Park of Memory

"In village life there are only three true celebrations: birth, marriage, and death. And for each of them, others make the preparations for us." — Ukrainian folk saying

Ada Rybachuk and Volodymyr Melnychenko first heard these words while travelling through the Ukrainian Carpathians in preparation for what would become the most important work of their lives—the Park of Memory.

Following their collaboration with architect Avraam Miletskyi on the Palace of Pioneers, he invited the artists to join the design of Kyiv's new municipal crematorium. At first, Ada and Volodymyr refused.

In 1967, every architectural studio in Kyiv had already declined the commission. For architects who had lived through the Second World War, crematoria inevitably evoked memories of Nazi atrocities.

"No one wanted their name to be associated with such a project," Volodymyr Melnychenko later recalled.

Rybachuk and Melnychenko initially shared the same concerns. They eventually agreed to participate only on the condition that they could develop the entire memorial complex as a unified artistic and architectural work.

Seeking inspiration, the artists travelled to the Ukrainian Carpathians, where traditional funeral rituals had been preserved. They believed that these ancient customs embodied a profound understanding of remembrance, mourning, and the continuity of life.

The project envisioned an entire Park of Memory within Kyiv's historic Baikove Cemetery. The complex included the crematorium, the Farewell Halls, and the Wall of Memory—a memorial measuring 213 metres in length and rising from 4.5 to 16 metres in height. The artists planned to cover its surface with high-reliefs spanning nearly 2,000 square metres.

Every architectural and artistic decision was intended to help people endure the loss of loved ones. Rather than creating a place of despair, the authors sought to create a space of reflection, dignity, and reconciliation with grief.

The project was officially approved in 1968. The crematorium opened in 1974, followed by the semicircular Farewell Halls in 1975. Work on the Wall of Memory continued until 1981.

In 1982, the sculptures of the Wall of Memory were declared incompatible with the principles of Socialist Realism. The reliefs were covered with concrete, and Ada Rybachuk and Volodymyr Melnychenko were removed from the project.