Random Picture Collection: Kiev Edition

Roughly every month I collect the photos that didn't quite get their own post and bring them together in a single post.  Past collection can be found here.  

Today's collection is centered around our trip to Kiev from a few weeks ago.  We begin with this warrior/angel that overlooks Independence Square.

This is of the Ukrainian government's ministry buildings that was in the shape of a half circle.  

The view of Kiev from the opposite side of the Dnieper River. 

In Independence Square these guys dressed in animal costumes or pop culture icons, such as Bart Simpson, and SpongeBob SquarePants go around and ask all the tourists with kids if they want to take a photo.  God only knows the last time these costumes were washed.  

Another view of Kiev.

My home city of Kharkiv is 40km from the Russian border and I haven't seen to much of this sort of anti-communist public speech.  Kiev is a different place all together being four hours away and this sign and display of photographs and essays was located outside St. Michael's cathedral.  

These next two photos are of an arch called the People's Friendship Arch and it was built as a symbol honoring the 60th anniversary of the USSR.  It offers some of the most beautiful views around Kiev.  

St. Michael's Cathedral.

In America, there would be a huge scaffolding set up, in Ukraine you have painters tied to ropes.  

St. Andrew's Cathedral.  

One of the stalls at the tourist market had these huge colored pencils with the largest one too big to really be able to hold in your hands.  

This building was for sale and could certainly be the setting for a Ukrainian-based version of The Munsters. 

I doubt this company will ever figure out why they don't get a lot of English speaking clients.  

The obelisk is a World War II memorial.  

A lastly, here is a panoramic photo I took of Kiev...click on the image to see it better. 

One Less Lenin Statue

Ever since Ukrainian President Viktor Yankukovich's decision to not sign trade agreements with the European Union, most of Ukraine has been in a state of continual political protest. I say most of Ukraine because the city that Laura and I lived in, Kharkiv, has not had many protests at all and the famous Freedom Square [which I've written about many, many times] near where we lived has been blocked off so potential protesters can't get to it to hold their rallies. That's what happens when you are just 40 kilometers from the Russian border. [This blog has some photos of the barricades around Freedom Square.]

The largest rallies have been taking place in Kiev in Independence Square.  Whenever Laura and I would stay in Kiev we would try to find an apartment or hostel around the Square [which I also wrote about many, many times] so we would have been in the thick of it.  Here is an amazing video of the protest taken by someone who climbed up the huge Christmas tree that is in the Square [the embedded video sometimes does not work but you can always see it here]:



In a surprising turn, last night the Lenin statue in Kiev was destroyed by protesters.  The statue itself was the focus of one of m favorite winter photos from our year abroad.  To me it looks like Lenin is smuggling some snowballs or as one of my friends said, he might be holding a snow white kitten.  I'm glad I got to see it before it was gone for good.

Here a photo of the statue on the ground that may come to symbolize the protests in Kiev:

Using The Flash

Recently discovered photo trick: on a night with light flurries use your flash to make some very beautiful photos.  Here are a few I took by accident in Kiev's Independence Square.  

Cossacks I Have Known

The Cossacks were a group of Slavic people that controlled Ukraine and Southern Russia from roughly the 15th century through the Russian Civil War when they served as border guards on the Russian armies furthest borders.  And pretty much any democratic traditions in Ukraine can be traced to The Cossacks.  Throughout Ukraine Cossack warriors are memorialized in many public squares and here are some of the Cossacks I have known.  

We begin  with Kharko the Cossack warrior who founded Kharkiv...he's a founding father in the sense of Uncle Sam as he apparently never actually existed.

And a closer look:

Now onto Kiev where Cossacks are front and center.  This is what you see when you come up from the subway in Independence Square in the heart of Kiev.  

I'm currently trying to grow a mustache like his Cossack!

Another statue across town:

This time a lovely copper one:

Yet another statue...this Cossack warrior is holding a bulawa which is a ceremonial club and is the official symbol of the President of Ukraine.

The View From My Window #6: Kiev

We've rented an apartment for our stay in Kiev with a great view of Independence Square which was center stage for the Orange Revolution in 2004.  

And here's the view of our window from the other perspective.  We are situated a few stories above a McDonald's.

Graffiti #9: Some Of The Most Famous Graffiti In Ukraine

Sure, it's not graffiti on the Berlin Wall or a Bansky, but the Orange Revolution graffiti in Kiev is some of the most famous in Ukraine. These pillars were written on during demonstrations in Independence Square following the Presidential elections in 2004 and were encased in plexiglas to preserve the art.

Here is a close up of the graffiti of Viktor Yushchenko who won the Presidential election.  If you are unfamiliar with Ukrainian politics, you may remember him as the politician that was poisoned with dioxin.

Although I can't make out exactly what it says here, the orange color is very appropriate.  

Although it is mostly in Cyrillic there was some English on the pillars including this "Together Victory."