Kyiv, Kiev or however you say it

Above, top to bottom: Fr. Ihor Boiko watches the Ukrainian countryside pass as he sips his Chai, or "tea," on the express train to Kyiv on October 11, 2008; tourists and passerbys hurry past the main square in Kyiv, where the Orange Revolution took place in 2004; a couple poses for a wedding portrait, imitating a statue in front of St. Michael's Cathedral in Kyiv; two men light cigarettes while walking out of St. Michael's Cathedral in Kyiv; the escalators in Kyiv's subway are especially long, taking several minutes to descend to train level in some areas. 

I shot a "grab-and-grin" as we call them in the business on Saturday in Kyiv(pictures to come). It was a fundraising banquet for the university in Kyiv. Easy gig, but lighting can prove to be the bane of an evening. I had the opportunity to meet both Cardinal Lubomyr Husar(Or Blesziniscie as they call him, "your most blessedness"), head of the Greek Catholic Church, and the First Lady of Ukraine, Kateryna Yushchenko. More on that later this week.

Anyway, Kyiv(Ukrainian for "Kiev," the capital of Ukraine) has a population of about 3 million. It's a nice town, but bizarre in the same way that Istanbul is; it's a cultural cocktail of eastern and western cultures. It reminded me a lot of Istanbul, and if I could compare it, I'd say Kiev is something like a version of Paris that has lived under communism for over 100 years(which it has, and is thus run down and has Russian "classical" architecture, think concrete beehive) crossed with modern Istanbul. I do miss Istanbul. But they serve Kebabs in Kiev, too. 

You pronounce it 'Keev," but quicker, and you don't pronounce the syllables as you do in English. There's a ton of money in Kyiv, and I saw more Mercedes there than anywhere else in Europe. The banquet was held at the Hyatt Kyiv, a ridiculously expensive and elaborate hotel that runs you 400 euros a night(about $600). 

Kyiv is worth a visit, especially for its historical significance and role in the Orange Revolution of 2004. I had a great conversation with the First Lady of Ukraine and with Bleszinisie, which I'll post in the couple of days.