Despite the cruel war, the nightlife – with cuddle parties, frenzied raves, crowded bars – is coming back to Kyiv — via @nytimes https://t.co/a8YY5O7iZp
— UkraineWorld (@ukraine_world) August 3, 2022
As party planners met to discuss how to get residents out and about again, the Russians launched a strike on their country, killing several innocent civilians. There was talk of canceling the party (a rave, no less) as some felt this was no time for revelry. The consensus? “No way,” reported NYT. They quoted one of the organizers saying, “That’s exactly what the Russians want.”
You see, when your everyday life is ripped away from you through no fault of your own, all you want is for things to get back to normal again. This is true whether you are 20 or 90. When you get the chance, you party tonight like you could die tomorrow.
It’s said that the Ukrainian ravers had a great time. The first great time in a long time. They tossed aside their fear and made their way to an empty factory in Kyiv’s industrial section. The folks on the inside for NYT reported that thick black curtains were thrown over the windows and huge speakers blasted out the latest European techno sounds. You know, that “thump, thump” stuff. Women wore tight black dresses; buff guys wore tight t-shirts, no doubt some of them in Zelensky green. The cocktails flowed freely, and the people drank like they were used to it.
Let’s not forget the revelers had been cooped up for months in genuine fear for their safety. Some had earlier taken off for Poland and recently returned home. And then there was COVID before that. I almost forgot about the global pandemic. For nearly two years, there were no large gatherings such as this one.
Of course, there were doubts at first. Was it Ok to go out and have a good time when others in their nation were genuinely suffering? Were they bad people for enjoying themselves? The NYT crew asked these questions of a bartender working on that first big party night. Here is what he had to say:
“But the first shift was the answer. I could see it in the customers’ eyes. It was psychotherapy for them.”
Psychotherapy indeed. Sitting around in fear is not good for anyone’s mental health. But, there was still no avoiding reality. A government curfew was in effect. The streets had to be cleared by 11:00 PM. Last call for alcohol was 9:00 PM to allow workers and partiers alike time to clean up and get home. Still, it is likely that everyone has their fill. The party began at 2:30 in the afternoon.
As the parties in Kyiv were accurate, so is the war. Just last week, the bodies of over 400 Ukrainian citizens were disinterred from a mass grave near Izium. There were dead children. Many victims showed signs of torture; some bodies had ropes around their necks. President Zelensky is calling this genocide and is pleading for the world to recognize Russia as a terrorist state. No amount of dancing and drinking can make this go away. At best, it temporarily deadens what will be, for many, a lifetime of pain.
War is a state of extremes. Terror and boredom. Parties and dullness. And excruciating waiting, never knowing when it will end.
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