Ukraine Trip
July 2013
Kiev
GOLDEN GATE OF KIEV
Constructed in the middle of the
11th century, the Golden Gate of Kiev
stands at the entrance leading into
the historic part of the city.
A major landmark of ancient Kiev
and historic gateway in the ancient
city fortress… currently a museum.
ST. SOPHIA’S CATHEDRAL(Byzantine & Baroque architecture)
A historic landmark with 13 church domes … built in 1037;
It is now a UNESCO world heritage site.
ST. SOPHIA’S SQUARE
St. Sofia Square is one of the major squares in Kiev. It fronts St. Sofia Cathedral and St. Michaels Monastery can be seen from the square.
ST. MICHAEL’S Golden-domed monastery
It overlooks the old merchant
neighborhood. Huge celebration for Christianity was going on. The ceremony with loudspeakers
so all could hear….Ukranian, of course
ST. ANDREW’S CATHEDRAL
Built during the mid-eighteenth
century under command of
Catherine the Great on a steep hill,
with a wonderful view of the
surrounding area. It is now
a museum and one of the most
Beautiful buildings in Kiev. Many kiosks/shops are along
the streets by St. Andrew’s….
selling souvenirs, books,
matryoshka dolls, wooden
colored eggs, et al.
We also visited the CAVE MONASTERY, along the banks of
the Dnieper river. This is an active functioning monastery
compound containing restored churches and towers,
as well as a printing works and miles of maze-like
underground tunnels where ancient crypts hold
the bodies of deceased monks. The mixture of the cool cave temps and
humid atmosphere left many of the dead monks
mummified. We walked thru the caves with candles
and could view the mummified monks.
CHERNOBYL
The Chernobyl disaster was a catastrophic
nuclear event that occurred in April 1986
at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine
(then officially the soviet union). An explosion
and fire released large quantities of radioactive
particles into the atmosphere, spreading over
much of western USSR Europe. The Chernobyl
disaster is widely considered the worst
nuclear power plant accident in history.
BABI YAR MEMORIAL
Babi Yar, a ravine near Kiev,
was the scene of possibly
the largest shooting massacre
of Jewish victims during the
Holocaust. 37,000 Jews were shot in two days time. After the war,
commemoration efforts
encountered difficulty
because of the policy of
the Soviet Union. Several
attempts were made to
erect a memorial at Babi Yar.
All attempts were overruled.
An official memorial to these
Soviet citizens was finally erected
iN 1976.
MONUMENT TO THE MYTHICAL FOUNDERS OF KIEV
A monument commemorating the founding of Kiev by early settlers.
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