Something rotten is coming to Kyiv’s Botanical Garden this summer.
Not carnivorous carrion flowers, whose odor of rotting flesh attract flies that they trap and feed on, nor any other exotic flora that use the smell of putrefying meat to entice insects for food or a means of pollination. The new attraction will be Corruption Park – an interactive exhibition on Ukraine’s deep-rooted graft problems.
The exhibition, which will consist of nine inflatable domes covering 700 square meters, will open on June 1 and run for just over two weeks. Created with funding from the European Anti-Corruption Initiative and the Danish government, the exhibition aims to inform the public about corruption, and ways to combat it.
The exhibits have names like “Golden Loaf” (named after runaway former Ukrainian President Victor Yanukovych’s infamous golden loaf of bread paperweight) and “Corruptionist’s Nightmare,” Visitors can explore the history of corruption and anti-corruption, play the role of a National Anti-Corruption Bureau detective in virtual reality, and see a catalog of items confiscated from corrupt officials, including a €30,000 statue of a bird.
“The particular segment we need to focus on is young people” said European Union Ambassador to Ukraine Hugues Mingarelli, during a press conference on May 22 at the Botanical Gardens, where journalists were given an early sneak peak at some of the exhibits. “[We need to make them] aware of the costs and mechanisms of corruption, and understand the ways to limit it.”
Corruption Park addresses the issue directly, but it takes care not to accuse any current of officials by name. Some see this as a timid approach, but organizers say they want to focus on the system, not individuals. Moreover, accusing an official who has not been convicted of corruption by a court could violate Ukrainian libel laws.
The conversation the park hopes to start is an optimistic one. The organizers want visitors to leave with the belief that change is possible, and asking themselves what they can do personally to work for change. They can event take an aptitude test to see if they would make a good anti-corruption detective.
Corruption is everywhere, “but it is possible to reduce it to low levels” said Danish Ambassador to Ukraine Ruben Magsden “The Kremlin tries to portray Ukraine as a failed state… [so] it’s important not to accept this picture.”
Youth interest is key to the project’s success, and school field trips will be encouraged. Foreigners will also be welcome – there will be English-speaking guides throughout the park.
After exploring the installations, hungry visitors will also be able to purchase “Corruption burgers” with names like “Expensive Road” “Dean” “Tender Winner” and “Budget Deficit.”
In the center of the park, a six-meter statue of a corrupt official will tower over the other exhibits. The organizers say that visitors will be able to knock it down – but only if they work together.
M.M. Gryshko National Botanical Garden June 2-17. T-F 10:00-20:00 Sat-Sun 9:00-20:00
Entrance to the Corruption Park is free with a Botanical Garden ticket purchase (Hr 50 for adults, Hr 20 for children.)
