Editor's Commentary: I visited Kyiv in 1982 (when most Westerners still spelled in 'Kiev'). I didn't plan it this way, but the city was that year celebrating the 1500th anniversary of its founding. To say I thought Kyiv was a beautiful and vibrant place would be an understatement. I was on my way back there again in 1986 but found my trip diverted because of Chornobyl (usually misspelled in the West as Chernobyl). As we've all seen, the people of Ukraine have risen up against their government in a futile fight over trade alliances. While the government has elected to align itself with Russia for trade purposes, the people appear to reject that and want to align with the European Union. The futility arises because there is not a chance in hell that the EU would ever admit Ukraine as a full member of the group - they would only use it as a supply depot. While the people might fear an alliance with Russia because of history, it is certainly their best economic option. Anyway, I was interested in what Kyiv looks like after the fighting and I found these photos of Maidan - the central square where most of the clashes have occurred. I think you can still get a sense of what a beautiful place Kyiv is (or was). - prh, Editor Axis of Logic
For many more photos by Ilya Varlamov, visit his live journal here. |