Thailand is famous not only for its popular resorts, exotic cuisine and a large influx of tourists (of course, during the pre-quarantine time), but also for various types of massage.
Despite the eloquent name, Thailand is not considered the birthplace of Thai massage. We should be grateful to the healers of China, India and Burma for this technique. But it is in Thailand that massage became widespread and world famous.
The founder of passive yoga, that is, Thai massage, is called Dr. Jivaka Kumar Bhaccha. He invented the technique more than 2,500 years ago specifically for the treatment of the royal family of India and successfully applied it in practice. He passed on the knowledge of Thai massage to his students, and the first written mention of the technique dates back to 1830.
Long since, Thai massage has combined the elements of yoga (hence the name “passive yoga”), acupressure and Ayurveda.
Massage types
In Thailand, almost at every step you can find local masters who will massage the whole body or certain parts of the body for a small payment. And the quality does not depend on whether you come to an equipped salon or a small tent. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of types of massage, so there will be plenty to choose from.
Let’s talk about the most popular types of Thai massage and where it can be done in Kyiv.
Traditional Thai massage
If you’ve ever done any kind of massage, traditional Thai massage might surprise you. The master does not use any additional means in the form of oils, with rare exceptions. Only your body and its capabilities are involved.
Before starting the procedure, you need to put on wide trousers and a loose shirt, and the masseur will bend the body in every way: arms, legs, feet, torso, neck, fingers and all joints. Do not be afraid of pain, the master will control everything, and if discomfort still appears, ask to do everything with less pressure.
Relaxing foot massage
In oriental medicine, special attention is paid to the legs. It is believed that there are about 70 points in the feet, each of which is associated with a specific organ. That is why foot massage is distinguished as a separate procedure.
The therapist uses oil at the beginning of the procedure, and also uses special sticks made of teak, mango or other exotic wood.
Hot stone massage
Hot stone massage is another way to relax and get benefits for the body. With the help of heating with stones, large muscles of the back, neck and legs are involved, and the procedure itself is slow, pleasant and more like a trip to a SPA.
Thai massage with herbal bags, oils, face massage, head massage, body shaping and other types are extremely common. At the Amari salon you can also try a hot candle massage, the Heaven on Earth treatment for two persons. Its program includes four types of massage, a secluded atmosphere with music, candles, rose petals and the best masters.
Benefit for health
Thai massage is not only a way to relax the body. It is even recommended by neurologists for getting rid of headaches, pinching, stress, overexertion, osteochondrosis, problems with breathing and blood supply. And these are far from the rarest problems in the 21st century. Depending on the request with which you come to the Thai massage session, it is recommended to complete the whole course of procedures.
Contraindications
Despite the clear benefits of Thai massage, not everyone can get the procedure. First of all, you should consult with your doctor if you have problems with the back, neck or joints, as well as the cardiovascular system, pressure.
Where to get massage in Kyiv?
In the middle of snowy February, it would be ideal to find yourself in Thailand for a massage, but you can also find a piece of Asia in Kyiv. The chain of Amari salons is located in different districts of Kyiv, so that everyone could feel themselves in sunny Thailand without even leaving the capital.
Salon addresses:
Holosiyevo, 26 Mykhaila Maksymovycha Street, +38 (093) 070-74-77 (Viber, Telegram, WhatsApp), +38 (098) 070-74-47
Pecherska (13 Lesi Ukrainky Boulevard), +38 (073) 12-06-002 (Viber, Telegram, WhatsApp)
Osokorky (10B Zavalna Street, Status Grad residential complex), +38 (073) 444-91-47 (Viber, Telegram, WhatsApp)
Poshtova Square (3A Naberezhno-Khreschatytska Street), +38 (093) 719-66-82 (Viber, Telegram, WhatsApp)
One more salon is expected to open soon in Troyeschyna.
On February, 6 and 7 Ancient Kyiv in the Principality of Kyivan Rus («Kyivan Rus Park») invites to the «Horse-trick Weekend». The guests will be awaited by the horse-trick performances, master-classes on ancient martial arts and horse care, tasty dishes prepared on fire, Slavic games, round dances… And all of this in a real medieval city!
On February, 6 and 7 the inhabitants of the Principality will warmly welcome dear guests at the entrance gate and will not let you get bored even for a minute. During these days the visitors will become active participants of the action.
Horse shows with the participation of unique horses of historical breeds will take place on the big tilting-yard of Ancient Kyiv.
After the performances, the horse breeders will tell the guests about the breeds` origin, their characteristics, about which outstanding historical personalities owned the representatives of that or another breed. The experienced instructors will hold open master-classes on horse training and care, where they will tell how to look after these animals for them to be not only healthy and obedient, but also to become faithful friends.
Every visitor will get a chance to walk up to the horses, palm them, make a colorful photo session and even ride on a horseback or in a carriage.
A master-class on horseback archery will be the highlight of the program on February, 6 and 7. The sportsmen-virtuosos will surprise with the historical bow shooting accuracy on a horseback at full gallop. This is an incredibly difficult task for the competition participants, but at the same time, a thrilling and exciting sight for the audience!
The changes in the program are possible.
The visiting of Ancient Kyiv takes place in compliance with the requirements of the quarantine regime.
Ancient Kyiv is situated in 45 minutes from modern Kyiv – in the Kyiv region, Obukhiv district, vill. Kopachiv.
Ticket price: a full adult ticket – 200 Uah., for pensioners and students – 150 Uah., for schoolchildren – 80 Uah., for preschool children – for free.
Detailed information on the website www.parkkyivrus.com
The Interfax subscribers can save money with the “openbusiness-20” promo code for a 20%-discount for a full price adult ticket to the Principality of Kyivan Rus:
– by previous order by tel.: +38 044 461-99-37, +38 050 385-20-35
– or at the cash desk at the entrance to the «Kyivan Rus Park».
The new supply of office premises located on the left bank of Kyiv in 2021 will amount to only about 20,000 square meters, according to the international consulting company CBRE Ukraine (Kyiv).
According to the company’s report presented during the webinar entitled “Retail Real Estate Market Analytics” on January 27, about 180,000 square meters of new office space are expected to be released on the capital market in 2021, of which only 20,000 square meters are located on the left bank of Kyiv. Among them are office buildings on Bazhana Avenue (11,000 square meters and 6,000 square meters) and the Piramida business center (2,600 square meters).
“A piece of advice to developers: you need to pay attention to the left bank, as 35% of people working in the center live there. The lack of premises on the left bank also affects the fact that people do not want to return to offices, as it takes a lot of time to go to the center. It would be good to develop the left bank as well, which is now happening gradually,” Head of Brokerage at CBRE Ukraine Anna Silvestrova said at the webinar.
According to her, projects with an area of about 20,000 square meters, located near the metro, are optimal for the left bank.
At the same time, rental rates for high-quality class A premises on the left bank will inevitably be lower than for similar properties on the right bank.
“This is unprofitable for developers, since the return on their investment will be much longer and a little more painful,” Silvestrova said.
She said that someone should launch a project that will equalize the rights of the two banks. “I think it is faster to build a business center than the fifth or sixth bridge,” the expert said.
At the same time, CBRE predicts a reduction in new supply in 2023-2024, since many projects in the early stages of construction were canceled or suspended last year.
SkyUp Airlines (Kyiv) from April 25, 2021 launches flights on the route Kyiv-Brno (the Czech Republic)-Kyiv.
The press service of the company said the flights will be operated twice a week on Thursdays and Sundays.
The cost of tickets from Kyiv to Brno without luggage starts from UAH 1,016, from Brno to Kyiv from UAH 966.
As reported, the commission of the State Aviation Administration of Ukraine decided to recommend to the head of the service to grant SkyUp the right to operate the Kyiv-London (UK) route for regular flights for an unlimited period from January 4, 2021.
The first store of the fashion brand The Athlete’s Foot, which is being developed in Ukraine by the Epicenter K group of companies under a franchise, was opened on December 26 in the shopping and entertainment center Blockbuster Mall in Kyiv.
“The Athlete’s Foot (TAF) is a subsidiary project of Intersport International Corporation. In Ukraine, its development as a franchise will be carried out by the Epicenter K group of companies, which this year has entered into an agreement with the owner of the brand … Ukraine became one of 30 countries of the world where this brand operates,” a press release from Epicenter K reads.
According to the report, the area of the store is 340 sq m.
TAF stores are also to open in other cities with a population of one million, in particular in Dnipro and Odesa, but the dates have not been named due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Epicenter K LLC was founded in 2003 and opened the first hypermarket in Kyiv in December of the same year. As of August 2020, the chain has 62 shopping centers in Ukraine.
On New Year’s Eve, the capital’s metro will run two hours longer, the press service of the municipal enterprise Kyiv Metro said.
“The last train will leave each station at different times. From the city center around 2:15. Additional opening hours are added to the regular timetable for each station located at the entrance and on the platform,” the enterprise wrote on Facebook.
In turn, Head of the municipal enterprise Kyiv Metro Viktor Brahinsky said that there may also be restrictions (closings) on the entrance for passengers at the stations Zoloti Vorota (Golden Gate), Khreschatyk, Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square), Poshtova Ploshcha and Kontraktova Ploshcha.
“The mechanism is being used for security reasons to avoid mass congestion of passengers on station platforms,” he wrote on Facebook.
