Brovary, Ukraine

Brovary (Бровари) is a city of some 90,000 located just east of Kyiv (Kiev), Ukraine. It is primarily a residential community and there is little here to attract the interest of travelers. Circumstances, however, found me in Brovary for a period of time and it was a pleasant enough place to live for a short while.

The most interesting day during my time in Brovary was the May 9th Victory Day holiday (День Победы in Russian). This is the day that the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany is celebrated all across Ukraine (and presumably in other formerly-Soviet countries as well). It is a day of ceremony, parades, pageantry and honors those who served in the military and/or gave their lives to defeat the Nazis. It is a day when veterans of "The Great Patriotic War" (World War II) display their medals and, in some cases, their uniforms and receive flowers from young schoolgirls. And, it is a day of picnics in the park, fireworks and family get-togethers.

I happened to be in Brovary for the 2004 Victory Day celebrations – the 59th anniversary of the 1945 victory. Thus, most of the veterans to turn out for the commemorations were close to 80 years old, if not older. It was amazing to see how many were still able to fit into their uniforms, display their medals and walk the parade route. The photos in the window above recall this special day.

Below is a separate slide show showing Brovary in more normal times.