Streetphotography

Walking The Streets of Kiev by James Pollak

This is Dima. After spending two days wandering Chernobyl and Pripyat I arrived back in Kiev and began the hunt for a bed. After catching the bus - I still remember everyone just throwing their currency into a small tray next to the driver - through the city and a short stroll, I found the hostel I was to call home for the night.

As it was my last night and I'd found some kind of abandoned structure to explore the following day, I opened the door to my room expecting a somewhat welcomed uneventful night. However Dima was sat at a small table in the room, with some bread, cheese & vodka. I looked at the top bunk I was allocated, back at all my stuff I had dragged up the stairs and all I heard was "sit!", Dima pointing to a chair directly opposite him at the table. At first I felt I was sitting down for an interrogation and with little but broken words spoken between eachother he poured me a vodka and demanded I have some cheese. After a toast to the four walls of our tiny hostel room, I could see this was just his way of two strangers connecting where language on both sides wasn't a strength. Another vodka down, Dima was adamant he was taking me and my camera on a tour of the capital city of his country. That was to be the beginning of an eventful last night in Kiev.

Walking The Streets of Kiev by James Pollak

Walking the streets of Kiev. Perhaps coming from London, there's something about visiting another city or country that I always want to travel on the underground to see what it's like. It's also the challenge of not getting lost but even if you do, the enjoyment of people watching in an unknown environment where no one knows you.


Walking The Streets of Kiev by James Pollak

Walking The Streets of Kiev by James Pollak

Walking the streets of Kiev. After some aimless wandering and managing to work my way on the underground, I came across this market. I'm not sure whether this woman was a trader or a shopper but she looked extremely happy either way.