The ideological inspirer and developer of the concept was the full-cycle urban bureau Big City Lab. Its founder Max Yakover explains that the idea of sensory interaction is at the heart of the project: a person contacts the garden through the five main senses. This allows veterans to be involved in various types of activities, creativity and physical activity, transforming the space from a purely aesthetic into an effective therapeutic tool. The garden should become not only a beautiful place, but also a space that really helps.
Therapeutic garden at VDNH, recreation area. Photo: Big City Lab
The opening of the first stage was attended by Ruslan Prykhodko, Deputy Minister for Veterans Affairs, and Tetyana Lomakina, Plenipotentiary Advisor to the President of Ukraine on Accessibility. The project was implemented on the initiative of VDNH (Development Director — Yevhen Mushkin) and Big City Lab, with lighting support from Expolight (founder — Mykola Kabluka) and in partnership with Visa, Work.ua, PrivatBank and the Ukrainian Red Cross.
Functional zoning for therapy
Functionally, the garden area is clearly structured. It is divided into separate zones, each of which has its own therapeutic purpose.
Physical practice area intended for yoga and sound therapies. "Circle of warmth" — a space for friendly communication around the fire, which contributes to the restoration of social ties and emotional support; over time, green spaces around this area will create a "green room" effect, enhancing the feeling of security and control.
Adaptive sports field integrated into the rehabilitation process (here you can play petanque or shoot archery), and a separate area is provided for program participants with children childish maidanchikThere is also a designated area for group meetings.
Adaptive sports field. Photo: Big City Lab
The key element of the space is therapeutic gardening area. This is the heart of the project, where the main function is implemented - occupational therapy through work with plants. It contributes to the restoration of motor functions and psychological rehabilitation. The area is equipped with high beds, fully inclusive for people using wheelchairs, as well as beds for working directly on the ground.
The first facilitated sessions with veterans are planned to begin in the spring. At the same time, general access to the garden will be open to all, except for hours set aside for specialized therapeutic sessions.
Beds in the therapeutic gardening zone. Photo: Rostyslav Horovyi
From space design to service design
Max Yakover emphasizes the differences between community gardening and specialized rehabilitation: "Many therapeutic gardens have already been built abroad, so our cities can use similar practices, for example, for community cohesion. Such projects can operate in businesses, schools, near residential buildings, where people need to be united. But you can't just start working with military rehabilitation, because this requires qualified specialists. When we talk about veterans and medicine, therapeutic gardening services are absent in Ukraine, so we had the idea to make such a service possible."
Veterans work with plants in the therapeutic gardening area. Photo: Rostyslav Horovyi
An important component of the therapeutic effect is the lighting design developed by Expolight. Mykola Kabluka spoke about the philosophy of lighting the space: “We make it as natural as possible. We did not want to use any additional artificial colors. We worked only with a careful selection of the white light spectrum and with improved color rendering indicators so that a person could enjoy all natural colors in more detail. There should be nothing artificial here: it seems to be alive, swaying from the wind and, as we call it, “breathing”.”
Night lighting of the central meadows. Photo: Big City Lab
To create this effect, Expolight studied the experience of Japanese and Scandinavian gardens. The project uses lamps with special stencils (gobos) that imitate natural shadows from branches, and the lighting itself is dynamic and will change according to the seasons.
Infrastructure and methodology
Organizing a therapeutic process requires not only infrastructure, but also careful logistics and methodology. VDNH Development Director Yevgeny Mushkin noted that the schedule of services will be planned to avoid overlapping with high-profile events on the territory of the Expocenter.
Playing handpan in the physical practice area. Photo: Rostyslav Horovyi
"The organizers are trying to avoid any factors that could interfere with the rehabilitation process, in particular noise or large crowds. That is why classes with gardening specialists will mainly take place on weekdays, when the VDNH territory is quieter," he explained.
Night view of the Therapeutic Garden. Photo: Big City Lab
The development of the therapeutic program itself is the responsibility of Tetyana Lomakina's team. The Presidential Adviser on Accessibility emphasizes that space becomes truly therapeutic only when the infrastructure is supplemented by a meaningful rehabilitation program. Her team is responsible for methodologically enriching the veterans' recovery process, involving specialists who will help the military return to civilian life through structured interaction with nature.
Bonfire in the "Circle of Fire" zone. Photo: Rostyslav Horovyi
Thus, the Therapeutic Garden at VDNH is more than just a park area. It is an example of how thoughtful design, lighting solutions and an interdisciplinary approach (urban planning + medicine + occupational therapy) create an infrastructure of care. The project demonstrates the evolution of urban public spaces, where the focus is on the mental and physical health of a person. The creators of the garden see it as a pilot model that can be scaled up and adapted for other cities in Ukraine in the future, integrating therapeutic gardening into the national system of support for veterans.
