The granddaughter of Valentyna Smirnova enjoys a dip in the Dnipro River. Her grandparents are among the relatively few families who live year-around on the river, forgoing the luxuries and headaches of city life for the quieter rhythms of the river. KP Media, photo by Alina Rudya For some Kyivans, living on the Dnipro River is an escape from the city known for its traffic snarls, garbage problems and noise.

roblems and noise. The number of people who can take advantage of this alternative lifestyle is not likely to grow dramatically, since wealthy landowners have bought up much of the prime riverfront space.

But those families who have managed to find a spot on the banks say they have few regrets about leaving the city behind for life on the water, except perhaps during the winter. The Smirnov family is among the families who stay on the river year-round.

The Smirnovs, Valentyna and her husband, have been living on a houseboat for more than 25 years. A long­time friend owns the land on the shore where they live. And they got in cheap: They built the houseboat themselves when prices of everything were low.

Even in the Soviet Kyiv of the 1970s, the Smirnovs had grown tired of city life. They gave their apartment to their son and moved to the bank of the river near Korchevatoe, just south of Kyiv. The Smirnovs say the river community stretches from the Podil district of Kyiv downstream to Korchevate.

According to the official Ukrainian registry that monitors the number of houseboats parked along the river, 50 households have licenses to anchor their floating homes along Kyiv’s Dnipro River.

That number is not likely to grow much. The land along the Dnipro has been snapped up in recent years by wealthy Kyivans who are building private homes and dachas along the water, says Serhiy Zenhizter, head of Fregat, one of the five boat companies operating in Ukraine.

Living on the river has its hardships. The Smirnovs get all their water directly from the river, filling up 20-­liter jugs. “We warm it up to have a shower in our bathroom inside of the houseboat,” she says.

Also, when winter hits, Valentyna Smirnova would prefer to live in a flat. But her husband won’t go. “He says he would rather die than go back to our ninth floor apartment.”

And she admits to missing some of the conveniences of living in a flat. For instance, the couple has a special gas tank that they cook on. And, to stay warm in the winter, the couple has a big oil boiler.

Those shortcomings aside, the Smirnovs say living on the water allows the couple to escape from the smog and dirt of the city.

“It isn’t stuffy like the city. We don’t have any city noises. We don’t have dust. We are the people of the water where we enjoy the fresh air and the sun. It’s all around us and it’s all we need to be happy,” Smirnova says.

One of the Smirnovs’ neighbors, Tamara Hrom, is a Moscow native who lives on a houseboat from March through November with her husband and grandchildren. She likes her seasonal time on the water.

But she also likes to shower at friends’ apartments. “I have to rely on my Kyiv friends who have apartments for a hot shower because it would not be right to pollute the river with soap and shampoo,” Hrom says.

Houseboats were once relatively cheap compared to city center apartments. But now, more Kyivans are looking to the shores of the Dnipro for summer cottages.

The times have changed, says Vladyslav Shevchenko, employee at the Fregat boating station. “During the Soviet times, the water business was not profitable and boat­building companies would have sold houseboats to anybody who would have wanted one.

“It is impossible for ordinary people to build such a house. There is no free river space from Kyiv down to Kaniv where the houseboat can be anchored. All the lands now are sold and have private owners. Those people who built or bought water cottages 20 or 30 years ago are really lucky now,” said Serhiy Zenhizter, head of the “Fregat” boat station.

The Smirnovs house has skyrocketed in value. The house, made up of a seven square meter kitchen, two big bedrooms, a living room, bathroom and balcony, now costs more that $100, 000. And such a house comes with tax advantages. Since the property is considered to be a boat and not real estate, government does not assess property taxes.

Summer is, of course, the best time to be on the water. The Smirnovs like sitting on their balcony and taking in the Kyiv skyline as small waves rock their houseboat. The depth of the Dnipro seems to change constantly.

For Valentyna Smirnova, life is not boring to live in a houseboat, especially in the summer. “Each day we welcome our friends, relatives and journalists,” she smiles.

Winter definitely brings fewer guests. “In winter, nobody wants to get here on the ice,” Smirnova said. “Moreover, in winter, the house is frozen. It cannot float and it is not so interesting for other people to be there.”