The 'Toy Orphanage' Of Ukraine
- By Amos Chapple
A residential yard in Lviv is gaining fame as a haven for lost and abandoned toys.
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This is the "Yard Of Forgotten Toys" in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv.
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The inner-city courtyard reportedly began to fill up with soft toys years ago when a resident of the building alongside found a lost teddy bear and propped it against a wall in the hope its owner would return.
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The owner never did claim the toy. But according to Pavel Morozovski, who runs a small museum alongside the courtyard, young locals then began dropping off toys they had outgrown instead of throwing them away.
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Soon the toys began to accumulate, and local kids were encouraged to come and pick up anything that caught their fancy.
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When RFE/RL visited, this girl spent several minutes browsing through the courtyard...
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...before walking away with a stuffed Garfield and a book.
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The courtyard is now drawing tourists from around the world.
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A dog facing up to a pack of lions at the entrance to the yard.
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A neighbor who emerged from the building said the yard now attracts around 100 camera-toting tourists each day.
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But the neighbor, who declined to be named, was not a fan of the unusual yard, telling RFE/RL the toys are "garbage."
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Many of the unclaimed toys are indeed looking worse for wear.
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But with the site now becoming increasingly popular as a place to pick up or drop off a toy, or grab a quick selfie, it seems unlikely this little quirk of western Ukraine will disappear anytime soon.
