In Kyiv, the Therapeutic Garden, a new public space created to support the physical, psychological and social health of military personnel, veterans and anyone else in need, has opened at VDNH.
The Therapeutic Garden is a pilot project initiated by the First Lady as part of the National Strategy for Creating Barrier-Free Spaces. It was implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, the full-cycle urban bureau Big City Lab and the PUPA architectural bureau. The opening of the garden was an important step in the development of modern post-rehabilitation infrastructure in Ukraine, and in the future, similar spaces may appear at medical institutions and in communities across the country.
“Psychological support for our defenders, as well as all those who have survived the traumatic experience of war, is a common task for the entire society. It is necessary to create conditions that help a person recover – physically, psychologically and emotionally. That is why such safe spaces as the Therapeutic Garden are of particular importance. I hope that this experience will be scaled up – and similar places will appear in communities across the country, where they are needed most”, – noted the Minister of Health of Ukraine Viktor Lyashko.
The concept of the garden involves the creation of various functional areas for individual and group classes. There are places for therapeutic gardening, adaptive sports activities, physical practices, a playground, a “green room” for informal communication and a space for group meetings.
Special attention is paid to the natural environment: plants are selected taking into account their impact on a person’s emotional state. They interact through all five senses – sight, smell, hearing, touch and taste, helping to reduce emotional tension. Thanks to seasonal flowering, the garden remains effective throughout the year.
The space is equipped according to the principles of barrier-free access: hard non-slip surfaces, raised flower beds, comfortable benches with armrests, a drinking fountain, Braille navigation, contrasting signs and a mnemonic scheme of the territory.
