-
Dance the Night Away
Photograph by Gleb Garanich, Reuters
Mykola Milevsky, 75, and Natalia Stolyarenko, 58, like to "party down." Literally. Every weekend, they head to a dance party held in a subway underpass in the Ukrainian city of Kiev.
The location was a gift from the mayor. A group of pensioners were seeking a space to do traditional dances but didn't have money for rent. So the municipality gave them permission to dance at an underground plaza that's part of the subway system. About 200 people, many in traditional costume, gather to sing, play instruments, and most of all, dance.
Photographer Gleb Garanich first saw the gathering decades ago. "I stopped for a few moments and then proceeded on my route," he wrote in a blog post. "I was 25 years old at the time and, frankly speaking, this story was of no interest to me." When he happened upon the dancers again earlier this year he found he "was no longer indifferent to the lives and destinies of these people." He discovered that the dance provides a way for senior citizens—who often feel alienated in Ukraine's post-Soviet society—to have a good time.
Published April 6, 2013
-
Ready for the Big Dance
Photograph by Gleb Garanich, Reuters
Mykola Mikevsky gets dressed before attending a dance in a subway station in central Kiev. Mikevsky is a regular at the gathering, where years ago he met his longtime love, Natalia Stolyarenko. Some evenings he and Stolyarenko wear folk costumes to the dance. Other times they opt for modern garb.
Published April 6, 2013
-
Dancing Beneath the Streets
Photograph by Gleb Garanich, Reuters
Folk costumes and puffy jackets meet as dancers gather beneath Kiev. About 200 folks show up every Saturday and Sunday night in the large underground space near a city metro station. Many are pensioners who are struggling financially. The weekly dance is an economical way for them to keep in touch with each other—and their traditions.
Published April 6, 2013
-
Traditional Music in a Modern Space
Photograph by Gleb Garanich, Reuters
Fur-hatted musicians play for the dancers as an onlooker gets a bite to eat at an underground cafe. The bayon, a type of accordion, and the bubon, similar to a tambourine, fill the underpass with Ukrainian folk music while dancers hoof it in the unheated space.
Published April 6, 2013
-
A Spring in Their Steps
Photograph by Gleb Garanich, Reuters
Natalia Stolyarenko and Mykola Milevsky kick up their heels at the weekend dance held underground in central Kiev. The two pensioners met at the dance years ago. Stolyarenko told EuroNews that she went to the dance one night because she was sad and bored. When Milevsky asked her to dance, it was love at first sight.
Published April 6, 2013
From the Archives
Trending News
-
Mystery of Deadly Volcanic Eruption Solved?
Using ice cores, geochemistry, tree rings, and ancient texts, scientists discover which volcano erupted in the 13th century with worldwide effects.
-
First Cloud Map of Exoplanet
For the first time, astronomers can forecast cloudy skies on a distant exoplanet.
-
First Face Found—On a Fish
The extinct animal's face structure could help explain how vertebrates, including people, evolved our distinctive look.
Advertisement
Connect With Nat Geo
Got Something to Share?
Special Ad Section
Great Energy Challenge Blog
Sustainable Earth
-
Help Save the Colorado River
NG's new Change the Course campaign launches.
-
New Models for Fishing
Future of Fish is helping fishermen improve their bottom line while better managing stocks for the future.
-
Can Pesticides Grow Organic Crops?
The Change Reaction blog investigates in California.
