In Kyiv city

On our first full day we met my colleague David who is head of School 9. He is married to a lovely Ukrainian lady, Aliona. The night before they had attended the Easter vigil and were then entertaining later in the day so we didn't meet Aliona then. David met us by the Golden Gates, Zolti Vorota. This used to  be the main gate into the city when Kyiv was the capital of Kyvian Rus and had ramparts all around it. Now it stands in splendid isolation but is a popular landmark and museum.

The wooden structures show the shape of the rampart and have viewing platforms built into them. Above the gateway is the chapel. Yarouslavl the wise stands guard outside.

From the viewing platform we could see this building which we walked past each day.It seems a real mixed up muddle of styles.

David took us back to the park of the playground to this stone which is supposed to mark the beginning of the city.

As in any Orthodox city there are lots of churches but there are three famous ones plus the Lavra complex, more which later. St Sofia's Cathedral and St Michael's Cathedral face on another down a long poschad. St Sofia's is the original and oldest church in Kyiv, built in 1037. St Michaels' is a reconstruction as it was destroyed in the thirties as having 'no historical value' despite having been built in 1108.

St Michael's main dorr

The bell tower

The place to collect holy water

The priests conducting a service outside, blessing everyone's Easter produce

Waiting to have their Easter produce blessed



The Holodomor monument (more later)

Entrance to St Sofia's.

The third big church is St Andrey's which was designed by an Italian Bartolomeo Rastrelli and is very ornate. It is placed at the top of the steep street Andrew's Descent.

This was the one church I managed to photograph inside. As it was the week after Easter the sanctuary doors are open so everyone can see inside. Usually they are only open on Sunday and not everyone gets to see inside. As you can see it is very ornate inside.

Kyiv is built on three hills so there is a lot of going up and down. In the metro some stations are so deep that there is a stop half way up the escalators. They seem to be much deeper than the Moscow ones. A fernicualar railway runs from the river to the top of the hill. The train is nothing special but the stations are rather beautiful.

Standing at the lower station

Stained glass arches

View to the river

 

Stained glass window

David had to leave soon after this and we carried on walking. Above the river is a series of parks where we liked to sit and people watch over a cold drink - Kyiv got hotter and hotter while we were there.

This is the friendship arch. Sadly a lot of rock music was being played here and it was rather noisy.

These statues stand behind the arch. Ukraine likes it statues even more than Moscow does!!

We had our evening meal in a 'traditional' Ukrainian restaurant. They got in a muddle with the order and Peter got a very small meal, but the setting was unusual with everyone dressed in costume and musicians playing.