Musings of an Ukraine Traveler

The center square of the city celebrates its heroes backed up by a stadium sized TV screen.	St. Olga, protector of her people, clever, symbol of the strong Ukrainian woman.
St Michaels--blue-green domed in contrast to the ancient St Sophia's which sets directly across from it.	St. Sophia cathedral and monastery. Queen of the Orthodox Church. Pictures cannot do these buildings justice.
A little bit of the bell tower of St. Sophia. Ancient and modern bells hang together. A new, small bell is added each year.	St. Andrew's Descent. Ancient cobble stoned street that descends like a San Francisco street to the Dnipro. It is lined with stalls selling arts and crafts as well as sculpture and musicians

*State of Ukraine maintains a 18th century village with the wooden orthodox church whose towers you see in the trees. Houses are solid, thatched roof.* *The church is made of rough hewn wood and is surrounded by a wooden fence. Below you see inside at the typical curtaining of icons and windows in the style of the time.*
	*A school in the village which also served as the teacher's house. Notice the abacus. Clerks in a lot of small gastronomes still use small abacus.*
Each oblast (county) maintains a house in the style of housing in it's area. During the arts and crafts fair, artists display their work. Here shirts and dresses from the north. Each house has vegetable and flower gardens. Lawns are unmowed and lush.	*Here dancers from the north enjoy the high spirited music which is shows heavy influence of the Poles and Czechs who invaded the north so often*.
*Here, a woodcarver, a painter and doll craftsmen from a Western oblast demonstrate and sell.*	There is tremendous diversity in Ukraine that really shows in music, dress and customs of previous times. This band sounded almost Turkish. When I heard the music of another oblast, I would have sworn I was listening to a Mariachi orchestra.
This artist from the Crimea used 3 different tools on his instrument and all produced beautiful moving music. But when the man with the mustache began to sing--I want to go to Crimea!	*The difference in dress and artistry is most pronounced in Crimea. Didn't take enough money to by the silver earrings of the Crimean jeweler!*

*The grounds around Kyiv's Botanical are planted in hundreds of lilacs. This year the bloom is one of the best.*	*A different view. The lilacs are lavendar, deep purple, white, pink, light pink and the fragrance is unbelievable.*
*Next to me are giant peonies. They also come in white, pink, dark pink and red. The flower is the size of a magnolia blossom.*	*Irina, a training director, knows this garden well. She took Larry and I on a fabulous tour of the gardens. Behind her are white peonies and then the lilacs.*