These Photos Show Why Kiev Is The New Capital Of Rave

“It felt like back in the days, like Berlin ten years ago.” 

In recent years, Kiev has become a locus for some of the most impressive, daring and proactive partying in Eastern Europe. Thanks to awesome underground festivals like Strichka—and a vibrant scene that has produced immense talents like DJ Nastia—the Ukrainian city has definitely made a name for tiself as a place with an uncompromising attitude towards raving.

This development has been documented in a new book titled Wake Up Nights by Max von Gumppenberg and Patrick Bienert. The photographers first came to Kiev in 2015 having traveled around the Black Sea, and became immediately struck by the open attitude of the city. “It was also about fun – having fun again and feeling free and I haven’t felt like this for a long time,” the author said. The beautiful photos in the collection capture the duo’s subsequent time spent in the city and its local rave and club haunts. It’s further proof of the cultural and musical vitality that continues to emanate from the East. See more images from von Gumppenberg and Bienert’s book below.

Read more: Experience Kiev’s 36-hour marathon Strichka rave in photos