KieVVision

Rücksicht (1983)  The Berlin Wall in Kyiv  EUROVISION COUNTRY: Germany KYIV DESTINATION: Berlin Wall segment On the pavement outside the German embassy on 25, Bohdana Khmelnytskoho St, there is a piece of the Berlin Wall that used to separate East and West Europe, together with some information about its history. This is a symbol of what has both divided and united Europe in the last 100 years. The post-war relationship between east and west Germany has two separate tales to tell, but prior to this of course there was a period in WWII where Ukraine was defacto part of the German Reich. This is a very complex and disputed part of Ukrainian history to this day. It will take several more decades before the full story can be adequately researched and understood. But for around three years Ukraine was a part of the Reich as part of the Lebensraum policy. The National Socialists saw Ukraine as a space where Germans could move into and live. The war led to many atrocities ...

Ukrainian Letters of the Day    Ф = F    C = S О = O Ф = F I  = I С = S ОФIС = OFIS (Office)

Ukrainian Letter of the Day  У = U  Т = T А = A Т = T У = U ТАТУ = TATU (TATOO)

Is It Right? (2014)  Experience corruption KYIV DESTINATION: Mezhgiriya National Park Following EuroMaidan in 2014 the home of the exiled President Yanukovich has been opened to the public as a national park. Mezhigirya was a house and small plot of land about a 30 minute drive outside the city that used to be a summer house for the Communist Party. When Viktor Yanukovich became President  in 2002 he was provided access to the 2-hectare plot. By 2007 the land became his personal property. In 2014 when Yanukovich was ousted from the country, the abandoned estate had bloated to 140 hectares. The land had been rented to the president for $39 a month for 49 years. In the last two years the state has taken back possession and it has become a popular spot for walks and picnics. Access to the building is limited, but the park has much to offer, including a private zoo, a classic car collection, vast landscaped parks, a lakeside promenade, swan lake, horse riding area, woodl...

Ukrainian Letter of the Day        H = N  K = K I =   I H = N O = O KIHO = Kino (Cinema)

Wohin Kleines Pony?  (1957) City Guides  There are not many city guides available for Kiev in other European capitals. You can buy guides to Ukraine, but in such a vast country they cannot do Kyiv justice. Two books to look out for here when you come to Kyiv or online are Awsome Kyiv and Touring Kyiv. Touring Kyiv uses lots of graphics and pictures and minium text. The book was designed for tourists coming to Kyiv during the UEFA European Football Championships in 2012. It is therefore 5% dated - but still a great guide. Awesome Kyiv is more of a concise "best of" definitive collection of unusual and classic things to do, and facts about the city. Two weeks before Eurovision a new book in English has been published: Kyiv by Locals is a collection of photos of the city by people who live in the city with English-language subtitles explaining the shots. There's also a number of useful websites: The city tourist board website: http://visitkyiv.com.ua Enjoy Uk...

Un Banc, Un Arbre, Une Rue (1971)  Monaco, benches, sculptures and views  EUROVISION COUNTRY: Monaco KYIV DESTINATION: Peyzazhna Sculpture Park, Monaco restaurant Landscape Alley is a popular cliffside park walk and the first sculpture park in Ukraine. It starts in the right hand corner of the park in front of the grey porticoes of the National Museum. The kilometre-long walk includes lots of novelty bench designs, sculptures, and children's play areas. This also attracts coffee vendors, impromptu craft stalls, and street performers. This reflective strolling area has the added benefit of great views over the river and the north of the city. You can wander off the path and onto the hill tops below you. They give unobstructed views of the areas all around. There are also two restaurants a couple of bars and cafes along the route. One of them, Monaco, is a high-end formal dining room with panoramic views and Mediterranean cuisine. This is a popular place for celebr...

Dreamin' (1995)  Wacky Shopping  KYIV DESTINATION: Dream Town If you are a selfie fan, then this northern Kyiv shopping centre may be the ideal way of pretending that you have just come back from a round-the-world trip. Dream Town Shopping Centre at Obolonski Prospekt, 1-6, is situated at Minska metro station. https://www.facebook.com/DreamTownKiev/about/ It has many staircases, each with a different theme. Here you can wander from Hollywood to Beijing and from Sherlock Holmes' London to ancient Greece. The decor is not understated. The centre is split in two across a square. One side has furniture and interior design, the other fashion and gadgets. Both are a fascinating insight into the wide range of Ukrainian style and tastes. What's your favourite shopping Mall in Kyiv?

Reflection (1999)  Hunger Games  KYIV DESTINATION: Holodomor Memorial Complex In order to understand Ukraine, it's important to understand what happened in the main grain producing  areas of Ukraine and Moldova in 1932-1933. The Soviet authorities at the time created a man-made famine which led to the deaths of many millions. In Ukraine it is now known as Holodomor. In that year around 2 million- 7 million people and unborn children starved. The wide range of estimation shows how little it was mentioned officially. The cause is disputed, but the focus of the Soviet regime on industrialisation and poor Soviet management systems led to waste. For the last 10 years the fourth Saturday of November has been a now national day of remembrance of the Holodomor. This memorial complex http://memorialholodomor.org.ua was completed in 2008. It site dramatically on a cliff edge overlooking the river Dnipro. The building is well-designed inside and out, but the display inside...