On the banks of the Dneiper River in Kiev, they take the concept of “pumping iron” almost literally with gym equipment made from scrap metal.

The open-air Kachalka gym features more than 200 weight machines fashioned from old scrap metal and wood, punching bags made from tyres, and free weights chained to the sandy ground.

The al-fresco fitness centre, which attracts brawny muscle men and women from all over Kiev, was founded in the 1970s by Kiev engineer Yuri Kook and is completely free.

Kook built the first machines from his own designs from scrap metal, parts of old ships and even Soviet WWII tanks scavenged from junk yards.

Since then, the gym has been maintained and run by enthusiasts, who add more self-made equipment every year. Report by Mark Morris.

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