It’s Saturday and Khreshchatyk Street is closed to traffic. Each weekend the eight-lane thoroughfare, which has seen its share of tanks roar past over the years, morphs into a vibrant playground for the people of Kiev.
For 48 hours a small part of a large city becomes human in scale and convivial in atmosphere. Storytellers entertain children and the National Philharmonic of Ukraine perform for free. Babushkas stand chatting about the old days and a topless (male) choir raises funds for an orphanage with its attention-grabbing approach. Cafe owners arrange tables and chairs to maximise people-watching possibilities. There are puppet shows, a pan-pipe band and a ruddy-faced Scot who plays the bagpipes until passers-by donate enough money to make him stop.
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