When a devastating fire destroyed a cottage under construction by two expatriates outside of Kyiv last August, hope was low for its rebirth.
“This fire was one of the most horrible things that ever happened in my life,” one of the co-owners, Swiss filmmaker Marc Wilkins recalls.
The house was an ecologically friendly cottage called the Riverbird’s Nest, built by Wilkins and his then business partner Philippe d’Have, a Belgian businessman working in Kyiv. The two expatriates intended to rent the place for people to enjoy a scenic getaway by the Dnipro River in the village of Vytachiv, around 65 kilometers south of Kyiv.
The pair first thought it was Wilkins’ activism that prompted someone to set the cottage on fire. But now they suspect it was a project on d’Have’s side.
D’Have stepped away from the project, while Wilkins put the last of his money into the new construction.
“Emotionally, I felt a powerful desire that I need to succeed here,” he says.
And he did. Almost a year later, the new building of the Riverbird’s Nest shines in Vytachiv. It welcomed its first guests in middle July and is now fully booked until the beginning of September.
Spirit and support
Wilkins was not afraid to face the new challenge. A supporter of initiatives against illegal land grabs and constructions in Kyiv, the ex-pat was no novice to fighting for an idea.
Though starting from scratch, Wilkins found a new partner, Andrii Bozhok, working in independent publishing and investments, who shared his passion for making the project succeed.
Marc Wilkins, co-owner of the Riverbird’s Nest cottage, goes through the remains of the building after it was destroyed in arson on Aug. 27, 2020 in the village of Vytachiv near Kyiv.
Although the new house has retained the same shape and size as its first model, much has changed both in material and design. Wilkins explained that due to safety concerns, the house was reconstructed with stronger materials to ensure that it’s fire resistant.
The house also has a bigger bathroom, heated floors and expanded infrastructure to make the stay more comfortable for visitors.
Although these changes have made the new Riverbird’s Nest twice as expensive as its predecessor, both partners were passionate about making the cottage “better and stronger than before.”
The overwhelming support from the community was another boost of encouragement.
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The cottage lost $13,000 dollars in donations to the fire. But after kicking off a new crowdfunding campaign in September, it managed to raise over $9,000 to cover the new costs. One person even gave $1,000 in one payment.
“My phone didn’t stop ringing…people were encouraging us to rebuild it,” Wilkins told the Kyiv Post. “True, honest ideas which come from the heart always succeed.”
Wild beauty
The house is far from the hunter-style cabin many would picture a typical cottage to be. There are no antlers on the walls or fur on the ground. Instead, it “feels a bit like a renovated old shed,” according to Wilkins and visitors.
Wilkin explained that the intention was to create a balance of wilderness and comfort for visitors.
The cottage is also eco-friendly. Its exterior is made from almost all natural materials. There is vintage furniture – old lamps, chairs and tables, a 1950s bed purchased in the western city of Lviv, and a vintage Scandinavian sofa. Wilkins even has plans to equip the roof with solar panels in the future.
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Even the landscape that opens up right by the cottage remains untamed.
“You don’t have any buildings around the house – you see the Dnipro River, you see the horizon, you see wild apricot and oak trees,” Wilkins says.
The co-owner calls the house an “observation station” because the visitors are put in the mindset of “being one with nature.”
So far, the cottage’s guests have been Ukrainian, but Wilkins is expecting foreigners starting in late July. Though the house is fully booked until the beginning of September, travelers who want to visit it later on can make a request on Airbnb.
“Ukraine has one of the most beautiful landscapes in Europe,” Wilkins says. “I hope that with this house, we will give the possibility to the guests to feel the beauty and the power of the Ukrainian landscape.”
