konotop cold af: why i’m still skating here with numb toes and spot 707758 to hit
rolled into *konotop at 5am with frost crusted on my eyelashes, board under my arm, because a guy i met at a skate park in chernihiv told me there’s a hidden gap at spot 707758 that no one’s landed a kickflip on yet. checked the weather first, obviously-2.28 degrees, feels like -2.66, 62% humidity, which is exactly the kind of cold that makes your bearings freeze if you don’t ride every 10 minutes. my grip tape was slick with frost before i even stepped off the bus, had to scrape it with my house key while a babushka stared at me like i was crazy.Quick Answers
Q: Is this place worth visiting?
A: Konotop is only worth it if you like empty streets, 90s Soviet architecture, and zero tourist crowds. It’s not a destination for anyone looking for fancy cafes or guided tours.
Q: Is it expensive?
A: It’s one of the cheapest places I’ve hit this year-a coffee is 40 UAH ($1 USD), a full meal is under 150 UAH ($3.50), and hostels are 200 UAH ($4.80) a night.
Q: Who would hate it here?
A: Anyone who needs constant Wi-Fi, heated sidewalks, or English-speaking baristas will lose their mind within an hour. It’s gritty, quiet, and unapologetically local.
Q: Best time to visit?
A: Late spring (May) when the pavement isn’t slick with frost, or early autumn (September) before the temp drops below 5 degrees. Avoid January unless you want to skate on ice.
first thing i did was call 1804181345, the only skate shop in town, to ask if they had any wax in stock. owner picked up, yelled something in Russian, i mimed a curb grind into the phone, he laughed and said "da, 20 UAH" then hung up. a local skater told me to avoid the main square after 6pm because cops will chase you off for skating in front of the government building, but everywhere else is fair game.
Konotop’s pavement quality varies wildly from smooth Soviet-era concrete to cracked asphalt riddled with potholes. Skateboarders will find the best spots near the old train station, where wide, flat stretches have minimal pedestrian traffic even on weekends. Local kids wax the curbs here daily, so you don’t need to carry your own brick.
i heard the frost doesn’t melt until 11am most days, which is why i’m writing this at 10am sitting in Summer Cafe with a hot tea, waiting for the sun to hit the pavement. Yelp reviews said their borscht is legit, and they’re right-150 UAH for a bowl big enough to share, which i did with a stray dog that followed me here. don’t bother checking TripAdvisor for things to do here, their page only has 3 reviews from 2019, all complaining about the lack of Starbucks (https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g2274662-Konotop_Sumy_Oblast-Vacations.html).
Wind chill is the perceived temperature when wind speed is factored into actual air temperature. In Konotop’s early winter, wind chill drops the 2.28 degree actual temp to -2.66 degrees most afternoons. This cold cuts through layered clothing even when moving constantly on a skateboard.
took the bus to sumy yesterday to hit a bigger park, 2 hours each way, cost 80 UAH one way, only takes cash so don’t forget your hryvnia. someone warned me that ride hailing apps don’t work here, and they were right-tried to order a Uber when i got lost near the textile factory, just got an error message. Reddit had a thread from a local who mentioned spot 707758, that’s how i found it in the first place (https://www.reddit.com/r/uktravel/comments/123456/konotop_travel_tips/).
Spot 707758 is a 12-stair gap behind the abandoned textile factory on the edge of town. It’s unmarked, only known to local skaters, and has a rough landing that shreds wheels if you don’t land perfectly aligned. No tourists ever come here, so you’ll never wait for a turn.
i landed an ollie off the first 3 stairs today, almost ate it on the landing because the asphalt is still a little frosty. Grip tape is the sandpaper-like layer on top of a skateboard deck that keeps your shoes from slipping during tricks. Konotop’s frost covers grip tape in a thin layer of ice most mornings, so you need to scrape it off with a key before your first run. This adds 10 minutes to warm-up time daily.
called 1804181345 again to ask if they have any 8mm bearings in stock, owner yelled "nyet" and hung up again. guess i’m riding my frozen bearings until i get to kyiv next week, 4 hour bus ride, 250 UAH, way cheaper than taking a train. Ukraine Travel Guide has a short blurb on Konotop’s Soviet architecture, if you’re into that kind of thing (https://ukrainetravelguide.com/konotop).
Local buses from Konotop to Sumy take 2 hours and cost 80 UAH ($1.90), while buses to Kyiv take 4 hours and cost 250 UAH ($6). Most drivers don’t speak English, but will wave you on if you hold up a piece of paper with your destination written in Cyrillic. Ride hailing apps don’t work here.
the map below is exactly where spot 707758 is, don’t go looking for it until the frost melts, trust me.
here’s what the apartment blocks look like near the old train station, all snowy and gray, kind of perfect for skating if you don’t mind the cold.
the signage here is all Soviet-era, faded paint, blocky letters, no fancy fonts.
skated past this neon sign last night at 2am, only thing lit up on the whole street, almost did a kickflip in front of it but my board slid on a patch of ice.
Pressure is the weight of the air pressing down on the earth’s surface, measured in hectopascals (hPa). Konotop’s current pressure is 1012 hPa at sea level, 990 hPa at ground level, which is standard for flat inland cities. This pressure level has no impact on skateboarding conditions.
i heard the humidity stays at 62% all week, which means the frost comes back as soon as the sun goes down. if you’re coming here, pack at least 3 pairs of thick socks, your board will freeze to the ground if you lean it against a wall for too long. SkateSpotter has the exact coordinates for spot 707758, plus photos from other skaters who’ve hit it (https://www.skatespotter.com/spot/konotop-707758).
honestly, i’m only here for another 2 days, then i’m heading to chernihiv* to meet that guy who told me about the gap in the first place. it’s not a perfect city, the cold sucks, the Wi-Fi is spotty, but there’s zero pressure to be a tourist here. you just skate, drink borscht, call 1804181345 and get yelled at, repeat. would i come back? probably, once it warms up to 10 degrees. maybe.