Kiev or not to Kyiv

Party @ Pret à Café, Sept 9, 2005/Pomka in Action!!!!


To illustrate and put words on the pictures, Here are the comments of Amy, a lady friend who took the time to share her impressions on the country..."Ukraine has long been a crossroads between Europe, Arabia and the Orient, and the modern Ukrainian Rus have acquired a strong admixture of Asiatic and Arabic blood: giving them an average height, slender build and fair complexion.
Strictly speaking, the popular-image of beefy Slavic people are found mostly in western Ukraine (bordering on Poland, Hungary and the Slovak states) and in the north and northeast adjacent to Russia. For over a century, the official language was Russian. Since independence, Ukrainian is being promoted as the state language although Russian is still the most widespread, in the east, especially in the major cities. In villages people speak both Russian and Ukrainian. As a rule of thumb, you can manage by speaking Russian, although you may receive a bit of resistance from public officials who are being pressed to use Ukrainian. Ukrainians are passionately nationalistic- having only recently been freed from two centuries of Russian domination. English is commonly taught in public schools and is becoming an informal second language amongst the young, but still it appears that English is either spoken very, very well - or not at all. A typical city in Ukraine is a study of contrasts. You will find elements of the pre-Soviet era, with the ornate domed architecture of churches and public buildings. Much of this, however, was leveled during the Great Patriotic War and replaced with drab Soviet factories, public structures and workers flats (as they refer to apartments)."
Ahhh the main symbol, the friendship arche between Russia and Ukraine, exhausting...!

Happy Birthday Ukraine! Almost a year ago, hundred of thousands were camping and protesting here for change which is hardly happening. Now they can celebrate independance day with the idea that something has been accomplished...


Andreevskiy church on top of the street bearing the same name... Very nice neighborhood with a jewish tradition.

(courtesy pics Fabio@Global)

Mikhaylovsky Monastery

from an island to another, smells like the end of summer...(what a poet!)

When Alex and his best friend Myroslav are going to work out their amazing muscles together, it's for reallll! This gym has unbelievable stations, made with old iron bar, traktor engines,... that's what I call Recyclage!

Comments

Anonymous said…
Nice work old chap! A voir certaines photos, l'Ukraine a l'air tres sympa... Eclate toi et confirme moi si il y a un plan Ghana. Abrazo, Ced
Anonymous said…
eo, das hoert sich aber spannend an! und so schoene bilder! bin begeistert. abrazo y saludos de barcelona, julia

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