It's a mixture of two worlds really. I went in May 2021 and I'll never forget the lilac trees. Thousands of them that lined the streets and roads. And they all in flower. The scent was incredible lilacs are my favourite flowers so it was very conforting.
The housing was all the same. All. The. Same. These monstrosity concrete Soviet era high rise blocks of flats. Every block exactly the same. Every block had its own supermarket block and even its own discotheque building. Every block had a playground with the EXACT same layout and exact same play equipment. So you could walk 20 miles and feel like you've gone nowhere because everything was the same. The same size and design green spaces. All copy pasted. All uniform. Everyone had the same. No more, no less.
There was no sugar free drinks or diet anything either. They sold coke and whatnot, but everything was normal full sugar. No diet. No zero options. They had no clue what you were talking about in that regard.
No one ever smiled. It isn't a thing. That's not to be rude about them. I got talking to a group of teenagers at the pizza stand in the supermarket and they spoke some English... they were delighted to chat to me as they had dreams of going to England or America one day and wanted to practice English. I asked them why people don't smile (as they were way more smiley) and they said "ah yes, this is because the old people remember what life was like when we were a communist country. Life was very hard for them and so it is hard for them to feel happy. But we young people are optimistic and happy." The boy had aspirations of being an airplane pilot. They helped me order a pizza. The Old ladies there, the babushkas made me laugh. They were exactly how I'd thought they'd be. Hard faced, hard working. They loved growing veggies in their green spaces and they sold some veggies on the street corners. There were old soviet era cars, like boxes. That were clearly beloved as they were very old, but the men could be seen tinkering with them. But also a mixture of more modern cars too.
People were very normal and I would have easily mistaken them to be British, in the way they dressed and looked. But they were Ukrainian. It was strange visiting a McDonalds. This very western modern building, in a very swanky shopping mall, which looked very out of place amongst the communist era architecture. The McDonald's was very popular. The mall itself had statues from London. Phone box, post box, a London Eye, a black taxi. It was fun.
The green spaces were really lovely. For some reason, I thought Ukraine was always cold, but the spring time was very similar in weather.
On my way home, in the kyiv airport, I couldn't help but notice a group of teenage boys I'd say 19 years old. They were coming on my flight and were looking at some papers they'd printed out. I was very nosy and looked over their shoulders. They had information about a veg picking job on a farm. Special visa to work in England where they would get lodgings included. They were looking to get minimum wage and someone was coming to pick them up at the London airport. I remember feeling so emotional because at that time, we were in the Brexit crisis and food was being spoilt never having any Europeans to pick the fruit and veg. And this massive strapping lads were leaving their home country to come do shit work in England where no one would appreciate them. I really got tearful and wanted to hug them (bit I didn't.)
I think about them often. Them and the children I saw having g a birthday party at the hotel I was staying at. I have no idea if any of them are alive or dead.
I think about them all often.