From Freya Najade’s personal series, Hydropark.

Hydropark sits right in the middle of Kyiv on two islands in the Dnieper River. It was created during the Soviet era as an entertainment complex, offering water sports and recreational activities for locals.

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, thousands of Ukrainians continued to appreciate the park’s relaxing environment and to use the recreational facilities during summer. There is a huge open-air gym made from car parts and scrap metal by volunteers. There are bars, restaurants, a funfair and beaches mainly frequented by the working class from the suburbs and from villages around the capital.

Many facilities are reminiscent of bygone days and some people believe Hydropark to be a high-crime area that one should avoid visiting after dark. However, there have also been new places popping up in recent years, like private beaches and clubs for the more affluent.

Freya stumbled upon Hydropark when she visited Kyiv. After her first visit, she ended up returning to the park during the following two summers. She was as much drawn to the slightly anarchistic landscape of the park, which spoke at once about its past, present and future, as she was drawn to the people and activities – the evening dances, the table tennis where the elderly met and socialised, the beach life, the gym where people of all classes and ages trained.

In her project she pictures Hydropark’s landscape and visitors. Freya captures summertime on these islands in the middle of Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv; summertime which talks as much about the place as it captures a slice of Ukrainian culture during peaceful times and before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the war.