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.

November Itinerary

I just booked my flights to eastern Europe and the Middle East for this November. I will be traveling to Kyiv by way of Detroit and Amsterdam on Saturday and Sunday, November 7th and 8th. On Monday November 23rd I will travel from Kyiv to Tel Aviv, Israel by way of Prague, arriving early in the morning on the 24th. I will then spend five days or so in Jerusalem, and fly home from Tel Aviv by way of New York City on Sunday the 29th of November.

My itinerary allows for me to have about three days of unscheduled time in Kyiv at the end of my teaching responsibilities, which will enable me to explore some of the sights I missed during my 2007 trip. For example, I want to spend more time in Pecherska Lavra.

One of the big adventures for me will be finding my way from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and then to Hebrew University (which is technically on the east or Palestinian side of the 1949 Armistice Agreement Line), especially since my flight arrives in Tel Aviv from Prague at something like 4:00 in the morning! My nephew (and Jerusalem resident expert) will no doubt give me pearls of wisdom about how to get to his house, but from what I can read online, the best solution is to take a Sherut (or shared taxi van) from the airport right into Jerusalem. More about this later.

Stumbling Upon Book Heaven

Over the past few days I have stumbled upon book heaven--two locations where I could spend literally days wandering the book stalls. The first location is in an underground shopping complex just north of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and the Vichnooy Slavy Park (Park of "Eternal Glory" with its World War II Monument). Here I found at least twenty separat books stores, all in one location, including used bookstores and bookstores with all Ukrainian (as opposed to Russian) literature. I have returned twice to browse the shelves, and picked up works by the Ukrainian writer Taras Schevchenko as well as a fine Russian Bible, and three detective novels by the Russian writer Boris Akunin (which I have enjoyed very much in English translation). There is also an excellent cafeteria style eating establishment at this location.

The second location, of course, is the book market at Petrivka, which I visited yesterday on its Monday "day off" while I was at the "City.Com" electronics store buying Cyrillic keyboards for myself and another American judge. I intend to return to the Petrivka Book Market before the week's end.

Open and Closed Doors

I was struck by the beautiful doors in Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. Golden doors leading into churches, cathedrals, temples. Doors into ancient dwelling places. Doors in walls. Doors open and closed. Many of the doors I saw are of obvious antiquity--massive, heavy timbered, studded with iron bushings, with wide iron bolts and hinges. Most of the doors I saw were locked shut. Only certain of the doors were open to visitors.

On many of these very ancient doors I have seen these flimsy little padlocks of modern make. It is almost laughable to see a "ninety-nine cent" lock from the hardware store on a monastic cell door dating back to the twelfth century.

The shut doors for Ukraine are of very ancient date. Many doors are still shut, bolted, barred. In the past fifteen years, many an iron door has swung noisily open, groaning on rusted hinges long disused. Locks have been broken. Cheap and inconsequential locks of the present. May the doors open. May the chains fall may the prisoners go free. That--and more--is my hope as I continue my small service here in this sacred nation.

Pechersk--The Trinity-Over-The-Gate Church

Here is another very appealing Church in Pechersk (there are dozens). I just like the name--Trinity-over-the-Gate. There are some spectacular murals on the outside of the Church, as well as on the flanking walls. The "Gates" I have seen in Kyiv will bear much future rumination. "The Great Gate at Kiev" is the concluding number in Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition." Of course, there is also the pseudo-historical "Golden Gate" at Zoloti Voroda, which I will see in the morning. I like the idea of "gates" which lead us to new places and connections. May the "Gates" of Kyiv be wide open in the future, and may the inhabitants of this beautiful find "The Great Gate." This is my hope.

Pechersk--St.Nicholas's Church

St. Nicholas's Church is a beautiful little seventeenth century chapel, with a single golden cupola, golden in its uppermost onion shape, but sky-blue beneath with many painted stars. I really like the starry domes I have seen on this church, as well as the Volodymyrs-ska Cathedral near Taras Shevchenko Park downtown. This little church in Pechersk is very appealing to me. White walls, except for the blue and gold dome, set in a little walled-in garden. It is clearly "outclassed" by the soaring bell tower and Grand Church in the adjacent plaza, but this is a wonderful little church.

Pechersk--The Refectory "Temple"

For me the most significant experience I had at Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra was attending a mass inside the Byzantine Refectory which is adjacent to and just east of the Grand Church at Lavra, the Dormition Cathedral. After spending more than an hour in the Refectory and walking back outside, I asked three different priests or worshippers in Russian, "What is the name of that Church?" to which they all replied, "трапезной храм." It was interesting to me that they used the word, "храм,"--Temple--for that is the precise Old Testament connection which struck me again and again during my hour's visit inside.

After inspecting the Grand Church and visiting with the beggar woman near its golden door, I saw many men and women converging on a comparitively plain looking building to the east with a distinctive Byzantine structure--that is, like the ancient St. Sophia's in Instanbul (now a mosque since the fifteenth century Islamic conquest of the city) it has a domed structure rather than a square or cross-shaped structure. This is a very ancient form and architecture, much copied in the ancient world, including here in Kyiv, which, as I say, was patterned after the Byzantine Christian Churches of the first Millennium. (Since I was not allowed to take pictures of the interior, I have enclosed copies of pictures taken from a book I later purchased).

To continue the story of my visit, I followed the throng of worshippers to the side door of the Refectory, where I donated a small amount of money to the women holding donation boxes at the door, and joined perhaps a hundred or more worshippers inside. They stood facing the screen and altar in the inside of the domed structure. I was again impressed (as I was at St. Michael's of the Golden Domes) by the very, very pleasant smell of burning candles pervading the interior of the Refectory. The most striking feature of the service was the rich and beautiful singing of the priests. Several priests were dressed in black robes on the worshipper side of screen. The fabric covering veil and golden doors leading behind the screen were swung open wide, and three priests dressed in long white robes with golden capes or coverings over their shoulders came out toward the altar. The singing by the central priest was a beautiful chant in a rich baritone, to which all the priests would add cadenza-like choruses in as rich a harmony (four or five part or more--it was difficult to tell) as I have ever heard in my life. The singing was truly moving. The central priest had a metallic senser, smoking with incense, which he held in his right hand swinging, with a large golden cross in his left hand. He was a man of perhaps forty, with a very pleasing and smiling face, which radiated deep affection to the people he was serving. This was no routine experience for him, was my impression. After a long service, whose words I did not understand, the central white and gold-bedecked priest placed the cross from his hand on the altar. The white-robed priests then retired back behind the massive screen, closed the golden gates, and drew closed the curtain beyond, and that was the last we saw of them. The black-robed priests, however, continued to minister in the area of the standing worshippers. (Here, as at St. Michael's of the Golden Domes, I saw no seating for worshippers. They all stood.

The murals inside the dome of the Refectory are stunning. In particular, they seemed to depict incidents from the life of Christ as portrayed in the scriptures. Above the screen in the center was a mural of the Last Supper. On the wall to the left was a depiction of the Sermon on the Mount, and on the right (if memory serves) a portrayal of healings performed in a throng. There were many, many other murals, with intricate webs of design tracery, reaching essentially from the floor all the way to the top of the vast dome overhead. The diameter of the domed space must have been 150 feet or more. It is a very large and open space, illuminated brightly by a large golden chandelier with many lights hanging from three great chains in the center of the Byzantine dome. What impresses me about the Orthodox Churches I have seen are the murals, which are so lifelike and filled with rich and vibrant colors. And these murals are everywhere, including on the outside walls of Churches. They are truly stunning.

There is a long rectangular chamber running south of and entered by great doors from the domed structure. Here, again, are floor to ceiling murals along walls hundreds of feet long. At the rear of this chamber was a place for the sale of candles, icons and books. I also noticed two long tables at the back of the room where many women were writing upon long narrow paper slips--I presume they were writing down names of individuals, as these appeared in list fashion on this long narrow slips. I then observed, as these women took their lists to an altar at the head of the room, near the doors leading into the domed Refectory proper, where they joined another great throng of women, and a few men, who stood around two priests who were standing at a table-altar filled with loaves of bread, flasks of wine, candles and sensers with burning incense. The priests (these were dressed in black cassocks) were singing a beautiful hymn in harmony, joined by many of the common worshippers, some of whom held hymnbooks of a sort. Between the beautiful choruses--all a cappella, as had been the vocal music in the Refectory dome--the central priest would take the long slips of paper, and "singing" down the list, would read each handwritten line (again, I presume these were names of persons whom the women wanted prayers said for), then tear the sheet in half and place it on the table.

I spent more than an hour in the Refectory "Temple" and its adjoining chamber observing the services and inspecting the murals. It was truly one of the more interesting experiences I have had in some time, and brought to mind a flood of connections to passages in both the Old and New Testament, which I will not burden this record with, but may write about in my private diary.

I Receive an Angel's Reward

Near the main entrance to Lavra's Grand Church there was a little old woman sitting, huddled in modest clothing holding a small paper cup, begging. It was an interesting contrast to see her rags juxtaposed against those beautiful golden doors of the restored Dormition Cathedral. I have no doubt that there are beggars in Kyiv whose activities are questionable, as there are in every society. But I have always been of the opinion that one should never "allow the beggar to raise his petition to you in vain," and so I dropped a small bill into her cup. I then quoted to her one of a handful of Russian scriptures that I have memorized: "да благословит тебя Господь и сохранит тебя!" ("The Lord bless thee and keep thee!"--Numbers 6:24). She burst into tears, and, sobbing, reached for my left gloved hand and kissed it.

Mine was an angel's portion then.

Pechersk--Lavra's Grand Church and Belltower

The Dormition Cathedral, which is Lavra's Grand central church, is esteemed as the holiest site in all of eastern Europe. It was first built soon after 1170, though it was almost completely destroyed in 1941. It stands in the center of a large plaza completely surrounded by walls, monastic buildings and other churches. Adjacent to its main south-facing front is the amazing belltower. The golden cupolas and domes of this stunning structure were radiant in the sun when I saw it. I had originally intended to come here the day after my arrival, last Saturday, but was turned back by rain. I am actually glad that I waited until a morning of rare sunshine so that I could see this place in all of its golden splendor.

In the book shop I spent some time looking at some historical pictures of this site. The most stunning is an aerial photograph taken during the 1940's after the building was almost completely destroyed in an explosion in 1941. One account that I have read indicates that it may have been destroyed by the Soviet forces after the occupation of Germany in an attempt to kill visiting German dignitaries. The destruction did not affect the adjacent Refectory "Temple"--of which I will have much, much more to say later.

Pechersk--The Monastic Buildings

After leaving the little Transfiguration Church, I entered a back gate directly into the monastic buildings. These appear to be in current use. See, for example, the icons in the window with the pigeons, and the homemade cross and inscriptions. There are many enclosures with cloisters or galleries facing upon quiet gardens, which are very beautiful in the snow. Here, again, I saw many, many young Orthodox priests, some mere teenagers, walking to and from the various churches, shoveling snow, etc. There is a vibrant quality about the monastic enclosure that I have never seen in any American religious retreat. The monastic buildings appear to be very old, and I was especially interested in the doors, with their heavy timbers and massive hinges and bolts. However, I also noted several Russian placards on the monastic walls, identifying this or that "ministry" or "bureau," which undoubtedly means that there were many government uses for these buildings during the long Soviet winter. I understand that the Soviet authorities twice drove the monks from these enclosures, once in 1930 and again in 1961. In one of the monastery museums I also saw an aerial photograph of the Soviet destruction of the Dormition Cathedral (it was rebuilt after the fall of the Soviet Union). However, the main single-domed Byzantine style Refectory, which all of the local priests and worshippers I talked to here called the "трапезной храм" (that is, "trapezoidal temple"--not chapel, but temple) survived the Soviet destruction in large part. More about the amazing Refectory--Temple in a later post.

Which all goes to show how enduring are the things of the heart and soul. This monastery has stood here for more than a thousand years, through countless invasions, coups, famines, wars and even through deliberate destructive acts such as those of the horrific twentieth century.

Pechersk--Berestove Transfiguration Church

Coming up the snowy hill from the Park of Eternal Glory, it appears that most of the visitors to Pechersk Lavra enter by the main gate. I noted, however, that there was a small staircase leading over a snowy hill on the left, and decided to explore. This took me into the Monastery by the back way. The thought of sneaking up upon this great monastery--which is said to be the most sacred Orthodox site in all of eastern Europe--appealed to me greatly. I didn't want to see it by the guidebook, but let it unfold to me in its own way.

The first sight one has upon cresting the little deserted hill is the small and slightly dilapidated Church of the Transfiguration. This Church, not properly a part of the monastery and outside its walls, was once a local parish church for the local neighborhood. It has four golden domes over the main nave of the church, and a protruding bell tower. (At first I wondered if the domes symbolized Peter's statement in Luke 9 about building three tabernacles, but there are four domes instead of three). I like this church. It is small and somewhat unobtrusive. While it might be a centerpiece in another city, here, next to the monumental Dormition Cathedral and related buildings, the Transfiguration Church is considered by some as a mere footnote.

None of us should waste our lives worrying whether we happen to be a humble Transfiguration Church or the Soaring Cathedral in the Square. There is something appealing about standing on our own foundations, giving the service that we are able to give. The sun glints as beautifully off of the domes of the little Transfiguration Church as from the highest pinnacles of the Cathedral.

The Sun Appears

After an entire week of overcast skies, sub-freezing temperatures and snow, the Sun showed its welcome face today. I left the apartment at nine for an excursion to Kyiv-Pecherska Lavra, taking the Metro to Arsenalna, where I came up to see blue sky and sunlight for the first time. The wide sidewalks of Hrushevs'kovo, which connects Arsenalna and Pechersk Lavra were filled with pedestrians (including, wonder of wonder, children!), and everyone seemed in very good humor. When I took a picture of the sun on the sidewalk, some utility workers called to me, "What about us?"

Street Minstrels

Brazen hawking and peddling isn't the only game on the street. I have seen a goodly number of street musicians, including singers, at least three different accordianists, and today a trio of minstrels with guitars. There are also a fair number of beggars, including a rather heart-tugging elderly woman at Pechersk Lavra, of whom I may write more later. Though I almost always give to the beggars, I sometimes wonder how well the money will be spent. One feels good, however, about dropping a few coins or small bills with the street musicians.

Navigating the Metro

It is now about 5:30 p.m. I had a wonderful day. I first decided that I needed to learn how to use the Metro system. I purchased a couple of little green plastic tokens at a cashier's station (they cost 50 kopiykas each, or half a griven). I deposited my token in the turnstile, then followed a vast throng of people and we descended into the entrance at Lva Tolstovo. Here you descend into a long escalator, perhaps several hundred feet long, into a cathedral like space with archways opening onto parallel tracks, one on each side. I noted that some of the ornate grillwork bore the year, "1960," so I am assuming that is when it was built or refurbished. There is also, embossed in the brick and cement work, colored signs showing the direction of travel, all of the succeeding stops, as well as connections down the line. The trains come rushing in every few minutes, pause probably twenty seconds, and then hurtle off down the tunnel. After observing the procedure for a few minutes, I ventured into the subway car headed for the Maidan station. There I disembarked, and found the connecting tunnel which leads to the sister station, Chreschatik, which is on a different line.

The connecting tunnel is amazing. It has a high arched ceiling, and the whole thing gradually rises, then falls again to the other station. The connecting tunnel must be considerably longer than a football field. It was here that I met my new friend, Valery, playing his accordian for passing change.

At Chreschatik, I again observed and studied the signs, then boarded an east bound train for Arsenalna, a station further east. It was here that I hoped to begin a walk down the Dnieper River to Pecherska Lavra. When I got to the surface, however, I found that it was now raining steadily. I paused in the square at Arsenalna long enough to watch a plainly dressed woman, wielding a very old-fashioned looking broom, sweeping a spot for her to display her fresh flowers. I also inspected the Arsenalna statue, which is a war memorial, noting both the remaining sickle and hammer imagery of the former Soviet Union, as well as the poignant flowers and bouquets recently laid there.

Deciding to go to Pecherska Lavra another day, I again descended into the Metro at Arsenalna. Here the depth of the train platform is amazing. There two very long escalators leading down, each of which was easily 3-400 feet.

I left the Metro at Chreschatik, and decided to look for "Arena City," where I understood a somewhat Western-like grocery store exists. I had in hand the handwritten notes from the family of one of the other judge instructors, giving directions. Their teenage daughter wrote the notes out and, not knowing any Russian or Ukrainian, had drawn a very nice picture of the Cyrillic words "Мандарин Плаза" ("Mandarin Plaza")and logo on the grocery store door. I soon became lost trying to navigate the streets of downtown Kyiv, but in my travels, I recognized the logo and words written by the judge's daughter, and so decided to buy groceries. I purchased a couple of loaves of bread, some butter, honey, milk, orange drink, cheese, oranges and cold cereal. Upon leaving Mandarin Plaza, I asked a uniformed security guard how to get to the Lva Tolstovo Metro stop. He told me that it was only one street away and showed me the direction. I was quite proud of myself for being able to converse enough to find my way. Incidentally, I must not look like a total American idiot here, because in my travels I had two different people stop me to ask for directions.

Early Morning Reverie Overlooking Lva Tolstovo Plaza

I awoke spontaneously this morning at 6:00 after sleeping like an Orthodox monk in cell for eight uninterrupted hours. The world is good, I feel wonderful, and this Saturday morning approach my first venture into this special city with trembling anticipation. I am seated comfortably by one of the arched windows of the apartment overlooking the Lva Tolstovo Plaza, a three cornered intersection named for the novelist Leo Tolstoy, with its two Metro (or subway) entrances. I have the window open a crack partly to let in the pleasant sound of the traffic four stories below, and partly to let in a cool breeze. The cast iron steam radiators in this wonderfully old apartment building are emitting a nice heat, but the valves appear to have been painted shut seventy or eighty years ago. I read somewhere that Ukrainians never open the windows in the winter, but I enjoy the slightly wafting breeze carrying the sounds up to my ears in this lofty aerie.

I am amazed that the effects of jet lag have not yet struck me. I slept very well last night after intentionally remaining awake until the normal sleeping hours of the Kyivan world. I have also been drinking a lot of water and intend to go out this morning in a few minutes when the sun arises. May the solar and circadian rhythms of this new clime sink immediately into my system.

My plan today is to venture forth to explore. I go first to make a personal pilgrimage to Pecherska Lavra, the complex of hilltop monasteries and churches which is one of the holiest sites in all of Orthodoxy. The weather should be good for my pilgrimage, with highs in the 40s today and only a slight chance of rain. Tomorrow we expect snow, which will be most pleasant to see early tomorrow morning, descending upon the life-filled triangle of the Lva Tolstovo below me.