My Snowy Pilgrimage to Volodymyrs'ka Hill Park

This morning I left the apartment early, wanting to see the monument to Prince Volodymyr the Great on the wooded hill overlooking the Dnipro River. Among all the places that I had wanted visit in Kyiv, this was perhaps first on my list. I was initially discouraged as stepped outside, because of a bitterly cold wind and a steady snowfall, but decided to proceed. I took the Metro from Lva Tolstovo Ploshcha to Posthtovo Ploshcha, rode the Funicular up the hill and found myself in a quiet dream world. There were several inches of new snow on the ground and the Volodymyrs'ka Hill Park at the summit was utterly deserted. I spent an hour or so wandering alone down the long tree-lined avenues in the snow. The snow continued to fall and there was a great calm. From the hill I had wonderful views of the icy Dnipro far below, of St. Michael's Monastery of the Golden Domes through the trees, and of the great Monument to Prince Volodymyr the Great. I stood for a time on the promontory near a little covered pavilion overlooking the river. I had a powerful feeling steal over me that this was a very sacred place. For reasons that I cannot explain, this special visit on a snowy morning must stand as the highlight of my time in Kyiv.