Advertisement
With Ana in Lugansk taking final exams, I found myself alone in the flat for two weeks. Faced with an unenviable choice between silence and Ukrainian television I spent my time outside instead, enjoying the summer weather and the city's collective lightened mood.
One walk took me to the Lavra monastery, and the war memorial within the grounds. A tall, needle-shaped statue stands in the middle of a small courtyard, and the names of the commanders who died during the Second World War are engraved into grey stone plaques along the path which leads up to it. Sixty three years on, many people still leave flowers, such is the Ukrainians' deep respect for those who have helped to create their nation.
From the memorial the view of Kyiv - the river Dnieper and, further, the left bank (Livoberezhna, Darnystya, then Chernihivska) - is the best in the city. Hundreds of young people relax there, sitting on the balcony or on the hill below, sip beer together, and watch the sun go down. In a town where it often seems as though people thrive on conflict, the place reminded me that people still have time for each other.
Next diary: Cool But True.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.064s; Tpl: 0.01s; cc: 7; qc: 23; dbt: 0.0288s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Cat
non-member comment
She's nearly home nw hun. I know this time of year can b very lonely tho. Chin up. xx