Orthodox Easter Monday saw us heading towards the Lavra, an massive monastic site on the top of a hill. On the way we came across these soldiers practising for Victory Day later in the week.
After that we discovered the National Museum to the Memorial in Commemoration of Famines Victims in Ukriane. There were three big famines in Ukraine, one each in the twenties, thirties and forties. Ukraine was the bread basket of the Soviet Union. Following poor harvests and unrealistic quotas set by the Soviet leadership led to millions starving. Stalin wanted to eliminate the Slavic people. Millions of people died, particularly during the famine of 1932-1933. It was known as Holodomors.
The Candle of Memory Memoral with the museum underneath
Memorial inside the museum
An Angel of Sorrow, one of a pair
This sculpture is called 'Sad memory of childhood'
In her hands she is holding 5 ears of corn as a symbol 'Law of five ears'.
The Millstones of Destiny
It was an incredible place to go and so sad. As I said the Ukrainians were brutally treated.
At last we reached the Lavra. It is here that Christianity was brought from Byzantium by two monks St Antony and St Feodosiy who chose to live in one of the caves in the hillside. As time went by others joined them and the complex grew. After a time the caves were used as catacombes for burying the dead. Like Sergiev Passad north of Moscow it is a seminary for training priests for the Orthodox Church as well as being a monastic site. Though I believe its activities were restricted in the Soviet times it didn't actually close.
I can't find all the buildings on the Internet and I gave David his book back, but here are the pictures I took while we were there. We did go into one set of caves, but it was hot and claustaphobic in them and particularly busy as it was Easter Monday and a public holiday.
The Lavra from the park. As in St Petersburg where no building in the centre can be higher than the Hermitage, so no building in Kyiv can be taller than the Lavra bell tower.
Trinity Gateway
Wall painting
Bell tower
Dormiton Cathedral, rebuilt in 2005 after the original was destroyed in during WW2.
These wall pictures painted on leather and were on sale in the cafe. This is an Easter design.
The beginning of the Easter Monday procession of monks
Outside the cathedral doors
Across the site. It is a big place.
Saints Antony and Feodosiy founders of the site
View of the upper site from the bottom of the hill leading to the caves.
Down to the churches above the caves
Onion dome anyone - assume they are for graves.
From the Lavra site this amazing statue can be seen standing above the Museum of the Great Patriotic War. Lavra was very busy and steep so we took ourselves off to Victory Park.
As with the one in Moscow it is dedicated to the victory of the allies during the Second World War. At the centre was an amazing museum telling the story of the war from the Ukrainian point of view. The war for all the European countries was awful, and St Petersburg truely horrific, but Ukraine suffered more than most as the tide of war rolled over the countryside with many millions being killed. I forgot to buy an photography ticket so couldn't take any photos but it was very well done. Each room had clear explanation of the theme of the room and, where appropriate, particular things to look for such as a Florence Nightingale medal awarded by the Red Cross to a particularly brave nurse. It told the same story as the one in Moscow but from a very particular point of view.
Outside was is the statue of the woman who is made from titanium and stands 62m high and holds aloft a 12 ton sword.
These reliefs are in the tunnel which is just to the right in the first picture.
The Motherland statue close up
Underneath her is a room dedicated to the Defenders of the Motherland with all the names engraved on the walls. The one in Moscow was very dark as it was in the centre of the museum. This one was very light.
It was an interesting day and such contrasts. All very informative and moving in their different ways.
One more post to go.
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