Near the monument of the Heavenly Hundred, where the sculpture of a human figure shaped like the cross and pictures adorned with flowers remind those who pass of the citizens killed during the Maidan demonstrations, a boxing gym opened its doors to the public.
The spacious gym features a large hall filled with three boxing rings, a pair of wrestling mats, and brand new equipment made to host up to 40 participants at a time. On the grand opening earlier in January, 300 spectators reportedly watched as 70 local amateur boxers aged 5-18 competed in an exhibition event.
According to reports, the Brothers Boxing Club has been in the works for the last five years. The 2014 Maidan demonstrations, subsequent political tension, and a struggle to find adequate funding and coaches delayed plans to open the gym. While the founders were eventually able to bring their vision to life, it would not have been possible without direct assistance from Khalid Musayev, an alleged Chechen gangster who moonlights as a businessman in Ukraine.
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