This week, we’re talking about an abandoned Soviet-era theme park. Many people draw parallels between this and the abandoned theme park in Pripyat near Chernobyl. Better known for its abandoned state than its operational years, this is the theme park in Elektrenai, Lithuania.
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Table of Contents
The Soviet Union
During the later years of the Soviet Union, many power plants were built across its lands. The most famous of these, of course, was the doomed Chernobyl nuclear reactor. (Now, there’s a massively popular podcast and TV show already out about Chernobyl, so I’m not going to dwell overmuch on this one.)
Construction of the power plants also included construction of nearby cities to house the workers and their families. In the doomed Chernobyl plant, this was the city of Pripyat. In the case of Lithuania’s Elektrenai power plant, Elektrenai came from the name for “electricity”.
City of Elektrenai
Elektrenai is a small settlement between Lithuania’s capital (Vilnus) and second-largest city Kaunas. Lithuania, of course, was once part of the former Soviet Union, but became independent in 1991.
Construction on the town of Elektrenai began in 1961, and most of Elektrenai’s structures are large monolith housing projects that date to this time. The town was built to provide housing and entertainment to the power plant’s workers.
The Elektrenai power plant required a water source for cooling, and this was accomplished with the Elektrenai Reservoir, an artificial lake created by damming the Streva River. This lake is actually quite large. Several villages were drowned by the reservoir, requiring at least 140 households to be relocated. The lake also swallowed a handful of other small natural lakes.
Since 2009, the oil and gas power plant at Elektrenai has become the main power source for all of Lithuania.
Children’s World Elektrenai
Vaikų pasaulis in Lithuanian means “Children’s World”.
Children’s World opened in 1986, when the area was still under Soviet control. This park was reportedly the only amusement park in Lithuania. The park was created to provide entertainment for the workers and families in the area.
Reportedly, the park was planned to be reconstructed in 2000, which never happened. The park suffered during Lithuania’s independence, which began in 1991. Quote from 2009: “In Soviet times, thousands of tourists from all over the country visited the amusement park every weekend. Today, the colorful lights are dark, the music has gone silent, and the roller coaster rusts away. Most of the time, the park’s employees sit idly on a bench in front of the ticket window. “People don’t have the money to come here,” one of them says. ”
The park opened with similar rides to those seen in Chernobyl’s park – a large iconic Ferris wheel, bumper cars, some flat rides.
The Jet Star 2 rollercoaster was acquired from Moscow’s Gorki Park in 2002. Reportedly the ride often malfunctioned. In one video from 2009, passengers can be seen rocking a car to get it moving after it got stuck at the top. As of 2011, the park was reportedly only using a single car, with the other two being used for parts.
Closure of Elektrenai’s Children’s World
In 2012, an incident occurred which may have sealed the fate of the park. A coaster car got stuck at the top, and riders were forced to clamber over the cars and down the coaster’s metal structure to get back down to safety. No one was hurt, but reportedly the people lost confidence in the park.
Attendance plummeted, and the park, already struggling under the general economic decline of the post 9/11 world, was forced to close. Lack of attendance and lack of funds spelled the end for the park. In addition, I’m reading in translation, but the issue appears to be some sort of non-compliance – maintenance or security, perhaps, is the context?
Children’s World permanently closed in 2013.
Abandoned Elektrenai Children’s World
After the park’s closure, everything in the park was left in place. This is one of the reasons the park is so iconic on social media. In addition, though the park is abandoned and the rides sit, decaying, the flora of the park is well-maintained and the grass is regularly mowed.
Abandoned Elektrenai amusement park is reportedly quite the tourist destination, with locals grabbing a coffee and going to visit. This can be offputting for some, though I suppose it depends on the type of urbex atmosphere a person prefers.
Quote “The experience was relaxed. Although you’re not allowed to go in, we saw that curious locals still hang around the theme park and have fun.”
Others describe the place almost like a late-Soviet-era open air museum. While the park has been open for longer under independence than under Soviet control, more information signs are written in Russian than in Lithuanian or English.
Two dominant features are the Jet Star 2 Coaster and the Ferris wheel. The Ferris wheel can reportedly be seen from most of the city of Elektrenai, and one article noted that the wheel and the power plant were the two most iconic images of the city itself. Visitors can still climb in the lowest buckets, and pastel paint still clings to much of the metal structure. The concrete pedestal for the ride is covered in layers of graffiti, much nicely done.
Jet Star 2
As I’ve already briefly mentioned, The Jet Star 2 is an iconic metal coaster with very attractive circular drops. Seen from the top, it is a figure 8 layout. At the time of its purchase, the coaster was only one of two of its type in the world. The articles about Elektrenai, all in translation of course, emphasis the American style of the coaster.
The coaster was designed by Allan Schwarzkopf and Ing.-Büro Stengel GmbH. Per the RCDB, there are ten of these coasters; 7 have been relocated, for a total of 17 different places. Sister rides that are still operating can be found at Furuvik (Sweden), Lagoon (Farmington, Utah), and Lunapark Robland (Poland). The rest have been removed. Elektrenai’s is the only Jet Star 2 SBNO. One of the coaster cars is still on the tracks, and visitors often can be seen pushing it around.
Music Express
The ride I find most interesting in the park is the indoor ride called a Music Express. The Music Express rides are all based on the original Caterpillar flat ride.
Caterpillar
The Caterpillar ride itself was designed by Hyla Manes, an inventor in New York. Caterpillar debuted in Coney Island in 1925. Riders go around in a circle, up and down, (like a tilt-a-whirl, but with a train of cars and no spinning) and are flung outward by centrifugal force. A canopy rises up to cover the cars when they reach maximum speed, leading to the Caterpillar look.
The Caterpillar was originally such a popular ride it was found at most every amusement park. Today, only two operational Caterpillar rides exist: Canobie Lake Park (Salem, NH) and Heritage Park (Calgary, Alberta, Canada). There are reportedly a handful of Caterpillars in storage, as well as a few conversions and remakes.
Elektrenai’s Music Express
Back to the Music Express – as previously mentioned, this is a ride based on the Caterpillar. Differences include changes in speed and direction, and as the name implies, music is a big part of the experience.
At Elektrenai, the ride sits inside a uniquely-shaped building, almost like an onion. Bright primary colors of paint flake off from the surfaces. An arched multi-paneled ceiling rises overhead, sunlight peeking in through the cracks. The tarps covering the central mechanism are torn and fading, and the whole building is covered in graffiti now.
Other Rides at Elektrenai
Other rides are at the park included a swing chair ride, rotating standing swings, a rocket ship flat ride, and a handful of games inside a hall. The swing chairs are fairly unique, in that the ride can still be moved without a machine – one good push from a friend and the whole set of swings are spinning around.
There is also of course a bumper car building. Inside are a few decaying bumper cars, very similar to those at Chernobyl. On the back wall of the hall, a gorgeous multicolored, incredibly detailed mural. Done in a quite 80s style, there are swooshing lines, gorgeous colors, and scenes of different types of imaginary cars. I find it very attractive, even under the layer of graffiti it now sports.
Future of Children’s World Elektrenai
Some draw comparisons to the abandoned amusement park in Pripyat, which had been slated to open a few days after the Chernobyl disaster. Pripyat’s amusement park never opened, though rumors indicate it may have operated for a short period during the Pripyat evacuation, as a distraction. The comparisons are there. After all, the cities were built for similar purposes and the parks have similar rides. It’s interesting to look at Elektrenai and see what Chernobyl could’ve been. Where Chernobyl is serious, dark, and a little haunted, Elektrenai exudes a cheerful, charming air.
Reportedly, the local government plans to turn Children’s World into a public park by late 2020.
A June article indicates that work will begin on the property in August 2019, and should last for 18 months. Reportedly, the space will become a nice public park with a coffee shop, among other things. Reading the article in translation, it’s not clear how many (if any) of the rides will remain – likely, all of the rides will be scrapped. The mayor is quoted discussing safety issues with the park as it is, particularly considering its popularity.
Some residents, of course, are worried. Quote: “The park should be preserved. Just do not know how much investment would be needed and whether they would pay off. I wonder how many visitors would be. Now, most of us come here to look at the monument to the Soviet era.”
It’s clear that change is on the horizon for Children’s World at Elektrenai. For the next few months, at least, the abandoned park still stands, a vibrant monument to a different time.
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References
I’ve included a complete list of references used while researching this topic. It’s hidden under the link for brevity.