Ukraine is a sort of unexpected gem. My husband was born and raised in a neighboring country, yet he had never been. Two years ago, when we were visiting his family and then embarking on a more extended trip together through Eastern Europe, we spent a few days in Ukraine. We were both surprised at the country’s natural beauty and the wealth of nightlife in Kiev. As a gay couple we knew we had to be a little discrete in a homophobic country (which we had already comes to terms with throughout much of the trip, as my husband’s home country is quite homophobic itself), but there was nonetheless plenty for us to do in Kiev and a gay scene to be found if we knew where to look.