| Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, welcomed us on our
journey. We made our home on the ship, the Glushkov, and we spent a day in
sight-seeing, learning, and being wonderfully entertained. Please click on the
picture-buttons for more of the story and pictures. |
 |
As we came on board, we were met by a hostess in
traditional Ukrainian dress, making a welcome of bread held in the ubiquitous embroidered
towel. |
 |
St. Sophia Cathedral was maybe the most spectacular sight in Kiev, both
for its beauty and its history. The belfry next to the cathedral, shown in the
picture-button, is an example of the beauty. |
 |
In several places we met musicians with the Ukrainian national instrument,
singing beautiful traditional music. This man sat under a tree near St. Sophia's and
enthralled us all. |
 |
The Kyiv-Perchery Lavra is a monastery founded in the 11th century.
The grounds hold several beautiful churches, a high belfry, catacombs, and several
administrative buildings. |
 |
Of course, many of us wish to see the unique wares in the
outdoor stalls: embroidered towels and shirts, beautiful painted boxes and nested
dolls, and unique variations on the nested dolls. |
 |
St. Andrew's is one of the most striking parts of the skyline on one of
the hills of old Kiev. It is under restoration so that we could not go in, but it
was spectacular outside. |
 |
The "Great Gate of Kiev" a movement of Moussorgsky's
"Pictures at an Exhibition," is known in Kiev as the Golden Gate. |
 |
A stop at Babi Yar gave reminder of the Nazi Holocaust whose fury took
thousands of Jews to their death in a ravine near this monument. |
  |
In Kiev, we were treated to two wonderful events on the ship.
The Canadian ambassador, Derek Fraser, delivered an address that was invaluable in
helping us to understand the state of modern-day Ukraine -- the 20th century history, the
pervasiveness of both authoritarianism and suffering, and the bleak outlook. All of
this was presented in a way to help us to empathetically understand the modern Ukrainian
society. In the evening a spectacular folk group, Horlytsya, delighted us with
a show that had music from eastern Europe (and beyond), humor, and audience
participation. We had a great time (and brought a CD home.) |
 |
A word about the accommodations. The ship contained
two lovely restaurants, and we periodically were rotated between them. The room on the
ship's main deck was compact but adequate. |
