Zur deutschen Fassung dieses Blogs.

During the following three weeks in Kyiv, I will probably gather so much material that the resulting article, should it ever materialize, will be too long for most of you to read. For those more interested in my travels and less in my endless ramblings about 20th century European history, I will publish a daily photo from the Ukrainian capital instead. Like Instagraph, basically.

Let’s start with the view from the apartment which I am sitting and which comes with two cute kittens.

Arriving in the evening, it can actually look rather gloomy at this time of year.

I am staying in the far west of the city, about 10 km from the center, but perfectly connected by a fast metro. Lots of skyscrapers, but between them there is the odd historical building or a church.

And as soon as the sun comes out, you see the advantage of Soviet city planning: whichever direction I look from the 19th floor, I see green spaces, parks and tree-lined avenues. Which makes way more sense than selling a plot of back garden to every petit-bourgeois family, thereby artificially creating a shortage of land and raising its price, although the gardens ultimately won’t be used for 99% of the time. Here, on the other hand, everyone can enjoy green spaces close to their home for strolling, jogging, playing chess, making pull-ups, walking the dog and feeding squirrels.

And this is in December when most trees have shed their leaves. Just imagine what this will look like in friendlier seasons!

If you know Kyiv, I’d be happy to hear your recommendations. If not, I am looking forward to your questions.

Links:

• More about house sitting, including the frequently asked questions in case you are thinking of financing your next holiday by doing this tough job.
• More from Ukraine.