Sonja continues to walk through the old city center in search of mini-sculptures of the project "Shukai!", and we learn the history of Kyiv together with her. Although, she doesn't follow the order of their installation. Now she is at Shevchenko Park.
In my travels, I love to ask people what do they know about Ukraine. And most of them know about Shevchenko. But they mostly mean Shevchenko the footballer (Andriy). And the park is named after Shevchenko (Taras, or Kobzar), a Ukrainian poet, writer, artist, public and political figure.
Did you know, that every Ukrainian city that's big enough has Taras Shevchenko Park?
Kyiv Chess
Rub me and you will make a clever move
The game looks so exciting. Especially after Sonya watched the King's Gambit mini-series recently.
I'm a little older than Sonya, so I can say that in many big cities there are places in parks or squares where people have been playing chess since Soviet times. The play is often for money, and it was very unusual at the time. But such tournaments gathered a big audience, especially since in those days people had almost no entertainment.
You can read the story of this mini sculpture on its page.
Come on, Sonya has already run down Shevchenko Boulevard, where on the corner of Pushkinska str. is the oldest hotel in Kyiv - the Premier Palace Hotel.
More than 110 years old! In 1918, the hetman of the Ukrainian state, Pavel Skoropadsky, was hiding in one of the hotel rooms, where he signed a document of renunciation of power, after which he fled to Berlin.
I heard that a Shabbat elevator had been set up at this hotel upon the request of one of the important Jewish guests. Do you know what it is?
Among the personalized suites: "Vysotsky", "Serge Lifar", "Lyubov Orlova" and "Vertinsky". God, this hotel deserves a separate story, but wait. Let's talk about one person just mentioned.
Serge Lifar's Golden shoe
Rub me and you will achieve incredible heights.
Serge Lifar, a famous Kyivan, one of the most prominent ballet dancers of the 20th century, who received the Golden Shoe, the Ballet's Grand Prix, and the Order of the Legion of Honor for the revival of the ballet in France, led the Paris Grand Opera and saved it during the Nazi occupation.
"I became a dancer, not yet able to dance, not knowing the technique, but I knew that I would master it, and no obstacles will stop me on this path," Lifar wrote.
You can follow the full story here or just scan the QR code at he photo with your phone. I know, it works! :)
Thanks a lot for visiting today!
Stay tuned, and you won't miss the next Sonja's adventures!
Previous mini-symbols of Kyiv and their's stories:
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