Alexandr Kudlay and Viktoria Pustovitova found themselves in a vicious cycle of breaking up and making up. So in a desperate to fix their relationship woes, the two decided to handcuff themselves to one another.
Since Valentine's Day, the Ukrainian couple have been going about their daily lives linked at the wrist.
Mildly mundane tasks like putting on makeup, shaving, or grocery shopping had become a full-on team effort.
Kudlay, a 33-year-old car salesman, and Pustovitova, a 29-year-old beautician, even took turns to use the bathroom and take showers.
Pustovitova said it was her personal space she missed the most, but also missed the attention her partner used to pay her.
"We stayed together all day, Pustovitova said in an interview with Reuters news agency. “I did not receive any attention from Alexandr because we were constantly together.He did not tell me,'I miss you', she added.
Kudlay said he didn’t regret their social experiment, but admitted that being handcuffed to his partner for four months helped him better understand the reality of their relationship.
“We have different views on many issues. On one hand, it does not bother us and we don't suppress each other,†Kudlay said. “But on the other hand, we are not like-minded people, we are not on the same wavelength, we are totally different.â€
After 123 days, the couple finally decided it was time to go their separate ways. Their bond-cutting break-up was performed in front of TV cameras and a crowd in Kyiv on Thursday.
No other couple has pulled off this kind of feat, according to a Ukrainian record book that was on hand for the event.
The pair plansto sell the handcuffs in an online auction and donate part of the money to charity.
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