Bykovnia Memorial

• Kyiv
• Private tour
• Theme
• Tour

Visit to craft’s museums – one in the Lavra and the other of Ivan Honchr’s collection near-by. Both museums have nice collections of traditional costumes, pottery, wood-carvings, raps, glassware and etc. Learn about preferences of different provinces in terms of color scheme, patterns, design.

In 1930-ies NKVD(secret soviet police) office was housed in the building of former school of daughters of nobility just in the main square of Kyiv. The basement of this building was used to torture the victims of political purges, known as “people’s enemies”. Many victims were rept in Lukyanovka prison and shot dead there and then buried secretly in the woods near Kyiv.

Bykovnya (literally – bulls) was one of such secret burial places just a few kilometers north of Kyiv. Only in 1980-ies general public leaned about Bykovnia tragic events. Not only Soviet political victims buried there but also a few thousand Polish military man. In 2001 Pope of Rome visited Bykovnia memorial. Also President of Poland B.Komarovsky come here to pay tribute to his compatriots.

The Memorial to Soviet political victims has crosses made from rails and plates with their names attached to the pine-trees. Those pine-trees witnessed tragic events of 1930-ies. Other monuments are a sculpture of political prisoner wearing “vatnik” (jacket with cotton wool lining) and with touching words about freedom paid for with human lives and wishing eternal memory to the victims.

Polish memorial is more recent. It has 8 symbolic mass graves with a cross decorated with Polish motives. It was designed by Polish sculptors.

All Ukrainian Presidents visit Bykovnia memorial every year to commemorate thousands of victims of Soviet-time political purges. Many of the people buried here can be regarded as new martyrs.

The tour of Bykovnya memorial is about 3 hours long.

HOT LINE PHONE (WatsApp, Signal, Viber): +380679050861 Alex

reservation: argotour@ukr.net