The man in the Hall

Who is this man in the hall and what is he doing? He sits outside my room on week days. Am I being guarded or kept in. His expression never changes much like the man downstairs door porter.

The arrival- W elcome Laskavo prosihmo

The dash dehavillan touched down thursday afternoon on a wet, soggy day. After skipping across the small landing strip, he came to a stop. Outside, armed soldiers with kalisnakovs were anxiously waiting our arrival. Instead of going to new Airport terminal , we were put on a bus and taken on a dirt road to a building from the communist era. Our luggage was put on a cart with a man standing on it . It was some motorized cart.
In the rain we stood as they let in maybe 10 people a time . The hall was an old building beckoning the soviet occupation. The smoke was as dense as a russian bar in brighton beach. 
Finally. My turn. Look up,  then look at passport. Look again.
Unfortunately, a turkish air lands the same time so they are ripping their suitcases to shreds. I just hold up my passport and hope for the best. Luckily, i get through.
My friend and his father in law are waiting outside. Vitaio. Laskavo poshimo to lviv.
Under the rain ,a 2 hr taxi wait for a 15 minute ride. Yes, boris has not been gone long enough.
The taxi is either a lada or skoda, I am unsure at this point.
I am thinking ... I am back in east germany before the wall comes down.

The hotel
The hotel is named after Vienna but there is nothing viennese about this place other than the pictures on the wall and the coffee house downstairs which has an array of cakes harkening back to the austro-hungarian era.
Lviv was part of the Austro- Hungarian empire so you will see architecture from this era around town.

The hotel has no elevator so the walk upstairs begins. Stoney faced security guards sit down stairs smoking unknown brands of cigarettes. The smoke is dense everywhere her.
. The room is a jr suite which by european standards is a regular room at any 3 star european hotel. No minibar. Tv with russian and ukrainian stations .
However, immaculately clean and great water pressure. In fact, on departure the cleaning lady thanks me profusely for the small tip I left. I would love to take her home with me to clean
I have a room with a view. From the balcony, i see the square where twice a day the loudspeaker blares out something in ukrainian such as rise and shine,
Actually could be publicity but reminds me of soviet times when the speakers woke up everybody in the morning. Rise and shine comrades it is a great day to work.
Every night there is entertainment in the square below the room such as music or fire throwers. It is a form of escape. Escape as i have been told from people who want change but are ok with status quo. Remember, this country is free it is no longer communist but is it really free?