KIEV, UKRAINE

A Visit To Kiev

We found Kiev a delightful city although definitely not a pedestrian friendly city. Crossing the street can be hazardous to your health, as pedestrians do NOT have the right of way. Fortunately there are many under the street tunnels and one should use them when possible.  

I don’t know why everyone wants to add THE before Ukraine. We don’t say the Canada, the Cuba, the Poland---you get the idea—but for some reason everyone thinks it’s the Ukraine. I shared a table in Winnipeg, Canada a few years ago with a charming Ukrainian who enlightened me.

Ukraine, slightly smaller than Texas, is Europe’s second largest country, and the largest country and most populous and developed republic of what once was the Soviet Bloc or USSR.  Russia dominated Ukrainian history for centuries, but Ukrainian culture stretches even farther back in history. The country was the center of the first Slavic state, a powerful nation called Kievan Rus, which dominated Europe in the 10^th and 11^th centuries.

The city of three million people seemed like a small large city. The girls are gorgeous, have long skinny legs that are emphasized with 4-inch heeled shoes topped with tight blue jeans. It is a city of young people. Streets are wide, traffic heavy. The city is full of art nouveau buildings, Stalin-era buildings that generally had a large star on top, 80 churches and numerous well-preserved buildings. We saw no decaying buildings. There are gold domes everywhere you look. The city has many 11^th century buildings, yet Kiev is both the modern gateway to Ukraine and a historic town that blends commercial streets with modern byways with its old town. The seat of government, the city was very clean.

One afternoon we walked down town to Independence Square.  Kiev’s main business district, Khreshchatik, was blocked off for the holiday so we strolled down the center of the wide street lined with large old trees and grand monumental buildings interspersed with small shops. Food kiosks were being set up to accommodate the anticipated crowd later in the evening. The evenings were long with darkness not falling ‘til nearly midnight.

  Independence Square was the site of the Orange Revolution when the presidential elections were so hotly contested. Many young people in the square were smoking. Beneath the square is a huge underground mall where we found expensive boutiques and upscale western shops. A bit weary we stopped in a cafe for some people watching and ice cream.