I heard my first air raid sirens in Kyiv, an eerie reminder that even in the bustling capital city that otherwise appears normal, this nation is at war.
Air Raid Sirens In Kyiv
After arriving at the central railway station and enjoying a cup of coffee, I walked through the beautiful ornate station and stepped outside.
Uber works very well in Ukraine; my car was just a few minutes away.
Outside, a young man came up to me and tied a blue and yellow ribbon to my wrist. He was collecting money “for Ukraine” he said. I chuckled…scam or not, I gave him a $1 US bill.
The station serves as an air raid shelter, but on this bright and sunny afternoon life was bustling as normal (a theme I am observing).
I checked into the Hyatt Regency hotel and one of the first things the check-in associate pointed out was that there was a bomb shelter one level below reception.
Me: Are we required to go there when the sirens go off?
Hotel Associate: No. It is just there in case you wish to use it.
Me: How often do the air raid sirens go off?
Hotel Associate: Usually a couple times per day. You can download an app and it will alert you when there is activity in the area.
Me: Do you go down to the shelter when the sirens go off?
Hotel Associate: No.
As an aside, I was not upgraded to a suite even though the hotel was mostly empty and has 25 suites. I did not ask nor did I care, but people often accuse me of getting “VIP treatment” at Hyatt and that is simply not the case, as far as I can tell.
With cloudy weather forecast for the next few days, I headed out right away after a shower.
Suddenly, air raid sirens began going off. I froze for a moment and look around. No one seemed to be all that concerned. Perhaps after a year of war, people become almost immune to such sounds.
As I would later hear in several first-hand accounts, in those first few days of the war, there was a very genuine fear that Moscow was rolling in and those sirens were certainly deeply feared then.
These days, there are still bombings that hit Kyiv and destruction that results, but Ukrainian air defenses are able to repel most incoming attacks and as such, these sirens do not necessarily mean a bomb or missile will hit the ground.
CONCLUSION
I’m quickly discovering that life is as “normal” as can be in Kyiv. I’ll have more to say about that in a future installment, but beyond the air raid sirens and men in uniform, you would not know that this country is in the midst of a fierce war if you limited your time to central Kyiv.
Even so, the country is at war and while Kyiv may not be dangerous, the air raid sirens are a constant reminder that a sovereign nation was invaded by another nation on false pretenses. The fact that my train had no men between the ages of 18 and 60 onboard (male citizens in this age range are barred form leaving the country) is a further testament to the fact that the nation is at war.
Next: the thriving coffee culture of Kyiv
You may want to share observations of normal life differences too. My father-in-Law in Odessa says that the electric trams are now operating normally except for the weekends for some reason. Senior citizens get to ride the tram for free so this is a big deal for him. There are occasional power outages you may experience to distribute power, but portable generators and other infrastructure arriving regularly. You may want to find out if you need some cash in case there’s a power outage and you want to hit a cafe and they can’t process credit cards (perhaps they can with battery backup for that purpose.)
Plugs heard air raid sirens when he was there too. He just continued shuffling along.
This might be the most “look at me, look at me” blog series ever. If your attempt at looking like Peter Arnett during the first Gulf War isn’t embarrassing, you’re not very self aware.
Haters gonna hate.
Pay no attention to this small-minded, envious man beyond pity.
STFU! Why don’t you grow the balls and head to a war zone.
@Ace. During WWII a project called “mass observation” began in England. Regular folks started diaries regarding their normal war lives, as in life goes on. It is recognized as one of the most important works of the war, capturing the period. The participants were surprised the views and stories were a valuable glimpse of history. Thus I do see a place for “the live blogging”.
To take selfies and report on the Hyatt Regency? The last think Ukrainian troops and people need is a self-aggrandizing blogger pretending to be something that he’s not.
He’s not pretending to be anything you stupid cow.
He is bringing foreign money to a country and people that badly need it. I think he is doing a service to them.
Intriguing series. Random question. What is it like to be out in public with most men away serving in some capacity? Obviously you are a foreigner, but I have to imagine it is strange to experience. Like the opposite of when I worked in Saudi, only seeing men out and about.
In one word, shameful
Fantastico, grow up.
We are all laughing at your jealousy.
Brad, interesting question. While the train was all women (and very young or very old men), Kyiv was not like that – there were men all over (certainly within the draft age range) walking on the streets, working in shops/hotels, etc.
Ukraine has not had to fully mobilize its male population (yet).
I am finding your blog fascinating and look forward to coming ones.
I am mystified at the haters who are apparently following you with bated breath and snorts of disappoval at your every move. I wonder why they keep coming back.
Thank you for your insights and for your support of Ukraine and her people.
Matthew, we is very thankful you come and saw us in Kyiv (I was the one at the coffee shop you chatted with). We welcome foreign visitors to our beautiful land and need all the help we can in exposing the Russian menace. Please come soon back. Your blog is greatest.
It was nice to meet you Ivan!
Dude!! One thing is certainty true… You have balls the size of watermelons!!! But seriously, let me ask you a couple of questions?? What is the demeanor of the people on the streets?? What is their mood? What is their rictus like?? Do they just go about and through the motions? Do they laugh? Smile? Are they crying?? Does it feel ominous all the time?? Sorry to pepper you with so many questions, but I really really find all of the above intriguing?? Safe Returns!
Matthew, I am appalled at the negative comments about your trip. I recall reading about your trip to Afghanistan. I believe your visit is appropriate and I applaud you for taking it and reporting on it.
And why the heck are you there? Besides making selfies in the streets, I’m curious..
Keep reading.
Kind of like how I respond to fire alarms at hotels at 3AM. I just go back to sleep and take my chances.
So much interesting stuff in this post. An app for air raid sirens in a time of war. Go figure. The worst part of he ribbon the wrist scam is that it visibly tags you for other grifters and they can actually see you are a sucker. Regardless it is good to help people in general. I’m sure jobs and money are tight there.
Very jealous. One of my favorite cities and a great hotel. There used to be a solid whiskey bar around the corner. In fact it’s called Whiskey Corner! Great selection. And an ideal spot to ignore the sirens.
Keep up the awesome posts. One of your best trip reports ever.
Great Blog,
doing the same trip (through the D68 train) in Kyiv in April.
I got a question about the Metro; is it free or not ?
As it can be used as shelters (deep undergound stations), i have heard , at the beginning of the war, the “entrance” was free.
But now, in the first months of 2023 ?
Regards
Chris
It is no longer free, but only costs about 14 cents (USD) to use.