The clash of metal, sweat drops on tired muscles and loud breathing – everything here seems like a usual gym. But Kyiv’s kachalka, a free outdoor gym with over 150 fitness machines, is anything but typical.
Kachalka (Russian slang for “gym”) was started by several Cybernetics Institute workers in the 1970s and hasn’t changed much since. The 10,000-square-meter area adjacent to the beach is densely filled with equipment made mostly of scrap metal, old planks and even used car parts. Suffice to say it has a rough look about it. But that doesn’t dissuade fitness buffs – on a warm day it’s hard to find a free spot.
Find more photos of kachalka here.
Vadym Poluzhanov, 53, is one of the gym’s veterans. Poluzhanov lives in the Solomenskiy district in the south of Kyiv, but has been coming to Hydropark’s kachalka for the past 14 years.
“This place is unique, there is no other like this in the world,” Poluzhanov says proudly.
“You are wrong. There is such place,” a tall man on crutches interrupts him. “There is Venice Beach in California, where Arnold Schwarzneger used to exercise.”
The tall man refuses to tell his full name, but presents himself as Mykhailo. He has exercised at kachalka since 1986. A former athlete, lately he avoids lower-body exercises due to osteoporosis.
He says that the place exists only because of enthusiasts who maintain it and is afraid that some businesses might seize kachalka and make it a paid-for gym.
Near Mykhailo two young men lift weights. They showed interest after the mention of Venice Beach.
“Hey, we were there,” one of them says in clear English. The man identifies himself as Jason Johnson. His beefy arms are covered with colored tattoos. Johnson and his friend Dan have been visiting Kyiv for some weeks and say that kachalka reminds them of California beach. “It feels very comfortable here, like at home,” Johnson says.
Women are rare at Hydropark’s kachalka. Natalia Maruzhenko, 36, takes a break between exercises, slowly swinging on a high metal swing. She is new at kachalka, and is happy to tell about the first results.
“Jogging is something horrible for me. I mean, I hate it,” Maruzhenko says, boasting about how she can run 700 meters now after just one and a half months of exercising. She also works on her six-pack and does exercises for hips and legs.
Fresh air is not the only reason people come to kachalka. Regular gyms in Kyiv offer annual membership for Hr 2,000 to 5,000 ($250-530). Kachalka, however, is free of charge. But it also offers no protection from the weather, or amenities.
For 28-year-old Iryna Leskiv, the main flaw is the lack of normal shower. Visitors use a beach shower with cold water, but it’s only available in the summer. Leskiv leaves her apartment in Poznyaki and makes the whole trip to kachalka four times a week. She has been coming here for more than a year now.
“I had some weight problems after giving birth to my daughter, but I couldn’t afford a real gym,” Leskiv explains.
Even though her main reason for choosing Hydropark was financial, the woman says she really enjoys the surrounding nature and fresh air at kachalka.
Eight-year-old Yuliya easily finds her way among sweaty men onto the machines. She first came to kachalka with her father three years ago, and claims she has learned much since then.
“I really like sport but I don’t want to be a professional athlete,” Yuliya says heartily. “I like physical training lessons at school and I want to be strong. I will be.”
Yuliya unwillingly avows that her father is now stronger than her, but she aims to outdo him.
Kyiv Post intern Galyna Chernikova can be reached at [email protected].
