After an introduction to Ukraine history and the people of Ukraine,
we took a tour of Kyiv, the capital city.
Ukraine is a country rich in history and diverse in geography, politics,
language, and culture. Ukraine borders 7 countries and 2 seas (can you name the countries and seas?). The country has a rich history including
the Golden Age of Kyiv Rus (9c – 12c), a period of invasions (Tatars and others),
a liberation effort (think of the Cossacks), an age of empires (Austro-Hungarian Empire, Russian Empire, Soviet
Empire), a brief time of Ukrainian People’s Republic and the Ukrainian National
Republic and, what is probably most familiar to us, the Republic of the Soviet
Union (USSR) in 1922. In 1991, when the Soviet
Union was dissolved, Ukraine became independent. At question is the vision of the Ukrainian people. How do they envision their new country? How do the people want to be governed? Think of our Fourth of July when the U.S. gained
its independence. The formation of
the government we recognize today took many years to develop. This is where Ukraine is today, a young
country with so much potential. In
2004 the Orange Revolution occurred that fought for citizen rights (such as freedom
of the press and the right to vote in elections). Who was the first president after the Orange Revolution? Who is the current president of Ukraine? What did the Orange Revolution accomplish
for the people of Ukraine? The first
Mercy student to correctly answer these questions in a comment will receive a really
cool souvenir!
Most of the day was spent touring the city and eating three
incredible meals! Ukrainians know how to cook and present a meal! I have included photos of the food I've eaten plus several photos of sites with very brief descriptions. If you want to know more, ask! It’s been a very long day…goodnight.
My breakfast.
First lunch course...vinegret (mixed stewed carrots, beets, potatoes, and pickled cucumbers). Excellent!
Dessert after the vinegret....cheese pancakes (like crepes). So delicious I cannot even describe them!
My first Orthodox cathedral. I lit candles for the deceased in my family. It was an incredibly moving, emotional experience for me! Members of the Church have a traditional of lighting candles for all sorts of reasons and one select area of the cathedral is set aside for the deceased.
St. Michael
Saint Sophia
This is the Ukraine equivalent of our White House, though the president does not actually live here. It is where all presidential business takes place. There were no restrictions on how close we could get to this building or any of the other buildings surrounding it!
For my Human Biology students!
Pysanky Eggs as decorations for Orthodox Easter.
The arena where the 2012 Euro Cup final will be played!
The first Ukraine bird I cannot identify. Anyone know what kind of bird this is?
A young Ukrainian boy who wanted us to take his photo! He was so excited that we did!
Sharon, we are so happy that you arrived safely and are having a great time! I love this blog! Please don't sell yourself short. You have an amazing way with words ~ probably thanks in large part to being a voracious reader.
ReplyDeleteLarry and I feel like we are there (and it's the only way we will ever experience Kiev, so thank you!). Your photos are beautiful! And Cynthia is too cute, but do tell her to be careful how she sits in her skirt when she is being photographed! (She's a Mercy girl!) Did your students give her to you?
Enjoy every moment! We miss you! Love, MB and Larry :-)
Thanks MB and Larry! We have so few free minutes and when I get back to my room to blog, it's late and I'm tired but I am doing my best. Last night I slept about 5 hours. Not enough!
DeleteI won Cynthia at a Mercy Gras about 12 years ago! Miriam made her uniform. I try to get her positioned modestly but, alas, she's a puppet and it's rather difficult!
Have to get to blogging today's adventure...the U.S. Embassy! Wow, talk about security!
Love you guys,
Sharon
The first president after the orange revolution was Viktor Yushchenko. The current president is Viktor Yanukovych. and the orange revolution accomplished a revote for the presidential elecetion of 2004.
ReplyDeleteMolly you are correct! Thanks for reading the blog. Please tell the others to read too so they can see what an incredible culture the Ukrainian people have! The Orange Revolution was a really big deal here. On one level, it was kind of like our Boston Tea Party. It set the stage for major reforms regarding the rights of the citizens. If you are taking any social studies classes, will you please share with your teacher that I am including history and geography in my blog? Thanks! Hope classes are running smoothly. In one more day I leave for Novoukrainka and I just found out from a Ukrainian women I met at the ballet that apparently they have some issues with radiation! Right on topic for your chemistry chapter. I'll be sure to write about that so check back in a few days for an update!
DeleteHi Ms. Harris - we are reading your blog as a class - in Web Design - pics look great - hope you're havin' fun -
ReplyDeleteWe just got snow yesterday....
MT
I was not able to read your post until today. SNOW? And I missed it! See you soon...and thanks for reading!
Deleteok - Just kidding.... no snow - but it has been cold these last few days.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the posts - great pics and a really fascinating look into the culture of the Ukraine.
Love the steps from the Battle...ooops - better not spill too much. Third bird looks strangely like a magpie - but I am still working on that one.
I had always remembered the Ukranian Easter eggs growing up - with a friend whose grandma would come to our school and show the amazing artwork of creating the Pysanka (Pysanky) eggs
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Pysanky2011.JPG
Safe travels - watch out for the shortcuts....
M. Twyford
Thanks Mr. Twyford! Yeah, I kind of thought the bird looked like a magpie too. Not sure though. And really? No snow? You got me!
DeleteSharon, I love your photos and comments. Makes me feel like Ukraine is 10 feet away. Enjoy! We miss you. Linda Behen
ReplyDeleteThanks Linda! It's been great! Lots of work but so much culture that the average tourist would never experience!
DeleteWe found some answers to some of your questions after doing some research. The bordering countries of the Ukraine include, Romania, Poland, Belarus, Russia, Moldova, Slovakia, and Hungry. The Seas include The Black Sea and The Sea of Azov. We found that the people wanted go be governed in a democracy. The first president after the Orange Revolution is also the current president, Viktor Yanukoych, he has been in office from the 25 of Feburary 2010 to present.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your blog we had some questions.
Are all of the buildings, bright and colorful as some of your pictures show?
Is the food very different from ours?
Are there a lot of murals around The Ukraine?
Are the ukrainians nice towards Americans?
Is it hard to communicate?
Do the ukrainians speak English?
-Andrea Sizemore and Rachel Weber
We hope you have a great time the rest of time in The Ukraine!
Hi Andrea and Rachel, You are correct in your answers...you will receive a prize!
DeleteMany buildings are bright and colorful but many are also very dull (these are usually from the Soviet era).
The food is very different but so tasty! I've gain so much weight!
There are a few murals.
Yes, Ukrainians really like America and Americans! I am a minor celebrity here! I've met people at the US Embassy, the mayor of Novoukrainka, and a member of the Ukrainian Parliament!
It is difficult to understand the language because the alphabet is different and there are sounds in the alphabet that we do not use. This word '4orphe' is pronounced 'chorn e' and means black!
Very few Ukrainians speak English so it has been a language adventure!
Hi Ms. Harris we love your blogs! We have some questions for you. What language do Ukrainians speak and was is it hard to communicate sometimes? Do they have different dialects of that language? What's the weather like there?
ReplyDeleteAlso what are their main religions? We found it very interesting that you lit candles at an Orthodox Church! What did it feel like during that process and do the churches look different than they are in the U.S.? Also, did you go to church while you're there?
We hope the rest of your trip is great!
-Katie Gibbs and Lauren Gallagher
Ukrainians speak either Ukrainian or Russian and sometimes mix the two. It really depends on where you live.
DeleteYes, it is difficult to communicate...read my reply above!
The main religion is the Orthodox Church...but there are different versions. One is Ukrainian, one is Greek, and one is Russian. Lighting the candles was a very emotional experience for me and I cried. They have separate areas in the church for different prayers. I prayed for my family members who have died. The churches look very different but all have crucifixes (though they are a bit different than the Catholic Church). The churches are also much more ornate or decorated. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend a church service while in Ukraine. They had me scheduled from sunup to when I went to bed! Whew! I am tired!