"Private park and shore": how Obolon residents are fighting to return the lake to them

Photo: "Pochaina"

Annabella Morina

A couple of days ago, an alarmed Obolon resident wrote to the "Pochaina" group, saying that since October 1, they close the passage to the park-area on the shore of Lake Kyrylivske, where her elderly mother and children went for a walk every day.

"They were walking in the park on the lakeshore," Maryna Poliakova says. "Residents of houses on Obolonskyi avenue (hereinafter – new buildings' residents) approached my mother and warned that we could no longer come there because it was their private grounds. They said that they were allowed (it's not clear yet who allowed them) to close the passage. We are local Kyiv people, who have been living in Obolon since 1986, and we always went for a walk on this lake, because we live nearby. But now we may not go to the park, to the water!"

In the photo, you see a gate where they're placing a lock (there is also a guard booth nearby) blocking the passage to the sealed path. It was possible to go down this path straight from Obolonskyi avenue to the lake. Now the entry is in question.

New buildings' residents insist that this path goes along their grounds, therefore, they offer those who wish to visit the park-area by the lake to go further on Obolonskyi avenue, and then go down a narrow earthen path along a steep slope. Of course, no one can do such a maneuver, for instance, people with a baby carriage or an elderly person (photo below). As a result, the park by the lake will remain only for residents of new buildings.

We'll try to explain why this is illegal and even find the right solution. Many interesting things await you. Stock up on popcorn.