Long Run in the Cold

Today I did a long run of about ten to twelve miles, primarily over hills, ending up at the World War II Monument. It was bitterly cold, and halfway through the run the wind kicked up and it started to snow lightly.

I first ran through the Volodymyrska Hill Park, then down to Kreshchatik and up the hill on the other side and through the Friendship Arch and to the base of the Trukhaniv Ostriv Bridge. I then had planned to run south through the heavily wooded section along the Parkovo Doroga, but found a pack of very large stray dogs zealously guarding their sylvan territory so cut back down to Grushevskovo Blvd., and so south parallel to river past Arsenalna, the Park of Eternal Glory, Pecherska Lavra and then further south down the hill to the base of the roadway leading to the World War II Monument. The only obstacle on this route was adjacent to the Presidential Palace, where they have inexplicably closed off the sidewalk, forcing pedestrians into the street. Whatever.

At the World War II Monument I ran around the hill, waved at the sleepy guard manning the security booth, and then onto the museum plaza with its vast array of World War II tanks, planes and artillery pieces, then finally up the grand sequence of stairways to exit. This last section reminded me of the first "Rocky" movie, and I almost wanted to pump my fists as I surmounted the last flight of steps.

The centerpiece of the monument is the 200 foot tall Motherland statue at the top of the cone-shaped hill. At the monument there is a continuous playing of dramatic music, including operatic pieces and patriotic music of the 1940's, as a backdrop to the monumental works of art on the hill. I include a video taken at the monument.