Honka, the main building in the billion-dollar, 140-hectare estate of Ukraine's ousted President Viktor Yanukovych, is now open for visitors.
Yanukovych fled his home overnight on Feb. 21- 22, leaving the estate unguarded, on his way to Russia, where he is hiding out from charges of mass murder and mass corruption in Ukraine.
A tour costs Hr 200 around the four floors, two
bedrooms, two bathrooms, a half-dozen living rooms, a conservatory, billiard and bowling halls and private gym in the most beautiful and
obviously most expensive house on the territory. Honka guide Petro Oliinyk says he was among those who first opened the
house and got shocked by all the gold, silver and silk.
Oliinyk confesses a lot of paintings
from the walls, some decorations and clothes were stolen during the first days.
“Finally I decided to take down everything else and lock it in storage,” he says, explaining empty spaces on the corridor walls.
Oliinyk forbids his tourists to jump on
Yanukovych’s beds and touch the decorations. He fears that something will be broken. He says “the visit of Honka can help understand what he was.”
The entrance to Mezhyhirya with all its
gardens, lakes, a zoo and 5 kilometer embankment now costs Hr 20. The entrance to the museum of vintage cars, part of Yanukovych’s private collection, costs Hr 30. The visit to
Yanukovych’s dog collection goes for the same price.
Myzhyhirya commandant Denys
Tarakhhotelyk says all the money from visitors are used to run the
estate and pay its employees.
