In spite of the inflow of football fans in Ukraine for the time of the European Football Championship, the number of clients for Ukrainian prostitutes has not increased. Human rights activists and public figures were saying before the start of Euro 2012 that Ukraine would turn into a big brothel. However, it turns out that it is the fighters against prostitution, who create such a negative image for the country.
In Ukraine, brothels can be found under "Massage Parlor" signs, presumably in the basements of buildings. Some houses of ill fame do not have any signs at all. A client faces a steel door and a doorbell only. The prices for sexual services are equal for both foreigners and locals. The average price makes up nearly 700-800 hryvnas per hour (3,000 rubles or $100).
"There were French and Spanish guys. I can't say that there were many of them," a taxi cab driver said, who often helps foreign tourists find the places that they are looking for in moments of passion.
The local representatives of the most ancient profession in the world said that they did not notice an abrupt increase in the number of clients during the days of the football championship. Many predict an increase of the number of sex tourists prior to major sports tournaments. However, such prognoses do not materialize in most cases. That's what happened in Germany in 2006, when several brothels went bankrupt.
Ukraine was dreading the inflow of sex tourists. Local prostitutes were adding more fuel to the fire. They organized a number of public actions and urged people not to put obstacles for their business.
It is an open secret that Ukraine is one of Europe's leaders in terms of the development of the market of sex services. The advocates of children's rights were highly concerned about the possible rise of children's prostitution in the country. Ukrainian Ombudsman for Children's Rights, Yury Pavlenko, was certain that many "supporters" would come to the country for sexual pleasures, rather than the games of football, and that they would use children to satisfy their lust, the Komsomolskaya Pravda said. It was therefore recommended for Ukrainian parents to take their children out of the hosting cities - Kiev, Kharkov, Donetsk and Lvov.
German publication Bild has recently called Ukraine "a country of prostitutes." The country, penned by German reporter Matias Marburg started with the following lines: "Ukraine is a country of prostitutes. As many as 100,000 women sell their bodies."
The article became a bombshell in Ukraine. The Ukrainians went mad. Officials with the Ukrainian Embassy in Germany expressed their deep concerns in connection with the publication. The journalist had to apologize. He said, however, that he referred to a statement from Inna Shevchenko, an activist of Ukraine's notorious movement Femen. It was Shevchenko who called Ukraine a "brothel." The journalist said that the article in Bild was only a draft, which was published in the newspaper by mistake.
Many football fans said, though, that they came to Ukraine to see football, rather than visit prostitute.
"I came here with my friends to see the country and meet new people. I know that many prostitutes in Europe come from Ukraine and Russia, but I did not even think that the issue of sex tourism was so global in Ukraine. I do not need that I have my wife waiting for me at home," a supporter said.