Kiev

Kiev Pechersk Lavra

Kiev is filled with cathedrals. St. Volodymyr's Cathedral, completed in 1882 to commemorate the 900th anniversary of the baptism of the Kievan Rus' by St. Vladimir (Volodymyr). It serves as the mother cathedral of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Kyivan Patriarchate, one of the three main competing branches of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

St. Sophia Cathedral, built in the 11th century by the Kievan Rus'. It is believed it was named after the Hagia Sophia in then Constantinople, a name that means "Holy Wisdom."

The belltower at St. Sophia Cathedral.

St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery, originally built in the 12th century. It was demolished by the Soviets as part of their anti-religion campaign and rebuilt in 1999.

St. Andrew's Church, completed in 1767 to honor St. Andrew, known as the "Apostle of Rus." It is the patriarchal cathedral of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, another of the three main competing branches of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The third is the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Moscow Patriarchate, the only one of the three branches to be recognized by the Eastern Orthodox communion.

I ate at many great restaurants in Kiev. My favorite was Restaurant Victory, a chain whose concept is a 1950s diner from a parallel universe in which the Soviet Union was like the USA. It had a great ambiance, a wide selection of Ukrainian food, and as far as $5 meals go, the quality can't be beat.

The interior was pretty snazzy.

Puzata Hata is a cheap, delicious Ukrainian buffet chain.

Sushi is huge in Kiev. This was my favorite Japanese restaurant, but I ate at a couple other good ones. Many restaurants often serve both Italian food and sushi.

No dogs allowed in the restaurants.

What Soviet city worth its salt doesn't have a statue of a BAMF on a horse...

...Or a Mother of the Fatherland statue? This Rodina Mat (built in 1981) is located on top of the Museum of the Great Patriotic War (WWII).

Soviet relief commemorating the Great Patriotic War. It was common for monuments to have music playing around them, as was the case here (got to love Katyusha).

There are plenty of other random statues in Kiev (the goofy looking guy on the left is Sean, another Georgia Fulbright ETA).

The "Hedgehog in the Fog," an old Soviet cartoon character (the guy on the right is Jack, a Ukraine Fulbright ETA).

Jack and I went to a Dynamo Kiev game. They were playing Porto (from Portugal) as part of the Champions League group stage in the Olympic Stadium. We bought VIP tickets for $30, so we sat right next to the pitch and had access to a high quality all you can eat buffet.

The Golden Gate, built in the 11th century.

The imposing Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If you look closely you can see the coat of arms of Ukraine at the top of the building bellow the flag.

Many of the trees had lost all but a few odd bulbs of leaves.

The parks were pleasant, and mostly abandoned.

The Ukrainian Famine Memorial. Soviet agricultural policies triggered a man-made famine that Stalin used to kill between three to seven million Ukrainians to quash any nationalism or dissent there from 1923-1933.

View from the bottom of the memorial.

A typical street in Kiev.

The entrance to Kiev Pechersk Lavra, or the Kiev Monastery of the Caves, founded in 1051. It is a giant complex of some of the most important buildings of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. This building is called the Gate Church of the Trinity.

When I entered the compound, I was completely overwhelmed. I was already in awe of the majesty of my surroundings, and I was then tipped into aesthetic serenity by the atonal bells that sent powerful chills through me. It was the first time this trip I really felt like I was in a different world. These feelings were soon replaced by disgust when I found the compound to be a typical money making scheme: cafes were everywhere, and you couldn't enter a building or turn a corner without finding a booth selling religious trinkets and doodads. The building on the right is the Great Lavra Belltower.

Cathedral of Dormition

A mound of painted Easter Eggs.

The church that houses the caves filled with the relics and remains of saints. I couldn't take pictures inside, but the caves were basically bleached white tunnels with cubbies cut out for small boxes with shrouded religious artifacts inside.

I don't know why, but this reminded me of Disneyland. Anyway, Kiev has snatched the title of "favorite place I have visited while on the Fulbright" from Yerevan. I hope the city remains as beautiful and as inexpensive until I visit it again.