Kyiv is One of the Secret Splendours of Europe - UK Ambassador

KYIV, Ukraine, June 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

"A mighty river winds through a brilliant green landscape.  A steep bluff studded with golden domes tumbles down to the shore," writes Leigh Turner, UK Ambassador to Ukraine. The British official dedicated his most recent post, published on his official blog, to the Ukrainian capital - Kyiv.

In his entry Turner names Kyiv one of the world's great and least known cities. "A city of three and a half million, Kyiv has a vibrant arts and cultural scene," notes the ambassador. He salutes the hills, parks, and beaches of Kyiv. He lists museums and monuments in the city as remarkable tourist attractions.

Leigh Turner marvels at the ability of Kyivers to enjoy outdoors leisure "whether sitting in the numerous beer-gardens or open-air restaurants, strolling down the main street of Khreshchatyk (pedestrianized at weekends and for the whole of EURO 2012) or mucking about in or on the river".

The ambassador accompanies his piece with a set of photographs by Mary and Detlef Golletz. They captured some of the most beautiful churches and monuments in Kyiv downtown, a beach at the shores of the Dnipro river, and even a group of senior residents wearing national clothes.

As Leigh Turner noted in one of his blog entries, "there are many excellent cities in Ukraine". Over the two and a half years of writing about Ukraine, Ambassador Turner also dedicated posts to Donetsk, Lviv, Odesa, Vinnytsia, Zaporizhzhia, and others.

And while the ambassador likes to promote Kyiv through his numerous posts ("Kyiv: Art, Football and Charles Dickens", "The First Mosque in Kyiv", "Extreme Climbing in Kyiv", a guest post "Is Kyiv Worth a Visit?", etc.), he insists on having "long had a soft spot for Odesa" and having "always had a soft spot for Lviv".

Started in late 2009, the blog of the British ambassador aims to deliver political and economic messages, as well as show that the embassy takes a lively interest in all aspects of Ukrainian life and culture. The blog is available in both English and Ukrainian. As of May 31, 2012, the blog featured 215 entries, prevailingly discussing Ukraine. According to Turner, most readers of the blog are in the UK, Canada, and the USA.