A brief tour of Kiev

There is the usual mix of old and new you find in East European and former Soviet cities - like this monument:

And behind it, a modern shopping centre:

Or this rather spectacular statue, and there behind it ...

There is little doubt that the Ukraine is now a capitalist economy:

While just a short walk away ...

The Friendship Arch is a dramatic part of the skyline, with the statues below depicting a Russian and Ukrainian worker holding up The Soviet Order of Friendship of Peoples:

From the city centre, we walked across a rather delapidated bridge ...

to an island with an artificial beach:

Fishing and painting were both popular local activities:

As was kayaking on a river running through the park. I chose an isolated example for artistic effect, but there was a constant stream of canoes through here:

Either the poster and pole, or the tramline, are skewed here - I'm not sure which ...

A funicalar railway took us back up the hill to the church:

Where a wedding was taking place, as they apparently do here every Saturday and Sunday. A thoughtful-looking bridesmaid:

And happy-looking bride:

Radiation levels in Kiev today are barely higher than background level - generally at around the 0.1uSv/hr level (x1.4 London).

As precursor to our trip the following day, we headed to the Chernobyl Museum ...

Index | The Chernobyl Museum
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