Graffiti #19: Kharkiv Skyline

Although I'm now home in America, I'm going to keep posting as if we recently had these adventures around Europe. I'll post the dates we actually visited these locations at the start of each posts in an attempt to keep things straight.

Graffiti #19: Ukrainian Skyline

Photographed: April 14th, 2013

Behind Kharkiv's famous Mirror Stream fountain you'll find a little park with a beautiful mosaic communist war memorial. And if you walk behind that you'll find a back wall filled with many large graffiti pieces.

This first one looks to be a Ukrainian pysanky egg with a smiley face.

And who doesn't love a little triangle based art.

 Lastly there is this great piece that is a stencil of buildings around Kharkiv's Freedom Square.

My favorite part is the middle section which highlights the Derzhprom Building.  It was built in 1928 and became the tallest building in Europe at it's completion.  

And on one of our last days in Kharkiv Laura and I walked around our neighborhood taking photos and I took a couple photos of Derzprom which is still a pretty impressive building 85 years later. 

The Mirror Stream

A few blocks down from our apartment and Freedom Square is a small park and it's main attraction is a pavilion called The Mirror Stream.  As you can see it has a fountain and it is a popular stopping point for wedding parties to get photograph taken after the wedding ceremony.

Here's a closer look at The Mirror Stream.

While we were walking by a bride and groom were posing in front of it.  One tradition newly married couples follow is to decorate their car and drive around the city honking their horn through traffic.  Even if that traffic is at a stand still.  Another popular practice is an elaborate fireworks show including having fireworks spell out your name in the sky.  I haven't seen one in person yet but the fireworks explosions are a regular part of any weekend evening.