LIUDA, THE IDEAL MATCHMAKER

During my stays in Kiev, I had contacts with painters that I have exposed in Geneva, since 1998. I visited studios and I discovered a other world. A world in wich artists had the true art of painting, which had continue through the socialist realism mouvement in the country in the USSR, unlike many artist of our regions who had lot a lost with the anti-art and conceptual art.

To be frank, Kiev did not interested me only for its artists for the beauty of its parks, its , museums, its churches, its historic buildings but also for the beauty of its women, which corresponded to my ideal beauty. As it is with a artist friend I started to find a women I could be in love, and wherein I can imagine a common life. Different marriage agencies who had store front soon proved desappointing because very anonymous. For them you were simply customers they can take monney. The contact was impersonal and a bit cold. I needed something else, a other approach. By chance we came across someone who gave us a phonenumber : the voice was friendly,loving, understanding, hospitable. It was my first contact with Liuba, who would become my matchmaker, one that would encourage my meetings. I would not be disappointed. We were in 2000 I would have 50 years, but for her I was young, I had life ahead of me.

She lived in the modest little apartment in the suburbs of Kiev and received in the living room who was also his own room , the single room of the apartment, separeted by the corridor adjoining kitchen. The reception was both very quaint and very simple. She was surrounded by beautiful books of photographs where I discovered a whole gallery of young women where some of which were very pretty. For each she could give details on age, education, , tastes, psychology but mostly she clasped voice with actions. As soon as fell on a women photo I liked, she did not lose one minute, she call, talking about me with enthusiasm and happened every time manage to get a meeting. And however I had aestetics tastes very particulars and decerning. Sometimes I stood for hours to consult books with hundreds of smiling faces to decide without me. She had the patience of a angel. For her time was never money.

Sometimes she received a phone , responded quickly and caught his attention again towards me. As Liuda lived his profession as a vocation and practiced with psychology, attention and sincere love. The financial aspect was almost anecdotal, the low cost for the service accepted without hesitation. Because we flet that his happiness, his reason for living was contacting a women and a men together for love each other and live happily. Simply. After a meeting with youg women whose contact finally had proved inconclusive, Liuda was out of young women to propose me. I was so demanding that none of these did not suit me.

Liuda but never abandone the party She always has a new trick to play. Because she as a capacity for empathy and exceptional contact and she maintains relationships with colleagues that can help her. Tha’s what happened. I finaly found a small agency with a small women alone that made me flip through album. The opposite of Liuda she seemed in a hurry only gave me little time.and however...

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Suddenly an appearance. One photo with a very young blonde women in the distance. Few details but a silhouette seductive, a smile, an aura. She was very young, 22 years and half. We were in January 2000. I had to choose quickly between her and a choice of an older women who was better suited to my age and please me enough .But I settled for the next five years. I settled fort the young girl.

Liuda do not worry :I could very well match me with a young women, more than 25 years younger than me. Ukraine possible she told me. It is even often the case.

Meeting and it’s love at first sight. I immediately flet that I was in love. It met my expectations. Henceforth I did’nt need something more than her I felt. But I had to be careful and patient. I first proposed the fine to work with me as academic model because I needed to draw this young beauty, to paint and my friend was there, Boris, painter attentive and very good teacher. During 5 months I have courted and finally the young graduate in history chose adventure to fellow me to Geneva and helped me to promote his country’s artists in the gallery I have done in the Old City of Geneva. We could live in harmony despite our differences for 4 years. She learned a new trade. She learned french and english in good schools . Young women of the sign of Leo, very ambitious she in a few years wanted to take courses at Sotheby’s in London. The young women now had a job. She could claim that she was looking for : economic independence. She finally found a job in a London auction house. specializing in the sale of Russian Artists. The bird has flown but I have never regretted this dynamic and exhilarating years with Natasha, the young woman loved I had met by Liuda, Liuda the matchmaker.

Years passed. Liuda also is loyalty over time. His country, 15 years of independence, Ukraine is a young democracy torn between two blocks, the Western bloc Europe and US and the Eastern bloc the new Russian which she was the cradle. with the Kiev Russ 10 century, two centuries before the founding of Moscow. Ukraine is a country of 60 million of inhabitants with a fabulous humain social economic potential. It is a very rich land that was the breadbasket of the USSR. Its people are warm, well-educated workers brave. But Ukraine, in the Russian language, countries limit is a east-west fault :with the west Ukraine very patriotic and nationalist and eastern regions most Russian speakers.

For me, the only solution credible and wise for Ukraine to avoid tearing after the painful events of the past two years ist to stay independant and neutral, a bit like Switzerland, my country or Sweden. Neutral but with the capacity of self-defense and to develop with the autonomous regions organised into federations. Also much alike my country Switzerland. To respect differences but remain united. The interest of the Ukrainian people, whose unit has been created over centuries with the language and culture it is nor to depend too powerful neighbor Russia nor tofall into the trap of European Union, IMF and NATO. The Ukrainian people is better that it. It must stay the course of Independence, of Unit and select independent, honest and courageous patriots for the general interest of the people. I have called Liuda, the matchmaker, she is always there at is post despite the difficulties of his country. She asked me to write a text for her for her company. It is one of those Ukrainians honest, loyal and courageous. She deserves our attention, she deserves our support, because she has worked tremendously for us, Western men looking for women that we do not find among us. She gaved enormously fort the women, the young Ukrainian women,that she liked and has sought successfully to marry our men our country supposedly the richiest. But what rich?

I‘m going back to Kiev to meet my matchmaker, once again.

Peter