Cold days out in Kiev

After a long gap, I'm now able to post more entries about our life here in Kiev. I had made some changes when I started this blog and then couldn't get access to any of my blogs. Andy finally worked out what I had done and reset everything, so from now on it should be much better - I hope so...

On our first day out and about, on our own, we visited St Mikhayil's Monastery of the Golden Domes, which forms the title picture of this blog. Since the 12th Century various monasteries have stood here, but this version was only built in 2001, after it had remained an empty space for over 60 years, following Stalin's destruction of the monastery in 1937.

The new monastery is a popular place for Wedding photos:

The wedding party were obviously having fun on that cold January day:

The monastery is perched on the top of a hill, overlooking the River Dnepr, a large water course running north south the entire length of Ukraine, dividing the country in two.

We found a wrought iron shelter, reminiscent of a similar smaller shelter in our home town, Walsall, which used to have a brass map with the Russian Eural Mountains marked on the eastern horizon:

Andy suggested that I take a photo with the caption, "Nothing between here and Walsall":

The only problem was that he was actually facing north, not west!

Here's a very Russian-looking Andy, wrapped up against the severe cold, taken on the same day:

Maybe these iceskaters, in Independence square, had a better idea of how to keep warm:

From the Monastery, we took the funicular railway down the steep hillside:

The station at both the top and bottom are very ornate, with stained glass in the roof and unusual wall lights, typical of soviet-style public buildings:

More recently, we had another cold day out. The first stop was at the Golden Gate, a reconstruction of the main entrance into the walled city of Kiev in the 12th Century:

Inside, there are few original remains as centuries of reconstruction to the early walls are visible:

It is a curious structure, especially viewed from the side:

Wooden logs have been used to house the steps and balconies up to the various levels, to the top where a small orthodox church has been built.

The statue in this view is a monument to Yaroslav the Wise who defended Kiev from an 11th Century invasion. He's holding a model of St Sophia's Cathedral, which he founded, and that is where we were headed:

Like St Mikhayil's Monastery at the other end of the street, St Sophia's has a massive plaza in front of the main entrance:

You enter through a huge bell tower, which looks just like an older version of the one at St. Mikhayik's:

Beyond the walls, St Sophia's Monastery has large sections of the cement rendered exterior removed revealing the older brickwork:

After looking round the main church, where we weren't allowed to take photos, we listened to a old musician, singing a traditional folk song - it was very beautiful:

On the way to St Sophia's we stopped to look at the National Opera House, another beautiful building:

Andy's now had his fill of sightseeing, so I expect future excursions will be taken either alone or with Ukrainian friends....

Arriving in Kiev

Welcome to the first posting in my new blog about our life in Kiev!

We arrived on January 12th 2009, following Ukraine's holiday for Orthodox Christmas, held during the previous week.

With rivers frozen...

...and Christmas trees everywhere, like this one in Independence Square...

...it really did feel still like Christmas.

After settling into our apartment on the 14th floor...

... Andy set about his task of building a radio station which will broadcast in both Ukrainian and Russian languages.

I, on the other hand, went shopping - for a coat, boots, hat and bag:

In this photo I am standing in front of the empty building, which will become the radio station. It has three floors, plus a basement garage area - lots of work ahead...