A Very Cold Monday

I ventured out a few times today, for my morning run, to visit St. Michaels, to shop for groceries, and later to browse along Andriysky Spusk.

It was bitterly cold all day, although the sun did come out now and then. I ran only about three miles, all in the Volodymrska Hill Park district of the city. On laps behind St. Michaels and past the Funicular, I was intrigued to watch an old man feeding the little birds out of his hand. He would stand very still with his palm upturned, and the birds would hover over his hand to eat bread crumbs. There were also many parents or grandparents out with little children in sleds.

I had a nice conversation with a woman in the refectory shop at St. Michaels, and bought a nice book on ikons.

In the afternoon I went to Andriysky Spusk, which is a sort of tourist trap in Kyiv, and browsed in the many outdoor art and souvenir booths. I was bare-headed and a woman came up to me and remonstrated that I needed a hat--actually I think she was trying to sell me one. I looked at a few navy and army caps with either Soviet or Ukrainian insignias, and wondered about their authenticity (or lack thereof). I didn't buy anything but did get a nice picture of some intricately wrought gates with (I'm sure) genuine Soviet insignias. These were behind the ministry building next door to St. Michaels.

St. Andrew's rises dramatically from the street, with dramatic gold trimmed blue domes. I love the dramatic exterior of St. Andrews, but it has a more ostentacious feeling inside than other Orthodox Churches--less worshipful, perhaps, more for show than for worship. I know people like that--they look very impressive, but somehow leave you cold when you take a look inside, as it were.

I returned home in mid afternoon to finish some laundry, to do a little grocery shopping and to pack for my evening train ride to Kharkiv.

A Final Walk Through Kyiv

Though it is a cold and overcast day, I left the apartment at mid day (after packing) and took a final ride on the Metro and a walk through the streets of Kyiv. I rode the Funicular, saw St. Michael's, walked past St. Sophia's, visited St. Andrew's, browsed on the Andriysky Spusk, and ended up in my gazebo on the promontory overlooking the Dnipro. From there I said my goodbyes to this great and ancient City, and took my leave.

St. Andrew's--Stray Dogs--Street Vendors

Between St. Michael's and St. Andrew's, I was attracted to the many shops and outdoor street vendors on the Andriysky Spusk, or "St. Andrew's Descent." Here I spent an hour or more looking for a few little gifts to take home to my family. I had an especially pleasant conversation with a Ukrainian woman who spoke no English. She appeared to me to be the one Ukrainian plying her Ukrainian-themed souvenir wares in a frigid outdoor tent in the midst of a dozen Russian men(with excellent pitch-man's English) plying their distinctly Russian wares (e.g., "This Christmas Matroshka very popular this year; I make you good deal!" or "Do you want whiskey flask with Soviet symbol?" etc.) Needless to say, I wound up buying from the Ukrainian woman. I never got closer than a half a block from St. Andrew's itself, which rises up almost intimidatingly on a steep hill above the street. The high stairs and forbidding prospect aren't the only intimidating things. If you click on the picture you will see several loose dogs in the street before St. Andrew's. Frozen and exhausted and in no mood for dodging dogs, I took my little purchases home, far away from the stray dogs and Russian street vendors.