By Walter Kish

There is a new bar/club/restaurant that has captured the imaginations of young Ukrainians in Kyiv. Located on 4 Suvorova near Slavy Square, not far from the Pecherska Lavra, it is called “Ostannya Barrikada” or The Last Barricade, and it has a unique approach to things. This is evident right at the entrance where a brass plaque proudly declares “We Speak Ukrainian Here”. In a city where the Russian influence linguistically and culturally is sometimes overwhelming, this assertion of nationalistic Ukrainianism is a welcome addition to Kyiv’s night life.

Since opening this past July, it has become the place where young people come to be seen, to listen and to dance to the latest in Ukrainian pop music. On a recent Saturday night visit in late September, I found the place packed with young people, average age of perhaps eighteen or nineteen. As in most Ukrainian bars, a thick cigarette-smoke haze pervaded the room. The dance floor was gyrating with dancers who would not look out of place in any of Toronto’s popular dance clubs.

The venue has hosted a variety of musical styles and performers, as well as literary readings by young poets and writers. Most popular have been free-wheeling “meet and greet” sessions with such prominent politicians as Victor Yuschenko and Oleksander Moroz. Former President Leonid Krawchuk is slated to appear in October.

The bar is the creation of Oles Dony who is better known for his career as a student activist a decade ago. As Chairman of the Ukrainian Student’s Union, he was one of the organizers of the famous Hunger Strikes of 1990 that helped propel Ukraine towards independence. Though he has shifted to being an entrepreneur, it is obvious that his political activism is still a strong motivating force. If you are visiting Kyiv, its well worth a try. And, oh yes, it serves great food at very reasonable prices.