Believe'n'Peace (1999)
KYIV DESTINATIONS: Maltese Restaurant Porto; Dog friendly cafes in Kyiv
Unlike many other European cities, Kyiv can boast of it's own Maltese restaurant, called Porto http://porto-rest.com/en/, which provides excellent (if expensive - at €20 a person) fish and southern Mediterranean dishes. It has been completely renovated last year. Below we show the before on the left, and the after on the right. Porto is located very close to Olympiska metro station, a corner kick away from the main football stadium.
Maltese Connections
EUROVISION COUNTRY: MaltaKYIV DESTINATIONS: Maltese Restaurant Porto; Dog friendly cafes in Kyiv
All is not what it seems, however, as the chef/owner is Serbian!
The same can be said of another "Maltese" institution in Ukraine:
The Sovereign Order of Malta: http://forbes.net.ua/nation/1400976-posol-maltijskogo-ordena-v-ukraine-nasha-tradiciya-so-dnya-osnovaniya-byt-s-temi-kto-stradaet-i-n
The Order of Malta is a government without a territory or political or economic interests has an embassy in Kyiv https://www.orderofmalta.int/contacts/ukraine/.
Founded during the crusades in Jerusalem, the order originated as a hospital, and they have focussed on health work ever since. They have been working in Ukraine for over 25 years providing aid to the poor and people with disabilities. They were especially active during the Euromaidan protests in 2013-2014, as this Times of Malta newspaper article shows. They also set up a tent hospital near the main post office on Maidan Square during the protests.
While the order used to rule Malta from 1530-1798, it was pushed out when the French took over the island. It is now based in the Vatican City - as it is a Catholic order. So technically it is NOT Maltese.
The most Maltese things in Kyiv therefore seems to be Maltese dogs, although Wikipedia says they are "generally understood" to derive from Malta.
Nonetheless dogs are relevant because Kyivites are dog-mad. There are Maltese dog breeders in the city http://maltese-royalclub.com.ua and http://uku.com.ua/plem_work/zavod_kennel/breed/fci_9/maltiyskaya_bolonka.html, and countless dog grooming centres and pet shops. The Ukrainian Kennel Club holds regular events http://uku.com.ua/shows_champ/kalend_show.html although none unfortunately in Kyiv during Eurovision week.
There are also small businesses that are developing doggie gourmet snacks and couture including:
Dogwill hand cooked biscuits: https://www.facebook.com/Dogwill.1/
Woofit! designer coats (below): https://www.facebook.com/pages/Woofit-Dogwear-shop/166297743837588
The love of dogs can be seen on two levels. First there are dog-friendly cafes that allow dogs inside: http://destinations.com.ua/fine-dining/dog-friendly-places-in-kiev.
Secondly there are have always been stray dogs in Kyiv. A few years ago it was estimated that there were several thousand of them. Post-Communism attitudes to them have changed. These dogs are not fierce, and you will see that local shop owners, build site foremen feed or look after them. The reason for the large numbers of stray dogs is owners do not neuter their own pets, and the number of puppies exceeds demand. Consequently various cities now have programmes where stray dogs are treated for rabies and are neutered. They are returned to the streets with tags in their ears so they are easily recognisable.
There has been social media noise about the Kyiv authorities ordering a mass cull of stray dogs, and even a petition to stop this however the Kyiv Society for the Protection of Animals has told ESC Today http://escunited.com/2017/02/23/the-killing-of-dogs-in-kyiv-for-eurovision-what-we-know/, that this is not in fact true. This story resurfaces every time Kyiv holds a major international event. Many of the photos circulated this year were taken in Romania. While some sad individuals in Kyiv do shoot stray dogs, this is not a policy of the city authorities.
Maltese embassy:
Address: 13/1 Velyka Vasylkivska, Kyiv 01004
Tel: +380 44 235 5152
Diplomatic Mission of the Sovereign Order of Malta:
Address: 51/50, Sichovych St, 01901 Kyiv.
Tel: +380 44 484 1888
Website: http://www.malteser.ua
Do you know of any other Maltese connections to Kyiv?
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