Looking back on Ukraine

A few photos from our trip to Kiev a month ago (between the first and second rounds of the election) seem worth sharing in light of how in-the-news Ukraine has been for the past several weeks and how much attention will continue to be there until the end of the year at least.

First, in the underground passageway/metro entrance under Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square), a flower vendor cleaning up next to a "stolbik" - a rudimentary slot-machine-type gambling apparatus - just after midnight on Nov 7:



Lorina and her accidentally pro-Yushchenko scarf on Maidan Nezalezhnosti that same evening:


The Russian imperial double-headed eagle, looking down on the Caves Monastery from the top of the belltower (this was taken from the highest level to which you're allowed to climb):


This tells you something about Ukrainians' self-image, assuming the mugs sticking out of the plane are intended to be Ukrainian: