Colourfull hospitability from ukrainian border guards
Kyiv, May 24, 2018.
Ukrainian border guards welcomed Liverpool FC and Real Madrid CF in a unique manner - with colourful logos of the two football clubs painted on the guards’ faces.
In the evening of May 24, the “red-and-white” Liverpool arrived to Kyiv’s Sikorsky airport (Zhulyany), while the “blue-white-gold” Real Madrid landed in Boryspil. Ukrainian State Border Service guards welcomed the foreign guests, wearing face paint of the teams’ logos.
"This was a great opportunity for us to show the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine as an open and modern institution with the staff who is happy to welcome foreign guests in Kyiv. I hope all players were delighted to see the colors of their teams on the border guards’ faces. We will also extend the same warm welcome to all football fans," said Petro Tsygykal, Head of the Service.
The idea of "Shocking Welcome" project was developed and implemented specifically on the occasion of the UEFA Champions League final in Kyiv. Ukrainian makeup artists applied the drawings on the faces of the State Border Service staff in the colors of the Champions League finalists’ logos.
"Kyiv is a hospitable and creative city. Border guards are the first to welcome the guests of the capital. Face paint in the colours of the teams reflects Kyiv's readiness to give the fans the time of their lives and leave them with pleasant memories. Kyiv authorities were glad to support this initiative,” said Deputy Head of Kyiv City State Administration Oleksiy Reznikov.
Commenting on this initiative, the author of the project "Shocking Welcome" Gennadiy Kurochka said: "Apart from showcasing Ukrainian hospitality, there was another important goal we planned to achieve. As Ukraine is not yet a part of the Schengen area, passport control upon arrival in Kyiv may create some difficulties for the European football fans, who are used to travel without borders. We are convinced that the State Border Guard Service will do its best to minimize any inconveniences for the fans. However, should some minor delays still occur, our “Shocking Welcome” will keep up the positive and festive atmosphere around the Champions League."
"Shocking Welcome" initiative involves 80 border guards in the international airports “Boryspil” and "Kyiv" (Zhulyany) and will last throughout the arrival of all fans. Special “selfie” zones, where anyone will be able to take a photo with the colored border guards, have been set up in the arrival zones of both airports.
Photos from the event can be downloaded here: http://dropmefiles.com/0P51E
For more information, please contact:
Yuriy Sak, Creative Director, CFC Consulting
E-mail: ys@cfc.com.ua
Phone: +38 095 618 1564