On June 1, Ukraine’s first ever ‘Corruption Park’ will open its doors in Kyiv. The project is hosted by the EU’s Anti-Corruption Initiative in Ukraine. Its goal is to highlight the problem of top-tier corruption and to explain how it works, and who’s involved in the fight against it, in an interactive format.
9 inflatable tents with a total area of more than 700 sq. m. will be stationed within the capital’s Hryshko National Botanical Garden. Each tent tells its own story, including but not limited to: the history of corruption as a phenomenon known even to the ancient Sumerians, major corruption schemes, and a large section featuring details about anti-corruption institutions. The park will even feature artifacts from real criminal cases. Corruption Park’s final hall is called ‘Our Dream Country’, showing what Ukraine could become without corruption.
“Young people become more tolerant to corruption, – said Eka Tkeshelashvili, head of the EU’s Anti-Corruption Initiative, in her presentation of the project. – They don’t want to read long texts about anti-corruption investigations and dig deep into this problem. That is why we decided to talk to them in an interactive format, where we use images, virtual reality, 3D, interactive panels, and installations to explain not only how corruption works, but also what is being done in Ukraine to fight it. This project is not about specific people, heroes, events, or crimes. It describes corruption as a phenomenon that no one in the world was able to eradicate completely. However, the world knows examples of how the level of corruption has been reduced to a minimum, followed by economic growth. I am confident that Ukraine should also be embracing this path".
From above, the Park’s design resembles a lizard - a reptile which adapts easily to any conditions and can grow a new tail in case it loses its old one. From up close, Corruption Park is reminiscent of
large balloons - symbols of soap bubbles and empty promises that always accompany corruption. One of the halls has a shape familiar to every Ukrainian - a 100-meter golden loaf of bread, a semi-
mythical symbol of corruption in Ukraine. The project's architects employed 4 colors: gold and platinum as symbols of corruption, and white and transparent for Ukraine's path to becoming
corruption-free. Visitors will embark on their own journey that will take them through the intricacies of how corruption works, how corrupt officials live, who’s involved in the fight against corruption, and how to defeat it.
Corruption Park will stay open for three weeks. Entrance to the exhibit itself will be free of charge, but to access it, you will need to buy a ticket to the Hryshko National Botanical Garden, priced at 50 UAH. All proceeds from ticket sales will be directed to the development of the Botanical Garden.
