, overweight people, people under 12 years old, as well as those wearing miniskirts and stiletto heels are not allowed.

The cost of climbing to the lower observation deck is 50 UAH.

Metro: Arsenalnaya

Address: st. Ivan Mazepa, 44

Central Hippodrome

The hippodrome is a complex of facilities for horse testing and equestrian competitions, exhibitions and horse breeding. Tests are carried out on a running or racing prize circle. The hippodrome has separate circles for racing and racing. There is also an area for equestrian competitions and games. Along the finishing section of the prize circle there are stands for spectators, and opposite the finishing post there is a judge's stand. The territory of the hippodrome is equipped with stables with horse walkers, a veterinary hospital, quarantine, a blacksmith shop, and economic services.

The Kiev Hippodrome was built in 1962-1969; today it covers an area of more than 380 thousand square meters. The capacity of the Kyiv Hippodrome is more than 400 horses per year.
There are three tracks on the main racing field:
The first (inner) track is used for training. It has a granular slag coating, its dimensions are 1477 x 20 m. The second track is called the prize track and is intended for trotting horses, that is, for training and testing. Length – 1600 m, width – 30 m, covered with soil similar in structure to chernozem. The third track is called a racing track and serves to preserve and develop the muscles of horses. Its length is 1800 m, width – 25 m. This path is sandy along the outer perimeter and grass along the inner perimeter. In the center of the running circle there is a jumping field and two areas for dressage of sports horses.

At the hippodrome there are 9 capital stables, built according to an individual project, for 40 stalls each. In the center of each stable there is a harness arena; in the stables there are service rooms: harness rooms, storerooms for storing fodder, household rooms

In 2009, for the first time since the independence of Ukraine, a betting shop was opened at the Central Hippodrome. As you know, betting existed here back in the days of the Soviet Union, but when it received the status of an independent state, it was classified as gambling and was simply banned. Therefore, for a long time there were no sweepstakes at any hippodrome in Ukraine.

Additional information: Phone: 526-20-53

Metro: Lybidskaya, Vasilkovskaya

Address: st. Academician Glushkova, 10

How to get there: From Lybidskaya metro station take minibus 126 or 563.

Paratrike flights

How much would you give to feel like a bird and look down on the world? At the moment of flight, everything earthly lets go of you and you enjoy heavenly serenity, freedom, purity. A paratrike adventure as a gift is a lot of emotions and adrenaline that will be remembered for a lifetime!

Flying on a paratrike is an opportunity to feel like a bird, get a lot of adrenaline from the log, and of course admire Kiev from above. You can also order an extreme flight, an experienced pilot will demonstrate aerobatic maneuvers for you, such as a loop, etc.

Another good offer is a night flight on a paratrike over Kiev at night. Bright fireworks of urban civilization and the black abysses of the Dnieper. Moon-silvered clouds and phosphorescent flocks of cars below. The breathtaking infinity of space and the complete absence of time.

Additional information: What is included in the certificate:
flight with an instructor on a paratrike

It is important to know:
The gift must be activated no later than 7 days before the desired date
Possible days and times: Saturday and Sunday (check with the operators for other days)
The nearest possible date and time must be checked with the operators; in case of unfavorable weather conditions, the date may be postponed.
Dress code: comfortable
Possible participant weight - up to 100 kg
________________
www.presentlab.com.ua - here you can buy a certificate for a paratrike flight. (10 minutes)

www.darlink.com.ua - here you can buy a certificate for a night flight on a paratrike. (40 minutes)

Metro: Petrovka

Address: Peoples' Friendship Park

With. New Petrivtsi Museum “Battle for Kyiv”

To the north of Kyiv, in the village of Novye Petrivtsi, tourists will find an excellent military history museum - “The Battle of Kyiv 1943” on the site of the Lyutezh bridgehead, from where Kyiv was liberated. The territory of the museum occupies more than 9 hectares. Visitors can walk through the 650-meter gallery of the underground dugouts of the commander of the 1st Ukrainian Front, General Vatutin.
The museum was founded in March 1945. It was here, in the village of Novye Petrivtsi, that the command and observation post of General Vatutin, the commander of the 1st Ukrainian Front, was located. From here, from the area of the Lyutezh bridgehead, an operation was carried out to liberate Kyiv from the fascist invaders and cross the Dnieper.

In 1945, the government declared the territory in Novi Petrivtsi a state reserve. 650 meters of trenches, dugouts and command and observation posts were restored. And in 1958, a monument was erected here - a majestic figure of a warrior made of forged copper on a high pedestal.
In 1993, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Kyiv, the Diorama Museum “Battle for Kyiv” was built. Five halls now display more than ten thousand relics and materials related to the events of the defense of Kyiv in 1941 and the liberation of the capital of Ukraine and the Kyiv region in 1943. In the exhibition you can see photographs, materials, personal belongings of combatants and the diorama itself, the length of the canvas is 27 meters in length and 7 in height. Near the museum there is an exhibition of military equipment from the Second World War.

“There is no elevator here, an observation deck in the mouth or in the sword either,” with these words Alexander Chernov, leading researcher at the Volgograd branch of JSC NIIES, begins a tour of the sculpture “The Motherland Calls.”

The main monument of Mamayev Kurgan is not intended for visitors, but sometimes the staff of the Battle of Stalingrad Panorama Museum makes exceptions.

The total height of the monument is 85 meters. Photo: AiF-Volgograd/ Olesya Khodunova

85 meter chess piece

The entrance to the sculpture is located on the back side of the “Motherland”. The metal door opens, a small staircase descends from there, and, after checking our passports, we are allowed inside the monument.

Door to the sculpture. Photo: AiF-Volgograd/ Grigory Belozerov

For Alexander Chernov, climbing to the “Motherland” is work. Once a week he comes here to monitor the condition of the monument.

“The sculpture was poured as a monolith, just as houses are being built now: gradually, from the bottom up, the wooden formwork was filled with concrete,” says Alexander Chernov. - By the way, it was built by the same people as the Volzhskaya Hydroelectric Power Station and from the same concrete. The head was poured separately and placed on the monument.”

The entire sculpture consists of concrete rooms. Photo: AiF-Volgograd/ Olesya Khodunova

The sculpture is cool, dark and quite cramped. “Motherland” consists of many cells approximately 3 by 3 meters, which, like small-sized apartments, are scattered throughout the tiers of the monument.

The figure of the “Motherland” stands on a concrete foundation. The sculpture has nothing to do with the earth.

“No matter what anyone says, it is not attached to the ground by any ropes. It's like a chess piece: you can pick it up and move it to another place. If, of course, there is something to raise,” says Alexander.

There are 99 steel ropes stretched inside. Photo: AiF-Volgograd/ Grigory Belozerov

There are 99 steel ropes stretched inside the Motherland. They are also not attached to the ground in any way. The ropes are not installed in the entire monument, mainly in the legs and arms. The tension on each of them is 60 tons. The ropes are needed to prevent cracks from forming on the concrete sculpture. Their tension is constantly monitored: there are sensors on each rope, and readings are taken from them every 10 days. If the rope is loose, it can be tightened. This usually needs to be done once every 5 years.

Legend of the Lost

A concrete staircase leads upstairs. It constantly meanders between cells, breaks off in one room and continues again in another. Wandering through these concrete labyrinths, it is easy to believe in the legend according to which either a builder or a soldier taking out the garbage got lost in the “Motherland” and could not find a way out.

A concrete staircase leads upstairs. Photo: AiF-Volgograd/ Olesya Khodunova

“Of course, no one disappeared here, but sometimes people were forgotten for several hours,” says Alexander. - So someone will come out, close the door behind them, turn off the switch - and wander around in the dark. You can still go down the hull, holding onto the ladder, but if you’re in the train, it’s narrow and you can only move on all fours.”

On the walls, in addition to the inscriptions “Zina”, “I was here...” and marks of each tier, there are cheat sheets of those who monitor the monument. These are small notes with a set of numbers. So Alexander and his colleagues mark cracks and monitor them.

The leaves on the wall are marks on the cracks. One of the groups of tight ropes ends in this room. Photo: AiF-Volgograd/ Grigory Belozerov

“I don’t know how many steps lead up, after 200 I always get lost,” says our guide. - In general, it’s easy to get up now, because the temperature outside is optimal. In the summer, if it’s +40C° outside, then it’s the same here. And besides, it’s stuffy, because the only ventilation is the hatch on the top of the head and the door at the bottom.”

In some rooms there are large red cylinders - a fire extinguishing system. It was installed after the fire in the Ostankino Tower.

Each cylinder of the fire extinguishing system weighs about 100 kilograms. Photo: AiF-Volgograd/ Olesya Khodunova

“The tower has the same ropes as in the Motherland,” explains Alexander. - The grease on the ropes is greasy and can catch fire. In addition, as in the Ostankino Tower, there is a lot of electricity here. The installation of the fire extinguishing system took a long time, each such cylinder weighs about 100 kilograms, in order to lift them, in some places the railings had to be cut off.”

Doves in the sword and mice in the head

At chest level we find ourselves in a small room - this is the wheelhouse, the “heart” of the statue, here there is equipment that controls the tension of the ropes and sensors for vibrations from the wind.

Alexander Chernov shows the central room of the monument. Photo: AiF-Volgograd/ Grigory Belozerov

According to the caretakers, if a strong wind blows outside, it is not very noticeable inside - for example, a wire hanging on the wall will sway. But there is a roar from the sword.

A few more flights of concrete stairs, and at about neck level it ends. Here, ropes emanate from a small room and tighten the arms. From here you can walk along the arm into the sword.

You can hit the sword on the hand of the monument. Photo: AiF-Volgograd/ Olesya Khodunova

“Once upon a time, pigeons lived in the sword,” says Alexander Chernov. - One dove even hatched eggs there. She was so active - you climb up the sword, and she gets in your face. Then everyone flew away."

There were even mice in the statue at one time. Moreover, the rodents reached the very top platform in the head of the “Motherland”. The keepers still don’t understand what they ate.

Ropes stretched in the hand of the “Motherland”. Photo: AiF-Volgograd/ Grigory Belozerov

Several metal stairs lead further up. After them there is a wooden platform. We're in the head. There are only a few steps left to the hatch on the top of the head. The climb to a height of 52 meters, which is approximately equal to a 17-story building, went unnoticed.

Metal ladder in the neck of the sculpture. Photo: AiF-Volgograd/ Grigory Belozerov

Alexander opens the hatch and points to the penultimate step - he only allowed him to climb it. Higher up is already dangerous.

Head of the "Motherland". Photo: AiF-Volgograd/ Olesya Khodunova

The first thing you see when you go up is a 33-meter long sword. Behind it is the city center, to the left is the Volga. You can only hold on to the concrete top of your head, it’s scary, your legs are shaking. If you scream, no one will hear you at the foot of the sculpture. Before you have time to understand what happened, you go downstairs.

View from the hatch at the top of the sculpture. Photo: AiF-Volgograd/ Grigory Belozerov

“The first time you are just overwhelmed with emotions. Realization comes only later. When I climbed for the second time, I already tried to make out my house,” says Alexander. - Just imagine, not everyone standing here decides to get up. One girl reached this platform, but did not climb into the hatch - she was scared. She said that she would look at the photographs later.”

Hook for climbers. Photo: AiF-Volgograd/ Grigory Belozerov

There is a metal hook mounted next to the hatch on the top of the head. Climbers attach a belay to it. Industrial mountaineering appeared in the country precisely thanks to the “Motherland” - these specialists were attracted to work at this site for the first time.

She doesn't fall

Alexander Chernov treats rumors about the imminent fall of the monument with irony.

“We are now at the very top point and together we have added several hundred kilograms. Aren't you afraid? - he asks. And then he continues. - In general, there is a lot of far-fetched things in this topic. The sculpture has problems, but they are all being resolved as planned. The roll is now 90 mm, not 216, as is sometimes written. This tilt is associated with the foundation. He's not critical. Vuchetich really gave a 50-year warranty period. But 50 years have already passed. And nothing bad happened."

Alexander Chernov assures that rumors about the imminent fall of the Motherland are greatly exaggerated. Photo: AiF-Volgograd/ Olesya Khodunova

Our immediate plans include protecting the monument from moisture. The hydrophobic coating project is under development. When it comes to its implementation, the “Motherland” will be dressed in forests. In the meantime, it is afraid of moisture and leaks, especially in winter.

The sculpture is not intended for visitors to be taken here. Its creators' plans never included an elevator or an observation deck in mind. The only blessings of civilization here are electricity, even intermittent telephone communications.

“Now it’s at least clean here, but when I first came here, there was a lot of dust and construction debris. It’s hard to take out the garbage from here; it was mostly soldiers who did it. It was a long way to go down to the toilet, they went wherever they could. And there were all sorts of inscriptions on the walls here. But everything was erased,” says Alexander Chernov. - This is a “Motherland” monument on the outside, a monument, and on the inside is a building structure. We don’t live in America, we only do it on one side.”

Recently, the observation deck at the Motherland monument in Kyiv resumed operation. Guests are promised real extreme sports and unforgettable emotions from visiting the location. But what does a tourist really expect?

You can admire the landscapes of Kyiv from a height of 91 meters. It seems that such a sight will forever remain in your memory. I also decided to get a dose of adrenaline and visit the Motherland monument.

What did we expect

Before the ascent, bright pictures with bird's eye views of the capital appeared in my head. We were already anticipating how the impressive height would turn our heads in an instant, the wind would caress our hair, and the opening panoramas would take our breath away. We also thought that we would admire the right and left banks of the capital to our heart’s content and think about the eternal.

What did we get

The first thing that “extreme fans” will immediately have to deal with is the queues near the ticket office of the memorial complex. Ticket sales begin promptly at 10:00. But even when we arrived at the entrance at 9:30, we were already ahead of several “early” visitors. So if you want to be the first to get to the observation deck, come early. True, you will only have to entertain yourself with a walk. Wi-Fi in the museum is only available conditionally.

Prices and restrictions

The ticket price for one person is 300 hryvnia. If you want to film video, you will have to pay an additional 50 hryvnia. Interestingly, you cannot order a ticket in advance; you will have to buy it only on a first-come, first-served basis. There are also age restrictions - people under 18 years old will not be allowed to climb.

No more than two people are allowed to climb the statue, but you can climb it alone. You won’t be able to show off here in heels and in a ceremonial bow, since for safety reasons it is recommended to wear only comfortable shoes. You will also have to choose appropriate clothing that does not restrict movement. It is worth noting that the inside of the statue is quite clean and your things will not be damaged.

The long-awaited ascent

Even if you are properly dressed and ready to climb the monument, a small quest can dampen your ardor. After all, to get up, you need to find... an elevator! It does not immediately catch the eye, but seems to be disguised by an ordinary door. So be it - you won’t figure it out without an instructor.

And if you think that the elevator will take you straight to the top, then this is not so. It only reaches the waist of the monument. Then you will need to put your things in a storage room, put on a safety belt and transfer to a second, more compact elevator. By the way, while the elevator ride lasts, the instructor does not miss the opportunity to remind the safety rules. There are also first aid kits at different levels of the climb. However, according to the instructor, they have never used them yet.

When the second elevator reaches its top point, you will have to climb on foot. You will need to move up the metal stairs. The metal structures located inside the monument look quite unusual, so we can assume that fans of industrial tours will be interested. At this stage, you will probably be wondering when the safety belt will finally be used. The answer is simple - when you start climbing the narrow stairs inside the left arm of the monument. The corridor itself here smoothly turns into a round tunnel; you get the feeling that this is not a monument, but a submarine.

The observation “cage” is located behind the shield

The altitude climb first started operating back in 2002, and the museum staff can tell a lot of funny stories. For example, one of the memorial instructors had to reach into the hands of the Motherland three times a day to find keys, a wallet, and some other important little things that had been lost by visitors.

During the climb, we noticed that in some places there were thermometers inside the statue. It turns out that when the temperature rises to 30 degrees Celsius, excursions to a 91-meter height are stopped, because under such conditions it is, to put it mildly, not comfortable to be inside a metal figure. The instructor also says that the number of people who climb the statue may be limited during the cold season.

And what's up there?

The stairs end and we make our way through a hatch into something resembling an iron cage. It is located in the left hand of the “Motherland”, behind the shield. The view from this observation deck is breathtaking, albeit checkered. From above you can see part of the right bank, the Dnieper and the South Bridge. Also visible from the cage is the right hand of the monument with a sword. Despite two transfers in elevators and a bunch of stairs, looking at the clock, we notice that we spent about 12 minutes climbing one way.

Having admired it enough and taken some good selfies as a souvenir, we return the same way we came here. We jump into the hatch again, fasten the belay and go down. Soon the stairs end and we continue to ride the elevators. At this moment, the thought comes to us, what will happen if one of the elevators gets stuck. But the instructor hastens to assure us that they will extract the tourist in 10-15 minutes. It is important to note that the statue also contains fire extinguishers.

The cost of climbing the statue is 300 hryvnia for one person

Results of the trip

The whole process of climbing and “resting” on the observation deck took us about 30 minutes. Since there were two of us, we spent 650 hryvnia. It’s interesting that not all museum employees are yet accustomed to the fact that people want to not only climb up to the “Motherland,” but also take photos and videos as souvenirs. At first, we had some difficulties organizing video filming inside the monument. However, they met us and the trip still took place.

We can say that lifting is available to every person who tries to keep himself in shape. We didn’t have to perform any special acrobatic stunts; we also didn’t need to know the basics of mountaineering. However, you won’t be able to experience any super extreme sensations, because a “mere mortal” cannot get to the very top of the shield. But it’s still worth climbing the statue at least once.

Vladlena Skachenko, Oksana Yurchenko

Photo, video: Vitaly Kuzdrovsky, Gleb Parkhomets

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Good afternoon, dear readers! We are glad to welcome you again to the pages of our “Committee Newspaper”! Our today's episode continues our wonderful tour of Abkhazia. We will tell you about the observation deck “Farewell, Motherland!”

Summary of previous episodes

The observation deck is located on the road to Lake Ritsa, at an altitude of approximately 800 meters above sea level. The site offers a magnificent view of the Yupshar Gate - a canyon 8 km long with narrow places, sometimes up to 20 meters and a height of steep cliffs of 400-500 meters. In this place, the mountains seem to close together, and greenish ribbons of moss hang from the high vertical cornices, and if you stand below, only a narrow strip of the sky will be visible.

Yupshar Canyon

Road along steep cliffs

But let’s return to the observation deck, there is a legend that during the Great Patriotic War, a truck with military men who were building Stalin’s dacha flew off this cliff into the abyss, and before crashing, they shouted: “Farewell, Motherland!” Indeed, when you look from this cliff, it becomes eerie, and you want to say goodbye not only to your Motherland.

And now some photos.

View from the observation deck

There's a narrow strip of road down there

Farewell, Motherland!

And this is a series of unique photographs: here we look through one camera

and here in another one :-)

We are getting closer and closer to the final goal of our journey; in the next issue we will talk about the “Pearl of the Caucasus Mountains” - Lake Ritsa. Stay tuned!

Do you want to admire the beauty of the capital from a bird's eye view? The Motherland observation deck is a place where Kyiv is clearly visible, because the height of the rise is 92 meters. The Motherland sculpture in Kyiv was unveiled on May 9, 1981 and became the main figure.

There are two elevators inside the sculpture, which take you to the observation deck. Next to the elevators, there are also stairs that lead to narrow spaces of the sculpture. And it is along them that you will have to climb in order to get to the upper observation deck.

Until recently, this place was closed to the public as a result of an accident that happened to a young man in 2003. He fell out and broke. City officials have taken precautions and insurance for visitors. After all safety measures were taken into account, the Motherland observation deck began to allow guests in again.

In addition to the upper observation deck, there is a lower one, located at an altitude of 36 meters and equipped with binoculars.

After the long-awaited opening of the Motherland Mother observation deck, about 5 thousand people visited it, so the management of the complex advises you to book tickets and strongly recommends that you behave very carefully at heights, despite the fact that there are safety ropes that are attached to visitors’ waists.

Cost of climbing to the shield - 200 UAH The duration of the ascent is about 40 minutes, the time spent on the shield is 10-15 minutes.

The elderly, pregnant women, overweight people, children under 12 years old, as well as those wearing miniskirts and stiletto heels are not allowed.

The cost of climbing to the lower observation deck is: 50 UAH