Volgograd Ferris wheel reveals abandoned DK and wasteland

The 50-meter (164 ft) Ferris wheel «Red Sun» starts operating in the Krasnoarmeysky district. The attraction was moved from the Central Park of Culture and Leisure, repaired and painted red. The structure was recently equipped with lighting, which lit up with thousands of lights. Today the wheel will welcome visitors for the first time on Engels Boulevard.

Photographer Sergey Kozhev showed what residents will see from the height. «On one side, the view opens onto a masterpiece of Soviet architecture — the DK «Khimik» (House of Culture «Khimik») with a dried-up park; on the other — a wasteland with piles of earth and a burnt house. Nearby, at 2 Engels Boulevard, there used to be a private sector, now two houses remain — one residential, the other abandoned. Further on, the abandoned Shipbuilding Plant is visible. Some views resemble Pripyat from the game «S.T.A.L.K.E.R.»» — described the author of the photos.

Back in 2020, the DK «Khimik» looked well-maintained, but now its rear part has fallen into disrepair. «From the facade it«s all decent, they even do landscaping, but in the back — decay. After the collapse of the USSR, when the DK was transferred from Kaustik to municipal ownership, the alleys, rose bushes and trees disappeared. They planned to build a church, put up a cross, but did nothing. Every autumn everything burns out. I hope the wheel will give an impetus to improvement. Maybe someone will invest in projects on Zaton (a district) — there are boat and board rentals, cafes, but that»s not enough,» added the photographer.

Governor Andrey Bocharov stated that the DK «Khimik» will be reconstructed, and the surrounding area will be put in order. The press service of the governor«s office clarified: «It is also planned to improve the area near the Volga–Don Shipping Canal.»

Earlier, in the village of Veselaya Balka (Kirovsky district), two large buildings in the Stalinist Empire style were demolished — the Palace of Friendship and the sports and concert hall with colonnades. In their place, a pile of broken bricks remained.