Kiev: A trove of culture and beauty
Blog post from The Lives Behind a Crisis
July 17th
, 2016
By Alexa Sanford
Kiev is a treasure chest that your mother tucked away in the attic, waiting for its
content to be revealed. Upon opening it you discover large pristine avenues lined with
distinguished turquoise, yellow and white buildings and dotted with coffee kiosks and
ice cream huts, making it possible to get your fix at any time of the day.
And as you walk you feel as if you’ve been transported to Paris’ Avenue Montaigne as
beautiful Ukrainian women in stylish ensembles and high heels promenade around you.
But as a fashion show takes place above ground, an intricate underground bustles with
life. A labyrinth of shops selling anything one could desire from pastries to clothes to
flowers provide shelter to locals from the stifling heat. A small pizzeria decorated with
painted ammunition from a darker time cooks up mouth-watering pizzas that customers
can have sent to soldiers on the frontlines in the East to provide them sustenance as
they continue to protect the country’s borders.
As you resurface to the Maidan square the Independence Column topped with a gold
angel looms over you as if to protect all those around. On surrounding walls and
statues are reminders in the form of street art, photos and flowers that although the
square is peaceful with free passage, this was only made possible by the many brave
lives sacrificed in winter 2013-2014. And although you feel you could admire the vast
square and its majestic buildings for hours something more alluring waits atop a nearby
hill. The glowing golden dome of St. Sophia’s emerald Orthodox Cathedral, built in the
11th century draws you in with its beauty just to unveil a nearby surprise at the other
end of the boulevard: St. Michael’s Monastery. Its impeccable turquoise bodice and gold
capped domes not only form a house of worship, but a place of refuge, a haven of
peace, and once a centre for medical aid during the Maidan protests. A peaceful
adjacent park represents the struggle for independence and acts as a space for children
to play and cultural workshops to thrive.
Adventuring into the oldest district of Kiev, Podil, once the city’s trade and craft centre,
entices artists, hipsters, and coffee lovers alike into its bohemian cafes, restaurants and
shops. While painted in a spring palette of yellows, salmons and cream, a layer of dust
on buildings as others decay reveals its age and wisdom. The calm that resides in the
streets is symbolic of the pensive nature of an artist as he carefully plans his next work.
So as we travel in the less travelled we realize that Europe still holds many secrets,
many streets to explore, much beauty to revel at, people to connect with, stories to tell.
So we will wander those streets in search of the next story. Stay tuned.