Kiev at Night

Arrived in Kiev this morning.  We have always called it Key-ev.  Ah, not so, locals call it Keeve. And it is spelled Kyiv anyway!

Alyona, Sergei and Greg drove 9 hours from Chernivtsi to pick us up at the airport.  Then a long van ride through the city (5+million people) to our apartment.  As we passed the innumerable apartment buildings, we were told that apartment buildings were either “5-ers” or  “9-ers”.  All were built during the Soviet era and they were either 5 stories or 9 stories tall.  The only difference, other then height, is that the 9-ers would collapse faster in an earthquake!

A 9-er

We found our apartment for the night in town in another Soviet style building.  Elevator barely fit two people, very slow and jumpy, halls are lit with one 15 watt bulb with way too many wires draped on the walls.  But, inside it was clean, modern and very comfortable.  One bedroom, 5 people; Gloria and I got the bed, everyone else, the floor.

But, before bedtime, time explore the city by foot.  Main street is lit up light like Christmas.  Lights everywhere.  After walking by numerous monuments to communism and post-communism and the plaza where the “orange revolution” took place in 1991 creating the fall of communism in Ukraine, we ended up at Alyona’s favorite restaurant.  Sort of a buffet style restaurant that was packed with people.  Remember it is 9:00pm.  Great food, nothing in English, our hosts pointed and recommended.