Kiev, Ukraine

Last week, we were able visit our good friend and fellow Olmsted Scholar, Mike, in his city, Kiev. Mike and his girlfriend, Darina were fantastic hosts and really showed us the sights in this beautiful city. We walked all around (over 8 miles a day!) and took in the amazing architecture and life in this place. It was fascinating to be a part of the tradition and culture that fill this city. There was a very interesting feeling as we walked the streets, of a desire to be a part of Europe while at the same time being very aware that there is conflict within their borders. It is a politically active city. In the few days we were there, we saw peaceful protests as well as recruiters trying to raise money and support for those fighting in the East. Although it is a peaceful city, there is an undercurrent of unrest and dissatisfaction. Below is pictured Maidan Square where an originally peaceful student protest in 2014 grew large and violent and after 5 days and over 100,000 protesters, more than 700 people were reported dead or missing. On the day we visited, I was struck by the peace there and the somber feel of a place full of honor and remembrance for those fallen.

Maidan Square

From Maidan Square, we walked to St. Sophia's where I was struck by the facade of this bell tower. The original foundation for this church was laid back in the 11th century! The color and detail were fantastic. We were amazed by how much of the city we were able to see during our short visit. Walking many miles a day, we really felt the history, culture and architecture of Kiev.

Mike, Darina and me in front of St. Sofia's Church bell tower.

Mike and Jim climbed to the top of the bell tower and were rewarded with fantastic views of the city. However, as they were making their way back down, the clock struck the hour and they were directly below one of the giant bells when it rang. Fortunately, it was one o'clock so it only rang once!

View of St. Michael's Church from the bell tower of St. Sofia's.

Many of the churches in the city were either destroyed or converted to other purposes during the communist years. Unfortunately, St Michael's was destroyed with dynamite in the 1930s. Before they demolished it, a couple local architects performed a detailed study of the cathedral. Thankfully, these studies survived and were used when the buildings were reconstructed in 1999.

Just as impressive as the architecture is the cuisine!

Jim has always been a fan of borscht - a Ukrainian national dish, so he ordered it with just about every meal! Our friends from Monterey will remember what happened when Jim tried to make it himself.

Jim and me with a lovely view of the city from one of the many hilltops.

While a lot of Ukraine lies on a vast flat plain, the city of Kiev was built on a series of hills above the Dnieper River. It really was amazing to see how much green space has been preserved and integrated into this bustling city!

Unfortunately, the current conflict in Ukraine isn't the first time Ukrainians have faced hardships. We took time during our trip to visit a museum dedicated to the disaster at the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl as well as to visit several memorials to fallen Ukrainians. Maybe the most touching was the one pictured above which is a memorial to the people who died in the Ukrainian famine of 1921.

Orthodox church inside Pečarska Lavra Monastery covered in beautifully painted frescoes.

This was one of the most interesting monasteries we visited. The current grounds are built on the caves that monks would use to isolate themselves to better study. It is a very reverent and holy place as several of the monk's remains are still housed inside. To go in, I had to borrow a long skirt and traditional Ukrainian head scarf.

"Rodina-Mat" who towers high above the city on the river at 102 meters (332 feet) tall.

You can see this statue from pretty much anywhere in the city. She is dedicated to the people of Ukraine following the defeat of the Germans in WWII. A fantastic museum resides in the area under the statue. It was incredibly interesting to see events of the war interpreted from the perspective of the Red Army. Instead of exhibits dedicated to D-Day and Pearl Harbor the action focused on the Germany invasion of Russia, the sieges and attacks on several of the major cities and the eventual liberation of occupied territory by the Red Army. In one of the exhibits dedicated to resistance fighters Jim spotted a traditional Montenegrin sword that had been given as a gift when the Red Army linked up with the Partisans to liberate Yugoslavia.

We spent so much time in the city and left feeling like there was so much more that needed to be seen to truly understand this country. To say we liked Kiev is an understatement, we loved it! What made it even more special was the opportunity to spend so much time with Mike and Darina in the place they live. In addition to all the history and museums, we bowled, visited the beach, performed feats of strength at the largest outdoor gym any of us had ever seen, drank at a speakeasy and shopped! I don't know if we'll be able to make it back to Kiev during the time we have remaining as Olmsted Scholars but I do know I absolutely must come back here one day.

Until the next adventure!

The Adventuring Armstrongs