Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Cruising Kyiv


Tim started his NATO meeting Monday, so Katya and I started exploring Kyiv together. Here’s a picture of Katya at the Bessarabsky Market in front of only a fraction of the flowers—the day after International Women’s Day they’re probably at a discount!
First thing on the agenda, was hair cuts. Katya looks adorable in her new “bob”. We met Papa for lunch in this very authentic and reasonably priced Ukrainian restaurant across from TGIF Fridays where the wait staff wore traditional Ukrainian dress and the cherry verenyky was delicious. Monday evening we went out to dinner with some of Tim’s committee friends from Sweden, Canada, and the US.












On the right, a large group of adults dancing in Ukrainian folk dance underground between two streets on Pushkinskaya Monday night. It was amazing to witness this frivolity in downtown Kyiv on a Monday night!

Tuesday Katya and I walked from the hotel to the monument to “Mother Russia”. Katya is the photographer and she wanted to make sure that her brother, Will, saw the “feminine” tanks parked out in front of the statue.



Perhaps they had to hide in the Netherlands during tulip season. (Don’t worry Will, she also captured lots of cool, masculine tanks and an old soviet helicopter.) We decided to leave the tour of the WWII museum for a time when Tim could come, since he’d enjoy it way more than we would.

We headed up the hill to the Pecharsky Lavra, which was much bigger than I expected. It’s actually like an enclosed community of churches, museums, a seminary, galleries, built, torn-down by invasions, and rebuilt over and around caves that monks used to live as hermits for almost 1,000 years. This iconoclastic wall is just inside the front gate, appropriately called “the Gate church”. We toured the cave with our little candles, but the priest talked so fast it was hard for Katya to translate for me. I’d have to agree with you, Jean, that you can only see so many coffins of dead monks. What was really interesting was the people kissing everything (some even crying!): they kissed the pictures hanging near the glass-enclosed coffins, the glass coffins themselves with no cloth to wipe afterwards like they have in the cathedrals. Oh, the germs! Thankfully, most of the monks’ remains were completely covered in ornate material. There were several small churches hidden in the passages of the caves too, with monks buried on the sides of them. Sorry, pictures inside the caves were strictly forbidden.





Everywhere you look on this site is reminiscent of an old, village—distinguishable from pictures I’ve seen of rural Italy, by the onion-domed churches. It was exotic, but we didn’t get to see even close to everything so we’ll have to come back another time. Thank you again for your comments. It’s comforting to know that people want to stay connected. This last picture is a symbol of the long road to bring our daughter home. Thanks for helping to make the long journey more memorable.




SDG


charlene and tim

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Tim, Charlene and Katya!
Ah, your photos and commentary do bring back the memories. We really enjoyed touring the Lavra too, smokey monk-y caves and all! We thought it was the most beautiful site in Kyiv. Though we never got up close to the huge metal statue.
There is a small village just outside of Kyiv, called Pirigovo...it is a re-creation of the various areas/stages of Ukrainian village life. It has lots of windmills, cottages and even a church. If you are up for the exercise (lots of walking, though they also had horse drawn carriage rides...we thought in a way it was quite similar to downtown CW!) I don't know if it would be open for the season yet though.
We really enjoy staying in touch with you through this blog, so thanks for doing such a wonderful job with it. Katya looks great with her cute haircut!
Praying for the rest of your journey to be filled with wonder and smooth sailing.
~Jean, Jim & co.

Gary and Beverly said...

Great update! I really like the look on Katya's face sitting with Tim's conference friends. She looks so excited ;-)

I'm set to pick up Tim at the airport. We will be praying for his safe travel and for protection over Charlene and Katya until their safe return home.

Gary

Anonymous said...

Be safe and you are in our families and Church families prayers, she is beutiful.


God Bless
Starla

Unknown said...

Charlene & Tim,
Thanks for posting all those pictures and for all the detail in your daily journey. The pictures and places you are visiting certainly bring back memories! Wonderful to see such beautiful flowers. We are starting to see some flowers, here, too. You are in our prayers, safe travels to you, Tim, and may God protect Charlene and Katya and bring them home safely.
Debbie, Dale & girls

Rahn's Journey said...

Privet, Tim, Charlene and Katya, Where is the picture of you and Katya dressed in robe and scarf to enter the cave? I can visualize everything as I read your adventure. We slept one night right across from the Russian Lady in one of the huge churches. Katya, you look so cute in your new hair cut. You are looking more and more like a Quiram. You are looking more like your sister, Sophia, with your new cut. Bless you guys and all the neat things that you are doing. I pray that the long journey is blessed by unforgettable moments that you don't want to rush by you. It will mean a lot to Katya to know this side of her native country, if not at this time, in her future. It is a place that is so filled with rich, beautiful, painful, history.
Bless your time,
Fran

Anonymous said...

Hi Guys!

Love your commentary! It makes it all come alive!! Did you get to see the miniature museum in the Lavra? Isn't it amazing? The caves are facinating, but I was a little nervous with those candles and the crowds. I kept looking for the fire exit :)
We had such a fun breakfast with you all last week! And Katya is PRECIOUS!!
Can't wait to see you all at home.
Blessings,
Nancy