MORE KYIV

9th - 10th May 2022

St Michael's Monastery

This city has more impressive golden-domed cathedrals, monasteries, churches , spectacular buildings, monuments, museums and interesting sights than you can shake a stick at. None of which, thankfully, has fallen victim to Ruskie bombs or rockets although many museums and venues are closed. Staff is a big problem as well as lack of tourists. I have re-visited some of them on this recent tour, but will not be mentioning them in this series of blogs. I have just had a look back at the blogs I did in 2018 and realise that I covered many of them, in great detail, then. Actually I must have had more energy and enthusiasm then because in 3 days I travelled around the city and covered much more ground, and in much greater detail, than I have in 6 days this time. So if you want a tour guide of Kyiv sights in the three main tourist areas (Lypky, Podil and Lavra) then click on (top right) to 2018, and June then Kiev and all will be revealed. 

In the current reports I will concentrate mainly on what I am seeing and experiencing in these strange times.

I decided, out of interest, to visit the British Embassy. I had heard that we (UK) had 'bravely' reopened it. This entirely unimpressive building (left) with two small vacant flagpoles and a little tarnished plaque on the wall, is Our Britannic Majesty's Embassy on Desyatynna Street, near St Michael's monastery.  I rang the buzzer at the front door. No response. I was then approached by a rather scruffy Ukrainian security guard from his little sentry box and was told "any enquiries or business must be done 'on line' or by telephone. Nobody is here". Well, so much for the once mighty British Diplomatic Presence in Ukraine. They are 'working from home'. Pathetic.

I then intended to take an anti-clockwise circular walk from the Maydan, north-east up to Mariyinsky Park, north-west along the river (Dnieper/Dnipro) through the Podil district, up the hill using the famous funicular railway, and back. I hadn't gone far before I realised I would be passing by the Presidential Administrative Building. This, of course, and understandably, was cordoned off by armed police control points. 

I had to retreat, but not before I managed to get a discreet long distance photo, out of sight of the guards, of the Presidential hang-out (right). Actually I had a friendly chat with one of the armed police there and was curious to know what the weapon was that he, and all the armed police, seemed to carry. 

He was very forthcoming and explained it was a rather antiquated (1985) Russian AKS-74U 'Krinkov'. He showed me the date stamp on the bodywork. You live and learn.

I therefore set off in the opposite clockwise direction, back through the Maydan, up past St Sophia's Cathedral, past St Michael's Monastery to the top end of the funicular to take me down to the Podil district. It was closed. Not daunted I descended the many steps which intitially takes one to the Artists' Alley. It was deserted. Then along and down towards the park.

Left: Past the iconic statue, looking out over the river, of Volodymyr the Great (989 AD). He was now hiding behind a substantial protective covering. He had been 'sandbagged' as had so many of the valuable monuments around town.

Right: Across a very modern (new?) and 

high level pedestrian/bike bridge to the picturesque Mariyinsky Park. If offers good views north up the Dnieper (right). This river bisects the city east/west but all the touristy bits are on the west side. I'm not sure what happens on the east side.

Across the bridge is the Friendship of Nations Monument (Left). A large,rather austere, parabolic erection, which 'celebrates' the 1654 'unification' of Russia and Ukraine. I bet they are not celebrating it now!

There is a sandbagged emplacement here. I'm not sure what its tactical importance is. I suppose to stop Rooshans crossing the bridge, should they ever try, but I can't think why they would. 

On up some steep steps to the top of the park where there are coffee shops, pleasant seating amongst the trees, and  a 'Water Museum' which, as a lovely lady explained to me, gives a graphic and a 'virtual reality' experience of water processes from the atmosphere to the earth. It was closed Mondays and Tuesdays (and probably other days).

Left: This statue en-route is of a couple who met as youngsters in a prison camp in Austria in 1943. They fell madly in love but were separated during the war and were only reunited, with great acclaim and emotion, in 2004.

Then over a footbridge, the 'Devil's Bridge', which is festooned with padlocks left by newlywed couples to signify their long-lasting betrothals. I wonder if they are all still betrothed. If not, does one of them have the key to unlock the relevant padlock? Who cares.

Left: Over the bridge, to the right, is the old Olympic stadium which is now the home ground of Dynamo Kyiv football team.

From here on the route is again blocked by police because it enters the area of the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian Parliament building. Fortunately one doesn't have to backtrack too far, and just take a flight of steps down to the main road and back to the Maydan.

Right: I bumped into this happy group on the way.  They were very chatty and charming. The girl, Mary, who is a student in Kyiv, came from a vlllage north of the city. She told me a rocket had landed 50 metres from her parents' house. There was quite a bit of damage but, fortunately, nobody was injured.

Left: My ' new best friend' Mary let me have a ride on her e-scooter. It was rather fun. They are much used throughout the city. It requires the use of an App ('Bolt' is one of them) and you are charged by time of use, but I think the process is a bit beyond me and anyway, being mean, I have disengaged my phone 'roaming' and have not bought a local SIM card so no internet when on the streets.

The scooters have a very bright light above the front wheel, and most of the pavements are about 15 yards wide so there is plenty of room for them and pedestrians. Certainly nobody would think of objecting to them.

Right: Another scooter rider. There were many people dressed in DPM combats all over the city. Some armed, most not. I'm not sure what military organisations they all belonged to. There was always a gang of them in and around my hotel.

I used this bar/restaurant (left) on Myhailivska St, just north-west of the Maydan, a few times as a convenient and decent pit-stop. I think it is called (from Cyrillic script) something like 'Sputnik'. It served good food. I even wrote a few postcards here...posted in the smart main Post Office on the Maydan. Whether they arrive or not remains to be seen.

I missed a photo opportunity when I witnessed a soldier aggressively pointing his rifle at a rather shabby car parked alone on a square by the Jellyfish museum. He was jinking from side to  side and looked as if he might open fire at any moment. I was almost in his line of fire. Just as I raised my camera another soldier approached the first with a millboard in his hands and started to de-brief him. It was a training exercise, and they then disappeared into what I think was a military HQ.

I walked through another pretty little park, Shevchenko Park, near the impressive red brick main University building. There were coffee kiosks and people having picnics.

I came across this lady and her boyfriend here who had a very sweet little beagle puppy. I was invited to feed it. It was called Kash, or pronounced as such. 

Right: A 'living statue' on Khreshchatyk Street. I slipped him a few Hryvnia and he did a little waving dance for me.

He then asked me to take his place on his     rostrum. I couldn't refuse and a helpful lady passing by took the photo. 

Right: The Rodina Mat (Nation's Mother) or Defence of the Motherland Monument in the Lower Lavra district, south of the centre on the west bank of the river. Situated in a lovely park with many other monuments and war relics it overlooks the city. It stands on a podium housing the National Museum of WW2 and with a total height of 335ft. There is a lift which takes you up to the top of the shield....but museum and lift were closed. I believe I visited the museum back in 2018.

This monument wasn't, for understandable logistic reasons, 'sandbagged'. I don't suppose, even now, they have enough sandbags in the country!

That will have to do for the time being............

( i can't seem to 'justfy' the script in the paragraphs above. It stays 'aligned left'. It was simple before. If anyone reading this is an expert on this blogsite, please advise! Most frustrating)