Kyiv In Summer 2022 (spoiler alert - with a bunch of photos)

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Hello, guys.

I'm here today to share a vision of my city, through my lens and outsight. I have been preparing this post for a long time. I rewrote, supplemented, added some photos and deleted others. But I really wanted to finish it and show you my city as I see it, as I love it.

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Sometimes I feel trapped here. I want to challenge what my life has become, against common sense, to get into a car and drive somewhere across the country to see, as before, an ancient church, or the remains of a fortress, or a thousand-year-old oak tree. If it weren't for high gas prices, who knows...


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Today is Saturday. After the morning heavy rain, the city wakes up slowly. The rain stopped and I went for a walk, but very quickly the thunderstorm started again. Of all the sounds, thunder most closely resembles the sounds of shelling and explosions.

At first the streets were quiet and empty, but very soon they will be filled with a noisy crowd.


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DSC09890.jpgMusical theater. The inscription: "The war will definitely end! Ukraine will win!"


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Monument to Hryhoriy Skovoroda, an outstanding Ukrainian philosopher-mystic, theologian, poet and teacher. He is the author of the quote "The world have been catching me, but did not catch."


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Selfie with the camera. I am on the left.

When my friends (a few I still keep in touch with) ask me how are things in Kyiv I say it's okay, and I'm fine. We have air alarms, but not every day. The last rocket fell on the city almost 2 months ago, in the end of June. But most of my friends left Ukraine...

Now in Kyiv, the probability of getting hit by a scooter or a bicycle is higher than being injured by a fragment of a Russian rocket or dying in a collapsing building. Rented scooters and bicycles, as well as own, are especially popular now.

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In fact, wartime Kyiv in the summer of 2022 is quite similar to the Ukrainian capital in peacetime. Of course, the mood and rhythm of the city are different from what it was six months ago. There is a curfew from 11pm to 5am, as well as occasional air raid sirens, when all land public municipal transport stops. Reminders about the curfew and traffic stops during the air alert sound constantly in public transport. Sometimes there are days when there is none, and sometimes there are 3 or 4 in a day/night. The capital of Ukraine has a good air defense system that shoots down most of the Russian missiles that try to reach the city.

By the way, some buildings are already being repaired and restored. Planned repairs of roads and bridges are also underway, which pleasantly surprised me.

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The public transport system is less dense than before. The movement intervals have increased approximately twice. Maybe because the city's population has decreased, or maybe there is a shortage of personnel, or both. Taxi services are back in full operation. If gasoline was a problem in the first months of the war, now its supply has become almost stable.


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Funicular. Closed


Prices in the national currency UAH have risen sharply since the beginning of the war. Banks, ATMs, private hospitals, pharmacies and most shops are mostly open as usual. After the shortage in March and April, the assortment in supermarkets has recovered by about 60%, and now you can find almost everything you need for everyday life there again. Many SMB's are closed, some will obviously not resume their work. On the street you can often see "For Rent" ads, or just empty storefronts and closed doors. Although some used the forced "pause" to make renovations.


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Although tension is felt in Kyiv, as everywhere in the country, there is no real war in the city. Instead, people are trying to restore normal life and even some everyday joys. The streets in the city center are filled with people and cars. These are local residents, people who moved to escape the war, and guests of the city. On weekends, you can see groups of people accompanied by a tour guide. Flowers, drinks and ice cream are sold on the popular pedestrian lines. Fountains, museums, cinemas are working, but not all.


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This fountain has been standing here for 2 years, and I have walked here more than once, but I still haven't seen it.

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During the years of occupation of Crimea, the Russian Federation imprisoned many Ukrainian citizens because of their political and religious views. This underground passage is an installation of a prison corridor.

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This is "Arch of Friendship of Peoples". Before the start of the full-scale invasion, there was a monument under the arch, now it has been dismantled. It is obvious that there was never any friendship, but there was a long-term attempt by Russia drop by drop, like a vampire, to absorb and appropriate our history, to destroy our language and culture, to take away our land. It is a pity that most Ukrainians realized this so late.

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There are many police and soldiers on the streets. Some streets of the government district, as well as some metro stations in the center of Kyiv, are closed. The atmosphere in the city is friendly and semi-calm.

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Some signs and names of central streets have been taped or painted over.


The windows of some buildings are filled with sandbags.

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Street piano. You may have seen videos of people playing it.

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People still look at a person with a camera with distrust and wariness. But no one made any comments to me.

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I remember my trip to Israel. It was very unusual to see military people with weapons on the streets, it was so exotic, and some even dared to ask permission to take a photo with them. Now we are not surprised by people with weapons, neither on the street nor in transport. However, no one would think of taking pictures with them. 😆 Maybe because those who wish can voluntarily join the ranks of the armed forces, and get it's own portion of all that.


Exhibition of burned military equipment of the occupiers. I will show it closer next time.

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On weekends, the central streets are full of youth, adults and children with ice cream and balloons. Ferris wheel is waiting for visitors. But the war is here all the time, it just temporarily faded into the shadows, constantly threatening to return with long-range missiles or the offensive of Russian ground troops from former "sister" Belarus. What is it, the weird combination or the new norm? Anyway, Kyiv is prepared to a possible attack.

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On last weekend, a gray Hyundai ix35 has returned (one of my neighbors) and is parked in the yard again, but now it has a bullet hole in the windshield. The driver just taped it...


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You made it this far, congratulations! You did a great job, so do I. I know, it's a lot of pictures, I captured almost all of them today. But there is still something that you will not see in the photo.


Excerpts of conversations. I became very attentive. A lot of the conversations of passers-by in Kyiv refer to the war, one way or another. Someone share the latest war news, someone discusses interviews the wives of prisoners, or Azov, or a car for the front, or shares the experience of shooting at the polygon, and someone tells what they do at night when anxiety keeps them awake. Often children, even girls, play war with toy or imaginary weapons.


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We are well aware of what can be photographed and what can't. Therefore, it is quite possible to create an imaginary picture of a peaceful reality from these lovely shots. And I DO WANT THIS TO BE REAL!


One day my world will be peaceful again. I want to be in that reality. We will joke again, travel freely and photograph everything we like. I don't know when that day will come. One day, some day...


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Thank you for checking my blog today 😘


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45 comments
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May it come soon

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Soon Ukraine will remove the occupiers from Crimea! Soon after they remove the traitors and occupiers from Donbass!

Kivv Getting Cleaned:

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Thanks for the photos you live in a wonderful city hopefully it will be a peaceful city soon.

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So do I. Thank you for stopping by!

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It is nice to see the beauty of Kyiv, praying that you will get back to a normal life.

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It all looks so normal but even we can feel the invisible cloud over head which could blow up anytime. Hopefully the cloud will blow away for good very soon and you can get your normal life back again.

Btw, is Boris popular on Ukraine, or does he deserve to be on a rubbish bin 😄

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Boris is very popular here, almost a hero, after he didn't afraid to come to Kyiv, and walk in the streets "like a human". LOL. Although my friend in UK says he wasn't very popular in UK itself. He also says that UK is our friend no matter who is Prime Minister. Hope he's right 🙂

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Any news about Stanley Tany?
Did they ever figure out if Dennis Kireev was a hero or a spy?

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These are photos of victory. May all cities in Ukraine will get to this state, and may Putin pay for his crimes.

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I like your way of seeing the situatiin. Your words to God's ears.
Cheers!

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A good understanding of what peace is kills wars and rumors of war. Peaceful environment is all we ask for but tolerance is what many lack I pray that our leaders and the masses would embrace true peace so that our lives would be at peace again. Beautiful photos you captured. Just remember that peace and tolerance is what the world needs.

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I love Kyiv 😀

Great city! Last time I was there was in 2013, before the war began.

I liked the cafe where a sandwich cost less than icecream. That's the way to do it - sugar is bad for you. 😀

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It's been almost 10 years ) Things has changed, and now they offer also sugar free natural ice cream, but sandwich is still cheaper 😀

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Incredible post!

And you're documenting history here...

Hectic. Sad. Fascinating. Very sobering.

Beautiful city...

I'll share on mainstream social media for you

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thank you!
the peculiarity of this war is that, thanks to technologies it will take place almost live. this has never happened before. I would like to say "let this be the last war", but experience shows that it takes very little time to make people forget the horror of war and start a new one.

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I never looked at it like that. Taking place "live". And still the internet can gone "quiet" so quickly while it goes on...

And yes. Follow the money. There you will find a closer truth regarding all of these "wars" :(

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Дивовижне повідомлення. Радий, що завдяки Вашим фото та коментарям до них, зміг побачити Київ в тому світлі, в якому я його раніше ніколи не бачив.

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(Edited)

Виявилось, є фейки відносно того, що і як зараз в Києві. Різні страшилки. Тому я вирішила, що мушу показати, як воно все. Хоча все одно це суб'єктивно. Але фото не брешуть 😎

Дякую за коментар 😉 А Київ він такий, багатоликий 😀

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Wow these pictures are really amazing. Yes, the truth is that there are many but they are incredible. There is one that surprised me a lot and it is the sculpture of an angel that flies over the city or a church, I don't know. I thought it was something huge and in another shot you see that it is a small sculpture next to a bench. it had so many details and was perfectly done.

As you say the photos reflect peace. Unfortunately this is not the case yet. I look forward to all this being in the past and that the feeling of constant danger disappears from their lives and they can move forward without fear 🙏😉📸.

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The sculpture you liked is angel flying over Kyiv hill. The hill is actually a heart of the city, a small copy or layout of real architecture. I feel you coz I was also amazed with fine details. The real size of a sculpture inside of a fountain you can see at the 1st shot, and a small one is a kind of "teaser" or advertisement installed on the alley leading to it.

Than you so much for stopping by and for taking time to read, and your comment, and good words.
Cheers 🤗

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(Edited)

Thanks to you @zirochka, for taking the time to provide me with information about this sculpture, I had to look at the first shot again, hahaha I don't know how I didn't realize they weren't the same sculpture. First, I saw it as a large sculpture but when I saw the other one I thought it was the same but from another perspective. But also that little one is so carefully made with so many details that I find it impressive.

Thank you for letting me know that it is a representation of the heart of the city, I love knowing new places and although it is probable that I will never be able to go there, you let us see in many shots how impressive and beautiful the city is, despite the war. That gives us hope and faith that you will get ahead and also that no matter how tough the problems are, we will see a light at the end of the tunnel.🙏🤝😉.

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Так було приємно дивитися на фото Києва. Я там не була 12 років. Він трохи змінився, але є такі місця, що я пам'ятаю. І невже жінка із собаками досі сидить там на тій же вулиці?!)) Вулицю не пам'ятаю, мабуть в кінці Андріівського спуску...)) У мене теж є її фото тільки 12-річної давності)) не знаю вона чи ні, але дуже схожа.

Київ – такий величний та красивий. Як знову побувала)). Новий фонтан і пам'ятник поліцейським - щось нове)).
Дякую, так Києв мало хто показує.

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Thanks for taking us on a trip round the beautiful city of Kiev

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