Visitors impressed with Ukraine's handling of Eurovision - and Ukrainian capital city (05/29/05)

Visitors impressed with Ukraine's handling of Eurovision - and Ukrainian capital city

by Zenon Zawada
Kyiv Press Bureau

KYIV - Europeans visiting Kyiv for the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest said they were impressed with Ukraine's capital and the way its people had organized and prepared for Europe's annual pop music extravaganza.

"It's a real big party," said Frode Fjeldstad, 26, a Eurovision fan from Norway who was visiting Kyiv for four days. "It's much better than Riga in 2003. The whole city is on fire. I think they are proud of it."

While nations like Great Britain and France have come to dismiss the competition as somewhat tawdry, Ukrainians embraced Eurovision, which provided the rare opportunity to host thousands of Europeans who might otherwise have never considered visiting Kyiv.

"Europe has two main venues for tourists - Eurovision and the Olympics," Mr. Fjeldstad said. "So it's a real door-opener for the country."

To welcome the tourists, Kyiv kicked off Eurovision festivities the prior Saturday with European Union Day.

That night, Ukrainian rock legends Vopli Vidoplyasova performed a concert before thousands of youngsters at Independence Square, known as the "maidan," in front of a European Union flag.

During the concert, singer Oleh Skrypka shouted, "We want to join Europe, not the Soviet Union right?" The young crowd responded with a resoundingly affirmative cheer.

All week, musicians performed on a stage erected on the maidan, and Kyiv officials closed the Khreschatyk to automobile traffic so that Europeans could pleasantly stroll down the city's main thoroughfare and enjoy food or buy Ukrainian souvenirs.

Some visitors said they didn't know what to expect from the post-Soviet nation with which they became familiar only after the Orange Revolution. Some said they were unsure whether the country was stable, while others didn't know whether Kyiv had progressed from Soviet times.

"To be honest, I was worried about things," said Mika Toivanen, 23, who wrote the music for "Why?" the song sung by Finland's representative in the semi-finals, Geir Ronning. "But I'm quite impressed, and working here has been great. It was very well-organized."

Victor Engellau, 34, a native of Geneva, Switzerland, who worked in Russia for 10 years, said he was surprised to see how distinct Ukraine was. "This place is not the same," Mr. Engellau said. "Ukraine radiates softness and beauty. The people are very friendly, not hostile."

Ukraine's tourism industry needs to do a better job of marketing the country to Europeans, he said, particularly those who are looking to get away for a single weekend, or what's known as "short-break destinations."

"I'm very surprised with the architecture," Mr. Engellau said. "It's not as Russian as I thought it would be - not decadent and dirty."

Martin Tiveus, 34, a Eurovision fan from Stockholm, Sweden, said Kyiv's restaurants and night life are "very high-class." The city's location on the Dnipro and its many beautiful parks made him feel as if he were back home in Stockholm, Mr. Tiveus said.

A veteran of 13 consecutive Eurovisions, Boog Biagi, 42, of Edinburgh, Scotland, said he found a very positive atmosphere in Kyiv for Eurovision. "I was in Latvia two years ago, and they were slightly aloof there," Mr. Biagi said. "I didn't understand local custom. They're a reserved people."

Margaret Geraghty, 38, of Dublin, Ireland, said she was expecting a former Soviet city, but instead found Kyiv to be "a lot more cosmopolitan than I thought." Kyiv has the potential to become a city like Prague, she noted, which is a popular place for Europeans to visit for the weekend.

"Europeans are always looking for some place new to go," added Mr. Biagi, who wore a kilt and a Yankees baseball cap as he strolled down Khreshchatyk the Sunday afternoon of the finals.

The only problem with this year's Eurovision, fans said, was that few Ukrainians could afford to go. Tickets for Ukrainians were in the $40 range, more than 200 hrv.

Mr. Biagi said he gave his dress rehearsal tickets away to Ukrainians.

"It would be nice if it were more inclusive," Ms. Geraghty said. "Tickets are so expensive that the locals can't go, and that's a negative thing."

Visitors agreed that hosting Eurovision is a positive step in Ukraine's determination to join the European Union.

"I think Ukraine will become part of the EU before Norway," Mr. Fjeldstad said, pointing out that his nation is among the few European countries that have voluntarily refrained from membership.

Cultural adjustments won't be as much as a problem for Ukraine as it would be for Turkey, he said.

"It's a question of attitude," Mr. Fjeldstad said. "If Ukrainians want to be European, then they will become European."

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