The first section of the Kadet Grove creek was enclosed in a collector as early as 1870, during the construction of the railway. The upper reaches of the stream were moved underground in the mid-1950s, during the construction of Kyiv’s Pervomaisky district. At first, some sections of the channel were simply set into concrete banks, much like the Lybed River. Later they were covered with concrete slabs, and garages were built over them.
The most frequent visitors to the Kadet Grove underground stream are urbexers. They dubbed this drain “Zheleznodorozhny” because of the trains constantly rumbling overhead. Inside, you can also find railway track plates, rail spikes and other locomotive debris. Up to the area of present-day Sputnik Park, the stream is two to three meters in diameter, which makes for comfortable underground walks.
The Cadet Grove is a historic district in Kiev, through which a stream of the same name flows (a right tributary of the Lybed River). The photo below shows an arch leading down into the underground. It is built of brick but, for durability, was covered with concrete.
In this photo, you can see the tunnel emerge from under the railway and return to its usual square cross-section.
A clean-water pipe connecting to the mainstream.
A distinctive feature of this underground river is that you can walk through it without ever having to bend down. It is not as big as the Poltva underground river in Lviv, but it is taller than a person.
There are places where the tunnel is damaged. At this spot, workers reinforced the tunnel with steel expansion beams.
A fork in the tunnel; on the left, the steps lead up to the surface.
Kiev’s urban explorers can’t deny themselves a small picnic on the banks of an underground river. You can brew mulled wine or tea.
Caves and underground tunnels tour in Kyiv is waiting for you! Join our adventure!
Our walk along the stream ends at a very interesting spot. Here the tunnel has a change in elevation, and the builders created a large cascade of steps.
