Odessa is an amazing port city and I added The Black Sea to my list of bodies of water that I've seen! I am not going to write much but will add captions to the photos. We left at 10 p.m. and arrived back in Novoukrainka very tired and filled with more Ukrainian adventures and stories.
A side note: we very nearly caused an international incident when our hotel proprietor was told we left in the middle of the night in a strange car and were not available for breakfast! He called Luidmyla to report our absence!
Various Odessa architecture, gardens, and statuary.
A Ukrainian biology institute
Look who we ran into! First Mercy student to respond in a comment and tell me who this is will receive a really cool souvenir!
Pushkin
An incline at the port
The Potemkin Steps. What movie would we watch to see these famous steps?
A beautiful statue at the port. Mercy students, respond in a comment with what you think this represents. The first 2 students to respond with a well-thought analysis will receive a gift!
Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia. This statue is controversial as Catherine is considered a heroine to the Russian community and is despised by others for the persecution suffered during her reign ( late 1700's)
The Port of Odesa
Luidmyla, Bob and Sharon outside the Odessa Opera House where we saw an opera "Katerina" based on a poem by national poet Shevchenko
The beautiful Odessa Opera House
Wow - what a great interactive posts - I think I know the first one - but working on my analysis - but will leave it for the students to work them out. Thanks for all your work posting, taking photos of the area, artwork, architecture and more.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant - thanks Ms. Harris.
-Twy
Beautiful photos, Sharon! I'm enjoying your travels so much and now wish to visit Ukraine myself. What worlds this TGC program has opened to all of us!
ReplyDeleteI was thinking what a great weekend we had seeing Yalta, but now that I've seen your photos of Odessa, I realize I was not the only one who felt lucky we were sent to Ukraine. Hope you are as delightfully exhausted as I am.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you had a great weekend in Odessa. The Opera House is absolutely breathtaking, huh? I hope tomorrow goes well at school.
ReplyDeleteSharon, this picutres are wonderful. And that Opera House...oh my! Does a performance sound as wonderful as the building looks?
ReplyDeleteDavid the performance was wonderful but I am not an opera expert! I can say I enjoyed it tremendously!
DeleteDear Sharon,
ReplyDeletegreat to read your blog!
Also I have a tiny request for you: I know Bob from Texas is traveling with you and I was not able to reach him via email he left me, could you please tell him that I am desperately trying to reach him to discuss in greater detail the robots exchange? He has got my email and I hope I will be able to reach him before you guys leave to the US.
Viktoriia
Your pictures are fantastic sharon! I'm so happy you get to make this trip, see these sights and meet these fantastic people- i know you are doing us proud:). Have fun- can't wait to see what's next...
ReplyDeleteWe are writing to you from Ms. Blum's geography class and we found that the Potemkin Steps are in the movie, The Battleship Potemkin made by S. Einstein. Einstein helped make the steps famous through this movie. The steps also have a great view of the harbor, could you see the harbor well from the steps? Did you climb the steps, because we read that they are set at certain angles so that it is difficult for you to get tired after climbing them and going down from the top of the steps.
ReplyDeleteWe think the statue represents a man who is usually successful at an early age, and that it represents Ukraine being a new nation, which is shown by the young child, becoming stronger and being independent, and breaking from the restraint of other countries. It is also a modern sculpture created by Ernst Neizvestny as a gift to Odessa. When was the statue created? It would really help us to see the statues importance and how it was created.
In our research we were unable to find out who the man on the balcony was, could we please have some help or a hint?
Odessa is a very interesting city and it seems as though it has many landmarks. We also found it really cool that you were able to add the Black Sea to your list of bodies of water you have seen. Are there any other major bodies of water in Ukraine that you wish to visit? What other major landmarks would you like to visit while you are in Ukraine? We wish you the best for the rest of your trip.
Delaney Greiner, Abby Connor, Nancy Nzobigeza, Lydia Fischesser
Hello Girls!
DeleteYou have done a wonderful job answering the questions! Yes, I walked down and then back up the Potemkin Steps and it really wasn't that difficult (and I'm a couch potato!).
Your analysis of the sculpture is almost exactly what I thought! Ukraine is such a young country but very strong in its traditions and pride!
Today is my last day in Ukraine and I am homesick! I love this country but I'm ready to see my son again and to be back at Mercy!
I WILL NOT give you a hint as to who the man in the photo is! Tell Ms. Blum she should know this! The pressure is on! But the 4 of you answered so nicely that I will be sure to have something for you when I get back to Mercy!
Kerri Davis
ReplyDeleteHi Ms. Harris! I hope you're doing well, and Liz Kenkel and I can't wait to hear your stories in chemistry :) We're in geography class right now and we're trying to figure out the answer to one of your pictures, but it is not an easy task. A sophomore in your homeroom, Morgan Merritt, is working with Liz and I to figure out who the man in the picture with the balcony. We think he is Putin of Russia.
We do have some questions for you though!
What is the weather like there? Is it similar to Cincinnati?
Are there any political conflicts going on while you're there?
What would your advice be to someone traveling there, what are the "must see" places? Are there any places that you wouldn't recommend going?
Is the food there good? Do they have "fast food" places?
Hope to hear from you soon!
Kerri, you and Liz are right! It is Putin, the President of Russia! Weren't we lucky? Well, I have a little secret.....the Putin in this photo is a wax figure! Doesn't he look real though?!
ReplyDeleteThe weather is very similar to Cincinnati with cool mornings and evenings and warm during the day. Their winters tend to be much harsher though with lots of snow and below zero temps. In fact, there were many cold related deaths in Ukraine last winter.
You ask about political conflicts. Today there were a total of 7 bomb blasts several hundred kilometers away and a huge street protest here in Kyiv! In Kyiv they are protesting the imprisonment of Julia Tymoshenko. The reason for the bombings has not yet been determined but it is believed that it is related to Tymoshenko.
Too many must see places to list. I'll tell you all about them when I return to Mercy!
Yes, I've gained many pounds, even though I walk everywhere! The food is incredible and, of course, I have to try everything! There were only a couple of restaurants in Novoukrainka and no fast food places. Most people cook what they grow or buy in the market. Few have large refrigerators so most of their food is made fresh.
See you soon!