It also left his presidential residence just 12 miles from the city unoccupied
Hundreds of protesters and journalists entered his incredible compound to find that Yanukovych was living in the lap of luxury
The crowds of ordinary Ukrainians getting their first glimpse of the luxurious estate wandered the grounds taking photos
“What a thief!” as he took in the marble statuary
no one was allowed to enter the houses or outbuildings
and opposition protesters who had manned the barricades in Independence Square
the epicenter of the anti-government demonstrations
Here's what protesters are seeing on the grounds:
Anti-government protesters react on the grounds of the Mezhyhirya residence of Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovich in the village Novi Petrivtsi
A man plays golf as anti-government protesters walk on the grounds of the Mezhyhirya residence of Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovich in the village Novi Petrivtsi
Anti-government protesters and journalists look at ostriches kept within an enclosure on the grounds of the Mezhyhirya residence of Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovich in the village Novi Petrivtsi
People look through windows of the Mezhyhirya residence of Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovich as anti-government protesters and journalists walk on the grounds in the village Novi Petrivtsi
An anti-government protester takes pictures on the grounds of the Mezhyhirya residence of Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovich in the village Novi Petrivtsi outside Kiev February 22
Anti-government protesters and journalists walk on the grounds of the Mezhyhirya residence of Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovich in the village Novi Petrivtsi outside Kiev February 22
A man poses for a picture as people walk on the grounds of the Mezhyhirya residence of Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovich in the village Novi Petrivtsi outside Kiev February 22
An interior view shows the residence as anti-government protesters and journalists walk on the grounds of the Mezhyhirya residence of Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovich in the village Novi Petrivtsi outside Kiev February 22
Anti-government protesters and journalists walk on the territory of the Mezhyhirya private residence of Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovich in the village Novi Petrivtsi outside Kiev February 22
Anti-government protesters gather by the entrance to the Mezhyhirya residence of Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovich in the village Novi Petrivtsi
A man gestures behind the interior bar inside the residence as anti-government protesters and journalists walk on the grounds of the Mezhyhirya residence of Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovich in the village Novi Petrivtsi outside Kiev February 22
Anti-government protesters and journalists walk on a helipad at the Mezhyhirya residence of Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovich in the village Novi Petrivtsi
anti-government protesters got a close look at his luxyury estate in Novi Petrivtsi - African ostriches
A man stands inside a washroom as anti-government protesters and journalists walk on the grounds of the Mezhyhirya residence of Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovych in the village Novi Petrivtsi
People look through windows of the Mezhyhirya residence of Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovych as hundreds of anti-government protesters and journalists walk on the grounds in the village Novi Petrivtsi
Anti-government protesters and journalists look at ostriches kept within an enclosure on the grounds of the Mezhyhirya residence of Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovych in the village Novi Petrivtsi
A man plays golf as anti-government protesters walk on the grounds of the Mezhyhirya residence of Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovych in the village Novi Petrivtsi
A man takes pictures as anti-government protesters and journalists walk on the grounds of the Mezhyhirya residence of Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovych in the village Novi Petrivtsi
Anti-government protesters and journalists walk on the grounds of the Mezhyhirya residence of Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovych in the village Novi Petrivtsi
People walk in the grounds of Ukrainian President Yanukovych's countryside residence of Mezhyhirya on Feb
A visitor looks at a sculpture on the territory of Ukrainian President Yanukovych's countryside residence of Mezhyhirya on Feb
A protester waves an EU flag at the Ukrainian President Yanukovych's countryside residence of Mezhyhirya on Feb
An ornamental horse stands outside Ukrainian President Yanukovych's countryside residence on Mezhyhirya on Feb
A protester guards the entrance to Ukrainian President Yanukovych's countryside residence on Mezhyhirya on Feb
A protester waves an EU flag at the Ukrainian President Yanukovych countryside residence on Mezhyhirya on Feb
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Ukraine: A sprawling forested estate of graceful waterways and summer houses - half the size of Monaco but just one hour's drive from Kiev - stands as a symbol of the folly of Ukraine's fugitive president
who on Saturday streamed to see Viktor Yanukovich's luxury estate
rubbed their eyes in disbelief when they were confronted by the scale of the opulence he built around him and kept secret from the outside world
There were Australian emus and African ostriches stretching their legs
There were hares darting around people's feet - clearly unused to large numbers
Deer and billy goats - their cages neatly labelled - were hunkered down
slightly alarmed at the numbers of sudden visitors
 anti-government protesters invited people to visit the lavish estate of ousted Urkraine President Viktor Yanukovich
All this in a country where the average salary is less than $615 a month
who fled into hiding on Saturday as the turmoil of three months confrontation with his people caught up with him
relaxed at weekends in luxury behind high walls patrolled by scores of security guards
When the dream ended and Yanukovich's staff fled the Gatsby-like mansion in the early hours of Saturday
the Kiev protest movement that had opposed him invited Ukrainians to go to see the opulence Yanukovich lived in
onto the 140-hectare grounds for a first glimpse at a luxury they could only suspect
Ukrainians gawped in wonderment at the fairytale surroundings
A man takes pictures of the Mezhyhirya residence of Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovich in the village Novi Petrivtsi
What they saw reflected more the inflated dreams of a Middle East potentate - with all the attendant obsessions with security - rather than a rough-hewn man from the gritty eastern Ukraine who got to the top the hard way
The incongruous presence of ostriches and emus - labels said they were from Australia
Africa and South America - suggested a weakness for 'nouveau riche' status symbols
anti-government protesters gather by the entrance to the Mezhyhirya residence of ousted Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovich in the village Novi Petrivtsi
Yanukovich bought a small house on the plot at the start of his presidency in 2010
which exists today through a chain of companies with which he had close interests
People look through windows of the Mezhyhirya residence of Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovich near the village Novi Petrivtsi
Beyond a five-floor Russian-style house - some said it was his guest house - a stone staircase opened up to a landscaped vista of water features
arboreal walkways and tree-lined avenues stretching into the distance
Few people - apart from Yanukovich's chosen few and family - have visited a secret place
which has been charted by satellite images that show a helicopter pad and a golf course
A man stands inside a lavatory as anti-government protesters and journalists walk on the grounds of the Mezhyhirya residence of Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovich
Locals said that up to 3000 security and support staff would arrive when Yanukovich planned a major social event
With Yanukovich obsessed by security and fear of attack
they had to leave their mobile phones at the entrance to the grounds and pick them up only on leaving
A man plays golf on the on the grounds of the Mezhyhirya residence of former Ukrainian leader Viktor Yanukovich
Over the years journalists have often tried to penetrate the security cordon - often with unfortunate consequences
Journalist Tetyana Chernovil broke into the heavily-guarded grounds last year and though she escaped she was badly beaten months later
a man holds a golf club bearing the name of ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich
"This is a monument to a tyrant which we want to show the people," said Eduard Leonov
a parliamentary deputy from the far-right nationalist Svoboda party
Graeco-Roman statues - a Goddess covering her modesty with her hair
Ornate ponds - half frozen on Saturday - nonetheless bubbled with water being pumped through them
Love-seats and colonnaded meeting places dot the estate
A man takes a photo of ousted Ukraine president Viktor Yanukovich's personalised golf bag
There is a Russian bath-house - closed to the public on Saturday with an opposition protester's helmet on a chair across the door
looking down on the Dnipro river through trees
Families and lovers out for a different sort of Sunday afternoon excursion
posed for family album snaps at a once-in-a lifetime occasion
Most shook their heads in wonderment at the ambitions of a president who had always proclaimed that he was on the side of the poor people of Ukraine
"We did not expect anything like this
It is really extensive and all done with our money
It's very emotional when you see something like this," said Serhiy Remezovsky
who had brought his wife and nine-month old son
His friend Roman Gretsky suggested that the estate should be turned into an orphanage or something recreational for the children of Ukraine
Some sneered at decor which seemed over-the-top for a president known for his cultural shortcomings
having once described the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov as a "great Ukrainian poet"
"A normal person doesn't build this sort of stuff
The vanished president had his own production line of fresh meat
sheep and goat could be seen through the window of a large livestock pen - though staff refused to open the doors to inquiring visitors
situated between two cooing statues of Graeco-Roman lovers in a superbly-tended garden
had a notice that proclaimed that it had a life expectancy of 300 years
One could squint through the windows of a 3500 square metre greenhouse
where beans and other vegetable shoots were being cultivated
ostriches of all sizes and colours plodded up and down 'ostrich runs' nervously pecking at the wire
In other cages - very popular with children brought by their parents - deer
goats and boar looked quizzically at visitors
said the service staff left early on Saturday
The guards were adamant that Yanukovich himself had not been there for three days at least
"Who did he take himself for?" asked this correspondent in conversation with another traveller on the way back to Kiev
Ukraine: A sprawling forested estate of graceful waterways and summer houses - half the size of Monaco but just one hour's drive from Kiev - stands as a symbol of the folly of Ukraine's fugitive president
who on Saturday streamed to see Viktor Yanukovich's luxury estate
There were hares darting around people's feet - clearly unused to large numbers
When the dream ended and Yanukovich's staff fled the Gatsby-like mansion in the early hours of Saturday
Africa and South America - suggested a weakness for 'nouveau riche' status symbols
Few people - apart from Yanukovich's chosen few and family - have visited a secret place
\\\"This is a monument to a tyrant which we want to show the people,\\\" said Eduard Leonov
There is a Russian bath-house - closed to the public on Saturday with an opposition protester's helmet on a chair across the door
It's very emotional when you see something like this,\\\" said Serhiy Remezovsky
having once described the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov as a \\\"great Ukrainian poet\\\"
\\\"A normal person doesn't build this sort of stuff
ostriches of all sizes and colours plodded up and down 'ostrich runs' nervously pecking at the wire
\\\"Who did he take himself for?\\\" asked this correspondent in conversation with another traveller on the way back to Kiev