“Not what I expected”: Michael Douglas shares his impressions of Kyiv – photos, videos
American actor and film producer Michael Douglas, who recently visited Kyiv with his son Dylan, has shared his impressions of the trip and of Ukrainians in a video posted by the 79-year-old star on Instagram.
American actor and film producer Michael Douglas, who recently visited Kyiv with his son Dylan, has shared his impressions of the trip and of Ukrainians in a video posted by the 79-year-old star on Instagram.
Source: Ukrainska Pravda Tabloid; Michael Douglas on Instagram
Quote from Michael Douglas: "As you know, Ukraine is under a terrible, terrible war with Russia, so it’s a little hard to get to Kyiv, its capital, right now. You’ve got to take an 11-hour train ride from the Polish border into Kyiv. What we arrived to was a magical city, truly a magical city, not what I expected."
Douglas said he had imagined that Ukraine would be like East Germany before the Berlin Wall came down, but what he saw was a "fantastic metropolis" with a mixture of both Soviet and much older architecture.
Quote from Michael Douglas: "Great architecture, a mix of the Soviet, but also a lot earlier times in their history. Fabulous culture, great restaurants, and spectacular energy. Minor amount of destructions, all things considered, although we did witness a children’s hospital, the largest one in all of Ukraine, totally destroyed and completely clear that it was not a mistake. Some buildings are still standing, but there’s a lot of work to be done. What Dylan and I took away from this was the people, an incredible spirit. When you think about what’s happened to Ukraine, starting from the Stalin regime in through World War II, and then having to fight and maintain their 30-plus years of democracy, it’s an extraordinary place and a great reminder to all of us of the importance of freedom, democracy, and how you’ve got to work for it."
Douglas thanked First Lady Olena Zelenska for inviting him to the summit, Andrii Yermak, Head of the President’s Office, "for all his hospitality and help", and, separately, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Quote from Michael Douglas: "Thank you. You’re the right man at the right time, and I wish you all the support. With our upcoming elections in this country [the US – ed.], let it be a great reminder to us of the fragility of a democracy and how you have to fight with it, with everything that you have. Peace, everyone!"
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