There has been little time to enjoy spring this year. April helped to melt last gobs of snow generously provided this winter. And on May 1, millions of Ukrainians spilled out onto the streets in summer clothes. While some brandished red flags in honor of Labor Day, others rushed to river banks and parks with picnic baskets.
May in Ukraine unrolls a streak of public holidays. Workers’ days May 1 and 2 are followed by Victory Day on May 9. Then comes Trinity Day on May 23. Falling on the weekends, they are compensated with free time during the week. Many Kyivans usually flee the capital to Crimea or the Carpathians, emptying the city for their compatriots from the regions.
Those who stay nest along river banks with mayonnaise salads and shish kebabs. Faithful gardeners and those relying on homegrown food start digging their land plots and planting potatoes. According to the agrarian calendar, the first days of May are also best to plant cabbage and pumpkins.
Schoolchildren invade Kyiv tourist attractions: Kyiv Pechersk Lavra and the Botanical Gardens. Both places offer stunning views of the Dnipro River and curious exhibitions. In the Pechersk gardens, white and pink magnolias are in full bloom. Intoxicating scent of lilac bushes looms revelers to spread blankets and consume sandwiches in the lush green. Small exhibits of reptiles, violets and butterflies, as well as numerous stands with ice cream and beer make the time fly by. While politicians managed to pass a law prohibiting beer consumption on the street, they failed to remove kiosks stuffed with an alcohol temptation.
May has also beckoned young couples away from their couch-potato entertainment. Strolling the streets hand-in-hand, they infuse the air with youth and freshness and a scent of love.
Kyiv Post staff writer Yuliya Popova can be reached at [email protected].
