Author: robin-bell.com

One of the most interesting and novel places in Kyiv is the State Aviation Museum. It has a wide range of soviet aircraft and technology. Like many displays in Ukraine, it is possible to get up close and personal with the aircraft. It is possible to walk right up to and around the planes and even enter a few for a small payment. The aircraft they have are unique and diverse and include fighter jets, civil aircraft, helicopters, and surveillance aircraft. The museum is only a short drive from the centre of Kyiv and is close to Solomianska Brewery, which is worth a stop if you are in the area.

Seeing the Mil Mi-26 helicopters’ size was incredible, they were bigger than many of the planes and had a large rota span. Standing next to the aircraft and seeing the planes’ size difference was neat and seeing the unique design of the Antonov An-71 surveillance plane was a highlight. The museum is well worth a stop for a couple of hours whether you are an aviation enthusiast or not. I am not a particular aviation enthusiast, with my aircraft expertise mainly coming from my frequent travel, but it was an interesting and fun day out.

Nearly exactly two years after getting PNG’ed from Moscow, the spread of the Corona virus has led to the air transport system to buckle and near collapse, as demand for travel diminishes and countries have started to close their borders. Ukraine has been one of the first countries to close their borders, first to Foreigners and now to everyone, and they are banning all international departures and arrivals. This led me to have to rush to get a ticket back, booking an Austrian Airlines ticket on early Sunday afternoon to get home on Monday morning. This reminded me that my life over the last 6 years has been anything but dull.

The tickets back to Kyiv were instantly sold out when it was announced the borders would be closed, as Ukrainians working across Europe seek to get home to buckle down and support family. I managed after checking every 10 minutes for 3 hours to book a seat, which had come available. The elation of being able to get home to be with my family, for what could be a two-week, four-week or who knows maybe a twelve-week lock down. But alas an hour later a text message saying both my London to Vienna and the Vienna to Kyiv flight had been cancelled. Trying to call both Austrian and Lufthansa who the ticket was booked with was impossible, the phone lines kept dropping well before the expected over two hours wait time could be waited out. The only consolation was getting a message that the London to Vienna flight was reinstated. Earlier in the afternoon, the Austrian Government had recommended all Austrian citizens left the UK, due to its laissez faire approach to virus control, which might have had something to do with it.

Then late that night I received a text I had been moved to a special Ukrainian International Airlines flight from Gatwick. A much longer journey to the airport, but I could get home. Having never flown Ukrainian International Airlines and deliberately avoiding it, this was the second time in two weeks, after another long night of flight changes when the KLM plane operating my flight from Bristol at 6am on a Thursday morning had a bird strike at 10pm the night before, which had knock on consequences. The check in line at Gatwick was long and slow, and despite the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlighting as travelling on a diplomatic passport, I was still able to travel, the check in agents did not agree. I was lucky another family in the same situation had already started the process of contacting the right people to provide the assurances we were good to travel. So after a letter from the Ukrainian Embassy in London had been faxed to the airline, providing assurances we would be allowed in the country we were good to go.

The flight was somewhat somber; it had a quieter tone than the recent flights I had taken. We all did not know what we were returning to and how long the lock down would last. Plus, many had travelled from across the country and self-connected in London to get the last flight back. Of course, the nuances of Ukrainian International Airlines managed to cheer me up. I am not familiar with another airline which allows you to buy bottles of herbal liquor onboard for the journey. Although, it did not feel like the time for such a drink.

After going to Chernobyl and Pripyat for the first time in March I was keen to go again, as it is place with so much to see and take in. My parents visiting to see my wife and I and their new granddaughter, offered the perfect opportunity to visit the exclusion zone again. Whilst the Chernobyl plant itself is rather static and functional, particularly as there is so much ongoing work in the area attempting to deconstruct the reactor and securely storing the spent fuel, the surrounding villages and towns within the exclusion zone have so much to explore. These also have an eerie sense and presence, which you can take in whilst exploring. When visiting these villages and towns I get a feeling of exploring modern history in a way, which is not possible elsewhere. Whilst in Kyiv there are buildings from the Soviet era, many of which are still fantastic to see, they have been updated in a way the buildings in the exclusion zone have not been due the tragic events which unfurled nearby. On this visit I used the same company I had used previously, but we followed a significantly different path, which allowed us to see different things. This again highlighted how much there was to see. I think a large part of the route on the day depends on how confident the guide is and what their understanding is of the security patrolling on that day. Whilst it is forbidden to leave the path and enter buildings many of the guides will still presently suggest some off-path detours, which let you explore further into the exclusion zone.

We started by venturing into the village of Chernobyl and saw a statue of Lenin, one of only two statues of Lenin in Ukraine after 1,320 Lenin monuments were dismantled during decommunization, both of the remaining two statues are in the Chernobyl exclusion zone. We also walked through several streets which had houses overgrown by trees and foliage and saw the church, which is still in operation today. After this we headed to the reactor site, passing those reactors which were still being built at the time of the Chernobyl disaster. It is interesting to see the changes which were already underway with the different designs of reactors five and six, which sit some way from the reactors one through four, which are adjacent to each other. It is eerie to see such big constructions sitting half built, knowing they have been this way for the last 30 years. Seeing this and knowing that reactor three, which sat next to reactor four, which suffered the reactor core explosions kept generating power until 2000 puts the area and need for power into perspective.

After visiting the powerplants we visited Pripyat, which is an amazing place to explore. As part of this trip we did not visit as many buildings as the previous trip. But I enjoyed strolling through the town and seeing the buildings and propaganda. It is interesting to see the Soviet posters and images which are still strewn around the planned model Soviet city and how life and the city was presented. After visiting Pripyat, we headed to the secret Chernobyl 2 military base, which was hidden within the now irradiated forest. During the Cold War the military base was highlighted as a children’s summer camp on maps. The main feature of the military base is the gigantic Duga 3 transmitter and receiver, which sent out and received a woodpecker noise, searching for incoming missiles as part of the Soviet anti-missile defences. As part of this trip we also explored the buildings at the base, which allowed us to see an original model of the military base. Exploring the Chernobyl exclusion zone is definitely one of the many highlights of living in Ukraine.

Whilst, it has always been possible to hunt down craft beer in the big cities in China, it was previously a bit of a challenge and search. This normally involved searching and visiting a specific bar and having a draft beer. There was then an extension to being able to get drafts and occasionally bottles in a few restaurants. But on my latest visit to China, whilst visiting Beijing, Chengdu and Nanning I noticed a shift in the availability of Chinese craft beer. Whilst, in Chengdu I was able to have a craft beer in a Chinese (upmarket and central) restaurant, plus when going back to the hotel I was able to get another craft beer at a convenience store. Later in the week when staying in the Tongzhou district in Beijing, I was able to get a couple of interesting craft beer bottles, including a mint beer, from a restaurant with a range of local and imported beers in their fridges. This was particularly useful as I struggled for sleep that night, before flying back to Washington the following morning. I left realising how far the Chinese craft beer scene had come, from having to search for craft beer, to it being offered in convenience stores and small local restaurants. Let’s see if the growth continues during the coming months and years.