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Ukraine War Story: A Night in Podil
Real Life and Nightlife in Kyiv During the Full-Scale War
This is one of the last chapters from an upcoming book by Natasha and I along with a couple guest writers about our experience in the war. We will publish on Amazon as no time for much else from the war zone.
I kissed Natasha good-bye on the night of Wednesday, February 22, 2024 as I left the flat. She was not happy to see me go this night, but she is a good wife who respects that my weekly saunter into the nightlife of Kyiv is important for me and even more so for our friend, Oleksandr. His wife, Lesya, had just returned to Germany where she has gone as a displaced Ukrainian. Lesya has her daughters and grandchildren but all Oleksandr has is a few friends and his fellow soldiers that he spends his days with. The week prior, we had all had dinner at Korchma Taras Bulba in the city center. It translates into the “Inn of Taras Bulba” whose atmosphere is more like an old Ukrainian grandma’s home. Antique Ukrainian farm implements, and old-style art decorate the thick-walled interior. Staff wear traditional Ukrainian garb and are always very friendly. Well, and the food is the best traditional Ukrainian fare we have tasted. Those times passed and now Oleksandr and I are back to our regular weekly routine.
