What happens when you bribe your way inside Kiev’s Mother Motherland statue

Keen traveller Jake Ritari got the opportunity to take some great photos after slipping the right man a few sneaky coins

Jake Ritari made it to the top of the Mother Motherland statue eventually (Jake Ritari)

Have you ever found the key to sneaking into somewhere out of bounds is a cheeky “donation”? Even if it’s just a few pounds?

That’s what Jake Ritari, an engineer from Washington state, discovered when he took a chance with a security guard at the Mother Motherland statue in Kiev, after finding the route to the top of the monument was closed.

The 62-metre-high statue is an important feature of the Ukrainian capital's skyline. And Ritari discovered it looks pretty cool from the inside, too.

Jake climbs up a ladder inside one of the statue's arms (Jake Ritari)

​A series of photos he took after bribing his way into the monument show him climbing a ladder inside one of its arms, and the view from a secure area behind the shield.

Ritari got inside the statue after taking a punt and offering a security guard 200 Ukrainian hryvnia (£3), the cost of two tickets when the monument is open. “I don’t know if it’s technically a bribe at that point, but I paid the guy directly instead of paying at the front desk,” Ritari said.

View from the top: behind the shield of the Mother Motherland statue (Jake Ritari)

After a short climb he was out in the open and seeing Kiev from behind the statue’s giant metal shield – £3 well spent.

The Mother Motherland statue in all her glory (Jake Ritari)

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