Video Editor: Abhishek Sharma
Surrounded by acres of woodland and built on a former nature reserve, this is the impressive estate known as Mezhyhirya. The palatial house was once home to the former president of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych and was designed to resemble an oversized hunting lodge.
A lake, private fountain and manicured gardens add to the grandeur.
The inside is just as luxurious – visitors marvel at a gold-plated chandelier, expensive furniture, rare blue marble stairs and a white Steinway piano.
Thousands of tourists have visited the estate since Yanukovych fled Ukraine to Russia in February 2014. Then, protestors entered his residence and it was eventually seized by the state.
I think it’s amazing but I’m saddened to see how much money was spent, given the poverty that existed in Ukraine. But it’s a phenomenal building. But I am very sad at the same time.Prime Morfey, Tourist from Ireland
Yanukovych moved into the estate when he became Prime Minister in 2002. He was later elected President in 2010 and served until he was ousted in 2014.
Now the residence is one of the most popular places to spend the weekend for Ukrainians and also a must visit destination for foreign tourists.
In 2017, Mezhyhirya was returned to state ownership by a court order. Governor of Mezhyhirya Residence, Denys Tarakhkotelyk says it is now in public hands and a reminder of the excesses of corrupt officials.
Mezhyhirya is national park today. This is how people call it, it doesn’t have such judicial status. But 100 percent of people who visit it, officials and lawmakers of Verkhovna Rada (parliament), foreign tourists all of them agree that it has to be a national park and Honka (main house) is the museum of corruption.Denys Tarakhkotelyk, Governor, Mezhyhirya Residence
The sprawling estate is also home to a private zoo and farm. But when the former president and his staff left, the animals faced a difficult situation. When he heard about the situation, biologist Serhiy Grygoriev decided to go and help the animals.
Since then he's been keeping, feeding and caring for the animals every day. The zoo is now one of the estate's many attractions, along with the gardens and fountains.
A lavish lifestyle that was once off-limits to the Ukrainian public, can now be enjoyed by everyone.
(With inputs from AP)
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