This spring Kyiv’s famous Bridge of Lovers in Mariyinsky Park is to get a new look. The bridge’s old moldering wooden deckplanks will be replaced with 320 new beech floorboards engraved with declarations of love.
The inspiration behind the refitting of the iconic bridge is Garik Korogodsky, an eccentric Ukrainian millionaire famous for his love for extraordinary outfits and accessories. Kyiv City Administration asked Korogodsky for help with reconstructing the old pedestrian bridge, and he came up with a creative fundraising campaign.
Citizens are invited to pay to get an engraving on one of the 320 floorboards of the bridge. Most boards go for Hr 1,000 apiece, while ones with “special numbers” (the boards from one to nine, 13 and 69) go for Hr 5,000 apiece, with a Hr 30 bank commission to be added.
The engravings can be ordered online at www.lovein.kiev.ua and paid for with a credit card. One can choose a board’s number and type in the text of the engraving that is limited to 16 characters.
Korogodsky warns that politically themed inscriptions, or ones with foul language, are banned. According to him, the new beech floorboards will serve for at least 50 years.
Around half of the 320 boards were sold in the first two weeks of February.
“All the inscriptions are very creative, and dedicated mainly to girls and women,” says Aleksandra Tytarenko of Korogodsky’s press service.
The buyers are not only from Kyiv. Crimeans and even Moscow residents have also paid for their declarations of love to be inscribed on the Bridge of Lovers.
The bridge is a popular destination for romantic dates, declarations of love, and marriage proposals. Lovers have long written love messages on the bridge and hung inscribed padlocks on its railings as symbols of their eternal love.
The bridge’s wooden deck was partially burned during the confrontation between the participants of EuroMaidan Revolution and Berkut riot police officers in February 2014. In spring 2014, EuroMaidan activists repaired the bridge and re-floored it. However, the new wooden floor soon started to rot, and needs urgent replacement.
The Bridge of Lovers stands partially ruined after the EuroMaidan Revolution in February 2014. (Pavlo Podufalov)
The restored bridge is to be opened by Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko on March 8, International Women’s Day.
Part of the money raised from the engravings will be spent on purchasing materials, engraving the boards, and restoring the bridge. The remaining money will be donated to Korogodsky’s foundation Zhyznelyub that takes care of seniors. The money will be spent on constructing an outdoor cinema that will be free for the seniors.
