April 17, 2013

Updates on two of my favorite things here in Kyiv…….

The metro – Remember back in June 2012 when I told you about the wonderful adventure I had on Wagon 4805 on the Metro. . . . . the history filled wagon. I said I would watch and wait for it with camera in hand. Well, on  March 6 when I was heading to the temple early in the morning, it passed by. I ran about five cars down and hopped on before it left the station. And now I can finally share pictures with you of my favorite Metro Wagon, #4805.

Wagon 4805

50th Anniversary of the metro

No one as interested in the history or details of this car as me...

So much to see....so little time....

The Monastery - Anyone who has been following this blog is well aware of my infatuation with the monastery that is about a kilometer from our apartment. When I first found this monastery which is amazingly hidden from view from the main streets, I couldn’t believe what a treasure it was. (see May 2, 2012 blog) I visit the monastery quite often as it is such a peaceful place and beautiful at all times of the year. I decided to do a little historical study and learned some very interesting things. The convent was founded by Grand Princess Alexandra Petrovna – the Sister- in- law of Alexander II. A pilgrimage to the Pechersk relics helped her find relief after a severe illness. She then provided funds for founding a convent in Kyiv in 1889. She had a room at the convent and later secretly became a nun under the name of Anastasia. There is a memorial tomb in her honor and she is worshiped like a saint. St. Nicholas Cathedral, the largest in Kyiv, was built on the convent property in 1896-1911. During the Soviet regime, the convent was closed and the churches disfigured but during the Nazi occupation, the religious life of the convent was restored. Ironically, the nuns secretly sabotaged the Hitlerites and helped many Kyvians avoid being sent to labor camps in Germany. The convent and church now belong to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The Intercession church was restored in 1989 and the domes were restored on the Cathedral in 2006 – it is still being restored on the outside but the inside is beautiful. 

The monastery (in summer)

Memorial for Alexandria, aka Anastasia

Restoring the cathedral

Restoring the cathedral (2)

Getting ready for spring

So that is my history lesson for this post but there will be more in weeks to come.

 This was a very busy and eventful week. On Monday we had our monthly dinner with the other senior missionaries. By October all but four of the senior missionaries will have completed their missions.

  

Senior Missionary dinner

On Tuesday and Wednesday I spent the days at the temple with the Saints from the Donetsk mission. I kept asking everyone if they knew Elder Wood from Pocatello and they all just seemed puzzled. I have heard from so many people what a great missionary he is that I just knew that they must know him. Then I asked someone that knew a little English what the word for “Wood” was in Russian and she said “Lce” (pronounced less). So then I started asking if they knew Elder Lce and yes they did know Elder Lce. Mystery solved. 

 

Temple friend

Spring cleaning temple grounds

6 inches in 4 days

Spring at last

Wednesday was such a beautiful sunny day and it was a sure sign that spring is finally here.  The snow was almost all gone, and the daffodils were alive and well and hadn’t been frozen under the recent snow.   The temple grounds workers were raking the acres of lawn and cleaning out all the flower beds.  It made me want to bring my work clothes to the temple and join them.  Oh, and this morning there were birds chirping outside of our window.  Being up on the fifth floor and looking out into the top branches of the trees, it is almost like living in a tree house.   I just know that with a few more warm days everything will be in bloom.

A few years ago we saw the opera Boris Godunov down in Logan at the Utah Opera Festival. It is a Russian opera about the history of Russia. Ever since we arrived here Gary has been waiting to see the opera here, especially since now we know a little of the language and history. So Wednesday evening we were able to see Boris Godunov. It was an amazing production – sets, costumes, cast and the voices were exceptional as always. Check that one off the bucket list.    

Thursday for one of the English classes we went to a museum that is right next to the Service Center where the office is and saw the National Geographic top photographs exhibit. The museum was amazingly beautiful and the photographs so also.

 

My favorite photo

Famous photo

Ripening pears

Friday morning we had to go to get registered so that we can stay in Kyiv for another six months. When we first got registered a year ago it took about 4 hours so I was expecting the same today so when it only took a little more than an hour I went for a walk in the beautiful sunshine around a part of our neighborhood that I had never explored. Among other things I discovered a neighborhood soccer field, a school (the schools here have all 12 grades in one building) a huge acreage of parking garages that look like our storage sheds in the US and several really beautiful old buildings. At the school I talked to the Cambridge English teacher and she invited me back and wanted to offer me a job on the spot. I may not see this entire city but I will see as much as I can.

Where we got registered to be able to stay in Kyiv 

  

Soccer field near our apartment

Around the neighborhood

Neighborhood school

Wash day

School cafeteria

Saturday we were privileged to have the Sister Missionaries teach a discussion at our apartment after which we had dinner. Julia is a golden contact, was not raised with any religion but the last few years has wanted something more in her life. She teaches English in the evenings and is studying music during the day. I know that these Sister Missionaries are a blessing in her life.

Sisters Russavage and Filipovoska

After the discussion and dinner we met some friends down at the Teatralna  Metro station.   Every Saturday night, just before seven in the evening, a hundred or so senior citizens come to the underground concourse at the entry to Teatralna metro station for the senior citizen dance. There are a group of five or six musicians – accordion,  trumpet, saxophones and tambourines assembled in front of a potato bar restaurant. The seniors are all decked out for the dance in their Sunday best, some even wear native costumes. They come because it is fun and doesn’t cost anything. It is really fun and the people are all so happy and friendly and love to have their pictures taken. It ends about 9:00 and you know that they will all be back in a week. 

The band

The dancers

The seniors

Sunday we took the tram to the church to watch General Conference. It is a week late here because of the time schedule. Everyone brings a lunch to eat between sessions and this was an especially great day because between sessions our branch had our fourth baptism in as many months. Kolia is such a wonderful convert with an amazing spirit. As the Branch Mission Leader, Gary plans and conducts the baptism and I usually get to give one of the talks and help with refreshments. This was an especially great day. Listening to the words of the Prophet and apostles and then topping it off with a baptism. One little side note here. At Christmas time one of our granddaughters, Sylvie, wrote and asked us if we had any baptisms. Even though her parents have explained to her that that is not our type of mission, they still always pray for us to have baptisms. Well, it is paying off because since Christmas we have been able to participate in four baptisms with a few more coming up, so keep up the prayers and we will do our part.

 

Kolia's baptism

Baptism

Refreshment time

Elder Garcia, Kolia and Elder Schultz

An investigator brought by the Blacks

Quote of the Week from the book A God Who Weeps, by Terryl Givens. 

“God’s desire, so manifest in the texture of the created order, is to enlarge the sphere of human joy, and we discover the marvelous truth that our joy is His joy.  What greater motivation could there be for us to seek out and secure our own, our friends’, our families’ happiness, than to know it adds to His.  Truly, God has made us His central concern, and as long as humans live—He will share in all our sorrows.  But He also shares in all our triumphs and joys.  For He has set His heart upon us.”

Kyiv Temple 4-14-2013