Their message - "Ukraine is no whorehouse". Their medium - anything from throwing cakes at sexists, challenging male tourists in the street, and getting naked in order to disrupt public ceremonies. Meet Kiev's controversial anti-prostitution activists. The cost of living in Kiev is not cheap - not much less than in many western European capitals.
And yet the average income, according to government statistics, is euros a month. Coupled with lax visa laws for travellers, the conditions have led to the country's sex tourism industry becoming what is thought to be the biggest in Europe. It's no secret; websites like the one that calls itself "Ukraine's number one escort agency" - describe girls by exactly what they'll do in the bedroom, along with a list of prices. Prostitution is supposed to be illegal.
FEMEN, the group of activists in question, says that the government is doing nothing to stop the practice. Which is why they're taking such drastic measures to bring attention to it. But are they the right ones? Give your opinion. One of the girls dresses as the Ukrainian symbol of freedom - the Ukrainian Marianne, August 24, The girls patrol Kiev's main road, Khreshchatyk Street, challenging men about what they think of them.
Many of your compatriots think of us as prostitutes. Thank you for thinking differently! Group member Alexandra throws a cream cake at writer Oles Buzina, known for his book "Ladies, back to the harems", and for his open stance against the right for a woman to say no to sex.
April I've been working in the escort service for three years now. I started working in my first year at uni. It was not an escort service to be exact - it was originally a modelling agency. Then it changed owners and we were asked to provide additional services. Half of the girls left but I had nowhere to go. So I stayed. And I'm still here. It costs around 70 euros per hour for a typical date. Sex is almost always included, at least with my agency.
