Seemingly carefree and miles away from reality, Kyiv's privileged youth bask in a setting inspired by a Floridian hip-hop video. There's a 25-meter pool in the center, surrounded first by "XXL mattresses for eight," then by rows of deckchairs. There are also parasols to offer protection from the scorching sun, and three bars quench patrons' thirst. The whole scene overlooks a sandy beach along the Dnieper River's dark waters.

By mid-afternoon on Sunday, August 13, the Fifty Beach Club was fully booked with 150 customers. Almost all were under 30, with nicely tanned, sculpted bodies. The girls, all in bikinis and heavy makeup, dance to house music, chat, sip cocktails and watch each other. Clad in their Bermuda shorts, the men – most of whom are bodybuilders and tattooed – do the same. They also roll up their sleeves, push their friends into the water or do somersaults to amuse the crowd.

The music, mixed by a woman with pink locks, is too loud to encourage relaxation, but it's still possible to order a cocktail without screaming. The prices on the menu, while not astronomical, are aimed at an affluent clientele: pornstar Martinis and Nutella and strawberry pizzas are served for around €10. The large 4×4s, elegant sedans and sports cars parked in the guarded lot confirm their social status.

"It's a normal Sunday," said Denys, a red-headed bartender wearing a Fifty Beach Club T-shirt emblazoned with the slogan "Live for the moment" and a brand of bourbon. "Everything here depends on the weather. If the weather's good, it's full, even on weekdays." Comparing attendance to "before," Denys carefully – or perhaps unconsciously – avoided any reference to the war tearing his country apart. Like his club's customers, the barman only brings up the political situation reluctantly and under pressure from those he was speaking with.

'Just because I'm in Bermuda shorts by the pool doesn't mean I've forgotten anything!'

"War is our daily life, but we have the right to take our minds off it!" exclaimed 24-year-old Olena, who was stretched out on a chaise longue and suddenly became tense. "It's so painful to read the news, to learn that children were killed this morning, to be woken up at night by explosions, and it never stops. I don't want war to spoil my youth. I need to forget it once in a while. When I come here, I manage to do just that."

Clearly bored by the turn taken in the discussion, the woman on the next lounge over, in an apple-green bikini, pouted, got up and delicately slipped into the pool. Her disproportionately long, white, pointed false fingernails were the only objects in this cocoon of pleasure that remotely resembled a weapon.

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