— Anya, hello, do you have time for coffee?
- Oh, are you in Kyiv? Of course I have!
Bohdan was an old friend from the first Maidan, from Ivano-Frankivsk. We met that same morning, around ten, in a tavern. The place is not the most pleasant, but it is in the center, it works around the clock and you can smoke - a rarity in today's Kyiv.
Bohdan ordered cognac.
- Cognac in the morning? Happy you! I have coffee with milk, please! I said to the waiter and turned back to Bohdan:
- On what business?
— I was at a concert in Zhovtnev. I came to Kyiv specially. There is such a woman! The roof is torn off from those who are under fifty.
Bohdan showed me the recording in his phone. A bright mulatto woman in a bodysuit hugged the microphone and sang, while the group played a mixture of jazz and rock. Then the bass guitarist flashed onto the stage: an elderly man in a hipster hat, with a beard and a thick tunnel earring in his ear.
- Wait, I know him! These are the guys with whom we drank in the bar the day before yesterday. This is Sebastian from the Netherlands on bass. We sat and talked until midnight...
- It's Okay! - Bohdan did not believe - tell me!
I, of course, told.
Anna Cooper
The day before yesterday I was sitting at the bar with a glass of beer, which I drank very slowly: the purpose of coming to the bar was not beer, but a new story. I hid in the bar and tapped on the keys of the laptop, causing puzzled looks from both the bartender and the visitors.
A company of foreigners was sitting on my left hand. They clearly wanted to start a conversation with me, but did not understand how to do it - I was very interested. The story evoked emotions in me, which were immediately reflected on my face: I sometimes smiled, sometimes frowned, and sometimes pursed my lips.
Finally, I finished, I closed the lid of the laptop and took a big gulp of beer. One of the foreigners, about my age, turned to me and addressed me in English:
- Do you want more beer?
"Thank you, I can take care of myself," he always hesitates a little when strangers want to treat me. It seems he sensed my tension.
- Oh, then please take it!
- Okay.
- What is your name? he asked.
— Anna.
"My name is Sebastian, I'm from the Netherlands," he introduced himself.
"Nice to meet you, Sebastian," I answered politely.
— Excuse me, but may I ask what you were doing now?
"I was writing a story," I answered.
- About what?
"Oh, love, Sebastian," I sighed.
- About love? Eternal theme. Are you a writer?
- No, I'm an architect.
- An architect? Wow!
For some reason, people often react this way to our profession.
- And you, who are you by profession? I asked.
— Musician.
— A musician? Wow!
Probably, he is also used to such a reaction.
— Yes, we have a concert tomorrow, in the October Palace. Here,” Sebastian opened the site on his phone and handed it to me, “we have a tour now. We have already been to Bulgaria, Romania, and now we are in Kyiv. Come, it's seven o'clock.
- I can't, I have an important event at this time.
- It's a pity.
There was a pause, as it usually happens when people do not know each other well.
Today, for young architects in Ukraine, the Netherlands and Switzerland are the vanguard of modern architecture
— How do you like Kyiv? - I uttered a standard phrase that sounds when you don't know what to say to a foreigner.
- How did you say? Kyiv? I can't pronounce it... Ah, that's why you write the name of your city so strangely in Latin: Kyiv...
— Yes, it's in Ukrainian. We are trying to switch to Ukrainian transliteration.
— What is happening here, in Ukraine? Sebastian asked.
- A lot of things. Now the country faces big challenges: the war, only five years have passed since the revolution. Reforms...
- They say you have one of the most corrupt countries in the world.
— Yes, and there is such a thing...
— Are you proud of your country?
I felt that Sebastian was genuinely worried about this question.
- Of course! We are very proud!
- And why?
— Well, first of all — culture. Ancient, clean, beautiful. Secondly, the will to win - we never give up. And thirdly, the land, our amazingly fertile land. In fifty years, everyone will want to live in Ukraine!
"And I... I'm not proud of my family," Sebastian said sadly.
- Meaning in? Are you really... from the Netherlands?
- Yes.
- And how can you not be proud? You have a beautiful country!
- Have you been to the Netherlands? the man asked.
- Yes! In Amsterdam and also in the city where the house of the architect Richfield...
— Utrecht?
- Exactly!
— And what did you like? Sebastian asked doubtfully.
- Of course! But it's not about whether I liked it personally or not. Firstly, you had the first bourgeois revolution in the world, secondly, you constantly fight with the sea...
- Yes, that's true.
- Thirdly, we have a saying: "Where one Dutchman has passed, there is nothing for two Jews to do!". You are world-famous entrepreneurs and traders! And you are also a maritime state, you are developers of ships and marine technologies, which is why only the era of great geographical discoveries is worth it! Fourthly, although it is no longer important what point this is, your people are open, beautiful, sing on trains, walk barefoot on the sidewalk in the summer, and when it is hot, they give out cold water for free on the streets...
Sebastian laughed.
— You have a very non-trivial idea about our country...
- It is not important at all. It is important that you have something to be proud of! - I answered with heat.
— You see, we have ugly modern architecture...
This is where I got stuck.
— In the sense of "ugly"?
- Well, she is not good for life. I prefer something older.
- Wait, how ugly is she? Today, for young architects in Ukraine, the Netherlands and Switzerland are the vanguard of modern architecture!
- Is it true? - Sebastian was surprised, - I would never have thought...
- Of course, it's true, why would I deceive you?
- It's just unexpected. Do you really like modern architecture in Amsterdam?
- Yes, and most importantly, - I did not calm down, - your story is the story of the nation's success. Our history is a constant suffering: sometimes famines, sometimes wars. Look at the map of Ukraine - we are constantly torn to shreds, even now. The policy of remembrance was formed: we do not have holidays, but permanent commemorations. Sometimes it's the day of someone's death, sometimes it's the anniversary of a tragedy... But we still get up and go build a new country. Every day. Here and now.
- Are you happy? — Sebastian carefully looked at me.
- Very!
- More beer? he suggested.
- No, sorry, I have a scientific conference and an important event tomorrow.
Our history is a constant suffering: sometimes famines, sometimes wars. But we still get up and go build a new country
"By the way, I also have a concert tomorrow..." Sebastian replied with some hesitation. I looked at him more carefully. Fine facial features; characteristic of a long creative life is a mixture of romance and fatigue in the gaze.
- Where did you stay? I asked.
— In the "President" hotel.
- Let's go, I'll see you, I live opposite. In the mornings, I see young ladies coming out of their rooms.
— Yes, by the way, this is also a problem of Ukraine. Available women. We need to do something about it! Sebastian perked up.
I was surprised again.
- What will you do with it? Everyone chooses their own path, - I said.
— Maybe the state should influence this?
— The state should not influence everything.
We have just reached the right fork.
"You're on the right, I'm on the left," I pointed to him with my hand in the direction of the hotel.
"Maybe where should I go to the room?" Sebastian offered politely.
- No: I have a husband and three children.
"Excuse me," he blushed, "have a good evening and thank you."
- Will you be in Kyiv - here is my business card. Write, I will conduct a tour. I know everything about this city.
That's when we parted.
Bohdan listened to me and smiled thoughtfully.
— Do you really think that in fifty years everyone will want to live in Ukraine? he asked.
"I think earlier," I answered and lit a cigarette.
- That's what I think. Much earlier.
/December 2018/
Illustrations: Valery Yudina
And about why in 50 years everyone will want to live here - read in our article interview with Anna Bondar.
