We were just approaching the Maidan, the very heart of Kyiv, which by now was a Sea of blue and yellow flags that were commemorating fallen Ukrainian soldiers, when my phone exploded with the sounds of my first real air raid alarm.
Both drones as well as rockets were approaching the capital, and we had to take cover.
“I know just the right spot for us” said Andrij, my trusted companion. “Just follow me….”
While heading north-west in no great hurry towards the glass dome of the Globus shopping mall, Andrij explained that an air raid alarm in Kyiv usually leaves you 10-15 minutes time to retreat to a safe place. There was more time to react in Lviv and understandably far less in Kharkiv or in Kherson, which were much closer to the front line.
Right next to the dome we descended into the underground and found ourselves in-front of a door with an illuminated sign with Cyrillic letters I could not read.
We entered and after a few more steps we found ourselves in a dark room, with countless hands protruding out of a black wall.
This unusual barrier was guarded by a young girl who demanded a password from us to proceed…
Overcoming initial confusion and puzzlement by this unexpected demand and helped by a little nudge from the gate keeper, Andrij eventually recalled the quintessential passage of Taras Shevchenko’s poem “The Caucasus”, which was both a verbal attack against 19th century Russian Imperialism as well as an elegy for his fallen friend Yakiv de Balmen, and he said:
“Boritesya – poborete!” – Fight on and you will prevail!
yet without the following passage, which stated that “God is on your side”.
And sure enough…. the seemingly impenetrable black wall opened, and we were allowed to enter one of the most famous restaurants in Ukraine….
Ostannya Barykada, the “Last Barricade”, had for many years not only been a shelter for writers, poets, philosophers and for the politically persecuted, it was now providing us with a safe roof above our heads, while at the same time presenting us with the finest offerings of the Ukrainian cuisine!
Once we had settled as more or less the only guests, we were first treated to an unusual choice of exclusively Ukrainian cocktails.
The “Svitovan” – the “Traveller” – seemed a fitting choice for me and the careful blend of grapefruit vodka, lemon, sugar, egg white and orange juice certainly helped to steady any frayed nerves….
Waiting then for our food, it gave us some time to take a closer look at the interior of our “shelter”…..
Illuminated display cabinets that were hanging off the walls, contained various memorabilia of both Ukrainian as well as of foreign historic events and political struggles.
A scarf and tie worn at the ‘Orange Revolution’ protests twenty years ago, could be found next to a brick of the Berlin wall. A framed letter, sent from Minnesota in 1990, supported the “Revolution on Granite” which was followed by Ukrainian independence a year later.
A pair of gloves and a thermos flask gave an idea of the freezing conditions during the Euromaidan and the Revolution of Dignity during the winter of 2013/14.
Throughout these struggles, the “Last Barricade” had been a place of shelter and sustenance for many protesters.
In an adjacent room, a “Mother Motherland” sculpture and a modern anti-drone gun reminded guests very vividly of the harsh reality of the ongoing conflict.
Large poppies on the wall near the entrance commemorated all the victims of revolutions and wars.
Eventually our food arrived and while enjoying the delights of a green and a red Borscht, the air raid App announced the end of any imminent threat.
While we were allowed to live another day and had probably one of the most enjoyable and educational experiences you might have in a bunker, we had to remind ourselves that many good people before and after this night hadn’t been or wouldn’t be so lucky….
The Blue Vet Diary 