On Saturday, 13 June 2026, the staff of the Media Center Directorate organised an exciting bus excursion titled Secrets of Mezhyhiria for diplomats. Representatives of the Embassy of Norway and international organisations — the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the European Union Advisory Mission in Ukraine — took part in the event.

This trip was not merely an excursion outside the capital for the participants, but a true immersion into a space where picturesque nature, architectural grandeur, and landmark pages of Ukraine’s modern history harmoniously intertwine.

Mezhyhiria is a unique natural complex and the newest park-monument of national significance in landscape art. After opening to the public in 2014, it became one of the country’s most popular tourist sites, attracting thousands of visitors annually. 

During the tour, the diplomats had the opportunity to walk through the park’s picturesque corners, which span over 140 hectares. They not only strolled through its alleys but also had the chance to explore the most interesting locations by electric vehicle. The participants enjoyed panoramic views of the Kyiv Sea, admired cascades of waterfalls and lakes, and saw the animals at the local zoo.

The visit to two landmark facilities of the former residence of Ukraine’s ex-president Viktor Yanukovych — the Khonka mansion and the modern sports and wellness complex — left a special impression. These structures, which became symbols of the former government’s excessive luxury and privileges, revealed little-known pages of the recent past to the guests.

The exquisite interiors impressed the tour participants with their scale and rich decoration. Among the sights were a spa complex, a winter garden, a salt room, marble floors with artistic mosaics, exclusive chandeliers, large mirrors, lifts decorated with Swarovski crystals, expensive furniture sets, and a luxurious white grand piano.

The tour gave the diplomats a wonderful opportunity to spend a summer day in nature, taking a break from the city bustle and discovering one of Ukraine’s most famous locations. The guests enthusiastically explored the well-kept golf courses, original gazebos, marble sculptures, bright flower beds, the decorative ‘Parthenon ruins’, and the legendary sunken ship Galleon.