24 May – 3 June 2018
On the early Sunday morning I arrived in Kyiv after a train ride of ten hours. It is not because of the distance that it took so long to get to Kyiv, since it’s only around 400 kilometers away from Lviv. But the trains are not exactly the latest edition and the train tracks are also not in the best condition. Still, I could’ve taken a faster train, but then I’d spend my money faster as well. At least I had a bed in a small cabin that I shared with two other people. Luckily I managed to get some sleep, so had enough energy to walk around Kyiv. Which is exactly what my host intended to do. My host is Bohdan, he is a major in the army and military financier. He lives with his wife Olja, who is also in the military, but as a doctor. They are very nice people and the best hosts I could wish for. Shortly after I arrived, Bohdan offered me a traditional local dish for breakfast: borscht. This is a soup made from beetroot with potato, chicken and, of course, some sour cream on top. After I finished my meal we went to the city.
Bohdan explained that today was a special day in the Greek Catholic Church, which is why a lot of people would dress in their traditional clothing. Bohdan gave me one of his traditional shirts and it suited me rather well. These white shirts are handmade and nicely decorated with colored patterns. They use these special outfits for certain holidays or even for their weddings. Once we were in the city, Bohdan showed me the Greek Orthodox church that he visits (this is also the main religion in Ukraine). I went for a walk while he was attending the service. After the service there was a small concert in the sort of cantina at the church. Young people performed classical music and two girls told ancient classical poems, for example a classical poem written by Michelangelo. After this performance we started our tour of the city. During our walk we came across many different buildings; some of them are remnants from the Soviet time, others are more modern and much more better looking. The city also has many orthodox churches, that look absolutely beautiful with their golden domes that shine brightly in the sunlight. We walked across a long street with a market, where we bought some kvas. This is a drink made of yeast and bread. The flavor can be compared as something between non-alcoholic beer and ice tea, and it’s a great against the thirst.
A day before my arrival to Kyiv, the final of the UEFA Champions League was held in the city. So in the following days there were still a lot of supporters who were staying in the city. Some of them I found laying unconscious when I arrived at the main train station. Others were still drinking in the city; either to celebrate or to drink their sadness away. The hosting of the Champions League finale must’ve been great a promotion for Kyiv and for Ukraine. Also, the day after the finale it was Kyiv Day: a special day to commemorate the city’s founding. Near the main square was a large stage with music performances by the Kyiv Orchestra. I also caught a glimpse of the mayor of Kyiv, who was giving a speech. It was a very interesting first day in Kyiv and it had turned out to be very musical.
The second day was slightly less cheerful, since we would focus more on the sad history of Ukraine. Bohdan had done this on purpose to give me a complete picture of the city and the country, and he didn’t want to mix the happy concerts with the sadness of Ukraine’s history. This day I got to learn a lot about the country’s black pages and about the horrible things that have happened to the country. It was heartbreaking to hear what the people of Ukraine had to endure during just the 20th century. The Second and First World War were bad enough, but Ukraine had to endure much more than just that. From 1932 – 1933 the communists started confiscating all the food of the Ukrainian people. This led to mass starvation, which Ukrainians call the Holodomor. This communists did this to break the Ukrainian people and to prevent them from rebelling against them. To give an idea of how horrible this period was, I will write down some shocking numbers. Every minute 24 people died, this means 1,440 people per hour and 34,560 people per day in the year 1933. This led to people doing the most horrible and unthinkable things in order to survive. During the genocide 4,5 million people died because of the Holodomor. These number are absolutely shocking and I was really lost for words. I also find it concerning that I had never heard of this before, though I must say that a lot of information concerning the Holodomor has only recently become public.
Bohdan also explained me the very interesting story of Maidan, the revolution of 2014. The president at the time was very sympathetic to Russia, despite of all the things that have happened in the past and the country’s struggle for independence. Ukraine was about to be a part of the European Union, until the president suddenly bailed out and said that they should actually be friendlier with Russia. The people of Ukraine were shocked and a lot of them entered the streets with European flags to show Europe that they actually want to become a part of the European Union. This was a peaceful event, and can’t even be called a demonstration. When a group of people decided to remain on the square, they were rather brutally dispersed by the police. This led to other demonstrations, and – from the president’s point of view – the situation got out of hand. The people started occupying certain governmental buildings and some public squares. The squares turned into large communities, where people had tent camps, made their own food and took part in art projects. These people were no rough guys looking for a fight, but they were well-educated people who wanted to create something better for their country. The president got nervous and asked Russia for advice on what to do. The answer was: use brute force. On the 61st day of Maidan, two protestors got shot dead on the streets. The people were forced to regroup and they built large fires to prevent the special forces from coming through. The president had already lost the support of his army, and Russia had sent extra troops to help him. People in the square were assassinated by snipers from the surrounding buildings, it was horrible. The fires turned out to be a blessing and kept the people safe from the special forces. On February 22 the president fled the country and flew to Russia. Thus the building of a new government a new country has started. But Russia’s a smart country and doesn’t take kindly to people turning their backs on them, which is why Russia started claiming the Crimean Peninsula. This war destabilizes the already struggling country and prevents them from creating a successful government and a prosperous and stable country. After hearing all this I couldn’t help but to feel very sorry for this country that had to endure so incredibly much. I know you probably didn’t come here to read about the sad story of a country, but I think this story deserves to be told.
Luckily we also did some nicer things that day, otherwise this might have been a rather depressing day. We visited the beautiful monastery complex of Pechersk Lavra. This is a huge complex, with many interesting buildings. The whole complex is placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The monastery is still active, with over a 100 monks still residing there. Ever since 1051 the monastery has served as the center of Eastern Orthodox Christianity in Eastern Europe. It is definitely worth a visit when you’re in Kyiv. We also went to one of the small islands in the middle of the river Dnieper, that separates both parts of Kyiv. On this island there’s a park that has miniature versions of lots of buildings from around the city and the country. It’s not that spectacular, especially when you consider the entry fee. Still, it was interesting to see the buildings from a different perspective. On the other bank of the river there’s a beach where people like to hangout and swim during summer.
On my final day in Kyiv Bohdan and Olja had to go to work, so I went out alone. Olja had recommended me to visit the Nation Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine. It’s a very large open-air museum covered with plains and woods, where they reconstructed traditional Ukrainian villages. These buildings they didn’t just build for the park, but they were actually transported there from the Ukrainian countryside. So what you see at the museum are the actual buildings that the people used to live in. The park is beautifully set up, and it’s a great place to spend a day by just admiring the landscape with the traditional houses, windmills and churches. I also read the interesting story of The Little Prince, that Bohdan had recommended me. He told me that I reminded him a bit of the little prince, on his quest to explore other worlds. That night we had something to celebrate, since Olja finished her education for military doctor with the highest score, for which she would get a medal. To celebrate, we went to a pizzeria close to their apartment, because what’s better than pizza?
On the next day I continued my trip through Ukraine. First I took the train to a small place called Vinnytsia. There isn’t much that is particularly interesting about this cosy town, except for their fountain. The Multimedia Fountain Roshen is the largest floating fountain in Europe and performs a different show each night, according to a weekly program. This show combines the fountain show with light, music and projections. Bohdan told me to visit this place and he suggested I meet one of his friends, Alex. This friend was very keen on showing me around the city, while I was wearing my heavy backpack and my other bag. Thank goodness his town wasn’t that big. I was glad when we settled down at a bar to have some nice, cold beers. I tried an ale with a caramel and honey flavor, which was very tasty. Afterwards we went to the fountain to watch the show. After the show I had to get on the train to Odessa.
My experience with trains in Ukraine goes from better to worse. When I arrived in Ukraine, I started in a first-class cabin with a tv. The second train had a cabin for four people and was less comfortable than the first one. But the train from Vinnytsia to Odessa was the worst so far. This time I didn’t have a bed to sleep in, but instead there were just chairs, like in any other train (although they were slightly more comfortable). A woman was sitting next to me and we didn’t have much space, so she was almost using my shoulder as her headrest. But after a long and very uncomfortable ride of nine hours I finally arrived in Odessa at 05:15 am.
I had to wait for a few hours, before I went to see my new host Lena. She’s a very enthusiastic and spontaneous girl. After we had the usual small talk, she told me that she had to go to work, but I could just make myself at home. And so I did. I took a very long shower to recover from my exhausting train ride. Then I got in my swimming gear and walked to the beach. At that moment I couldn’t care that much about sightseeing; I needed the sun, sea and the beach. I started using the flip flops that I had bought in Slovakia, but they were a hell to walk on and I still got blisters on my feet! So after a 45-minute painful walk I finally arrived at the beach. I spread out my towel, laid down and not much later I fell asleep. When I woke up, I took a refreshing dive in the Black Sea, which had an ideal temperature of around 20 degrees! I really had a great time. That night Lena and I sat down on her balcony and I played some music from my phone. Meanwhile we drank some tea, talked and I had a small cigar, that I save for occasions such as these. After a while I started singing along with the songs and we had a great time. It felt like we knew each other for a longer time, and this was just a thing that we would usually do.
The next day I looked for a free walking tour, but since I couldn’t find any I decided to explore the city on my own. Odessa is a beautiful city with a fine architecture and the people in Odessa are more laidback than for exemple the people in Kyiv (or so I’ve been told by some locals I met). Odessa has a very beautiful opera building, that I regret not having seen from the inside. After I explored most of the city I went to the beach again, since I just couldn’t have enough of it. In the late afternoon I left the beach and visited Lena’s office on her invitation. She was there with her friend Sveta and together they are software testers. For example, they try out websites and provide the owners with feedback on how to improve. They are two crazy girls and they gave me some whiskey (apparently they need that in the office) and stuffed me with chocolate.
On Saturday I didn’t do much. In the morning I joined Lena for a visit to the bazar, where she bought some cherries and I bought a new pair of sunglasses. I lost my old pair when they fell off a balcony in Bratislava a while back. That afternoon I stopped by at the beach and finished reading my book. In the evening I met with Sveta and we walked around the city, while I helped her with her English. Later Lena joined us and we had some nice dinner together. The next day I would have to get up early to catch my bus to Moldova, the next country on the list. I have not a clue what to expect, so I’m curious and excited to find out what the country has to offer. . .
Dawn Under 