Tag: finish

School’s out. Fountains are in

Last week was the end of school for thousands of teenagers in Kiev, and keeping with tradition – they headed for the fountains!

I’m not sure where the tradition comes from, but each year the students dance, swim and play in the sountains to mark the end of an era.

The following pictures from Korrespondent.net were posted on the English Russia website.

Location: Kiev

This entry was posted in CultureFunnyPhotosRussian PeopleSociety

How the wall fell …and what it left behind

For anyone interested in ‘Eastern Europe’, politics or simply understanding Europe today, Radio 4 this week produced a facinating piece of radio bringing together some of the most influential actors in the fall of the Berlin Wall.

You can listen to it here
and visit the site here

What followed was a reunification in Europe that’s left millions of us with a safer, more free and more prosperous continent. It removed all the obstacles to travel and allowed me to live, work, travel, study and enjoy endless hospitality in all-bar-none of the former Soviet countries.

I had nothing to do with the events in 1989, I was 11, but sitting here in Kiev listening to another round of explosive fireworks (presumably another political pop concert) I have a real sense of mixed emotions.

Yes, Europe is more free and more fair but there is still a long way to go. As an EU citizen I can live work and travel in Ukraine without a problem but that privilege is not returned. The freedom granted to Hungarian, Polish and Romanian citizens means nothing to anyone in Russia, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine. The Iron curtain may not exist and the Belin wall may have fallen but, we should be clear about one thing – an ‘Invisible Shield’ rose in its place and still leaves Europe divided.

Posted from: www.bearder.com

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén