Revitalisation of the National Complex “Expocenter of Ukraine” (VDNH)
In 2015-2017, Max Yakover, the founder of Big City Lab, led the revitalisation team as the Development Director of the National Complex “Expocenter of Ukraine”. At that time, the process of VDNH revitalisation began.
The goal was to turn the complex into a cultural and innovation centre.
In two years, the team succeeded:
- Make VDNH the most visited park in Kyiv. The number of visitors has tripled compared to 2014.
- Make the company profitable for the first time in decades.
- Attract investments worth over UAH 150,000,000, increasing the total financial turnover by 2.5 times.
- Hold more than 200 events, open an open-air swimming pool and the first spherical cinema, create the first Robot Centre in Ukraine and much more.
- Develop a 40-year development concept for VDNH, which is still being implemented today.
As of 2024, VDNH is one of the most popular locations in Kyiv. About 4,500,000 people visit the complex annually. The tenth season of the winter festival “Zymova Kraiina” was attended by a record number of visitors – 1,200,000 people.
VDNH and Big City Lab are currently continuing their cooperation.
Mission
VDNH positions itself as a national cultural and innovation centre, a model of a better future for Ukraine. Its mission is to contribute to raising the level of the country's cultural, social and economic capital, to unite society through education, culture, science and entrepreneurship.
Clusters
VDNH infrastructure is divided into two main groups:
- Educational and innovation clusters - universities, business campuses, research centres, exhibition areas.
- Leisure clusters - parks, museums, festival spaces, cultural events, sports areas.
Financial and economic model of development
VDNH plans to raise funds through:
- Private investments - business campuses, conference centres, hotels.
- Revenues from cultural and educational initiatives - exhibitions, festivals, museums.
- Rental of premises and territories for business.
Government and grant funding for strategic projects.
Revitalisation
In order to revive VDNH, a number of landmark projects have been taking place on its territory since 2015, including:
- Winter park-festival “Zymova Kraiina”;
- 3D show “Vartovi Mriy”;
- “Summer at VDNH”;
- “Atlas Weekend”;
- “Kurazh”.
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After the first large-scale events, investments were attracted, which led to an increase in the number of further events. Attendance at the complex increased by 8 times between 2015 and 2019. While in 2014, 250,000 people visited VDNH, in 2021 it was 5,500,000. The number of events has also increased significantly: 36 in 2014 and almost 3,000 in 2021.
Development concept
The development concept for VDNH was presented in 2017. The teams of the consulting company Civitta and the architectural bureau PUPA were involved in its creation.
There are several key goals of VDNH that correspond to its mission and development strategy:
1. Transformation of VDNH into a national cultural and innovation centre.
VDNH should become a model of the future Ukraine - a place for the development of culture, education, science and business.
2. Forming an ecosystem for education, science and entrepreneurship.
Creation of innovation clusters, business campuses, educational platforms, a science museum and conference centres to support entrepreneurial and scientific activities.
3. Increase the level of social and cultural capital of the country.
VDNH should become a space that promotes entrepreneurial culture, prevents the outflow of talent and improves the quality of life through cultural and educational initiatives.
4. Create a modern space for leisure and tourism.
Development of parks, sports areas, festival venues, cultural events and a multifunctional arena to attract a wide audience.
5. Forming a sustainable financial mechanism for the development of VDNH.
Combining public, private and grant funding, attracting investors and building business infrastructure to ensure the self-sufficiency of the complex.
The main advantages of VDNH:
- large territory: 286 hectares of land with forests, parkland and architecture;
- advantageous location: convenient transport junction;
- existing architecture and infrastructure;
- state ownership: an opportunity to develop the entire complex within a single concept.
The main obstacle to the development of VDNH was the low level of social capital.
The team came to the conclusion that while it is impossible to change the whole society, it is possible to demonstrate an example of positive values. And under certain conditions, they will spread in society.
This is how VDNH's mission was defined: to become a national innovation and cultural centre, a model for a better future for Ukraine.
The infrastructurally upgraded complex should consist of two main groups of clusters:
- educational and innovation clusters
- leisure clusters
In 2021, an urban park with a sports cluster created by the Big City Lab team was opened on the territory of VDNH. Since its opening, more than a million people have visited the sports cluster every year.
In 2025, two more Big City Lab projects are expected to open: a therapeutic garden and Pavilion 9, which will become the new home of Kurazh.
Context
The National Complex ‘Expocenter of Ukraine’ (VDNH) is the only state exhibition facility in Ukraine and a cultural heritage site.
The complex was built during the post-war reconstruction of Kyiv in the 1950s. The best architects, painters and sculptors of the Ukrainian SSR were involved in the construction, which lasted eight years. VDNH covers 286 hectares and has more than 180 buildings and structures, 19 of which are now historical and cultural monuments.
For over 30 years, VDNH was the main exhibition centre in Ukraine. However, since the early 1990s, the complex has received less and less attention, and fewer important events have taken place on its territory. The facility was becoming unprofitable, and its restoration only began in 2015.
