What better cocktail to try in Kyiv than ‘Lesya Ukrainka’s Dream’? Born in 1871, Ukrainka was a fierce feminist, poet, titan of Ukrainian literature and the angel-faced symbol of independent nationhood. In this time of war, writers like Ukrainka and Taras Shevchenko, the great 19th-century poet persecuted by the Russians, a man who has come to define Ukrainian national identity and liberation, are all the rage. The last verse of Ukrainka’s poem ‘Contra Spem Spero’ (‘I hope against hope’) captures the national mood:
Yes, I will laugh despite my tears,
I’ll sing out songs amidst my misfortunes;
I’ll have hope despite all odds,
I will live! Away, you sorrowful thoughts!
Tonight, in the Kyiv-meets-Shoreditch minimalism of 100 Rokiv Tomu Vpered, a startlingly hip restaurant, Ukrainka lends her name to a delicious blend of porcini-infused rum, baked-apple-tinged vermouth and spicy bitters. It seems only patriotic to have another.
While soldiers fight, tech start-ups thrive.
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