Furry Convention in Ukraine Will Continue as Scheduled

Protesters in Kiev – Source: ABC News

KHARKIV, Ukraine, January 28 — Amid growing disapproval and violent protests that left 4 dead and hundreds injured in the Ukrainian capital city of Kiev, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov resigned on the morning of 28 January 2014.

He and his cabinet will continue in their roles until the President and the Parliament can form a new government to lead the eastern-European nation moving forward.

The protests ultimately stem from the decision of Azarov to imprison former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who was one of the nation’s most outspoken leaders in the effort to integrate the Ukraine into the European Union.

Some 475 kilometers (300 miles) to the east in Ukraine’s second largest city, Kharkiv, the situation has been tense but different. Most of Kharkiv’s residents speak Russian and many do not actively support the integration of the Ukraine into the EU, due to already deteriorating ties with Russia.

A small gathering will be occurring this weekend in Kharkiv, but politics are not on the agenda for discussion. KharCon, a small furry convention that meets several times a year, will take place this weekend, from Friday 31 January through Sunday 2 February.

The convention is led by Ksanshie, a fur from the city of Kharkiv who has organized the conventions since they began to meet in 2012. This will be the “KharCon 8.5,” a gathering in preparation for the bigger KharCon 9 in March.

The schedule for the weekend includes social games, a city suit walk, a tour of Kharkov, an evening of films, master classes, and even a sauna and pool excursion on Saturday night.

KharCon March 2013 — Source: Khanshie

The Furry Post spoke to Ksanshie about the convention. He seemed excited and enthusiastic about the upcoming KharCon, which will continue as scheduled regardless of the political unrest in the capital.

When asked what the general attitude of the furries in Ukraine were to the political strife, Ksanshie said, “I almost don’t know anything about the political allegiances of furries.”

He was also asked if planning for the convention was complicated by the unrest, to which he said “No, but my friend could not go to Kiev – his parents were against the trip.”

In a city of 1.5 million Ukrainians, many would have expected some kind of reaction in Kharkiv to the resignation. Responding on the evening of the resignation to what he noticed, Ksanshie told TFP that the buses were on schedule and Kharkiv was rather cold this morning, playing down the political response in a city that feels half a world away from Kiev.

“Slavs solve much more difficult problems,” Ksanshie said.

KharCon 8.5, being more of a smaller, friendly meeting than other Ukranian furry conventions, will host about 20 furs this weekend.

Ksanshie works in Kharkiv as a web developer. For information about KharCon, contact him at this profile.