Halloween on Oct. 31 is fast becoming one of the most popular holidays of the year in Ukraine, appealing to lovers of the macabre and partygoers alike. It is also popular with Ukrainian celebrities.The Kyiv Post interviewed Ukrainian stars to find out how they celebrate Halloween, and what spooky experiences they have had.
The Kyiv Post interviewed Ukrainian stars to find out how they celebrate Halloween, and what spooky experiences they have had.
Dreams of star athlete
Hanna Rizatdinova, a star Ukrainian gymnast and an Olympic Games medalist, likes Halloween and regrets she has no time to celebrate it – fall is a very tough time for Rizatdinova, who travels to various international competitions and training bases to stay in good shape.
“I’ve always wanted to put on scary makeup and celebrate the holiday,” she says. Rizatdinova says she dreams of going to a Halloween party dressed as Emily Rose, from her favorite horror movie “The Exorcism of Emily Rose,” but she says she would never wear a costume of devil or any evil spirits.
Rizatdinova says she dreams of going to a Halloween party dressed as Emily Rose, from her favorite horror movie “The Exorcism of Emily Rose,” but she says she would never wear a costume of devil or any evil spirits. “I believe that there is good and evil, black and white, good and bad. Even in sports you often meet negative energy,” Rizatdinova said. “I believe in angels, and I know they have helped me on my path in sports.”
“I believe that there is good and evil, black and white, good and bad. Even in sports you often meet negative energy,” Rizatdinova said. “I believe in angels, and I know they have helped me on my path in sports.”
Drag queen with new outfit
Monroe, Kyiv’s most popular drag queen, of course likes parties and dressing up very much, all year round. She treats Halloween primarily as an excuse to have fun. “For me it’s just one more day to invent a creative look. I like all sorts of fancy dress parties,” she says.
“For me it’s just one more day to invent a creative look. I like all sorts of fancy dress parties,” she says.
Monroe says she likes witches’ costumes.
“Purely visually, the looks of witches suit me quite well – low-necked, long dress with cobwebs, gothic make-up and a deathly pallor,” she says.
Monroe has not yet decided which costume she will pick for Halloween this year. She says it will most likely be a comic book heroine. She says she may dress as Catwoman or April O’Neil, the sidekick of the Ninja Turtles, for this Halloween.
Singer will party hard
Popular Ukrainian singer Max Barskih says he is constantly having spooky experiences. One of the scariest things that happened to him had to do with a ghost that he says lived in the first apartment he ever rented.
The singer said doors in the apartment were constantly opening by themselves, stuff fell from the shelves, and strange noises were heard at nights. “Later we found out that an old man had died in the apartment before we moved in,” Barskih says.
“Later we found out that an old man had died in the apartment before we moved in,” Barskih says.
However, Barskih is not afraid to don an evil spirit’s costume for Halloween. In previous years he has dressed up in the costumes of vampires, cadavers and zombies.
“Remembering all my previous Halloweens, I now understand that all my costumes put me on the evil side,” Barskih says.
In contrast, this year he will probably dress as U.S. rapper Eminem, he says.Barskih plans to party hard during this year’s Halloween. He will organize a grand fancy-dress party with a laser show and a smoke machine.
Barskih plans to party hard during this year’s Halloween. He will organize a grand fancy-dress party with a laser show and a smoke machine.
“I want to organize a real masquerade for my friends,” Barskih says.
Relieves stress
Renowned Kyiv restaurateur Mykola Tyshchenko amazes his friends every year with creative and original Halloween outfits. He is fond of the holiday, and never misses a Halloween party.
Renowned Kyiv restaurateur Mykola Tyshchenko amazes his friends every year with creative and original Halloween outfits. He is fond of the holiday, and never misses a Halloween party.“Halloween is a cure-all, it’s a remedy for spiritual diseases and for stress first of all,” he says. “I think that it’s necessary to celebrate Halloween, because it helps to relieve stress and acts as a self-cure.”
“Halloween is a cure-all, it’s a remedy for spiritual diseases and for stress first of all,” he says. “I think that it’s necessary to celebrate Halloween, because it helps to relieve stress and acts as a self-cure.”
Monster aversion
But Andre Tan, one of Ukraine’s most famous fashion designers, isn’t so keen on Halloween.
“Why invent horror when there is a lot of real horror on our planet?” he says, shrugging.He doesn’t like scary, realistic evil spirit Halloween costumes, and believes that those who choose to dress up as a Halloween monster should pick a nice and kind one.
He doesn’t like scary, realistic evil spirit Halloween costumes, and believes that those who choose to dress up as a Halloween monster should pick a nice and kind one.
If he were to celebrate Halloween, he would dress as a French designer Yves Saint Laurent, wearing his iconic glasses, black trousers and a turtleneck, he says. n
