Karl Smithson, a 25-year-old English teacher, business owner, and rapper from Wiltshire, moved to Kyiv in September 2024 after studying in London. He swapped a £1,150 four-bedroom house share in Stockwell for a £600 one-bedroom apartment in the Ukrainian capital. What was meant to be a short stay has extended to over a year, and he says he feels safer in Kyiv than in London despite the ongoing war.
Why Kyiv Feels Safer Than London
Smithson attributes his sense of safety to the absence of knife crime, drug disorder, and aggressive behavior on Kyiv's streets. 'Generally speaking, people are very well behaved,' he said. He illustrated this with an example from marshrutkas—1990s-style minibuses common in Ukraine. Passengers pass cash down the line to pay the driver, and change is returned the same way. 'I find that really funny because in London, if you did that, somebody in that line would most likely just steal your money,' he said.
A High-Trust Society United by War
Smithson describes Ukraine as a 'high-trust society,' a quality intensified by the war. 'Young British people are very polarised right now. Ukrainians, by contrast, are much more unified. They know what they're fighting for,' he said. He acknowledges the dangers of living in a war zone, calling Russian attacks 'very scary, especially when the building is shaking, and you can hear drones.' During winter blackouts in January, when temperatures dropped to minus 15°C, he often slept in several jumpers and worked in cafés when power cuts made home teaching impossible.
Nightlife and Social Life Under Curfew
Despite a nightly curfew, Smithson enjoys Kyiv's nightlife, which he finds cheaper and more spontaneous than London's. He has made genuine friends and feels welcomed by locals. When asked if his Ukrainian male friends—who cannot leave the country due to martial law—judge his decision, he said, 'They're obviously a lot more limited in terms of what they can do, because they're scared of being stopped in the streets and sent to the front line.' However, he added that no one has said anything negative. 'Generally, people say, "It's really nice that you came here and that you support Ukraine."'
Future Plans
Smithson dreams of eventually owning homes in both London and Kyiv. For now, he is content with his life in Ukraine, where the marshrutkas and the sense of community keep him grounded.
