The center of Kyiv is rarely as multicultural as it was on the eve of the Champions League final match between Real Madrid and Liverpool, taking place on May 26 at the city’s Olympiyskiy Stadium.
Those who came to Kyiv battled the overpriced accommodation, expensive flights, and warning reports about the city in the foreign press.
On the afternoon of May 25, the fan zone at Khreshchatyk Street got filled with fans. Some wore t-shirts in their teams’ colors, others opted for hats or wigs. The fans were enjoying beer and food, which they found cheap and delightful, and tried to chat with the locals.
They found Ukrainians friendly and said they often speak English. But the knowledge about Ukraine for most of the fans was quite limited.
Liverpool fans from Singapore Nan Tha (L), Navan (C) and Russel Fong (R) pose for a photo in a Kyiv fan zone on May 25. (Oksana Grytsenko)
Singapore cheers for Reds
It took 18 hours for three Liverpool fans Navan, 32, Nan Tha, 35, and Russel Fong, 32, from Singapore to get to Kyiv, where they finally arrived on May 24.
Despite the tough travel and the fact that the airline lost Fong’s luggage, all three friends were enjoying Kyiv on May 25, drinking beer in the fan zone.
“We came here as we love our club and the last time they were in the final was in 2007. So this is like an opportunity for us and also maybe to see Kyiv,” Tha told the Kyiv Post on May 25.
The three are sharing the apartment they rent on Airbnb, paying $400 for two days.
“That is too expensive for us, but we split it,” Tha said.
“But we don’t mind spending extra dollars for such an occasion,” Fong added.
Fong said that all he knew about Ukraine was its world-famous athletes – now-retired soccer star Andriy Shevchenko and boxer brothers Vitali and Volodymyr Klitschkos.
“But then I watched a Netflix documentary about Ukraine, ‘Winter on Fire’ (about the EuroMaidan Revolution) and that was really eye-opening,” Fong said.
Tha said that before coming to Ukraine, the friends saw a lot of news reports saying that Ukraine was a dangerous place.
“But when Ukrainians generously opened the doors of their houses for foreigners, strangers from around the world, we understood that everything is fine,” Tha added.
Tha was referring to the “host the fan” movement that Kyivans started after landlords and hotels raised the prices for the Championship League weekend 10 times and more.
Terry Lane, fan of Liverpool from the UK, poses for a photo on May 25 in Kyiv. (Oksana Grytsenko)
British fan without a plan
Terry Lane, 53, is a fan of Liverpool. He came to Kyiv from London as early as May 22 to get a cheap flight – he paid just 230 euros for a roundtrip ticket.
“If I had come a day later, on Wednesday (May 23) or Thursday (May 24), it would have been 600 to 800 euros. If I had come on Friday that would have been 1,000 euros,” he said.
He finds the price of accommodation in Kyiv, which now starts at 500 euros per night, too high either.
So Lane didn’t book anything. He stays at other fans’ places, crashing a different apartment every night.
“I slept with him, at his place,” he said, pointing at his friend. “Today I will stay with someone else.”
Lane added that he’s not the only fan without a place to stay. He said he met other fans in the fan zone who were asking around for a free place to stay overnight.
Otherwise, Lane enjoys Kyiv, which he’s visiting for the first time.
“Kyiv, I love it, I love it. People are so free, food is lovely. It’s cheap beer, and really nice people,” he said.
His knowledge of Ukraine is minimal, but he plans to read about the history of the county when he returns home.
The only thing he knows so far is that Ukraine is on the hard terms with Russia.
“You don’t like the Russians, I think we don’t like Russia either,” he said.
Anita Karybo from Zimbabwe and Tafadzwa Muzirinsa from Nigeria, who support Cristiano Ronaldo, pose for a photo in Kyiv on May 25. (Oksana Grytsenko)
Ronaldo’s fans from Africa
Anita Karybo, 22, from Zimbabwe, and Tafadzwa Muzirinsa, 24, from Nigeria, came to Kyiv from Ternopil, a city some 400 kilometers west of Kyiv, where they both study in Ternopil International Polytechnic University. Karybo studies computer science and Muzirinsa majors in mechanical engineering.
They met and fell in love during the Manchester United game in Odesa in 2016. This time, they are cheering for Real Madrid.
“I’m a Manchester fan. But I also support (Cristiano) Ronaldo, I just came here to see Ronaldo,” Muzirinsa said.
Karybo is a faithful fan of Real Madrid.
When asked how long she has been cheering for the Blancos, Anita said “Oh for too long! Like more than 10 years.”
Both Karybo and Muzirinsa were confident that Real Madrid is going to win the big game.
“It will be six to one. Real has Ronaldo and he is the hope, not a regular player,” Muzirinsa said.
