Good-bye, Kiev!
Every city has its flavor, but I am so used to Kiev that I can come up with only a short list of characteristic traits, which would distinguish it from another city.
Kiev is cold. It is cold even in the hottest time of year and it is not about the air temperature. There is aloofness in its large buildings that stand apart from one another, like strangers on a bus stop. There is vanity in pilasters of its classic houses and in brightly lit shop-windows. There is indifference in its wide avenues and massive bridges. There is coldness in the absence of light. Six months a year the sky is grim in Kiev, leaving a sour mark on faces of its inhabitants; then, a tiniest ray of sun is a piece of paradise. When the sun comes out, hordes of people spill out onto the streets and scatter around parks, forests, and nearby villages, always finding activities to busy themselves with. When a sunny day is out of the nature’s schedule, they still manage to make the best out of that coldness, creating warmness in their kitchens and drawing sunshine out of their hearts.Read more