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| Kievo-Pecherskaya Lavra |
Despite having lived with three Ukrainian students, by the
time I boarded my plane to Kiev I had managed to memorize only a handful of
words, and had absolutely no understanding of the Cyrillic alphabet. So, I was
a bit nervous. Thankfully, most everyone I met was willing to try out some of
their English on me (whether they had visited the U.S. and were practically
fluent, or had taken it 35 years ago as a middle school student). I also
laughed my way through a few conversations in mime. Nevertheless, I’m not sure if I would have survived without
the translations of Mariya (my family’s second exchange student) and her family
and friends, who were my truly generous hosts for the week. To respect people’s
privacy, I try to avoid writing specifics about everyone I meet, but I would
like to say that the Ukrainians (and Russian) I met were unquestionably my favorite part of this country.
For the sake of brevity, I’ll divide my week by city:
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| Eaten by a cat in Landscape Alley |
Kiev: My first and last stop in Ukraine, Kiev is a city
built on rolling hills, which means you can find great views, but the
(impeccably clean) metro runs at times almost 350 feet below ground. Buses are
crammed, monuments majestic, and the sun when it hits the copper domes of the
churches creates some of the most beautiful light I’ve ever seen. At
Kievo-Pecherskaya Lavra, a number of churches have been constructed over caves,
which serve as catacombs. Although the caves had closed before my visit, the
bright icons and ornate architecture still made a lasting impression. Toward
the heart of the city, you can walk along Landscape Alley, where bizarre
sculptures in rainbow tile and seesaw benches entertain passersby of any age.
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| Snowbells on Ai-Petri |
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| A more tame monkey at the Yalta Zoo |
Yalta: This southern city on the coast of the Black Sea was
the setting of the Yalta Conference and Anton Chekhov’s short story “Lady with
a Dog.” Today it is a touristy, pretty town where you can encounter a lot of
nature, but are also likely to have a chinchilla shoved in your face for a
photo opportunity (not free, of course). The tulips and daffodils blooming in
the Nikitsky Botanical Garden and the wild (and legally protected) snowbells on
the slopes of the nearby Ai-Petri are equally beautiful, although the latter is
especially worth seeing for the view of the coast below. At the Yalta Zoo, I had my first
experience of feeding a giraffe by hand (and a zebra, and a monkey, and a
pelican). Despite what must be an irregular diet, the animals looked like they
were in good shape. Unfortunately, some of them didn’t discern between oranges,
sleeves, and fingers.
And finally,
after it becomes too dark to enjoy the scenery and the exotic animals have gone
to bed (and especially when you have excellent instructors) there are some
excellent opportunities go rollerblading next to the sea.
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| Easter display in Kharkiv |
Kharkiv: Kharkiv is the second largest city in Ukraine, and
is well known for its industry (including the production of excellent tanks, in
case you are in the market) and universities. Although it was founded in the 17th
Century, not much of historical Kharkiv survived the devastation of World War
II. As a result, the city center is mostly modern, with (among other things)
pleasant green spaces, a “dolphinarium,” and an expansive square, which is occupied by
a Christmas village in the winter, an Easter display in the spring, and so on
with the season. Near the campus of the Kharkiv National Aerospace University
(which is adorned with small planes), runs a short stretch of railroad managed
by children. Even though it’s been explained to me multiple times, I’m not sure
I grasp this concept…
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Locks representing people's wishes for a long-lasting relationship,
and in the distance, the monastery of Poltava |
Poltava: Poltava lies between Kiev and Kharkiv, and with its
smaller size comes a more relaxed atmosphere. In its tree-filled neighborhoods,
you can find the home of the creator of modern Ukrainian language, monuments to
the Battle of Poltava (the victory of Peter the Great over the Swedes), and
even a Paul Bunyan sized bowl and spoon to celebrate a local dish. I was also
able to visit the monastery in Poltava, which is perpetually under
construction, but many-spired and dignified nonetheless. Because I’m not an
Orthodox Christian, it’s hard to know what to look for when entering an
Orthodox church, and it became more difficult as I was getting sidelong looks
at the hastily tied scarf over my hair and the other to hide my jeans. What I
did glean from the experience was the image of a solemn, candlelit service,
with an intricate golden altar, and (in this particular service) steady,
peaceful singing.
Photo credits are shared with Mariya
