Kyiv, also known as Kiev, the largest and the capital city of Ukraine is bisected by the Dnieper River. Currently, it has a population of 2,847,200 inhabitants as of 2013 and a land area of 839 km2. With its current numbers, it is considered as the 7th most populous city in Europe.
Apart from its population, this city is famous for its historical arts and architecture which include the 11th century mosaics and frescoes of the Cathedral of St. Sophia, the monasteries and cathedrals of Kiev- Pechersk Lavra, the Golden Gate of Kiev, the Ukrainian Baroque Church of St. Andrew, the 19th-century Cathedral of St. Vladimir, and many more.
There is no specific red light district in Kyiv because depending on what type of entertainment you are in for, you can find girls in hotels, strip, and dance clubs, as well as in massage parlours scattered around the city. Sometimes, you can find these ladies in large roads and city streets in the centre, making this city one-huge RLD.
Stay Safe in the RLD
Since there is no specific red light district in the city, it is important to tackle how to stay safe in the city, in general.
Like most European cities, Kyiv is generally a friendly city and an open one, especially to tourists. The city is alive until around 11 pm. And if you are a female and are travelling alone, there are a couple of things you should remember:
The city of Kyiv has a high demand for adult entertainment. Kyiv has a wide variety of sources of adult entertainment such as strip and dance clubs offering stripteases, erotic shows, pole dancing and private dancing, bars, massage parlours and more.
Street Prostitution
Wandering the city at night is not that lonely when you know exactly where to find the ladies that would satisfy your desires. Left Bank, Victory Square, Kreshatic area, and Mandarin Plaza are a few of the areas in the city where you can find street prostitutes.
When you drive out of town, you are more likely to see sex workers after 10 pm. Also, if you want to find more street hookers, you can drive towards Zhytomir on E40, 5 km out of Kiev or to the village of “Ukrainka” just outside Kyiv.
Prostitution in Kyiv, as well as the whole of Ukraine is illegal. However, there seems to be no proper implementation of this law as it looks like it’s not being practiced and is only good on paper. Currently, prostitution is widespread and is obviously ignored by the government.
On June 12, 1987, engagement in prostitution is considered an administrative offense and it was strictly forbidden by the Supreme Court of Ukraine. On January 12, 2005, the government charged tougher criminal penalties for human trafficking and coerced prostitution. However, previously, criminalizing organized prostitution had little effect for a lot of the convicted traffickers do not end up in prison. Today, individual prostitution is not considered a criminal offense but sex workers are fined for demanding monetary compensation for the services of an intimate nature.
Apart from the adult entertainment that this city offers, they also have several sources of non-adult entertainment such as dance clubs, old pubs, restaurants, discos, and casinos. Nightlife in Kyiv is mostly concentrated in Khreschatyk and Independence Square.
Another popular activity enjoyed by night goers is the high street bar crawl where you start off with one of the famous pubs drinking beer; then your guide will lead you to other pubs, night clubs, and cocktail bars.
Some of the famous disco clubs in Kyiv are:
Transgenderism which is closely associated with homosexuality is prohibited in Kyiv. However, in 1996, the national government allowed (under medical approval) gender reassignment surgery and new personal identification for these people.
The law of the city is only concerned with same-sex prostitution especially when it involves minors (those under the age of legal consent), non-voluntary behaviour, or public conduct that is in violation of public decency standards.
On November 12, 2015, the Ukrainian parliament passed an anti-discrimination law which bans sexual orientation or gender identity discrimination at work. The law which was passed on November 21, 2015, was an EU requirement for Ukraine to be able to acquire the visa-free travel to the Schengen area.
General Attitude Towards Gays
Being a gay in Kyiv is not really much of a problem as the public’s attitude towards the LGBT community is fine. In fact, gays who live in Kyiv are actually comfortable to be in the place especially that there are enough resources and that organizations and support groups are there to tackle issues and to raise awareness to the gay community.
Most of the gay community can be found in Hydropark and Khreshchatyk. The area in Hydropark become extremely jam-packed during the summer. Most gays flock to these said cruising places after their work shifts.
Gay Prostitution in Kyiv
There are listings available online on gay prostitutes as well as transsexual prostitutes.