Two years ago, Arno Klijbroek and Igor Dubrotski opened a large flower park, 25 kilometers outside Kiev. It has been a great success from the start with around 150,000 paying visitors. But in February, more than 300 Russian tanks roll onto the site. Little is left of the park after that.
Arno and Igor dream of rebuilding their flower park in Ukraine – NH Nieuws
Business partners Arno Klijbroek and Igor Dubrotski visited Keukenhof on Monday. And that creates mixed feelings. “All those people and I see passenger planes come over. I hope that Ukraine can experience this again soon,” says Dubrotski. For him, the ‘outing’ to the Keukenhof is a matter of inspiration because he refuses to give in. He is now convinced that he will rebuild the park.
“When Igor received the photos from the army of the current state of the park, he said: ‘This is the end, I will never get this up again’. Yes, devastation”, translates Arno Klijbroek who has been in the area for 25 years. van Kiev, but now, because of the war, lives with his family with his father in Tuitjenhorn. He sells flower bulbs in Ukraine for exporter Stokolex from Dirkshorn and that’s how the bond with Igor came about. “All the reactions on Facebook to the devastation give Igor the strength to start rebuilding.”
Text continues below the photo…
“We lived for the creation of something beautiful, but apparently that is not appreciated by everyone,” says Igor Dubrotski. At the start of the war in February, the Russian tanks destroyed everything that was standing. “It was just a civilian park, there was no military base nearby. It was 300 acres of natural beauty”
“Hotels, restaurants, everything has been razed to the ground and can no longer be recognized”, Arno Klijbroek translates, “The most cynical is perhaps the destruction of the carousel that stood at the entrance of the park for the children. she used as a target and there is nothing left of it”
Text continues below the photo…
They are very concerned about the situation in the east of the country. But now that the Russians have left the area around Kiev, the first thoughts of reconstruction are already emerging. “The aim is to open the park at the beginning of May anyway. But we can’t get in yet,” says Igor Dubrotski, “The army is clearing all the mines. So it really depends on the situation there.”
“But we want to open as soon as possible. There are now also 67 employees without work,” adds Arno Klijbroek. “It is then a sign of optimism, picking up the thread again. We have also experienced that in the years when we were open. It gives people an enormous drive, also outside the war. If we can open again, that is a huge sign on the wall that reconstruction has begun”
Staff
The bond with the Netherlands is strong. KLM planted trees there last year. They hope that some support will come from here. “All technical materials for maintenance such as hedge trimmers and tractors are gone. The golf carts for driving less mobile people around have also disappeared. But of course we also need bulbs. If bulb exporters want to help, please do!”, says Igor Dubrotski. “We hope that next year we will be able to run completely on our own.” You can contact us via: [email protected]
Don’t want to miss anything from the Noordkop?
Seen a typo? Let us know at [email protected]