Lilac season offers respite to war-weary Kyiv residents
STORY: Kyiv residents say lilacs in full bloom provide a temporary respite from the realities of war.
Mid-May is the peak of lilac season in Ukraine.
(Nina Dadochkina, Artist)
“I feel inspired here. I turn into another person here. After all these nights, I am reborn. I feel wonderful here. Speaking to people, to nature – this is what last year lacked. It was horrible last year, I was not in Kyiv. It was very scary and I missed this beauty.”
(Dmytro Skomorokh, Ukrainian soldier)
“This is my favorite color – lilac. The lilac color is wonderful. I like lilac. We are from Lysychansk, Luhansk Region – it is now occupied. We lived in a private house. There were always lilac trees around our house and street. When they bloom, the smell and feeling is unbelievable, both for the eyes and senses.”
The flowers are a hallmark of Kyiv’s botanical garden
It has 21 lilac varieties and more than 1,000 bushes