Nearly five years after the EuroMaidan revolution convulsed Ukraine, Kyiv’s youthful cultural scene is flourishing. Even in the midst of war and economic turmoil, the city’s creative milieu is booming from fashion to raving to partying to film to theater to outdoor concerts to food events to chic, hipster-like bars […]
In the post-Maidan era, Kyiv has witnessed the proliferation of murals which dot the sides of buildings throughout the capital. Many murals underscore Ukraine’s search for historical and political meaning. Take, for example, Mata Ruda’s “Protectress,” located just a block away from Maidan square. The mural depicts Berehynia, a Slavic […]
In the wake of the Maidan revolution, Ukraine is in the midst of historic and nationalist soul searching. Below in the Zoloti Vorota metro stop, visitors may find medieval motifs of some interest. On a 2018 trip, I came upon more mosaics adorning a theater.
The Kronstadt rebellion took place in March, 1921. Located on an island in the Gulf of Finland, Kronstadt is a naval fortress on an island in the Gulf of Finland which has served as the base of the Russian Baltic Fleet and to guard the city of St. Petersburg thirty-five […]
On the outskirts of Kyiv lies Mezhyhirya estate, former home to deposed President Viktor Yanukovych. The gaudy surroundings attest to Yanukovych’s corrupt and opulent lifestyle. Today, however, many visitors simply opt to ride bicycles through the local park or pose for selfies. Yanukovych’s house is closed, and actually getting to […]
Four years after the revolution, crowds of Maidan square are gone though signs of previous political struggle are still evident. On the side of a building, a banner reads “Freedom Is Our Religion.” Meanwhile, flags representing right wing military battalions flutter up above Maidan square. For more on the Azov […]
Has Ukraine succeeded in promoting a truly multi-ethnic and pluralistic state? On the local Kyiv food scene at least, the country seems to have succeeded. On a somewhat more unusual note, Kyiv also offers Carpathian cuisine, not to be confused with the Caucasus region (note: for more on Transcarpathia click […]
What will become of Ukraine’s aspirations to join the West and embrace cosmopolitan modernity? It’s not the first time the country has sought to negotiate western cultural influence, as evidenced by a few art nouveau buildings peeping through Kyiv’s cityscape. The buildings, which date to the Czarist period, attest to […]
Like the All Russian Exhibition Center in Moscow, Kyiv’s Expo Center also showcases Soviet-era pavilions. Indeed, in many ways the physical sensation of being in both places is remarkably similar. Like the All Russian Exhibition Center in Moscow, the Ukrainian Expo Center also showcases the Soviet state’s fascination with agriculture […]
Despite the recent military conflict between Kyiv and Kremlin-backed separatists in the Donbas region, there are certain striking similarities between Russia and Ukraine. Take, for example, traditional rural life. In the Russian city of Novgorod, visitors may see a recreation of a traditional rural town. To the outside observer, Pyrohovo […]
